Clicky vs. Sticky: Scaling Marketing with Substance ft. Brad Schlachter

In this episode of The Clarity Code, we host Brad Schlachter, a seasoned fractional CMO and full-funnel growth marketer who has scaled brands from scrappy AI startups to global giants like Disney, Hallmark, and Intel.

Brad shares how smaller companies’ scrappiness can often outperform enterprise budgets, what it takes to establish trust quickly as a fractional CMO, and how to pivot from vanity metrics to meaningful engagement. We cover video’s role in the funnel, best practices for ad creative, scaling with substance, and the balance between AI tools and authentic human connection.

If you’ve ever struggled to prove ROI, connect brand storytelling with data, or move from “clicky” to truly sticky marketing—this conversation is packed with clarity you can put into action. 

0:00 – Small budget campaigns can still win

2:00 – Building trust quickly as a fractional CMO

4:00 – What startups can teach enterprises about creativity & action

6:02 – Scaling with substance: The balance of brand & speed

8:00 – Clicky vs. Sticky: Moving beyond vanity metrics

10:02 – Video’s role in funnel conversions and reducing churn

12:01 – A 90-day activation framework: Testing, learning, scaling

14:07 – When campaigns underperform: Pivoting without losing momentum

16:00 – Best practices for video creative & clear calls to action

18:01 – Quick funnel audits & metrics that matter

20:01 – Emerging B2B marketing trends & segmentation with AI

22:02 – Balancing AI efficiency with authentic human connection

24:04 – Case study: Hallmark, Roku, and the power of Betty White

26:01 – Every brand’s “Betty White moment”

28:00 – Advice Brad would give his younger self: evolve or become extinct

30:00 – The Clarity Check: Quickfire Q&A

32:01 – Closing thoughts and wrap-up

Find Brad at https://www.risebusinessventures.com/

Learn more about The Clarity Code @ https://claritycodepod.com