The Accidental Marketer Podcast

Hosted by Impact Planning Group

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158

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Aug 2026

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About the show

I am Tom Spitale, a Partner at Impact Planning Group - welcome to our Podcast! Along with my colleagues and Partners Mary Abbazia and Sean Welham, we are the authors of "The Accidental Marketer" published by Wiley. Through our book and our consulting practice, we help (mostly B2B) Accidental Marketers create unique and compelling strategies that differentiate their products and services from the competition. Our podcast addresses important B2B strategic marketing issues and is designed to help listeners maximize profits in their area of responsibility by creating, communicating and capturing (via pricing strategies) more value for customers than competitors do.

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September 4, 202614 min

Being Good Isn’t the Same as Being Good Enough to Win

In this episode of the Hidden in Plain Sight series, Tom and Mary explore how the Ability to Win scorecard exposes competitive blind spots that seem obvious only after they’ve been revealed. From an overlooked “cold turkey” competitor in smoking cessation to Intel, Nvidia, Salesforce, and Siebel, they show how looking through the customer’s eyes can reveal the competitors, capabilities, and customer segments that truly determine who wins.

August 21, 202616 min

Why Companies Chase the Wrong Opportunities

Many organizations spend enormous amounts of time evaluating markets, customer segments, and growth initiatives, yet surprisingly few first agree on what makes an opportunity attractive. In this episode, Tom and Mary explain why defining success before evaluating options leads to better strategic decisions, stronger organizational alignment, and fewer debates driven by opinion. Learn how one simple shift in thinking can help your organization uncover opportunities that have been hiding in plain sight.

August 7, 202614 min

Why B2B Companies Keep Serving "Lukewarm Tea"

In this episode we explore one of the most common mistakes companies make when trying to grow: assuming every customer values the same things. Tom and Mary explain the "Lukewarm Tea Syndrome"—the tendency to average customer needs into one generic value proposition that resonates with no one. Through examples from airlines, pharmaceuticals, and B2B medical equipment, they demonstrate how needs-based segmentation can uncover opportunities that are often hiding in plain sight.

July 24, 202615 min

Why B2B Technology Companies Talk About the Wrong Things

Why do technically superior products so often struggle to gain traction in the marketplace? In this episode, Tom and Mary explore one of the most common traps facing B2B technology companies: becoming so immersed in their own engineering expertise that they unintentionally communicate in ways customers don't value. Find out how to quickly gain better the customer insight that helps companies uncover opportunities hiding in plain sight.

June 26, 202618 min

Spirit Airlines, Scenario Planning, and the Difference Between Luck and Preparation

When Spirit Airlines abruptly shut down, competing airlines were forced to respond almost immediately. In this episode, Tom and Mary examine how carriers such as United, Southwest, Delta, and JetBlue reacted in ways that were remarkably consistent with their positioning and target customers. The discussion explores what those responses reveal about strategy, competitive preparedness, and the value of scenario planning.

June 15, 202613 min

Before You Price Your Next Innovation, Ask These Three Words

A $7 bag of Doritos sparked a broader discussion about one of the most common pricing mistakes in business. In this episode, Mary and Tom explore why customers often define competitors and alternatives differently than companies do, and how that gap can lead to pricing and commercialization challenges. The conversation highlights a simple question that can improve strategic decision-making across industries: Compared to what?

May 14, 202614 min

When Competitors Become Partners: Rethinking How Markets Are Won

In this episode, the team explores how companies like Nvidia are redefining competition by partnering with competitors to build full ecosystem solutions. Rather than fighting for share within existing categories, they are expanding the market itself by helping customers succeed end-to-end. The discussion highlights how B2B companies can identify when co-opetition makes sense and how to apply it strategically to unlock growth.

April 24, 202616 min

Why Paramount Beat Netflix: The Strategic Power of Playing the Game Forward

In this episode, the team breaks down the surprising outcome of the Warner Bros. Discovery bidding war and why Netflix—despite a strong strategic position—didn’t win. What began as a logical, best-fit decision quickly shifted as Paramount reframed the deal around certainty and risk. The conversation explores how strategy evolves through competitor moves, stakeholder priorities, and external pressures, and why most teams underestimate these dynamics.

March 13, 202620 min

Growth Starts with Subtraction: Rationalizing Your Portfolio to Win

In this episode, the team explores why growth in B2B doesn’t always come from adding more products, brands, or acquisitions — it often comes from trimming. From product lines to brand names, organizations tend to hold onto legacy assets long after their strategic value fades. The group unpacks how to think more objectively about what to double down on, what to maintain, and what to let go — and why rationalization is less about cost-cutting and more about disciplined growth.

February 27, 202613 min

What B2B Technical Leaders Can Learn from Ring’s Super Bowl Misstep

In this episode, Mary and Tom unpack the backlash surrounding Ring’s Super Bowl ad for its new “Search Party” feature — a tool designed to help locate lost dogs through Ring cameras. On the surface, the idea felt like a winner: people love dogs, and technology that helps reunite pets with owners sounds inherently positive. But the reaction exposed deeper issues around privacy, positioning, and cultural sensitivity. The discussion explores how technically impressive products can stumble when companies assume a “slam dunk” and skip critical commercial disciplines.