Season 4 Episode 1
From Data to Decisions: Making Every Marketing Move Count with Rustam Irani

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RESOURCES   ❯   The Marketing Rapport Podcast

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Marketing Rapport, host Tim Finnigan sits down with Rustam Irani, Founder and CEO at RGI Marketing. They explore the real challenges behind lead generation in education and other considered purchase categories, focusing on why efficiency and data-driven decision-making matter more than just filling the funnel.

Rustam shares practical stories from his work across engineering and marketing, showing how small improvements at each stage of the funnel can add up to big gains. He explains how schools and businesses often chase more leads, but the real value comes from finding and fixing leaks in the process. Rustam breaks down how demographic and behavioral data work together to help organizations reach the right person at the right time, and why understanding consumer behavior across many channels is now a must.

The conversation moves from the nuts and bolts of data modeling to the importance of authentic messaging and team empowerment. Rustam’s approach centers on testing new ideas, measuring what works, and using insights to create better outcomes for both organizations and the people they serve.

Guest-at-a-Glance

Key Insights

• Focus on Fixing Funnel Leaks, Not Just Driving More Leads
  Strong marketing isn’t about filling the top of the funnel with as many leads as possible. Real gains come from finding and fixing leaks across every stage of the funnel—whether that’s improving contact rates, increasing application conversions, or boosting enrollment. Small, targeted improvements—like raising conversion rates by even 5% at several points—compound to create significant results without extra spend. This approach shifts focus from volume to efficiency, making each lead work harder. By mapping the full process and identifying friction points, teams can unlock growth that doesn’t require bigger budgets or more staff. When efficiency becomes a priority, marketing becomes more sustainable, teams reduce wasted effort, and organizations see better returns.

• Use Data and Behavior Together for Smarter Targeting
  Combining demographic data with behavioral insights leads to better marketing decisions. Demographics help define the audience, but understanding how people actually interact—where they browse, how quickly they respond, or what motivates action—adds depth that pure statistics can’t provide. This mix allows marketers to identify the right person, deliver the right message, and reach them at the right time. It also fuels smarter lead scoring models, making it possible to prioritize prospects who are most likely to convert, not just those who look good on paper. By layering behavioral signals over standard data, marketing teams can personalize outreach, improve conversion rates, and reduce wasted effort chasing poorly matched leads.

• Modern Consumers Require Multi-Channel Engagement
  Today’s consumers move fast, switch platforms, and expect brands to meet them where they are. Attention spans are short, and people encounter a brand across many touch points—social media, search, streaming, and more.Success depends on understanding which platforms matter most to the target audience and showing up with relevant content in those spaces. Teams don’t always need huge budgets; organic engagement and smart content placement make a difference. As the digital landscape keeps expanding, brands need to think beyond traditional search and adopt a “search everywhere” mindset. This means optimizing for visibility across platforms, keeping the brand message consistent, and tailoring outreach for each channel.

Episode Highlights

Innovation Starts with Empowerment and Small Risks
Timestamp: [~00:04:30]
Innovation doesn’t always require big budgets or perfect conditions. Empowering teams to take small, calculated risks can spark creative solutions to everyday challenges. When leadership supports experimentation and provides even modest resources, teams find ways to adapt tools and processes, often leading to breakthrough results. This approach rewards curiosity and builds confidence, helping organizations evolve instead of sticking to the status quo. True progress often comes from encouraging people to think differently—and then giving them enough room to try something new, even if it means risking a little to gain a lot.

“We just used a traditional method of taking an instrument out there. We put it on the beach, and then we have to go in the water… There’s gotta be an easier way now that we have GPS… I’ll give you and your team $400. I want you to just kind of figure out how we can take this equipment that we have that’s not waterproof and make it work in the water, because we should be using that to monitor and measure, basically, erosion rates.”

The Power of Iteration and Testing in Marketing
Timestamp: [~00:08:05]
Effective marketing calls for constant testing and willingness to try new tactics, even if early results fall short. Launching new campaigns—like lead ads or emerging channels—often means facing setbacks and working through several iterations before finding what works. Building in a dedicated budget or time for experimentation keeps teams nimble and helps organizations stay ahead of trends. The real value lies in the learning process and the small adjustments made along the way, not just the final outcome. This mindset keeps teams engaged and sharp, encouraging continuous improvement rather than settling for what feels comfortable.

“The day it launched is the day we had things ready to go. It didn’t work. It took three iterations. It took months and months of perfecting it, trying to figure it out, doing different things, and so on. And eventually it became a very successful campaign type for us… I try to put like a five- to 10% innovation budget, or R&D budget, there, or just even— a lot of times it’s not even money; it’s effort that really makes the impact.”

Matching Message, Timing, and Audience Is Core to Success
Timestamp: [~00:10:41]
The heart of strong marketing is matching the right message to the right person at the right time. Demographic targeting is just a starting point. The real challenge is knowing when someone is ready to act and ensuring your outreach lands when it matters most. This requires a blend of behavioral signals, speed, and personalized content. Marketers who align these factors improve conversion rates, reduce wasted effort, and build trust with their audience. Consistently refining how and when you reach people—rather than relying on broad targeting alone—sets leading organizations apart.

“You’re looking for a certain type of consumer, customer, whatever it is, right? And that’s the goal of marketing: relevant messaging to a relevant person at the relevant time… That’s really what— right message at the right time to the right person. That’s the fundamental core of marketing.”

Data Brings Clarity and Drives Better Decisions
Timestamp: [~00:27:32]
Data is a foundational tool for decision-making. It reveals what’s happening in real time, gives insight into customer behavior, and tells clear stories about

what works and what doesn’t. When teams commit to gathering and acting on the right data, they move beyond guesswork and opinions. This approach helps organizations focus on outcomes that matter—like student retention or true customer fit—and makes it easier to align efforts across teams. Data-driven strategies also create a shared language for improvement, enabling everyone to rally around real evidence instead of gut feelings.

“At the end of the day, it’s insights into whatever you’re looking to do—there are stories that could be told out of the data. And the beautiful thing about data that I’ve always kind of rested my laurels on is it’s black and white. It’s either showing this or it’s showing that. Maybe we don’t have enough of it to tell the full story, and that’s fine. But if I can tell the full story and you’re going to argue against me when I’m showing you the data, you’re on your own… the data doesn’t lie.”

Top Quotes

[~00:06:13] Rustam Irani: “We came up with a bunch of different solutions. We basically bought a big OtterBox. We put the unit inside. We put holes in it. We put these rubber bushings in it so the cables would come out, but the water wouldn’t come in. We would test it in the bathtub or the sink. It was just amazing. And we even came up with an acronym for it. One of the guys on the team called it IMAP, interactive marketing apparatus for precise positioning.”

[~00:27:32] Rustam Irani: ““At the end of the day, it’s insights into whatever you’re looking to do. There are stories that could be told out of the data. And the beautiful thing about data that I’ve always rested my laurels on is it’s black and white. It’s either showing this or it’s showing that. And maybe we don’t have enough of it to tell the full story, and that’s fine. But if I can tell the full story and you’re going to argue against me when I’m showing you the data, you’re on your own.”

[~00:08:48] Rustam Irani: “A lot of times it’s not even money, it’s effort that really makes the impact.”

[~00:17:15] Rustam Irani: “”A 5% improvement across that compounds to like a 27% improvement in your overall bottom line”

[~00:28:23] Rustam Irani: “Most people cannot argue against the data. If they do, they obviously have their own opinion and don’t want to agree with the data. But the data doesn’t lie”

[[~00:29:49] Rustam Irani: “It’s like really helping people and businesses understand leads that are coming through and how you should treat them.”