The Brand Collective Podcast

BARK x Dave Stangle

The Power of Knowing Your Audience


Dave Stangle is a self-described dog person. And so is the audience of BARK, where he’s VP of Brand Activation. Instead of sticking to the usual marketing playbook, BARK dove into what dog lovers truly crave and delivered with flair — think BARK Air and buzz-worthy campaigns. Dave’s insight? The real marketing magic lies in truly knowing your audience. It’s all about blending genuine understanding with creativity to create something exceptional.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

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    Dave shares why he thinks the top marketing metric is affinity and just how important it is in building a brand.
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    We chat about why Dave’s biggest learning from working at BARK is maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit.
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    Dave details how dogs have evolved to be part of the family, leading BARK to create a whole world of fun and engaging content for pups and their people.

Dave Stangle with dog

Dave Stangle

VP Brand Activation, BARK

Dave is the VP of Brand Activation at BARK, the company behind BarkBox on a mission to make all dogs happy. In his role, he oversees partnerships, licensing, customer experiences, and brand awareness. Dave is obsessed with people getting the most out of their life with their dog, and in supporting BARK’s mission to do just that, leads BARK’s efforts in reaching more dog people in more places. Dave lives in Upstate NY with his wife and incredibly entitled dog.