Human-Centered Marketing Isn’t Just a Buzzword—It’s the Blueprint for Smarter Event Strategy
In this episode of Event About It, Megan Martin sits down with Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Marketing Portfolio at Atlassian and author of the newly released book, Human-Centered Marketing. Ashley shares why the traditional marketing funnel is broken, how event organizers need to think beyond “one-size-fits-all,” and the overlooked goldmine sitting in your post-event content archives.
From her playground framework to the difference between user and industry conferences, Ashley gives marketers permission to stop chasing MQLs and start focusing on audience intent, trust, and content depth. Plus, she drops tactical advice on personalization, repurposing live event content, and why your carpet pad may determine booth success.
🔑 Key Themes & Takeaways
1. 🧠 Human-Centered Marketing Starts with Intent, Not the Funnel
Ashley’s biggest argument? The marketing funnel isn’t dead—it’s just no longer useful as a strategy tool. Instead, marketers should map journeys using a “playground” approach: think omni-directional movement, multiple access points, and different modes of engagement.
🔑 Takeaway:
Your audience isn’t walking a straight line. Build journeys around their needs—not your nurture logic.
2. 🧩 Events Are Not All Created Equal: Industry vs. User Conferences
Too many brands promote their user conference like an industry event, then wonder why engagement drops or feedback tanks. Ashley breaks it down simply:
- If your speakers are all customers, employees, or partners → user conference
- If 80% of the content only makes sense if you use the product → user conference
- If your primary KPI is feature adoption or MAUs → user conference
🔑 Takeaway:
Call your event what it is—and market and measure it accordingly.
3. ♻️ Reuse It or Lose It: Make Your Content Work Harder
Ashley joined Megan in a game of “Reuse It or Lose It,” giving expert advice on what event content is worth repurposing and what should be left behind. Key insights:
- 🔁 One-liner keynotes = YES → audiograms, memes, reels, quote cards
- 🔁 Spicy Q&A = YES (if the speaker holds their own)
- ⛔ Sizzle reels with just logos and b-roll? “Try-hard,” says Ashley
- ✅ Speaker interviews and session soundbites? Gold
🔑 Takeaway:
Your event content is a long-term asset—if you treat it that way.
4. 🧬 Personalization at Scale = Depth + Intent
Ashley introduced her “content depth” framework (Conceptual → Strategic → Tactical) and layered it with intent (Trust, Buy, Learn, Use, Help). The combination gives marketers a matrix to map both content and audience need.
Takeaway:
Label your event sessions and post-event content with both depth (101 vs. 301) and intent. Use this to drive smarter segmentation and follow-up.
5. 🧍“Networking Events Are Made for Extroverts”
Ashley didn’t hold back on why traditional networking formats (loud music, dark rooms, free alcohol) exclude many types of attendees. It’s one of many examples she gives about how events often forget to be human-first—from poor seating for panels to the complete lack of protein at catered meals.
🔑 Takeaway:
Design for real people. That means introverts, high-performance eaters, and speakers who don’t want to fall off a stool.
6. 💥 Post-Event Follow-Up Is Your Biggest Missed Opportunity
Ashley argues most marketers waste their best data after the event. Her fix? Use session attendance, content depth, and intent signals to map personalized follow-ups that include:
- Session recaps tied to blogs or whitepapers
- Event speaker social profiles for ongoing engagement
- Product journeys mapped to behavior (not badge scans)
🔑 Takeaway:
Don’t just recap what happened. Curate what should happen next.
7. 🔥 Buzzwords That Need a Break
In a spicy final segment, Ashley sent “MQL” to the graveyard, saying it’s meaningless without context and just a relic of broken attribution models. Her advice? Focus on the actions that matter and define leads with clarity, not acronyms.
📘 About the Book
Ashley’s book Human-Centered Marketing: How to Connect with Audiences in the Age of AI is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through her publisher Kogan Page (use code KOGANPAGE20 for 20% off). It’s a must-read for marketers who want to future-proof their strategies without losing their soul to AI tools and automated templates.
🎧 Final Word
If your events are designed like a funnel and your content strategy ends the day the booth is packed up, Ashley Faus has a wake-up call. This episode isn’t just marketing therapy—it’s a masterclass in how to reimagine events as part of a full-funnel, full-human experience.
📍 Recorded for the Event Marketing & Content Strategy community
📍 Targeting B2B marketers, event strategists, and content leaders
📍 Relevant to global and U.S. markets, especially tech-forward brands
🖇️ Catch the full episode at EventAboutItPodcast.com