Hosted by Jeff Walter, Founder and CEO of LatitudeLearning
Host Jeff Walter talks with Josh Gelfat, VP of Marketing at Brand Networks, about how digital marketing, AI automation, and learning technology empower businesses to create authentic content, strengthen brand engagement, and drive measurable growth.
About Josh Gelfat and His Cross-Industry Perspective
Josh brings a unique background shaped by an eclectic career across agency, publishing, and tech—having worked with Oreo, Chips Ahoy, led branded content at BuzzFeed, and helped global advertisers reach audiences at Twitter.
That experience informs his philosophy at Brand Networks: marketing isn’t just about reach—it’s about empowerment through understanding.
The Evolution of Brand Networks
Founded in 2007, Brand Networks was one of the first cross-platform ad technology companies. In its early years, it helped nearly half of the Fortune 100 manage campaigns across multiple social networks before each platform had its own ad manager. Over time, the company expanded into products that bridge enterprise marketing with human creativity.
Be an Influencer: Empowering Employee-Generated Content
One standout innovation, Be an Influencer, began as a project for Walmart and now helps brands like Starbucks activate employees as authentic content creators. The idea is simple yet powerful—transform everyday team members into credible advocates who share localized, brand-aligned stories. This approach humanizes marketing while also supporting internal learning—teaching employees to think like marketers, storytellers, and brand stewards.
From Marketing Enablement to Learning Enablement
Jeff draws a parallel between Brand Networks’ influencer model and learner-generated content in training programs—empowering individuals to teach and model best practices.
“It’s like employee training meets marketing enablement,” Jeff notes.
Josh agrees, emphasizing that the platform ensures all user-generated content meets corporate standards through brand-safety verification.
Aimy: AI-Powered Marketing Made Simple
The discussion then turns to Aimy, Brand Networks’ conversational AI assistant that helps small businesses and franchises plan, buy, and manage digital ads across Meta, Google, YouTube, and even streaming TV. For entrepreneurs without marketing departments, Aimy delivers enterprise-grade marketing capabilities through a simple chat interface.
Education Built into Every Feature
Josh stresses that accessibility is the mission:
“Our goal is to give every business—whether a national franchise or a local bakery—the tools to advertise effectively without needing to be a marketing expert.”
Education is woven throughout the platform with tutorials, prompts, and guided help that teach users about impressions, reach, and click-through rates.
Building Confidence Through Technology and Learning
This fusion of technology, training, and enablement resonates with the Training Impact audience.
As Jeff points out, Brand Networks isn’t just building products—it’s building confidence.
When tech companies prioritize user learning, adoption accelerates, engagement improves, and impact multiplies.
Looking Ahead: Localization and Continued Innovation
Josh closes by highlighting Brand Networks’ ongoing investment in localization tools, helping multi-location brands adapt creative content for regional audiences. That same mindset—making complexity simple through education—keeps Brand Networks relevant to training and marketing leaders alike.
Learn More
This episode offers a fascinating look at how a marketing technology firm became a model for user education and empowerment.
It’s a reminder that great technology succeeds not just because of what it does, but because of how well people learn to use it.
Learn more about Brand Networks: https://bn.co/
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