In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Aaron Zagha, Chief Marketing Officer at Newton Baby, a company revolutionizing the baby sleep market through radical product innovation and data-driven marketing. Newton Baby has disrupted the traditional crib mattress category with their breathable, washable “woven air” technology made from the same material as yogurt cups. Starting as employee number two or three at the early-stage company, Aaron has scaled Newton Baby from a single product to a full sleep ecosystem through rigorous incrementality testing, AI experimentation, and a flat organizational structure that encourages radical experimentation.

Topics Discussed:

• Building a flat, experiment-driven marketing organization with 13-14 team members

• Running 25-30 marketing channels simultaneously and using incrementality testing to optimize

• Leveraging AI across ad platforms, customer service, and creative production

• Adapting marketing strategies for millennial vs. Gen Z parents

• Competing against 50+ year legacy brands as a digital-native DTC player

• Testing and abandoning channels like Snapchat and branded paid search based on data

Lessons For Consumer Marketers:

Make Incrementality Testing Your North Star

Newton Baby runs geo-lift tests on every new marketing channel before scaling, using tools like Robyn to measure true incremental impact. This rigorous approach led them to shut down branded paid search, Snapchat, and multiple display channels that looked good in-platform but weren’t actually driving incremental sales. The result: they cut from 25-30 channels down to only the truly performing ones.

Build a Flat Organization That Rewards Bold Ideas

Aaron runs bi-monthly off-sites where every team member must bring one big new idea. Anyone can propose experiments, and he actively encourages being proven wrong. This structure, combined with a “test anything we can design a statistically significant test for” philosophy, creates a culture where breakthrough ideas can come from anywhere in the organization.

Position Your Customer as the Hero, Not Your Brand

Newton Baby’s core advertising philosophy centers on making parents the heroes of every story, not the company. Instead of “Newton Baby saves your child,” their messaging focuses on “You’re making the smart choice for your baby’s safety.” This customer-centric narrative approach drives higher engagement and conversion across all their creative.

Embrace AI Tools Based on Performance, Not Hype

Rather than adopting AI tools wholesale, Newton Baby tests each one for incrementality. They’ve found success with LLM-powered chatbots (dramatically reducing customer service costs) and certain creative generation tools, while avoiding AI budget optimization tools. Their approach: test TikTok’s Symphony, Facebook ASC, and Google PMAX, but only scale what actually drives incremental results.

Adapt Your Strategy for Generational Shifts 

Newton Baby deliberately adjusts their approach for millennial vs. Gen Z parents – selling where each generation wants to shop (Amazon for millennials, Babylist for Gen Z), creating different color palettes for different aesthetic preferences, and shifting from brand advertising to UGC content that younger parents trust more than polished brand messaging.

Scale Channel Strategy Based on Digital Sophistication

As a digital-native brand, Newton Baby spends far more on online advertising than legacy competitors who still rely on traditional media. This digital-first approach, combined with sophisticated attribution modeling, has allowed them to capture market share while established brands struggle to build effective DTC channels and modern marketing capabilities.