Marketing Today With Alan Hart

During this 218th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Tim Greulich, managing director at Deloitte and the operational customer experience practice leader.On the show today, we talk about the latest report from Deloitte Digital called "Creating Human Connection at Enterprise Scale." We discuss why creating a human connection is essential in today's service economy, how companies should be thinking about it, and why it's so hard.In our discussion of "Creating Human Connection at Enterprise Scale," Greulich begins by discussing the big questions that inspired the report. He provides advice for companies that want to be more human. Greulich says, "I think it's a recognition that people are complex." We can design for this complexity and embrace it. The report found that when companies create strong relationships with their customers, they become more forgiving and price-insensitive over time. Relating to your customer can make you more competitive, and may even provide you with more data. Greu

During this 217th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Ziad Ahmed and Shaina Zafar, executives at JUV Consulting.On the show today, we talk about how these young entrepreneurs began their already remarkable careers and JUV's first big break. We talk about JUV's purpose-driven mission and its unique workforce of Gen Z consultants.Ahmed and Zafar share how JUV has innovated and grown beyond their expectations. They emphasize their focus on big purpose-driven ideas. Zafar says, "As a purpose-driven company, we always think about people and purpose first." They explain their services and provide the example of fourteen-year-olds consulting with Fortune 500 companies on campaigns that are fundamentally disruptive. They emphasize that JUV is not business as usual, and they do not believe their clients are always right. Ahmed speaks with passion when he says, "I would rather lose every client that we have by speaking truth to power than ever gain a single client by being something that we're

During this 216th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Lisa Roberts, the chief marketing officer at Yonder, an AI SaaS company. Today, we talk about Roberts' long history in Texas and then move into how her work at Yonder applies to recent waves of communication about coronavirus and the protests for racial equality and social justice. We talk about the implications these waves have for brands and marketers and what Roberts thinks we need to be watching.Roberts shares how Yonder helps brands understand their market by looking at the activity of highly aligned online groups. She says, “If you can understand how ideas originate and take hold online, you can understand the groups and motivation behind those ideas." We talk about how marketers can break down complex conversations to understand where individual narratives emerge and spread. Roberts discusses the reality of what brands will need to go through as they decide how to respond to current events. She reminds us, “There is no

During this 215th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Carla Piñeyro Sublett, chief marketing officer at NI.On the show today, we talk about Piñeyro Sublett's background. She started at Dell, then became the CMO at Rack Space. We also talk about the year she took off to find ubuntu. Our conversation covers renewal within ourselves and how to bring our work and personal lives together.Piñeyro Sublett's begins by talking about her year of finding ubuntu when she took a year off from work and focused on reconnecting with the things and people that mattered most to her. She reflects, “I had to figure out who I was without work." We talk about Piñeyro Sublett's career journey and her long tenure at Dell. Then we dive into her current role at NI and its relaunch, which focuses on the impact of the engineer. She says, "We are setting out to elevate the role of the engineer in society and tell their stories." Piñeyro Sublett reflects on how her year off made her more of a heart-led leader. She shar

During this 214th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Zach Peikon, who specializes in senior-level executive search for chief marketing officers, chief growth officers, and other sales and digital leaders at Korn Ferry.Today, we talk about demystifying the executive search function, the types of characteristics they're looking for in the next generation of CMOs, and the differences required to make the transition from chief marketing officer to GM or CEO.Peikon shares how he became involved in the world of executive search; then, he provides insights into what CMOs are most concerned about right now and discusses the volatile position CMOs have in the C-Suite. Peikon says, “Digital transformation was critical before and is of even more importance now." We talk about the characteristics of a best-in-class CMO. He says, “Best-in-class CMOs understand how to manage ambiguity, engage and inspire others, develop a strategic vision, and drive results. They're adaptable, confident, and curio

During this 213th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Dan Lowden, the Chief Marketing Officer at White Ops.On the show today, we talk about marketing and cybersecurity. We get into fraud and fraud detection, including two significant cases where White Ops was one of the leaders in identifying fraud. You're going to learn a lot about fraud and why marketers should care about it.Lowden explains some of the complex problems White Ops addresses that marketers need to be thinking about today. He says, "The goal here is to ensure brands from a marketing integrity perspective, from an advertising integrity perspective, are engaging with real humans." We talk about the types of threats White Ops sees right now and how this bad data can affect marketing teams. Lowden says, "Every company in the world right now is being attacked." He encourages us to stand up to these threats. Then he tells two stories about how WhiteOps helped to identify fraud. He emphasizes, “We don't underestimate how smart thes

During this 212th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Bob Hoffman, returning guest and author of the new book, Advertising for Skeptics.On the show today, we talk about the main ideas that inspired Hoffman to write Advertising for Skeptics and the delusions he believes the marketing and advertising industries are under. We laugh a lot, and maybe we'll inspire you to get a cocktail after you're done listening.Hoffman tells us how Advertising for Skeptics came out of his musings on the industry. Hoffman says, “My idea is that we should be skeptical of the things that we accept as common wisdom in the advertising and marketing business, and we should question them.” Then he goes on to talk about the troubling lack of accumulated knowledge in advertising. He says, "If advertising is less effective now than it was fifty years ago, where's the arrow of progress?" He then reluctantly offers advice to people in advertising and marketing cautioning, “The best advice I can give is to be careful.” We

During this 211th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Evan Horowitz, CEO of Movers+Shakers, a go-to agency for TikTok.On the show today, we talk about how Movers+Shakers came about, how it's a family business with his partner, and we talk about some of the record-setting campaigns with e.l.f. Cosmetics, among other work.Horowitz tells us how he started thinking like a marketer while giving campus tours as a Stanford engineering student. Then he shares how the idea for Movers+Shakers came out of the vision that “using original music, using movement, using dance, would be a way to stop the scroll and drive more engagement.”Horowitz tells us how the viral e.l.f. campaign came about when they created an original song for a TikTok challenge, which leads to a discussion about what works on TikTok. Horowitz says, "I think one of the biggest challenges for brands when they're looking at TikTok is they recognize quickly how different the platform feels from other platforms.” Movers+Shakers is trans

During this 210th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Jake Sorofman, president of MetaCX.Today, we talk about what it's like to join a company and transition from CMO to president in a global pandemic. We talk about how Sorofman is thinking about company culture. We also discuss MetaCX's founder and the overall vision of the company.Sorofman describes how his role as chief marketing officer prepared him for his new role at MetaCX. Then he shares his perspective on creating company culture during a global pandemic. He says, "You need to be even more intentional. My feeling is that cultures don't happen by accident." He suggests leaning into the awkwardness of video conferencing and shares that they're engaging their employees in a fun 100 Mile Challenge.We learn more about MetaCX and why there may be no better time than now for them to launch, given their unique value proposition. Sorofman remarks on the opportunities that are available to us in this unique time. He says, "This is the time

During this 209th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Kelly Gillease, chief marketing officer at NerdWallet.Today, we talk a lot about Gillease's experience, which spans about twenty years in startups, travel, EdTech, and search, as well as supporting some of the acquisitions of those startups. We also talk about NerdWallet's venture into using big mass media advertising like TV and brand-building efforts and how she did that. We also highlight Gillease's background and some of the unique things that she's done in her life and her dual degree in both English and economics from UC Berkeley.Gillease discusses how addressing the public's lack of trust in personal finance companies is a big challenge for Fintech. Providing the best financial advice to establish that trust is how NerdWallet approached mass marketing. Gillease notes the drawbacks of performance marketing when she says, “performance marketing is really limited by demand for the category.” As Gillease shares what her team learned

During this 208th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Kristof Neirynck, chief marketing officer of global brands at Walgreens Boots Alliance.On the show today, we talk about how Walgreens Boots Alliance has responded to COVID-19. We also talk about Neirynck's portfolio of brands that he manages, store-owned brands, as well as their global CPG portfolio. We talk about the differences in various markets where they're a leader in the U.K. and how they've entered the U.S. market and the Chinese market in recent history. Then we switch gears and talk about his background and career trajectory. We also talk about his love of plants.Speaking how the Walgreens Boots Alliance has responded to COVID-19 in three stages, Neirynck advises, “These are times when we need to make sure that we bring the relevant products to the market.” He also encourages companies to “Show that you as a brand care and contribute to society.” Neirynck has a perspective on personalization and leveraging first-party data in

During this 207th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Vinoo Vijay, the chief marketing officer at H&R Block.On the show today, Vijay talks about his background growing up and tells us about his job at H&R Block. We talk about the transformation he's driving there and the advice he has for other marketers in the same role. We also talk about COVID and the response that H&R Block has put into place.Vijay shares that he attended boarding school at a young age. We then learn about the many achievements that led him to his role at H&R Block. We talk about how H&R Block quickly transformed its business to help clients during the COVID-19 crisis. He says, “If there was ever a moment where needed to help and inspire confidence, it was now.” Vijay shares his approach to leading transformation. He reflects, “I need to find a way to connect people to an idea that is long-term that connects the company towards a transformation.” Throughout this conversation, Vijay brings his focus to how marketing can

During this 206th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Lauren Sallata, chief marketing officer at Panasonic Corporation of North America.Today we talk about Panasonic's new campaign launching for the 2020 Olympics, what that partnership means, and how they're going to leverage it both for the marketplace effects as well as with their employees. The interview occurred before the one-year postponement of the 2020 Olympics. We also talk about Sallata's career and her life outside of work in service and foundation work.Sallata begins by discussing her board service. As we learn about the path her career has taken, Sallata reminds us to "Learn to walk in your customer's shoes." She updates our view of Panasonic as a brand and emphasizes Panasonic's global position. She says, "The red thread that runs through all of our solutions is sustainability and contribution to society." Then we learn about Panasonic's long-term commitment to the Olympic Games. Panasonic's ambitious new ad campaign, #whatmo

During this 205th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Leland Maschmeyer, the chief creative and strategy officer at Chobani.On the show today, Maschmeyer shares what he's doing at Chobani and tells us about this unbelievable creative organization he's now leading at the company. We talk about recent campaign work as well as his philosophy on design and business and the intersection between those two things. Maschmeyer shares that he built Chobani's internal agency out of a desire to transform Chobani into a creatively-driven culture. Creativity was critical for Chobani's growth plans. He says, "Change requires going through periods of destruction, periods of learning, periods of being unknown." They never wanted to separate their agency from the rest of the organization. Maschmeyer says that his desire to do the best creative work possible has always been at the intersection of design and business. We talk about the strategy they devised for the “Almost Milk” campaign, its visual styl

During this 204th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Sterling Snow, the senior vice president of revenue at Divvy.Today we talk about the founding story of Divvy and why it was created in the beginning. We also talk about marketing at a high-growth company and what the impact of building your own brand can be on your own company.Snow tells us how Divvy began and where Divvy customers start their journey. He describes his broad role and predicts that having someone that is singularly responsible for revenue in this way will become a trend. Snow shares Divvy's initial marketing strategy and how the company diversified. His advice to other marketers at high-growth companies is, “You can find these high-efficiency low-cost channels that really allow for quick and efficient growth.”Snow then emphasizes the importance of how people can use their personal brands to benefit the companies they work for. He says, “I think people underestimate how much impact they can have on their own careers and o

During this 203rd episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Todd Krautkremer, Chief Marketing Officer at Cradlepoint, an entrepreneurial executive with over 25 years of startup experience.Today we talk about his passion for building growth companies, his transition from computer science to the development side, product management, sales, and marketing, and his CEO role during the 2008 financial crisis. Krautkremer also shares his advice for what marketers should do during this coronavirus pandemic.Krautkremer starts by discussing his early career work, building some of the biggest data networks for carriers, and becoming a sales manager for the Northeast region. Working at Gearworks as CEO through the 2008 financial crisis taught him skills that served him well in his current role as a CMO. Krautkremer says, “I have empathy for customers. I understand how my partner in sales works, thinks, what they need, and most importantly, I am a better CMO because I understand what our CEO thinks and needs

During this 202nd episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Casey Hurbis, Chief Marketing Officer at Quicken Loans.Today we talk about the Super Bowl commercial that launched earlier this year and how that came about, the relationship with Jason Momoa, and the company's partnership with the NFL. We also discuss other sports sponsorships and the impact Quicken Loans is having on Detroit.Hurbis begins by telling us what excites him about Detroit and updating us on Quicken Loan's success as America's largest lender. He provides a behind-the-scenes look into the process of creating an ad for the Super Bowl and building a relationship with Jason Momoa, who had never before taken on a paid endorsement.Hurbis showcases his team's ambition when discussing their approach to partnerships. He says, "We have a history of doing things that have never been done before." They have also used these sponsorships to improve their community. Hurbis explains, "We want to be able to do good by the community but also

During this 201st episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Diego Meller, Co-Founder of Jampp. We follow up on a previous discussion about ad fraud and the $100 million Uber lawsuit. Meller clarifies the important difference between ad networks and programmatic. He also shares about the pivot Jampp underwent to eliminate fraud. If you're listening today, take this as a warning shot. Think about how you can improve your own efforts in your businesses.Meller begins by setting the record straight on how ad networks and programmatic function differently. Then learn how Jampp changed its business model because fraud instances were getting more frequent. Every time they researched what was going on, fraud was not the exception, but the rule. Meller offers a fascinating insight into how marketers handled these revelations. "The most frequent scenario that we saw in our customers was a strategy of basically phasing out gradually the crappy traffic and blending it with good traffic." Then Meller pro

During this 200th episode of “Marketing Today,” I look back at the previous 199 episodes and shares highlights from some of his favorite interviews over the past five years.We begin with Colleen Sellers, who spoke powerfully about being a working mom and the only female interviewed that day. Then we look back at a great conversation with the late Tom Bick, who had amazing one-liners and advice for marketers that got right the point.Kim Whitler is one of the academics we've had on the show, and we discussed the role of marketers on corporate boards. Then the legendary Phil Kotler told us what has and hasn't changed in marketing over the last fifty years. He remarked, “Every marketing decision also has some possible impact on our resources, on our communities, on our planet.” I also share highlights from my discussions with Kevin Lane Keller, Byron Sharp, and JB Steenkamp. During my second interview with Mark Ritson, he made an incredible endorsement of this podcast. We close out this episode with highlights fr

During this 199th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Rishad Tobaccowala, author of the new book, "Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data."We discuss Tobaccowala's long career at Publicis Groupe. Then Tobaccowala tells us why he wrote "Restoring the Soul of Business" and what it means to be human in light of all the technology and data that's flying around us as well as the impact storytelling still has.Tobaccowala shares why he thinks businesses fail when they focus too much on numbers on data. He says, “I believe that it is extremely important that any company, individual, or team, realizes that success is combining what I call the story and the spreadsheet.” Tobaccowala emphasizes that the human element is still very important to business as he reflects, "If a company allows growth, purpose, and connections, it begins to attract talent." When sharing some of the top lessons he learned during his successful career, he advises that we should, “Never underestimate