Marketing Today With Alan Hart

Mark Ritson is an adjunct professor at the Melbourne Business School in Australia, a columnist for Marketing Week, and a brand expert who has served as consultant for brands ranging from PepsiCo, Subaru, and Johnson & Johnson to Sephora, De Beers, and Donna Karan.In this podcast, Ritson discusses the decision by Adidas to pursue a digital-only strategy with their advertising, his take on programmatic advertising (not a big fan, at all), and how brand risk and brand safety come into play in today's digital advertising landscape. But perhaps he's at his most incisive and entertaining when he unleashes his mordant wit on marketers. For example: “Marketers are cowards and marketers are herd animals and marketers fundamentally don't know what they're doing.”Don't worry, he says some nice things, too. Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Ritson tells us exactly what he thinks about Adidas' digital-only approach to advertising — Hint: He doesn't li

Ryan Leslie is a Harvard graduate, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, a record producer, entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of SuperPhone. The startup (still in beta development) allows artists, writers, marketers or entrepreneurs — anyone, really — to connect with their friends, followers or fans directly and independently in a completely new way. Leslie discusses just one facet of SuperPhone, using himself as an example: “What we're building at SuperPhone is an…extension of me, and it becomes a brain in my phone, which remembers contexts and can build and measure metrics…and then it can assign a relationship score based on those metrics.”During the podcast, Leslie touches on many aspects of his life and career, where it seems he's always ahead of the curve. After he graduated from Harvard (at the age of 19, no less) he pursued his musical ambition, meeting with great success, including that Grammy nomination. He moved on, though, from his label, seeking independence in

Carolyn Tisch Blodgett began her career working with established brands like American Express, Mountain Dew and the New York Giants before joining category — categories, really — disruptor Peloton, where she is the head of brand marketing. And she is quick to delineate how Peloton's hybrid nature creates an appeal that spans categories. “It's a beautifully designed piece of hardware, but we're not a hardware company. We're a hardware company, a software company, and, really more than anything, a media company.”In addition to discussing her work with Peloton, Blodgett touches on how brands need to connect with people: “People want to have relationships with brands. And they want brands to be real…really having a voice behind the brand and a personality so that people can connect to it. I think that's what really matters.” Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Moving from (very) established brands to an insurgent: Blodgett discu

 Jan-Benedict (J.B.) Steenkamp is the C. Knox Massey Distinguished Professor and Area Chair of Marketing at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. A highly regarded expert in his field, he specializes in global marketing, branding, and emerging markets and strategy. In addition, he is the author of three books, the latest of which is titled “Global Brand Strategy: World-wise Marketing in the Age of Branding.”In this podcast, Steenkamp, while discussing topics and ideas from his most recent book, provides a sort of toolkit for marketers, including four key takeaways: (1) The need for diverse leadership teams in managing a global brand; (2) Clear accountability and quantifiable metrics; (3) The need for local flexibility within a common framework; and, lastly, (4) How Frank Zappa got it right — we're only in it for the money.When asked what draws him to marketing, he says, “Marketing is the interface between the company and the customers. And I'm interested in activities that span b

Richard Socarides has been around the block: A partner with a New York City law firm. A White House special assistant during the Clinton administration, concentrating on civil rights, LGBT rights, criminal justice, and education. Media communications and marketing for Time Warner Inc., including a stint at New Line Cinema. And now, head of public affairs — which includes global marketing, communications, and government affairs — for GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group), a company that Socarides describes as a “learning membership connecting businesspeople trying to solve problems to experts that can solve them.”In the podcast, Socarides expounds upon learning: “We're helping businesses make money, become more profitable, and connect with clients, but…at the core of what we do is learning. If you're a senior professional today, you know that the era of lifelong learning is really upon us. That what you knew last year, or two years or three years ago, about doing your job is obsolete.

Andy Donkin joined Under Armour as CMO in August of 2016 after a five-year stint in brand and mass marketing at Amazon. In this podcast, Donkin touches on authenticity and how important it is for brands and marketers, especially in capturing the hearts and minds of younger consumers: “When you talk to kids who actually wear the brand, there's this belief that they can do anything. And we fuel that belief.” He goes on to say, “I think for younger consumers, they tend to look for something that represents them. And I think what we've been able to do through our authenticity is mean something to those kids and those younger adults.”He also discusses what brands must do to survive and thrive in this modern-day business crucible: “Today, you can burn down a brand in about a week, if you get it wrong. That platform that you're building can be very volatile.” He then adds, “So that means you have to build an organization that's very nimble, very flexible, can learn and adapt

Diana O'Brien is the first-ever CMO at Deloitte. In that role, she believes she's lucky because she's been given responsibility for everything from traditional brand elements to clients, markets, sales, thought leadership, policy, and corporate citizenship, among other things. Basically, everything she “…needs to be successful.”She touches on many topics in the conversation, but, for her, thought leadership for marketers is key: “We all need great thought leadership. We all need to be looking toward the future, helping and sharing insights that are meaningful to the marketplace.” She goes on to add, “But what I do think can be different and what can help people is understanding how to capture the hearts and minds of people, because that's what marketers need to do.”She also touches on sense of purpose and the big picture. “I think it's aligning around your purpose. What is it that you're all there to do. For us, that's to make an impact that matters. That's our

Bob Hoffman is an “Ad Contrarian,” which is also the name of his popular and influential blog, and he's a best-selling author, advisor and sought-after speaker on advertising and marketing. Earlier in his career, he was CEO of two independent advertising agencies. So, needless to say, he knows his way around the block.In this podcast, Hoffman discusses his perspective on all things advertising, from the watering down of creative to the changing role of account management to the rise of media.For him, one of the things present-day advertising gets wrong is its lack of focus on creativity: “Advertising isn't as effective as it used to be, and…advertising isn't as creative as it used to be. And I have a very hard time believing that these two things are not related.” He also says, “One of the problems is that it (advertising) has become corporate-tized. And they're investing in everything but creativity. They're investing technology, data and metrics, but they're not investin

Rand Harbert is CMO of State Farm at a time when the company has reinvented, or at least reimagined, the way insurance is viewed. That is, instead of being there when things go wrong, they want to be a company that is there when things go right. And, in the process, make it clear that they offer a breadth of services that improves the quality of their customers' lives by providing proactive resources.Harbert also touches upon his attendance at the recent World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, discussing topics that were at the forefront there: the recent U.S. presidential election as perceived by international leaders, the impact of digital and data, and the importance of clean energy and the environment.There is fascinating insight here in this wide-ranging, informative and entertaining podcast with Rand Harbert. Check it out. Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Insurance as a proactive — not reactive — resource. (1:15)Customer relationships acros

Linda Boff is the CMO of GE, a behemoth company with over 300,000 employees worldwide. While certainly an established brand, it's a company in transition, and Boff has been leading that charge, not only to evolve but to make things better for people they serve. As she says, “We're five years into what is a huge transformation for the company into what is the world's leading industrial digital company. A company that makes things … but also connects things.” She goes on to add: “What I mean by that is, how can GE, using data, analytics and insights, help our customers be more productive.”In this podcast, she discusses change, storytelling and her desire to find ways to things that haven't been done before.Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Getting out of your bubble and listening. (2:41)Thinking horizontally and vertically: Challenge and opportunity in dealing with multiple stakeholders. (4:20)  From industrial mega corp to world's larg

In this podcast, Esurance CMO Alan Gellman discusses a wide range of marketing topics. But as seems to be the case for so many top marketers, tools and platforms are important, but to drive growth, it all comes down to trying to understand the people you want to reach: “We always — always — hang into that center of ‘Who are these people and how do we deliver for them?' Because as we deliver for the consumer, we deliver for our companies.”He also says, “Let's never lose sight that, as marketers, our primary charge is to drive growth — but how? It's through insight and depth of understanding of our customers and would-be customers, and that's not just about data … ‘It's what's the humanity that the data brings forward?'”Finally, Gellman reminds us it's important to find some joy. “If you're not laughing, if you're not having fun, then it's just not worth it.“Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Storytel

Elizabeth Windram, director of Brand and Advertising at JetBlue, arrived at her destination in marketing after stops in finance and MBA school. For her, it's not just coming up with the big idea so much as it is to trust your instincts and follow through; believing in what your gut is telling you while listening to other viewpoints and making the work better.“As long as you don't mess with the core insight, you're probably still OK,” says Windram. “Where I won't make changes is if something is fundamentally changing the thing that made it right and that made it work to begin with.”In addressing the collaboration and differing opinions inherent in bringing an idea to market, she goes on to add, “It's also knowing when you don't have to take someone's opinion. Sometimes it's enough to say, ‘OK, I've heard you and I'm not doing that. And here's why.' But, I think listening, at least, goes a long way.“ Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast

Lisa Baird was named CMO of the United States Olympic Committee in 2009. Prior to that, she served in brand and marketing roles for Proctor & Gamble, GM, IBM and the NFL, among others. With the Olympic Games occurring years apart, Lisa touches on how she maintains focus on long-term marketing goals: “The better and more articulate and more precise your mission and your purpose is — that needs to act as your long-term guide, says Baird. “You should measure everything you do against ‘Are you fulfilling that mission and purpose?' … Putting the right measurements in place for the long term help you to keep that true north on your compass.”But even though her goals invariably seem to reside on a distant horizon, she avoids the predictive, instead focusing on something she believes will remain constant: “Marketers who always focus on their customers' or their stakeholders' problems — and listen to them and solve their problems — will always win.”

Seth Kaufman's career traces a steady and seemingly unstoppable ascent at PepsiCo. As an intern, he fell in love with the people, the brands and the culture before taking on (and conquering) challenge after challenge, including brand and innovation initiatives, developing channels strategies in sales, and frontline field work on the snack side — where he embraced and developed his strength as a people leader.Following his work in the field, he returned to headquarters, rebuilding PepsiCo's media offering in beverages and then running the namesake brand itself. From there, he assumed his current role as CMO PepsiCo North America Beverages.Seth's enthusiasm, empathy, passion, and appreciation for the people around him shine through in this wide-ranging and freewheeling podcast.Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Accelerating PepsiCo's transformation journey across three dimensions: portfolio, marketing and talent. (4:55)The marketing perfect storm: From PepsiMoji to &

Rohit Bhargava is a trend curator, TEDx speaker and the author of five best-selling books, including the recent 2017 edition of “Non-Obvious: How to Think Different, Curate Ideas & Predict the Future” and “Likeonomics.”When Bhargava analyzes trends, he isn't thinking about the availability of flying cars you can control with your mind, he is operating more in the here and now. He does this because he believes the future is coming at us faster than ever before, “I'm describing something that is happening in the world, and all of my trends are based on something that's happening now. I specifically don't do 10-year predictions… And the reason I do it on such a short term is because I'm really describing the accelerating present.”He goes on to add: “This is stuff that … is going to accelerate in the next year and therefore really matter for your business.”Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Kicking ass: Rohit

Dan Marks is the CMO for Hancock Whitney Bank, a regional player in the Gulf South area with a footprint spanning from Houston, Texas, to Tampa, Florida. In November of 2016, he was honored by the CMO Club with their peer-nominated President's Circle Award.Dan is always looking to the future and believes in the strength of the marketing stack, which he describes as “the next-generation way to talk about all the technically or digitally enabled technologies that are important to operating today and will become even more important to operating in the future.”Dan also believes in an agile approach marked by collaboration among segments of the company that aren't part of the marketing team: “For marketing to be successful, we can't operate in a vacuum.”Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Dan's philosophy regarding teambuilding efforts: Finding the right fit in culture and in values. (5:02)Two elements that help manage balance in a company: 1) Building

Russ Findlay is the head of marketing for the U.S. at Hiscox, an international specialty insurer with a 115-year history. Prior to Hiscox, he worked in consumer packaged goods with companies like Unilever, Pepsi and IHOP. In this podcast, he discusses marketing in general and his career path from CPG to the world of financial services.For Findlay, working in financial services presents a unique challenge because of the intangible element inherent in the category: “Having a product that you can't see it, you can't hold it, you can't go to a store and look at it — it's something that you have to convey to the consumer and the consumer's mind,” says Findlay. He goes on to add, “That makes storytelling and how you bring the product to life even more important.”Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:CPG and financial services: how the product gets to market is surprisingly similar. (2:00)Moving from a role in CPG to financial services: the switch to

Tom Asacker is a keynote speaker and an adviser to executives and companies, and he is the author of five books, including “The Business of Belief.”He believes many marketers operate under the false assumption that people behave like computers, expecting them to make decisions based simply on the information they supply and then choose their product or service.According to him, it just doesn't work that way: “When you dig deep enough into it, you find out that human beings are driven by their perceptions and their desires. You add that up and you've got beliefs. Their feelings, their perceptions, their desires are what end up giving them this feeling of knowing,” says Asacker. “Then they look for information to validate that.” He goes on to say, “If you don't understand that … you have absolutely no chance in the marketplace.”Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:How's the water? — Understanding how decisions are

Peter Horst is a former CMO at The Hershey Company. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at Capital One and was CMO of TD Ameritrade. He discusses here a range of topics, but he speaks at length on the inherent challenge of applying big data and analytics to human behavior.“It's going to get increasingly more challenging to maintain that right balance of art and science, of machine speed and human insight,” says Horst. “All the analytics in the world still can't answer the question ‘Why?' And you can run into the risk of horribly missing the boat with the consumer.”He goes on to add, “We absolutely need to embrace all of what big data and analytics can do, but while also stepping back and bringing in a little bit of skepticism.” Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:Let's get digital: How CMOs should be thinking about digital. (5:30)Reach versus targeting: What are you trying to do and what's the tool you need to do it? (10:15) &nb

Laurel Hodge is director of creative strategy at the online image-sharing community, Imgur, which she says is “on a mission to lift people's spirits for a few moments every day.”But there's a lot more to it than that. Imgur has more than 150 million monthly active users, and among those, 86 percent are millennial men, the most ad-adverse and toughest audience to reach for marketers.With a new native advertising product called Promoted Posts, Imgur uses its cultural fluency to help brands connect effectively with this coveted target. “We help brands enter this space and connect with them [millennial men] in a way that feels authentic, in a way that they actually appreciate and enjoy,” said Hodge. She later adds, “When you use the language in an authentic way and you actually provide information that people want to hear — or information that is relevant to people — then you'll see some really great results.”Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today”