Marketing Today With Alan Hart

Tim Schroder is the SVP of Marketing at Save A Lot where he focuses on delivering quality foods and customer experience. In this episode, Alan and Tim cover what Save A Lot is and how they compete in the grocery category. They also discuss modernizing and revamping the company and the brand refresh with a new marketing campaign. When embarking upon a major update of their brand, Tim says, “When I started looking at the competitive landscape and saw what the other big and small grocery chains were doing, I just saw a sea of sameness.” Listen in to hear how Save A Lot leans into modernization and stands out from the crowd.In this episode, you'll learn:How to think about modernization in marketingWhere you should be listening to your customersStaying ahead of the curve of digitizationThe power of music in campaigns Key Highlights:[01:14] Tim's career as a mascot[02:20] Tim's journey to marketing at Save A Lot[04:11] What is Save A Lot? [05:37] What brought Tim to the grocery industry[07:24] Their

Sweta Patel is the Vice President of Engagement Growth Marketing at Roku where she's responsible for increasing user engagement on the Roku Channel. Since joining the company in 2020 Sweta has created campaigns and workflows that drive user loyalty and increase customer lifetime value.In this episode, Alan and Sweta discuss streaming, the rapid growth in the industry, and how they use the Roku platform to transform marketing. Sweta says, “Not only do you need the traditional business side of marketing, but you really need to be technology forward and data reliant.” Listen to hear why marketers should engage with streaming providers and how data plays a key role in their success.In this episode, you'll learn:Why data is kingWhy embed marketing into an experienceThe future of data and marketingKey Highlights:[01:38] Sweta is an identical twin[02:42] The start of Sweta's career [05:51] What has changed in the industry[08:20] Roku as a business [09:42] What is Roku Channel? [11:20] Embedding m

Ashish Prashar (or Ash) is the global chief marketing officer at R/GA. He has an interesting background in politics and the creative space.In this episode, Alan and Ash discuss his corporate experience and how he got his start, which was actually being incarcerated for a year as a teenager. Ash says the experience was more transformative than any other in his life, and it gave him the drive and determination to build his career with a lens toward social reform.Ash joined R/GA most recently from Publicis Sapient. He and Alan discuss his time in advertising, creative, and his lengthy career in UK politics. Listen to hear how his incarceration and political career inspire his current work at R/GA and the role marketers play in social reform. In this episode, you'll learn:The role of marketing in social reformationTaking responsibility for the influence you haveThe power of designing around peopleKey Highlights:[01:32] Ash's experience being incarcerated [10:18] Ash's first job out of prison[14:56] Movi

Nital Patel is the Senior Partner of Lippincott, where he works at the intersection of business strategy and customer insights with almost two decades of experience. He works with global brands across industries on different issues such as brand architecture, portfolio, assessment, and positioning.In this episode, Alan and Nital discuss agile master brand, a new version of brand architecture from Lippincott. They explain what it is and dive into the critical aspects of how to implement and use it in your strategy. Nital pays specific attention to the governance of your brand using this model and setting specific timing and criteria for when you merge an extension into the master plan. Listen in to learn all you need to know about managing an agile brand approach.In this episode, you'll learn:The concept of an agile master brandConnecting new ventures What you need to manage an agile brand approachKey Highlights:[01:26] Inspiration for a French whiskey brand[02:55] Nital's journey to brand marketing[04:45

Alanah Joseph is the Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot, responsible for marketing and operations of the HubSpot podcast network. In this episode Alanah and Alan discuss her role in driving brand awareness and increasing listenership for its shows and the long-term strategy behind launching a podcast network.  “Just as product requirements have grown and changed over time, so have people's content needs. Alanah and HubSpot believe podcasts will fill that role and that companies and brands will seek out audio for inspiration and solutions to business problems.Listen as Alanah explains the strategy behind a podcast network and how it elevates content creation to ultimately help customers become better software users and better business practitioners overall.In this episode, you'll learn:Leveraging other creators to help spread your messageCreating opportunities for growth via collaborationHighlighting the human element in marketing Key Highlights:[01:20] Alanah is ambidextrous[03:00] How Al

Chelsea Cain Maclin is the CMO of Lunchclub where she leads the company's marketing initiatives that drive brand awareness and user growth. Before joining Lunchclub Chelsea served as the VP of Marketing for Bumble where she has drawn inspiration for her role at Lunchclub.On the show, Alan and Chelsea talk quite a bit about her background at Bumble and what she is trying to help Lunchclub achieve. Chelsea believes they can leverage technology to unlock human potential opportunities and connections that never would have happened without it. “When you're using AI, it's like sorting through the haystack and finding the needle way faster than humanly possible.” How do AI, the disintermediation of friends, and marketing all connect? Find out on this episode.In this episode, you'll learn:How to harness your networks and connectionsHow dating principles can inform your networkingIntegrating the disintermediation of friends in marketingKey Highlights:[01:36] Chickens and art therapy[03:27] Chelsea's path to Lunch

Lorraine Barber-Miller is the Chief Marketing & E-Commerce Officer at Philips, a 130-year-old company in the middle of a large marketing transformation.In this episode, Lorraine and Alan discuss what makes Philips unique and her background at IBM and ADP before she joined Philips. They also discuss the B2B and B2C complexities of Philips as a business and the global marketing transformation she's leading.Lorraine says, “We are transforming the function at Philips to build world-class capabilities to position Philips as the leading health tech partner to our customers and consumers.” Both marketing and e-commerce play a large role in making this positioning a reality, and they do it by executing five strategic priorities: strengthening and protecting their brand leadership, focusing on customer-centricity, meeting the customer where and how they want to be engaged, leading with data-driven marketing, and recruiting and retaining top talent.Listen to the full conversation to hear how each of these factors influ

Christian Beck is the Executive Partner at Innovatemap, where he focuses on growth strategy and design. He is also the host of the podcast Better Product. While Christian doesn't consider himself a marketer, he and Alan discuss design, user experience, and how marketing is tied closely to his role. Throughout the rest of their conversation they also touch on how technology scale is outpacing human cognition, why that matters, and what making a good product is all about.According to Christian, a “better product is marketable, valuable, and usable.” Since technology is evolving rapidly, companies must be really intentional about sticking to the fundamental design principles — designing around human behavior. What can marketers learn from design and vice versa? Listen to the full conversation to find out.In this episode, you'll learn:How technology scale is outpacing human cognitionWhy better product is marketable, valuable, and usable The push for community in product spacesKey Highlights:[01:24] Why

Husband and wife, Philip and Kristen Risk are the Co-founders of Frankly Organic Vodka. On the show, Alan learns how they met selling luggage, how they maneuvered from sales to marketing, and what brought them to founding a vodka company. They share what's unique about Frankly Organic Vodka and how the liquor industry is not an easy place to survive and thrive. Yet this dynamite couple is doing just fine. Frankly Organic Vodka expanded its distribution from two states to thirteen states in 2020 and will continue to grow into 45 states. When they first founded the company, they focused on making sure the branding fit their product, values, and messaging: transparent, clean, and delicious vodka. Like they say, “It's straight. Honest. To the point. And memorable.” Listen to the full episode to find out how brand alignment with their product has been key to their success.In this episode, you'll learn:The importance of knowing what you consumeDoing the research and being transparentAligning your brand wi

Meagen Johnson is the SVP of Marketing at Jane.com, a curated fashion marketplace with more than 2,000 brands and thousands of products released daily and only available for 72 hours. In this episode, Alan and Meagen dive into Meagen's passion for marketing beginning in high school, how she ended up at Jane.com, and the trends she sees in the clothing and fashion industry and social media. Meagen believes the biggest opportunity for today's marketers is to leverage social commerce not just for sales but also for brand awareness. She says marketers need to push to be different and that “what got you here today is definitely not going to get you where you need to go.” What should you be doing to not fall behind? Test, experiment, try different things to see if they work and align with your brand. How does the concept of “shopetainment” and influencers fit into this? Listen to their conversation to find out.In this episode, you'll learn:How to stand out and drive growth in a competitive marke

Teresa Barreira is the CMO at Publicis Sapient where she works to transform businesses in the constantly evolving world.  In this episode, Alan and Teresa discuss her path to becoming CMO at Publicis Sapient, the new internship program she's launched, and why she believes that diversity and inclusion are not only HR functions.Along with her passion for D&I awareness, Teresa is passionate about transforming businesses. In her eyes, an organization should be like an operating room, constantly evolving and gleaning expertise and counsel from the experts in the room to accomplish a goal. Marketing plays a large role in driving that change. She says, “marketing is not just about telling a story or managing the brand. It is now about transforming the business.”Listen to the full conversation to learn how you can also defend, differentiate, and disrupt within your organization and industry.In this episode, you'll learn:Why content is the king and queen of a service companyWhy diversity and inclusion doesn'

Katherine Calvert is the Chief Marketing Officer of Khoros, a digital engagement platform for social marketing, online communities, and customer care.In this episode, Alan and Katherine discuss her path to becoming CMO at Khoros and her perspective on customer engagement. She also shares what platforms marketers should consider if they want to create great experiences for their customers and prospects.Katherine believes “there is a real opportunity for marketing leaders to be the champion within companies to elevate CX,” saying customer experience should be the “north star” by which they lead. Studies show that over 60% of consumers stop doing business with a brand after just one negative instance. On the other hand, 80% of consumers say they will pay more for the same product or service if it comes with a delightful customer experience.Listen to find out how customer experience is transformational to your company's finances.In this episode, you'll learn:The importance of staying connected The financial

Scott Hudler is the CMO of Torchy's Tacos, an experiential craft-casual restaurant. In this episode, Alan and Scott explain what that means. Torchy's was founded a decade ago in Austin, Texas. The concept was an elevated street taco. Today they have over 83 locations in seven states and plan to add a hundred company-owned restaurants in the next five years. Learn how being individually owned instead of a franchise helped them grow and how they lean heavily on experience and grass roots marketing.In this episode, you'll learn:The intersection between fun and businessGreat customer experience shines through the abundance of choicesMeeting customers where they want to interact with youKey Highlights:[01:45] Scott's favorite city[03:22] The brands Scott has worked for[06:01] What made Torchy's the next “right” move[07:16] Torchy's backstory[12:06] Executing a winning formula[14:00] Not a franchise but individually owned[17:07] Making the leaps to grow[18:35] How the food industry will change post-pandem

Odia Kagan is a Partner and Chair of GDPR Compliance and International Privacy at Fox Rothschild LLP, a US national law firm. She has advised more than 200 companies of varying industries and sizes on compliance with GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act and other US data protection laws. In this episode, Odia and Alan discuss why marketers should care about data protection and what they should be paying attention to in the connection between marketing and data. For those unfamiliar with CCPA and CPRA laws, Odia breaks down what each means and why they are relevant to marketing. Odia says, “Consumer trust is aligned with privacy compliance.” As the interview continues, you'll hear more references to the emerging cookie-less world, consumer trust, and mindfullness that all data collection isn't good data collection.  In this episode, you'll learn:Why marketers should care about data protectionWhat it means to be a good steward of dataThe relationship between privacy laws and UX design a

Emily Callahan is the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. On the show, Emily and Alan discuss St. Jude's origin, how she ended up as the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, and the inspiration behind St. Jude's partnership with SpaceX. Yes, you read that correctly. St. Jude is going to outer space. But in between, they also talk about purpose: what it means and how it can empower companies and their partnerships. Emily encourages people to “be a difference maker where you are.” Listen in to find out how that inspires her career, their marketing, and St. Jude's mission.In this episode, you'll learn:Why purpose is the power behind marketingSt. Jude's partnership to travel to spaceWhat CMOs can learn from cause marketersKey Highlights:[01:25] Emily's morning routine[02:53] Emily's path to Chief Marketing and Experience Officer[06:12] All about St. Jude Children's Hospital[10:16] What non-profit m

Joe Jackman is the CEO & Founder of Jackman Reinvents, the world's first and foremost reinvention company. He's also the author of The Reinventionist Mindset where he talks about principles that help businesses succeed. In this episode Joe and Alan discuss, you guessed it: change. Specifically reinvention. What it means, and why people resist it. Joe says, “Change is hard. Not only just being comfortable with it but embracing it and then getting good at it.” Throughout the interview you'll hear him speak on how business leaders can make change more acceptable - a positive for their business - and avoid becoming irrelevant. After listening to this episode, you'll realize that the future is now. Marketing leaders need to adapt before the wave is gone and they're left behind. In this episode, you'll learn:Why people resist changeThe danger of doing the mathWhat's necessary to be successful at changeKey Highlights:[01:52] Joe's transformational summer[06:30] Becoming a reinventionist  [10

Kylan Lundeen is the Chief Marketing Officer at Qualtrics where he's helped revenue growth increase up to 50% per year. When Kylan started “meandering” in marketing, he began to realize the importance of growth versus marketing alone. He says, “the job of any marketer is to influence other people to take action and do something”, but you can only do that when you understand growth.In their conversation, Alan and Kylan discuss skateboards, valuable content creation in a world of distraction, and the power of educating your internal team on what marketing actually does. You'll also hear Kylan's perspective on creating a new category, as well as how he and his team have combatted the marketing competition that is the entertainment industry. Listen in to find out how Kylan thinks marketers should be adapting to the future and what you can do to cut through the noise.  In this episode, you'll learn:The benefit of accepting random projectsWhy you should focus on growth vs. marketingOvercoming the entertai

Bill O'Connor  is the Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer at Jackson Family Wines. Based in Sonoma County, the heart of California's wine country, the business is one of few family-owned and operated wineries of its kind. Founded in 1983, with a focus on artisanal and old wines with a distinct character and quality, their portfolio includes wines like Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, Freemark Abbey, Murphy Goode, Stonestreet, among many others.On the show, Alan and Bill talk about the historic partnership between Jackson Family Wines and the home of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, and what Bill makes about effective partnerships.In this episode, you'll learn:What it's like being a family-owned wineryHow to effectively handle partnershipsThe importance of refining your customer's experienceKey Highlights:[02:00] Bill's dream job[03:30] The historic partnership with Churchill Downs[04:36] Jackson Family Wines' tie to racing[11:50] Their wide variety of wine offerings[14:02] How Bill thinks abou

Denise Broady is the Chief Marketing Officer at Appian, a low-code, solution-focused organization that helps customers become more agile, creative, and connected. Denise's experience as COO and CMO gives her a unique perspective on business and expertise in transitioning between companies and distinctly different jobs. When asked how her COO background influences her current role, she says, “I really love to bring processes and data to the art of marketing.”On the show, Denise and Alan discuss how she became the CMO at Appian. They talk about her experience transitioning virtually and things to think about for anyone managing their career or taking on a new role.In this episode, you'll learn:The importance of the first 100 days of a new roleHow success centers around accountability and ownershipWhy finding your culture fit mattersKey Highlights:[01:55] Denise's journey to becoming CMO at Appian[05:55] Denise's experience in both COO and CMO roles[09:08] How Denise views ownership of driving sales pipelines[11

Nishant Desai, or Nish, is the Director of Technology and Operations at Xaxis, The Outcome Media Company. Nish has 20+ years of experience leading technical partnerships, integrations, and ad operations for thousands of brands, platforms, and partners. On Marketing Today, Alan and Nish unpack the future of marketing without third-party cookies. With only a year before the change, Nish's advice is, “Don't panic” and look to alternative solutions. This important interview touches on the events that lead to cookie death, alternative marketplace solutions, and what marketers should be thinking about as this new landscape comes into view. Listen in to learn more about the cookie-less effect on marketers and users.In this episode, you'll learn:Why third-party cookies are endingThe benefits of a flock-based cookie solutionThe future of a unified ID-based ecosystem Key Highlights:[01:48] Nish's path to advertising, MarTech, and AdTech[02:40] How computer science helps MarTech and AdTech[0316] The death