Ad Age Marketer's Brief

Ad Age agency reporter Ewan Larkin demystifies the changing power dynamics at agency holding companies such as WPP, Publicis and Omnicom. Global account leads are becoming more important to agency growth, changing the position of regional and agency brand CEOs. Plus, Netflix announced it would make ad inventory available through Amazon's DSP. The partnership is a milestone in both companies' ad journeys—read more on the implications. And Goodby Silverstein & Partners named Sarah Thompson as its first-ever CEO. Go inside the reasons why. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~The meaning of agency holding companies' changing power dynamics ~Dentsu's strategy to stand out amid industry M&A ~Behind the scenes of the updated “How Many Licks” campaign ~Listen to Little Caesar's CMO talk sports marketing strategy

Greg Hamilton joins the Marketer's Brief Podcasts to talk about the chain's four years as an NFL sponsor.

Ad Age senior agency reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse goes inside the growing trend of brand-agency marriage counseling. Rather than jumping straight into a costly and time-intensive agency review, consultancies are increasingly suggesting services that evaluate the existing relationship, and potentially improve both the agency and brand's practices. Plus, Group Black is changing its name to Portrait Media Group. In an exclusive interview with Ad Age, co-founder Bonin Bough explained the reason as well as the company's future path. And one change for future CMOs is the rise of test-running roles before committing full-time. Read more on how to get noticed for interim marketing positions. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~Inside brand-agency marriage counselling ~The stats on client-agency tenure ~Google won't be forced to sell Chrome ~What Kraft Heinz's reorganization means for its future ~Keep up with the latest account reviews ~Buy tickets to Ad Age's Business of Brands conference ~Listen to Manscaped's CMO talk unconventional media strategies

Kertesz reflects on three years in the CMO role, including how media placements have become a form of creative messaging and how the DTC-born brand is embracing multichannel marketing. Plus, how the brand's “Send Face Pics Instead” went viral.

Ad Age reporters Erika Wheless and Gillian Follett break down the brand lessons from the recent Cracker Barrel and American Eagle dramas: How can marketers better prepare for social pushback, what to know about official brand responses and how the brand-consumer relationship is changing on social media. Plus, AI ad networks are beginning to emerge, which place paid content in chatbots such as ChatGPT. Dig into the debate between maintaining chat quality and monetizing the technology. And Svedka has resurrected its Fembot character in a plea for people to put down their phones and go out with friends. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~The latest on the Cracker Barrel rebrand saga ~Refresh yourself on American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney campaign backlash ~Inside E.l.f. Cosmetics' Matt Rife social campaign ~Keep up with the latest account reviews ~Buy tickets to Ad Age's Business of Brands conference ~Listen to Hinge's CMO talk connecting with Gen Z

Jackie Jantos, Hinge's president and CMO, shares tips for winning with Gen Z and how Hinge has been able to see growth when other dating apps are seeing declines

In Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast, CMX's Parbinder Dhariwal shares how CVS connects brands with health-focused shoppers to drive growth.

Ad Age Creativity Editor Tim Nudd reveals the creativity trends of 2025 so far, including the impact of AI on brand marketing, the resurgence of experiential activations and the secret to an effective modern Super Bowl campaign. Plus, data reveals the impact of AI search on brand's website visits—some categories are seeing a lift while others are staying flat. Dig deeper into the differentiators. And E.l.f. Cosmetics finds itself the latest subject of consumer scrutiny after partnering with controversial comedian Matt Rife. Find out where experts are saying the brand went wrong. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~Tim's list of the top ads of 2025 so far ~Coca-Cola's AI-generated holiday campaign ~Google's not-so-good Olympics AI ad ~Walton Goggins' Doritos porn spoof ~Apply to join Ad Age's Small Agency Network ~Keep track of agency account reviews here

Ed Beadle, Honda VP of digital services and marketing, reveals how the automaker is getting more efficient with its marketing and how his background as a media strategist and Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master shapes his approach and leadership style.

Alvaro Luque talks tariffs, media mix and his guacamole recipe

Cash App targeted movie theaters for its recent campaign starring Timothée Chalamet

How the free-spirited light beer brand became Gallo's first beer investment

Creative Director Ryan Weaver talks about removing the stigma and increasing accessibility

CMO Vanessa Wallace talks about her ‘fun, fast, furious first year' at the lingerie brand

Matt Graham talks AI and food and flavor trends on the latest episode of the Marketer's Brief Podcast

Rokt's Sophie Donoghue shares how AI and real-time targeting at the transaction moment help brands drive growth and performance in 2025

Nissan's U.S. CMO Allyson Witherspoon on the brand's comeback attempt and how she deals with burnout.

CMO Laura Jones talks about 90s-era prices, Super Bowl advertising and in-house agencies

Snap CMO Grace Kao talks sponsored snaps, AI and Cannes on the Marketer's Brief.

We take the temperature on the marketing job market with Michael Wright, founder of executive search firm Taligence. What industries are hiring? What is the future of the CMO role? Why are companies not hiring agency execs as CMOs? We cover that and more.

The company just debuted its first intimate care line

Stateside Brands President Matt Quigley discusses the fast-growing ready-to-drink brand.

Nothing's Hollie Bishop joins the Marketer's Brief podcast to discuss the importance of earned media when marketing its new phones.

CEO Jolie Weber joins the Marketer's Brief podcast to discuss the brand's partnerships and new look

Jerret West talks targeting, how the platform decides when to leverage cultural moments and the likelihood it will pursue a movie a la Minecraft.

Roundel's Monique Perlmutter on scaling retail media through omnichannel strategy and trust.

CEO of Dropps was also CEO of Method during its early rise and looks to repeat success in green household products as the brand moves into retail stores.

CMO Robin Page talks about how Rowan has disrupted the in-person piercing experience

VP Aaron Dunford talks about moving from transactional to experiential

CMO Andrew Katz on expanding availability and withstanding new competition

CMO Paul Nugent talks about new initiatives including a campaign with Sydney Sweeney

Rachael Zaluzec, VW of America's senior vice president of customer experience and brand marketing, discusses VW's SNL partnership, integration marketing and customer service and how the brand is approaching EV marketing.

CMO Olga Suvorova joins the Marketer's Brief podcast to talk about creators and use cases for Galaxy AI

CMO Radhika Duggal on how data and testing guide quick decisions—and what the 2026 World Cup could mean for the league

CMO Nick Chavez joins the Marketer's Brief podcast to discuss the chain's customizable drinks and local media strategy

CMO Merit Tully discusses the ‘Orange Country' reinvention, recalling the mighty Disney era—with a bite

VP of partnerships Nick Kelly on how the brand thinks about Big Game advertising and its strategy for Super Bowl LIX

Chief Corporate Brand Officer Lina Polimeni talks about how the brand differentiates itself in the crowded pharma market

Whimsical brand began a Valentine's Day push in late December

President of North America family care on refreshing the logo of a 100-year-old brand, the value of a brand where emotion comes naturally, and why he really isn't rooting for a bad cold and flu season.

CMO Jamie Gersch talks about product innovations from listening to customers

Aron North, Mint's strategic advisor and former CMO, outlines the brand's marketing approach on the Marketer's Brief podcast

Casey Lewis, author of youth trends newsletter After School, looks back on the most viral social media trends of 2024 and how they shaped brand marketing

Branding expert David Placek came on the Marketer's Brief podcast to discuss the dos and don'ts of naming AI products and services

Aba Blankson, chief marketing and communications officer of the NAACP, discusses the organization's largest advertising effort to date

Steven Tristan Young discusses growth of resale and role of Secondhand Sunday

Four-year-old brand strives to bridge the communication gap around female-focused health care

TransUnion's Marc Vermut shares how you'll maximize ad spend by speaking to the right people

Tara McRae talks about Puma's recent Olympics push and how the brand collaborates with partners such as Rihanna

Joanne Davis, author of the new book "How to Get Your Agency to Jump Through Brick Walls—Without Paying More," shares lessons learned over 24 years in the agency search consulting business, including how to create effective briefs and what do do in the face of executive turnover. She also gives her take on what the rise of project work means for the business.

Jason Miller, head of partnerships for Excel, on forging ties between brands, teams, and fans