Ad Hoc

From jingles, to the ads you saw as a kid on your family’s TV, to the mattress ads you hear on your favorite podcast—ads can be deeply memorable. There is no clear formula to ensure that ads stick with you, but a combination of several elements can make 30-second spots memorable for years. Our guest is Manuel Garcia-Garcia, a leader at global firm Ipsos who studies the brain and advertising.

Chris Clarke, head of marketing for the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity, talks through the ways the international nonprofit has honed its message and how it navigates ethical issues, humanitarian needs, and fundraising following natural disasters or times of great need.

Whether you’re looking for a car or a bag of potato chips, the brands behind the thing you buy have a specific set of values associated with them. For instance, when you think of Starbucks, do you think liberal or conservative? Polarizing or inclusive? The co-founder of ad agency Enso talks about the metrics his company developed to understand perceived purpose and value.

From the moment you walk through the doors of a retail store, it works to live up to the promises of its ads—and it continues to sell you. Om Marwah, Global Head of Behavioral Science at Walmart, takes us around a Sam’s Club, sharing insights into store design and the ways retail gamification can boost sales.

The vast majority of new products fail. They sound like great ideas but they can’t break into the habits of their customer. The COO of Impossible Foods, a fast-growing startup with a plant-based burger, shares strategies they’re using to make their product the next household name.

Over the years, political campaigns have chased voters as their media preferences have evolved and individuals have become easier to target with ads. There was once a time when Americans would gather around a radio or TV and share the experience of a presidential ad. Nicco Mele, Harvard professor of politics, media, and public policy, says the way political advertising targets niche groups is putting civic dialog at risk.