ANA Podcast Network

In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer at Mastercard and president of the company's healthcare solution, about the “Fifth Paradigm” of marketing. That's how Rajamannar describes the dozens of technologies ranging from robotics to the metaverse that he says will have a profound impact on how brands engage with their audiences. It's the central thesis of his new book, Quantum Marketing: Mastering the New Marketing Mindset for Tomorrow's Consumers. Rajamannar provides some major takeaways from the book and shares his thoughts on how marketers can strengthen their relationship with the C-suite and whether CMOs face an existential crisis.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Donna Lee Ubertalli discusses with host Ken Beaulieu the latest campaigns from Dana-Farber, the importance of brand value, how the organization supports local communities, and more.

The future has always been uncertain, but it feels like that uncertainty has increased dramatically over the last few years. The growing dichotomy of an evolving, tech-enabled future and a volatile market further stressed by failing institutions has left many marketers unsure of how to proceed. Shiva Mirhosseini, member of the Board of Directors for AAA and the chairwoman of the ANA Marketing Futures Committee, discussed this schism, and the mindset marketers need to adapt to answer the challenge at hand. She also described the beginnings of a new marketing playbook, one that could stand the test of time.

It has been more than four months since Russia invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have perished, millions of people have been displaced, and several cities, towns, and villages have been leveled beyond recognition. Through the hell that is war, the Ukrainian Marketing Association (UMA) has endured and today stands as a beacon of light in an otherwise dark time for the country. Representing more than 1,000 marketers and over 100 marketing organizations across Ukraine, this professional membership group plays a critical role in advancing the marketing industry in Eastern Europe and raising awareness of trends in marketing and advertising. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, UMA President Iryna Lylyk joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss how the organization is maintaining some semblance of normalcy, what's she's hearing from members, why the women of Ukraine are a constant source of pride, and more.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu discusses the Time To Vote movement with J.J. Huggins, who handles public relations and communications for Patagonia, and Bart Myers, CEO of Countable.

In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Laura Korchinski, VP of account services and head of the U.S. operation at Visual Latina, a global agency whose clients include Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, and Mondelez International. While some brands recognize the need to change their marketing strategies to cater to profound changes in demographic, identify, and community, Korchinski says that other companies continue to traffic in stereotypes and fail to acknowledge that no culture is a monolith.

Artificial intelligence word generation is one of the newest developments that are shaking up how many marketers approach their business. Don't believe me? Consider the fact that I didn't write that last sentence; an algorithm did. Katrin Ribant, CEO of Multifaktorial and angel investor to the AI platform Anyword, shared how that particular platform was “trained” and gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how it works. We also discussed what new advancements could come on the back of AI voice generation, and the threat of inherent bias in AI systems.

In an age of political polarization and disinformation, companies looking to build trust with stakeholders would be wise to consider the advice of Dr. Yoram Solomon. Not only has he been studying trust for more than a decade, he wrote The Book of Trust, considered the most comprehensive tome ever written on the topic. He is also author of the book series Can I Trust You? and hosts The Trust Show podcast. Trust is the foundation of everything, Dr. Solomon admits. Research shows that a trustworthy salesperson can sell the same product for a 29.6 percent higher price than an untrustworthy salesperson, while a trustworthy leader can increase productivity by 64 percent. Moreover, trustworthy CEOs generate 286 percent better shareholder returns than those considered untrustworthy. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu catches up with Dr. Solomon to learn why trust is rapidly eroding throughout the country, the habits of the most trusted organizations, the role trust plays in driving brand purpose, and more.

In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Jason Cerok, partner at McKinsey & Co., about how CMOs and marketers can get a better handle on martech. As their tech stack grows, marketers often suffer from “analysis paralysis” and have trouble connecting all the digital dots. Cherok shares five key building blocks for data martech enablement and talks about how marketers can bring a lot more stability to what can often be an unwieldy situation.

In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz speaks with Brian Solis, VP-global innovation evangelist at Salesforce, about digital empathy, or how brands connect with the person behind the data. Taking a human approach to distributing branded content — and being less in thrall to the algorithm — is fine. But digital empathy is more an opportunity for marketers to reset their priorities when it comes to how they communicate with their audiences and reach new ones. Solis discusses what's behind digital empathy, how marketers learn how to express it, and why artificial intelligence (AI) is not the cure-all for messaging in a post-digital age.

In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz speaks with Brian Solis, VP-global innovation evangelist at Salesforce, about digital empathy, or how brands connect with the person behind the data. Taking a human approach to distributing branded content — and being less in thrall to the algorithm — is fine. But digital empathy is more an opportunity for marketers to reset their priorities when it comes to how they communicate with their audiences and reach new ones. Solis discusses what's behind digital empathy, how marketers learn how to express it, and why artificial intelligence (AI) is not the cure-all for messaging in a post-digital age.

The practice of innovation is mythicized in many organizations. Many consider it ephemeral, something artsy-type folks do in big conference rooms amid a storm of post-it notes. In reality, innovation is a process like any other, grounded in concrete, repeatable steps that just about anyone can learn, and ultimately perfect. So, if that's the case, why are so many marketers struggling to drive meaningful innovation within their organizations? Our guest today has a pretty good idea. Tony Ulwick, CEO, and founder of Strategyn, has developed a process he calls “Outcome-driven Innovation,” which starts with customer needs, and ends with solutions that move the needle for brands. Tony and I unpacked why innovation efforts so often go astray and discuss the steps marketers can take to truly master the practice.

It has been more than four months since Russia invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have perished, millions of people have been displaced, and several cities, towns, and villages have been leveled beyond recognition. Through the hell that is war, the Ukrainian Marketing Association (UMA) has endured and today stands as a beacon of light in an otherwise dark time for the country. Representing more than 1,000 marketers and over 100 marketing organizations across Ukraine, this professional membership group plays a critical role in advancing the marketing industry in Eastern Europe and raising awareness of trends in marketing and advertising. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, UMA President Iryna Lylyk joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss how the organization is maintaining some semblance of normalcy, what's she's hearing from members, why the women of Ukraine are a constant source of pride, and more.

For the first time in nearly a decade, United Airlines has launched a major national ad campaign. Titled “Good Leads the Way,” the multi-pronged, integrated campaign is a case study in how to evangelize a brand's purpose through great storytelling. Developed in partnership with the creative agency 72andSunny, the inspiring and well executed campaign shines a light on the airline's large ambitions and its mission to be a force for good on their planes and in the world. The creative also shares how the airline is meeting the needs of its employees, customers, and local communities. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Maggie Schmerin, managing director and head of global advertising and social media at United, provides insight on the purposeful campaign with host Ken Beaulieu.

We speak with Jennifer Mulholland and Jeff Shuck, co-founders of Plenty Consulting, to learn why wellbeing is a fundamental key to a purpose-driven organization, the importance of being led by “conscious leaders,” why it's so critical for leaders to clarify what they truly care about before tackling purpose initiatives, and more.

The practice of innovation is mythologized in many organizations. Many consider it ephemeral, something artsy-type folks do in big conference rooms amid a storm of post-it notes. In reality, innovation is a process like any other, grounded in concrete, repeatable steps that just about anyone can learn, and ultimately perfect. So, if that's the case, why are so many marketers struggling to drive meaningful innovation within their organizations? Our guest today has a pretty good idea. Tony Ulwick, CEO, and founder of Strategyn, has developed a process he calls “Outcome-driven Innovation,” which starts with customer needs, and ends with solutions that move the needle for brands. Tony and I unpacked why innovation efforts so often go astray and discuss the steps marketers can take to truly master the practice.

In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Mary Engle, executive vice president of policy at BBB National Programs, about how CMOs can enhance their brand safety efforts. As the metaverse ascends, brands and organizations will have to make some tough decisions about how to engage consumers virtually while at the same time maintain their brand integrity in what is largely an unregulated environment. The metaverse adds to a dizzyingly complex landscape for CMOs when it comes to brand safety and making sure their advertising doesn't end up adjacent to vituperative content online or misleading information.

For months, the metaverse has been the talk of the marketing world; an impressive feat from something that technically doesn't exist yet. Jason Velliquette, Head of Digital for R3, joined the podcast to explain what a true metaverse will look like, and how brands can start to prepare for that virtualized future. He also described the mindset marketers should take when exploring new trends and technologies and shared some of his favorite metaverse activations to date.

Champions of Growth Podcast - How Brands Enhance Their Sustainability Efforts by Association of National Advertisers

Purpose has become something of a fad and a victim of its own success. That is the premise of an article from Harvard Business Review titled “What Is the Purpose of Purpose?”. Written by four thought leaders in the space, the article surmises that purpose remains a confusing subject, and that companies too often struggle to authentically articulate and act on their reason for being beyond turning a profit. To help executive leaders make sense of purpose and its role in driving business strategy, the article lays out a framework for evaluating three types of purpose and what companies typically get wrong about each of them. Anchored in great examples across industry sectors, the piece also presents a five-step process for finding a corporate purpose, including questions to help reach consensus on the most effective definition. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu discusses key aspects of the article with two of the authors: Jonathan Knowles, founder of the strategic advisory firm Type 2 Consulting, and Hannah Groves, a former global CMO of State Street and a nonexecutive director of Aberdeen.

In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Danny Nail, director of global ABM and Center of Excellence Leader at Salesforce, and Gemma Davies, head of global ABM and executive engagement at ServiceNow, about how CMOs sharpen their account-based marketing (ABM) strategies.

In this episode of Champions of Growth, Mathew Sweezey, director of market strategy at Salesforce, and partner in the Salesforce futures lab, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how CMOs can bolster their content marketing strategy and where every company is a media company, like it or not.

When the Weather Channel was acquired by IBM to become the Weather Company, many in the industry thought it was a curious move at the time. However, when overlaying massive amounts of weather data on top of the tech giant's already considerable repository, an entirely new dimension of insights emerged. Sheri Bachstein, CEO of the Weather Company and General Manager of IBM Watson, discussed what it was like to be behind the scenes during the acquisition and transformation of the Weather Company, explained the concept of “Selfless Innovation,” and shared stories from her time as a storm chaser.

Beyond Profit - Deloitte's Chief Purpose Officer by Association of National Advertisers

Beyond Profit - Building a Strong Employer Brand by Association of National Advertisers

The term “digital native” gets thrown around a lot, but our guest today truly personifies the term. George Popstefanov, founder and CEO of digital agency PMG, learned coding—in a foreign language, no less—when he was just a kid, and was part of his university's second-ever class of e-business majors. George discussed the advantages digitally native companies have when entering non-digital spaces, shared PMG's “three horizons of innovation,” explained his take on the Great Resignation, and more.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu catches up with Jed Selkowitz, SVP and CMO at Americares, to discuss the organization's response in Eastern Europe and how brands can support the relief effort.

No industry has experienced cataclysmic change as a result of COVID-19 quite as much as the healthcare industry. Remote doctors' visits went from niche offering to table stakes literally overnight, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. However, our guest today is leading a change in healthcare that began long before the pandemic. Brian Deffaa, CMO of LifeBridge Health, has been on a mission to bring innovation to the healthcare industry for years. He discussed the reasons for disruption that go beyond the pandemic, offered tips marketers could learn from the healthcare industry, and shared the incredible story behind his passion to bring high-quality healthcare to everyone.

In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Matthew Lieberman, CMO of PwC U.S. and Mexico, about how CMOs can reverse the decline in CMO tenure, learn to become businesspeople first and marketers second, and take on more of a leadership role throughout the enterprise.

Our guest today works for an organization with disruption in its DNA. Colin Mitchell is the Chief Innovation Officer at Vice Media Group and Co-President of Virtue. Colin shared his unique perspective of running a creative agency inside of a media company and discussed some of the typical innovation hurdles he helps marketers clear every day. We also talked about the Vice Verse, Vice Media Group's brand new foray into the Metaverse, and why the rise of the metaverse will eventually make the social media revolution feel like a mere ripple.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu discusses the Good-Loop platform with cofounder and CEO Amy Williams, and gets her thoughts on the disconnect between how brands talk about purpose and the messaging they convey to consumers.

Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is one of the toughest challenges facing the marketing and advertising industries. It's also an ample opportunity for brands and organizations to shed antiquated thinking and shift their mindset when it comes to how they engage multiple stakeholders, ranging from employees to suppliers to partners. In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Natasha Miller Williams, head of diversity and inclusion at food company Ferrara, and Bill Duggan, group executive VP at the ANA, about how CMOs and brand managers create a strategic framework for DEI and develop a keener sense of belonging throughout the enterprise.

It's our 50th episode! Dr. Bronner's prides itself on making a positive impact on the planet through regenerative and sustainable business practices. Well known for its unique label, which broadcasts the founder's “All One” philosophy of life, peace, and tolerance, Dr. Bronner's executes its purpose through six cosmic principles. They include “Treating employees like family,” “Do Right By Customers,” and “Fund and Fight for What's Right.” The remarkable evolution of Dr. Bronner's from radical vision to industry leader is brought to life in the book Honor Thy Label, by Gero Leson, VP of special operations at the company. Since 2005, Gero has become a pioneer in the movement to socially just and environmentally responsible supply chains. He joined Ken Beaulieu, host of the Beyond Profit Podcast, to discuss the company once described as a for-profit with the DNA of a nonprofit.

Why don't more B2B companies go deeper with branding? With buyers increasingly in control of the purchasing process, B2B companies need to shift more of their ad dollars to branded advertising so they could tell their story and better distinguish their value. B2B marketers who stick with the status quo and continue to rely on lead-gen advertising may be at risk, as their customers and prospects look to connect on a more human level. In our latest episode of ANA Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Doug Novack, managing director, business and industrial markets at Google, and Peter Dewey, managing director and partner at global management consulting firm BCG, about how B2B firms can enhance their branding efforts, create more of an integrated approach to customer engagement, and drive better marketing outcomes.

The United States Postal Service is older than the US itself, but that doesn't stop the agency from continually evolving how it serves customers and advertisers alike. In recent years, technology has changed what's possible in direct mail marketing, giving marketers options beyond coupons and promotions. Chris Karpenko, Executive Director of Brand Marketing at the United States Postal Service, discussed the changes to direct mail marketing over the years, shared some new innovations being rolled out by the company, and gave us an idea of what the Postal Service could look like in 5 to 10 years. For more information, visit: www.uspsmailjourney.com www.uspsdelivers.com

B2B. B2C. It's getting harder to delineate between the two disciplines. Do marketers need a new nomenclature (and change of thinking) when it comes to how to engage with their audiences? In our latest episode, host Matthew Schwartz talks with Dean Aragon, CEO & Vice-Chairman of Shell Brands International AG, about how CMOs can start to build a brands-for-humans strategy and why doing so could spell bigger marketing budgets.

This week on "Beyond Profit," we are joined by Nicolas Chidiac, brand and customer experience strategy lead at Razorfish North America, shares his thoughts on why skepticism around purpose is growing, how brands can meet consumers' purpose expectations, and much more.

Over the past 10 years, data has become a superpower for marketers. But, as a certain web slinger's uncle once said, “with great power comes great responsibility,” and let's be honest – brands haven't always been the most responsible with the oceans of data at their disposal. Ceding control to tech giants like Apple and Google has left our industry in limbo, as third-party cookies are set to disappear, completely upending the current ecosystem. Our guest today says it's time for marketers to take back control of their destiny. Arun Kumar is the CTO of IPG and the CEO of Kinesso, a data-driven marketing platform. Arun shared his opinion on how our industry became so dependent on a handful of tech companies, and what marketing leaders can do about it.

Inspiring people to connect in a more meaningful way is core to the marketing and branding efforts at Cox Communications, the largest private telecom company in the U.S. Behind the work of Gaston Vaneri, SVP of brand, Cox is bringing people closer together to build a better future through broadband applications and services. This week on Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Gaston joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss Cox's brand positioning and how it's bringing people closer and changing the reputation of the telecom industry.

We all could use a laugh nowadays...right?! In our latest episode, host Matthew Schwartz talks to Jenna Lebel, CMO at Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Steve Cody, founder of PR and marketing agency Peppercomm (and a stand-up comedian) talk about using comedy in marketing and advertising and why finding the funny can be serious business.

The marketing world is often siloed into two groups: the business side and the creative side. But today's guest is proof that when those two sides combine, there's the potential for magic—or at least really great marketing. Thas Naseemuddeen is the CEO of Omelet, an independent creative agency that specializes in bridging the gap between creative freedom and business strategy to deliver results for their clients. Thas discussed the personal and organizational challenges to combining creativity and business savvy, and shared the “secret sauce” behind the agency's success.

It's a streaming world. Marketers just live in it. In the latest edition of the Champions of Growth Podcast, we discuss the rapid growth of streaming TV and how Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max et al. are having an impact on how brands develop, budget, and distribute their advertising. And while streaming networks are commanding a lot more time and attention, it's also important that marketers not write off linear TV just yet.

Melissa Anderson, cofounder and president of Public Good, sits down with host Ken Beaulieu to learn more about the organization, how brands can start a social movement by becoming braver, the keys to driving action for a purpose-driven campaign and measuring success, and much more.

Marketing research is a vital tool in any marketer's kit, and today's guest has created a research firm unlike any other. Duane Varan, founder of MediaScience, has invested every penny of profit back into the business, creating a company that rivals, and often surpasses, the amount of research being done by top universities around the world. In total, the team at MediaScience has authored more than 100 academic publications, a staggering amount for a non-academic institution. Duane explained the role neuroscience plays in his research, discussed the company's latest venture, HARK Connect, and shared some fascinating facts about one of his favorite subjects: Chicago crime boss Al Capone.

This week on "Beyond Profit" host Ken Beaulieu catches up with author and purpose pioneer Thomas Kolster to discuss growing consumer cynicism toward brand claims about the good they do, the evolution of purpose, and the importance of responding to cultural movements.

In the latest edition of the Champions of Growth Podcast, we explore the customer experience (CX). For CMOs, the customer experience seems pretty straightforward: Make sure consumers have an easy, “frictionless” time engaging with the brand, from the in-store experience to call centers to return policies. It's a lot more challenging than it sounds and CMOs continue to struggle with how to calculate CX returns. How do marketers change the tune — and convince C-level executives there's real value in delivering a differentiated customer experience?

General Motors, maker of the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac brands, is hitching its wagon to an all-electric fleet by 2035. To bring its vision to life with consumers and customers and create a social movement around electric vehicles, GM is turning to entertainment marketing with the help of Los Angeles-based Branded Entertainment Network. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu welcomes Sarah Schrode, head of entertainment and influencer marketing at GM, and Erin Schmidt, chief product placement officer at Branded Entertainment Network, to discuss GM's path forward, the value of entertainment marketing, and more.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu welcomes Dan Grimm, distinguished executive in resident at the Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation, to discuss its important work and how brands and businesses can become forces for good.

Third-party cookies may be sticking around for a while longer, but the writing is on the wall for digital marketers—their world is about to change. However, while tech giants like Facebook and Google determine what the future of digital advertising will look like, marketers don't have to wait on the sidelines. Stephanie Bohn, Global Chief Brand Officer at VidMob, joined the podcast to discuss the company's latest report – “The Essential Guide to Signal Loss for Digital Marketers.” This report acts as both an explainer for what's happening in the world of digital consumer tracking, and an introduction to a new kind of first-party data: Creative Data.

In the latest edition of the Champions of Growth Podcast, we take a look at the various efforts by the ANA Educational Foundation to promote a career in marketing and advertising and what CMOs and brand mangers can do to boost their recruiting and retention strategies.

Moving onto a new social platform can be a harrowing experience for any brand. A lack of understanding of the platform, inauthentic messaging, or plain tone deafness can spell disaster for a business looking to reach their consumers in these spaces. So, when Nerf took the plunge and joined Tik Tok, they knew they had a challenge ahead of them. Teaming with Tik Tok advertising maestros, Movers+Shakers, Nerf set out to find someone native to the platform to lead the way for them; in other words, their very own Chief Tik Tok officer.