Champions of Growth Podcast

As artificial intelligence (AI) penetrates practically every facet of the marketing and advertising industry, marketers could be forgiven for thinking whether AI is a threat to their jobs. Matt Miller, SVP of strategy and analytics at Level Agency, says that while it's still early in the game,  there's a growing onus on CMOs and marketing teams to figure out how to make sure that  AI will enhance marketing jobs rather than replace them. Miller, whose clients include Better Mortgage, Pathstone, and Sphera, joins host Matthew Schwartz to answer some burning questions about where things go from here and if marketers' concerns are justified.

Jose Villa, president of marketing agency Sensis, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how marketers increase their appeal with the Hispanic market, the fastest growing contributor to the U.S. economy. Villa, whose worked with such clients as Anthem, One West Bank, and Cal State LA, says that brands that are eager to boost engagement with Hispanics must deploy an integrated marketing strategy that blends social media, paid media, and earned media. Perhaps most important for brand managers to realize is that the Hispanic market is not a monolith, but a community rich in diversity.

Jamie Barnard, CEO of Compliant, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the consumer privacy landscape following Google's decision last summer that it is no longer deprecating third-party cookies and will keep them operational within its chrome browsers next year and beyond. While marketers may consider Google's move a reprieve, Barnard stresses that forward-thinking brands are putting third-party cookies to pasture and cultivating both zero-party data, or information provided by users through feedback forms and surveys, and first-party data, or information collected directly from consumers.

Can you develop an “Excel Love Language?” Maggie Gross, head of strategy and brand practice leader at Deloitte Digital, says it's an increasingly effective way for CMOs and senior marketers to communicate the benefits of brand building to the C-suite. By crafting a homemade Excel Love Language, marketers can meld soft metrics, such as brand awareness and brand recall, with hard metrics demanded by the company's CFO like lead-gen revenue and new acquisitions.Gross joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how marketers speak the “Excel Love Language” and provide some strategic thinking for how marketers change the conversation about branding.

With consumers tuning out pretty much anything that interrupts their media flow, it's getting harder and harder for brands to break through the noise. When it comes to the creative side, marketers must be a lot more supple and, perhaps more important, media agnostic. Kara Buckner, president and chief strategy officer at Fallon, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how marketers are changing their approach to whipping up what they hope will be ad creative that truly resonate with their audiences and will get people talking.

Wither performance marketing? Doubtful. However, branded advertising is becoming a much bigger consideration among B2B brands that are eager to bolster their appeal to small- and medium-sized businesses and tout their values (as opposed to price points). It's a tall order. Lydia Michael, owner of marketing agency Blended Collective, and De'Lon Dixon, team leads at CX (customer experience) at Glassbox and founder of Think Technologies, join host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how B2B marketers build relationships with SMBs and borrow a few pages from the consumer playbook to turbocharge their messaging.

Chris Oswald, EVP, head of law, ethics and government relations at the ANA, joins host Matthew Schwartz to provide some salient tips for marketers and brand managers grappling with an increasingly complicate legislative terrain at both the federal and state levels.

Jamie Gier, CMO at DexCare, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the latest trends in relationship marketing, which emphasizes customer retention, satisfaction, and lifetime customer value. One option is for B2B marketers to reclaim socializing from social media, as relationship marketing is based on getting out into the field to engage customers and cohorts and make their jobs and lives easier. Gier provides some salient examples for how B2B marketers cultivate their relationship marketing efforts without being preoccupied by the transaction.

JuHee Kim, president of ad agency MuteSix, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss some of the key questions marketers need to ask when they want to align their brand with a cultural moment (or movement) and why serendipity may play a bigger part in such activations than brand managers appreciate.

Tapping into Gen Z is at the heart of a new influencer marketing network launched by Rubix Foods, which provides food flavors and ingredients to restaurants. Shannon O'Shields, VP of marketing at Rubix Foods, and Megumi Robinson, VP at Belle Communication, join host Matthew Schwartz to talk about the network, as well as some of the larger trends swirling around influencer marketing, which is expected to reach, which is expected to reach $8.1 billion this year and $9.2 billion in 2025, per eMarketer.

Michael Farmer, chairman and CEO of strategic consultancy Farmer & Company, and author of Madison Avenue Makeover: The Transformation of Huge and The Redefinition of the Ad Business, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the growing schisms between client-side marketers and their advertising agencies, and how to enhance their relationships.

Marketers who fail to make their voices heard in the growing debate regarding data privacy could be in for a rude wakening if they don't step up to the plate. That's according to Arun Kumar, author of the recently released book The Data Deluge: Making Marketing Work for Brands and People, and former chief data and marketing technology officer at The Interpublic Group of Cos. Kumar joins how Matthew Schwartz to discuss why the marketing field is may be making a grave mistake deferring to Big Tech when it comes to influencing the conversation about fostering online privacy.

June marks “Pride Month,” which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and provides an opportunity for brands to boost engagement with gay and trans people. However, Todd Sears, CEO of Out Leadership, which advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ equality, says it's crucial that marketers go beyond “Pride Month” and engage the community for the long term rather than a moment in time.

Randi Stipes, CMO of The Weather Company, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about how marketers sharpen their weather strategy, the growing relationship between weather and consumer trust, and how marketers leverage weather-related data that can be deployed across the organization.

Lou Aversano, CMO of The Cigna Group, joins host Matthew Schwartz, to discuss the performance marketing versus branded advertising debate heating up throughout B2B precincts, why there's a growing onus on B2B firms to thread more emotional elements throughout their messaging architecture, and taking a more realistic approach toward breaking down the silos between sales and marketing.

Sally Percy, journalist and author of “21st Century Business Icons: The Leaders Who Are Changing Our World,” joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how senior marketers bolster their leadership skills, why remote work is changing the so-called “70/20/10” rule of communications, and the increasingly key role empathy plays among successful leaders. 

Chris Comstock, chief growth officer at software firm Claravine, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how marketers bolster their data standards, why embracing failure is a path to success, and what the pending demise of third-party cookies means for brand advertisers and consumer engagement. 

Greg Boosin, EVP of global B2B and product marketing at Mastercard, joins host Matthew Schwartz to break down the ANA's 2023 Marketing Capabilities Framework. The document provides a roadmap for how marketers navigate an increasingly complicated terrain as well as how to sharpen their career path. “It's not a Monopoly Board,” Boosin says, referring to the Framework “It's a template to shoehorn into your [company's] marketing capabilities.”

Ryan Kutscher, founder and CEO of ad agency Launch Party, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how B2B marketers recalibrate their ad-creative strategy, why less is more when it comes to quality content, and the marketing benefits of listening to the Broken Record Podcast hosted by legendary music producer Rick Rubin.

Bill Duggan, group EVP at the ANA, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the results of the “ANA Programmatic Media Supply Chain Transparency Study.” The report, which was released in December 2023, shows that marketers incur an awful lot of waste in programmatic ad buying, and could save $22 billion in efficiency gains. Indeed, just 36 percent of every dollar invested by an advertiser that enters a DSP (digital signal processing) effectively reaches the targeted consumer. Duggan offers several tips to help marketers optimize their investments in programmatic media and provides the key questions that marketers need to ask sellers, so they don't get burned.

Francesco Lagutaine, chief marketing, communications officer at M&T Bank, and Jacqueline Kolek, senior partner and chief innovation officer at PR and marketing agency Peppercomm, join host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the long-standing relationship between M&T Bank and Peppercomm and why it's increasingly important crucial that brand managers view their PR agencies as partners and not vendors.

Peter Prodromou, president of marketing and PR agency Boathouse, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about how the rise of generative AI is affecting marketing communications as well as agency-client relations. “There's an opportunity for organizations to blend generative AI with human storytelling and for using AI to be smarter rather than just placing content,” says Prodromou, whose clients include Mass General Brigham, Project Liberty, and Eversource. Amid the onslaught of AI, he adds, marketers must be clear on what the most important metrics are for boosting engagement and driving growth. “Use [AI] to assess the data and come up with better insights.”

Gilbert Dávila, co-founder of AIMM and President and CEO of Dávila Multicultural Insights, joined host Matthew Schwartz to discuss where the marketing industry's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts go from here and how companies brace for what's expected to be a turbulent year. The president of the Society of Human Resource Management was quoted in The Guardian late last year saying that DEI policies within U.S. companies will “come under full-out attack in 2024.”

As the pressure for marketing accountability grows, creativity is getting to be a much tougher sell to upper management. Ann Marie Kerwin, Americas Editor at marketing research firm WARC, joins host Matthew Schwartz, to discuss WARC's new study, titled “Building a Culture of Creative Effectiveness.” The study provides a road map for brand managers who are eager to make a business case for the value of marketing and advertising and develop a valid framework for their entire organization.

Ed See and Robert Tas, partners at McKinsey, join host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the results of their recent survey titled: “The Power of Partnership: How The CEO–CMO Relationship can Drive Outsize Growth.” The survey, based on the responses from more than 100 C-level executives and 21 CEOs from B2B and B2C companies of all sizes and across multiple industries, offers some salient and actionable advice for how chief marketers foster a more productive relationship with their CEO. Seldom a beacon of corporate synergy, the dynamic between CEOs and CMOs seems to be getting worse, as upper management ratchets up the pressure on marketers to spike both the top and bottom lines.

Avoid groupthink. Don't get sucked under the marketing bubble. Recognize that it's impossible for brands to be all things to all people. These are just a few tips for marketers who are grappling with dramatic and rapid changes in advertising and consumer behavior, compliments of Allen Adamson, cofounder of Metaforce.com, and author of the recently released “Seeing the How: Transforming What People Do, Not Buy, To Gain Market Advantage.” Adamson, former chairman, North America of branding agency Landor, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about why it's incumbent upon brand managers to “zoom out” on their audiences to bolster consumer engagement and generate better returns.

Doug Novack, managing director of U.S. business and industrial markets at Google, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the ongoing debate throughout the B2B field about performance marketing versus brand advertising, the rapidly growing role of generative AI in both branding and lead generation efforts, and why it's incumbent upon B2B companies to pivot to a full-funnel marketing strategy.

Erika Katz, head of brand marketing and studio at New York Road Runners (NYRR), joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the NYRR's rebranding campaign that launched earlier this year, getting the message out for the upcoming New York City Marathon (November 5), and making sure the event's marketing and advertising efforts resonate with a global audience.

Mike Rosen, chief revenue officer at National CineMedia (NCM), which sells ads for movie theaters, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about the company's new advertising services, why brands tend to underestimate the value of running in-theater spots, and whether movie theaters may be in for some reinvention.

Josh Ingram, founder and principal of MOST Wanted Co, which specializes in employee communications, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss why it's crucial that employees feel that they can be themselves at work, how employers can tap into their workers' side hustles, and the benefits of both mentoring and reverse-mentoring.

Jerri DeVard, founder and board member of BECA, the Black Executive CMO Alliance, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the apparent backsliding within the marketing and ad industries when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the danger for companies that give diversity short shrift and how CMOs and marketers develop new business models to build a more equitable workplace.

Sandeep Chennakeshu, COO of digital-imaging radar company Uhnder and author of the recently published “Your Company Is Your Castle: Proven Methods for Building a Resilient Business,” joins host Matthew Schwartz for a wide-ranging discussion regarding how marketers can demonstrate their value and spike the top and bottom lines. Chennakeshu, former CTO of Sony Ericsson, discusses why it's crucial that companies develop a common set of metrics for sales and marketing executives, how marketers align corporate culture with business strategy, and the growing onus on CMOs to spot the “gorilla in the room,” or a market disruption that can rattle their company.The Champions of Growth Podcast airs Wednesdays at 2PM EST. For more information about the ANA Podcast Network, visit www.ana.net/podcasts.

It's okay not to feel okay. It's part of the overriding message of a $65 million, multi-year mental health initiative by the Ad Council. The effort is mobilizing the advertising, media, and marketing industries to address mental health issues facing communities across the country. About half of Americans (48 percent) say they're getting help or treatment, according to a study conducted in May to June 2022 and released by the Ad Council, while 43 percent do not feel comfortable talking to people close to them about their emotions and how they are feeling. Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about the campaign, working with brand partners to get the message out, and using the power of music to facilitate difficult conversations about mental health.

Jim Williams, CMO of Uptempo, which provides marketing software, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about the most effective ways for B2B marketers to update their operating models, align advertising strategy with execution, and communicate the benefits of marketing to an ever-growing number of stakeholders.

Diedre Small-Landau, EVP business equity at Mediabrands and Sheryl Dayija, founder and CEO of BRIDGE, join host Matthew Schwartz to talk about where diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) currently stands throughout the marketing industry, what role CMOs and marketers need to play in driving real change, and why the time for philosophizing about DEI is long past its expiration date.

Luis Romero, SVP of advertising for North America at The Guardian U.S., joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about a recent deal which will provide The Guardian's advertisers an unfiltered and fully transparent view of users. Romero also discusses the demise of BuzzFeed News and other websites borne of the internet, the slow yet steady decline of third-party cookies, and what it means for marketers to go beyond “digital advertising.”

Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster, cofounders of Sounds Profitable, join host Matthew Schwartz to discuss their recent study that explores the growing opportunities for using podcasts as an advertising vehicle, the state of industry standards for podcasting, and why it's a good idea for companies to develop their own podcasts as the business rapidly matures.

Saul Colt, founder of the Idea Integration Co., a Toronto-based agency specializing in comedic advertising, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about his “Laugh, Think, Cry” model, why every company is a media company and the reason why CMOs and marketers shouldn't be so quick to poo-poo marketing stunts.

Richard Parkinson, chief brand officer at Prudential Financial, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about the company's “Now What?” advertising campaign, why the brand has overhauled its marketing strategy in the last few years, and how the lines continue to blur between B2C and B2B marketing

In the latest episode of Champions of Growth podcast, Marcel Marcondes, global CMO at AB In Bev, joins hoist Matthew Schwartz to talk how the beer company is tapping into new markets, why it ceased its exclusive advertising rights to the Super Bowl, and what the “sober curious” movement means for the owner of Budweiser, Stella Artois and other popular brands.

Bryan Barletta, a partner at Sounds Profitable, a research and advocacy firm focused on the business of podcasting, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss why analysts are lowballing the overall value of podcasting, how a downturn in the economy may affect the market, and why the industry has barely scratched the surface when it comes to ad creative.

Nicole Balsam, associate partner and head of brand and digital at executive search and human capital research consultancy Eastward Partners, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the results of the company's U.S. CMO Market Report released in 2022. Balsam talks about the trendlines in CMO compensation, why the growing pressure on CMOs to bolster their digital capabilities transcends tenure, and why the current business climate is an opportune time for CMOs to craft what Balsam calls a “second-first impression” with the rest of the C-suite.

The growing popularity of QR Codes is a potential window into the proliferation of technologies that combine the physical and digital worlds. QR Codes are a perfect example of how technology does not move as fast as people think and marketers need to be careful not to get too ahead of their skis these days.

In this episode of Champions of Growth, host Matthew Schwartz is joined by co-authors of the study, Doug Novack, managing director, business and industrial markets at Google, and Peter Dewey, managing director and partner at global management consulting firm BCG, to talk about the upside of more B2B branding and how it justifies bigger investments.

Love is a many splendored thing, right? But what about brand love? Does such a thing exist? Shouldn't high quality and consistent service be good enough for consumers? Aaron Auvia, a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and author of the recently published The Things We Love: How Our Passions Connect Us and Make Us Who We Are, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the contours of brand love and how companies should think about when it comes to getting their message out and growing their audiences.

Community Powered Marketing, or brands building closer relationships with their most valued customers via online channels, may be taking on new currency. Sue Frech, founder and CEO of Vesta, a software firm that specializes in community powered marketing, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about why community powered marketing could be the antidote to the demise of third-party cookies as well as the most effective way to refurbish customer loyalty programs that are getting long in the tooth.

Despite possessing massive spending power, the 50-plus crowd — or the so-called “silver economy” — has long been ignored by brands and advertisers. On the first-ever Champions of Growth podcast POV, host Matthew Schwartz explains why advertisers who ignore the silver economy in favor of chasing younger generations do so at their own peril, causing them to leave both revenue and growth potential on the table.

Despite dramatic and accelerating changes in aging and the rise of the so-called “Silver Economy,” brands mostly traffic in stereotypes and/or default to magical thinking when it comes to engaging the 50-plus crowd. Michael Clinton, special media adviser to the CEO of Hearst Corporation, and author of “Roar Into The Second Half of Your Life (Before It's Too Late),” joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss why ageism persists in marketing and advertising and what brand managers can do about it.

Marketers face a bevy of challenges this year, ranging from a potential recession to sharpening their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy to getting a better grip on their tech stack. ANA Champions of Growth podcast host Matthew Schwartz sits down with his colleague Mike Berberich, host of the ANA Marketing Futures podcast, for an illuminating discussion regarding what's in store for CMOs and marketers in 2023 and beyond.

Jim Habig, VP of Marketing at Linkedin Marketing Solutions, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about how B2B ad creative is changing, why there is less and less daylight between B2B and B2C marketing playbooks, and the kind of content B2B buyers are looking for when they go into purchasing mode

Bob Liodice, CEO of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), and Nick Primola, EVP of the ANA, join host Matthew Schwartz to discuss some of the major priorities for CMOs and marketers for 2023. Against the backdrop of a shaky economy, brand managers face a slew of challenges, ranging from recruiting new talent to fostering more diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The pressure is also on CMOs to bridge the gap between marketing and other departments throughout the organization.