Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart

How can a brand stay distinctive globally, while earning relevance in each individual market it serves?  Consistency is only part of the challenge. Because local presence shapes global perception, brands should strive to understand local customers, respond to market conditions and provide value to communities.   In this episode, Mastercard's Rustom Dastoor, executive vice president and head of marketing and communications for the Americas, draws on his experiences marketing across four continents to explore what it takes to build and sustain a global brand.  He explains why the strongest global brands don't simply operate in local markets—they invest in them. By using local insight to inform decisions, collaborating with regional ecosystems and investing in talent, brands can contribute to communities, rather than extract from them, to demonstrate their distinct values.  Rustom also offers behind-the-scenes insights into what has kept Mastercard's "Priceless" campaign relevant worldwide for nearly 30 years: He believes in maintaining the universal insight—"there are some things in life money can't buy"—while adapting how it shows up across markets, cultures, channels and more. In other words, "Priceless" stays timeless by refusing to stand still.  For marketing leaders, this conversation offers a valuable perspective on earning local relevance and strengthening global distinction.     In this episode, you'll hear:  Strategies for deploying brand experiences that can flex across countries and cultures  How to keep a long-running campaign fresh without losing its core value  Ways marketing can turn customer understanding into better business choices, from offerings to pricing    Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction  [01:30] A pit stop in Zurich  [02:30] Rustom's path to Mastercard  [04:00] Marketing on multiple continents  [06:00] Driving B2B2C excellence at Mastercard   [08:00] The evolution of global brands  [09:45] Mastercard's iconic "Priceless" campaign  [10:55] Strategies for successful localization  [14:50] Past experience that defines you: Living across multiple cultures  [16:20] Advice to your younger self: Release control  [17:20] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Squash and swimming  [18:05] Latest curiosities: Humanity's perseverance  [19:10] Largest potential opportunity: AI's impact on marketing  [20:40] What AI cannot do: The value and impact of people    Resources mentioned:    Mastercard    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Rustom and Mastercard:  Rustom on LinkedIn  Mastercard on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How can marketing leaders balance rapid change, emerging technology and brand purpose to drive lasting growth and loyalty across a portfolio of iconic brands? Anton Vincent, president of Mars Snacking North America & Global Ice Cream, shares what it looks like to lead with purpose across a suite of powerhouse brands spanning confections, pet care and food. He discusses how Mars balances ambitious growth with a real commitment to responsibility, ensuring that business success and positive societal impact go hand in hand. Anton also underscores the strategic value of developing talent and enabling people to move across different business areas to encourage agility and fresh thinking. He shares why creativity remains essential for brands—especially as technology and analytics redefine what's possible—and highlights the discipline required to uphold quality and brand integrity in a crowded, fast-moving marketplace. Throughout the conversation, Anton stresses that enduring relevance and brand loyalty come from continuous learning and a clear understanding of both consumers and culture.   In this episode, you'll learn:  Why centering business growth with real purpose can create a lasting impact at scale   How ideas supported by data and fueled by originality can capture and hold people's attention in today's crowded market   Ways to build agile teams and nurture authentic brands to stay relevant in a constantly changing world    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:30] Basketball talk  [04:30] Anton's path to Mars  [08:00] The scope of Mars  [10:20] Alan's love to Hubba Bubba  [12:20] Scale versus independence of brands  [14:05] The Mars talent strategy  [15:40] Navigating the evolving marketing ecosystem  [18:20] Marketing that adapts to change  [20:30] Notable recent work  [22:05] An experience that defines you: Top Secret Popcorn recall  [26:00] Advice to your younger self: Slow down  [28:30] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Connecting creativity with technology  [33:45] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Constant learning    Resources mentioned:    Mars Snacking  SNICKERS NFL Bedtime with Josh Allen    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Anton Vincent and Mars Snacking: Anton Vincent on LinkedIn  Mars on LinkedIn  Mars on Instagram  Mars on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How can a well-known B2B brand move beyond what customers think they already know?  In this episode, Kimberly Storin, CMO of Zoom, explains how marketing teams can shift brand perceptions and influence B2B buyer journeys by bringing together brand marketing, demand generation, content, and customer advocacy.   Brand perception takes shape differently today. As more buyers begin their brand research using AI tools and zero-click search, buyers often form preferences and decisions before they ever engage with a brand directly. Marketers today may see only a small portion of the buyer journey and not know when they're under consideration.   For Kimberly, this means brands need to do more than generate awareness and demand: They need to shape how buyers understand the brand, what it offers and where it can create value. As she puts it, "brand equals demand."  Marketers can accomplish this by building trust, showing up in the right places, and answering buyers' questions in the less visible stages of decision-making through efforts such as answer engine optimization (AEO). Kimberly further explores how AI-driven discovery creates distinct purchasing paths for human buyers and AI agents—paths that require different content and experiences designed for each.   This episode offers a practical perspective on how marketers can reshape perception, stay relevant across an increasingly fragmented journey, and connect brand building to business growth—even when buyers form opinions before the brand knows they are in the market.    In this episode, you'll hear:  Strategies to connect brand building with demand generation, so marketing efforts shifts perception and drive action  Why answering buyer questions before sales teams enter the conversation is now a core B2B journey expectation  Ways to widen marketing's view of the buyer journey and shift investment towards what works better    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:05] Growing up with chief financial officer (CFO) and designer parents  [02:15] Kim's path to Zoom  [03:35] Bringing marketing and communications together  [06:40] Keeping up with an evolving buyer journey  [07:30] Why brand equals demand  [10:10] Zoom Ahead's campaign strategy  [13:10] Past experience that defines you: Powerful mentorship  [15:35] Advice to your younger self: Prioritize sleep for health  [16:00] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Pilates  [16:45] Latest curiosities: Balancing AI and human connection  [18:40] Largest potential threat: Inability to pivot as search habits change    Resources mentioned:    Zoom    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Kimberly and Zoom:  Kimberly on LinkedIn  Zoom on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads      

The hardest part of marketing today may not be demonstrating value or creating more ideas. It may be knowing which activities deserve your attention.  As Khurrum Malik, VP of business and product marketing at Walmart Connect, explains: more tools, channels, media types and AI capabilities can lead to overemphasizing activity. When teams confuse activity with progress, it's difficult to stay focused on what drives impact.   In this episode, Khurrum shows how the strongest marketing organizations stay focused on what matters: connecting creativity to commerce, creating demand through brand storytelling, capturing it through search and commerce, and proving incremental impact. He also makes the case that customer experience should remain at the center of that work, emphasizing that—as AI changes how marketers operate—trust, human judgment and accountability still matter.  The episode is especially relevant for marketing leaders who want to cut through complexity, keep teams aligned on impact, and lead with transparency and experimentation while fueling durable growth.    In this episode, you'll hear:  Strategies to connect brand storytelling with search and commerce to drive demand  How to keep teams focused on priorities that drive growth  Why leading through change depends on building trust and accountability    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:10] Using AI at home  [02:30] Khurrum's path to Walmart Connect  [04:40] Walmart Connect's scope  [06:25] How advertising platforms are evolving  [12:55] Three core principles of success  [15:00] What's next for Walmart Connect  [17:40] Past experience that defines you: Moving a lot as a child  [18:30] Advice to your younger self: Adopt an editorial mindset  [20:25] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Delivering value across the C-suite  [21:40] Latest curiosities: Balancing AI and human creativity  [23:15] Largest potential threat: Inability to focus as channels expand    Resources mentioned:    Walmart Connect    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Khurrum and Walmart Connect:  Khurrum on LinkedIn  Walmart Connect on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

Fandom is evolving from passive consumption to active participation, creating new opportunities for brands to connect with consumers in authentic ways. In this episode, Andrea Hopelain, GM and senior vice president of global marketing at Electronic Arts (EA), shares how brands can leverage fandom by showing up where today's consumers are already creating, connecting, and building community. She explains what marketers can learn from this model and how they can take advantage of this space.  While Andrea believes brand reach still matters, she says meeting consumers in participatory spaces can take the connection to the next level. The conversation also explores how marketing teams can harness live signals, audience behavior, and social interaction insights to create fan experiences that feel more personalized, culturally grounded, and natural to the people they want to reach. Andrea says the biggest opportunities come from building with audiences, not just broadcasting to them.    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:20] Leadership lessons learned on the soccer pitch  [02:30] Andrea's path to EA  [04:45] The evolution of fandom  [07:05] Brand marketing opportunities in fandoms  [08:45] EA as a platform  [10:20] Live data integration in gaming  [11:45] Past experience that defines you: Moving a lot as a child  [12:50] Advice to your younger self: Understand the bottom line   [14:50] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Nurturing plants  [15:45] Latest curiosities: Balancing AI and human judgment  [17:10] Largest potential opportunity: Community and belonging    Resources mentioned:    EA    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Andrea and EA:  Andrea on LinkedIn  EA on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How are the expectations for CMOs evolving?  In this episode, Richard Sanderson, Spencer Stuart's marketing, sales & communications officer practice leader, returns to the podcast to discuss how CMOs and other marketing leaders can address the growing pressure from boards and CEOs to demonstrate clearer business impact.   Richard breaks down the competing forces that are shaping and amplifying that pressure:   The expectation to connect their work more directly to enterprise value  The need to align structure, scope and skills to specific business challenges  And the expectation to deliver growth, efficiency, brand, trust, and customer experience.   He dives deeper to discuss how AI is reshaping the marketing function—especially in larger companies, where executives and stakeholders are growing impatient to see experimentation turned into measurable results. Richard provides experience-based recommendations for how CMOs can harness AI for a positive impact on both their department's efficacy and the customer experiences they deliver.  Richard also reveals the qualities he sees that set stronger marketing leaders apart, including an enterprise-wide perspective, close collaboration with CFOs and hands-on AI literacy. This episode offers practical strategies to help marketing leaders navigate and satisfy these changing expectations.    In this episode, you'll hear:  How CMOs can tie marketing more directly to enterprise value  Why marketing teams may want to embrace AI-driven change at the infrastructure level  What sets CMOs apart in a rapidly changing business landscape    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [02:00] Turning 50  [03:40] Today's C-suite hiring trends  [05:05] What CEOs look for in a CMO  [07:15] Balancing growth and efficiency, with AI  [15:50] How a CMO's scope has changed  [21:05] Chief marketing officer, or chief customer officer?  [25:10] What separates a thriving CMO from a struggling CMO  [28:45] Leading while being a teammate  [29:10] What CMOs need to study right now: Organizational design  [31:15] How CMOs can tackle AI-driven change  [34:20] Largest potential opportunity for CMOs: Embracing transformation    Resources mentioned:    Spencer Stuart     Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Richard and Spencer Stuart:  Richard on LinkedIn  Spencer Stuart on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How can you deploy an end-to-end CRM strategy that keeps pace with complex, evolving customer journeys?   In this episode, Ford Motor Company Consumer CRM Lead Kim Reedy explains why she views CRM as an end-to-end capability that connects a businesses' strategy, creative, execution, analytics and internal stakeholders. Kim reflects on her path from marketing to agency work and then to the client side, and how those experiences shaped her strategic approach to automotive CRM transformation: Start by tackling smaller, specific opportunities to improve dynamic elements of the customer journey, rather than trying to overhaul everything at once.   Kim discusses her view of AI as a practical assistant for targeting, timing and creative scale, while emphasizing the need for ongoing human oversight and talent upskilling. Her key insight for marketers: When teams align the right data, process, technology and operating model around a clear business objective, they can create more relevant, impactful customer experiences, even in a market where loyalty is under pressure.    In this episode, you'll hear:  How deeply intentional, collaborative, end-to-end CRM transformation can have a big impact  Why customer engagement journeys are no longer linear, and how marketing can adapt   Ways AI can help marketing teams target better, move faster and scale personalized content, but only when the right people and processes are in place    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:15] Being a dance mom  [02:45] Kim's path to Ford  [04:10] Moving from agency side to client side  [05:00] What CRM at Ford looks like  [07:00] Automotive CRM transformations over the years  [11:00] The evolving impact of AI  [13:25] Keeping humans at the helm  [16:50] A shift in the loyalty paradigm  [22:00] Advice to your younger self: Do things that are uncomfortable   [22:50] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Automating daily tasks  [24:45] Latest curiosities: AI and creativity  [28:20] Largest potential opportunity: Rethinking organizational processes    Resources mentioned:    Ford    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Kim and Ford Motor Company:  Kim on LinkedIn  Ford Motor Company on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads      

How can you balance urgency, relevance and restraint in omnichannel customer messaging? In this episode, Trish Magnetico, customer communications lead at GFiber, a high-speed broadband internet service provider, shares how her team infused marketing into their new customer relationship management (CRM) approach through SMS and push notifications. She discusses how her team uses data, testing and consent-aware channel choices to focus on quality over quantity, to increase engagement across formats. Major platform migrations, she says, can also activate necessary transformation for delivery strategy, message design and data hygiene infrastructure across new and existing customer communication channels.  GFiber's Trish Magnetico shares how to scale customer communications without creating noise, using testing, data, and channel-specific choices to prioritize quality over volume.  Trish says omnichannel CRM at scale depends on marketing and engineering working closely together. She explains that this joint effort joint effort is particularly important when using sensitive customer information to deliver targeted, personalized experiences that stand out among the dozens of daily marketing communications customers receive across SMS, email and more. Noting how one signal can create multiple customer touchpoints, Trish encourages leaders to stay disciplined with scope, not to get hung up on volume and pay close attention to what customers communicate in support feedback, as this can reveal the right messages to send via the right channel, at the right time and for the right reasons. That's how CRM marketing can create impact.   In this episode, you'll hear: Why smarter channel choices can matter more than message volume  Practical steps to rethink your CRM at scale in the face of major platform changes  How marketing and engineering can work as one team to protect trust and increase engagement for memorable customer experiences   Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:20] Raising competitive athletes  [02:45] Trish's path from biological anthropology to CRM  [05:55] The importance of a strong digital footprint  [07:15] What makes SMS and push notification marketing different  [10:05] Data retention during platform migration  [13:05] Rebuilding a CRM program  [15:05] Lessons from scaling omnichannel growth  [17:30] An experience you learned from: Meeting a life partner  [19:35] Advice to your younger self: Everything is not a fire drill   [21:00] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Crafting and jewelry making  [22:10] Latest curiosities: Rethinking the future of marketing  [23:45] Largest potential threat: Not spending enough time with the data    Resources mentioned:    GFiber    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with GFiber:  GFiber on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads      

What if the biggest shift in marketing isn't about chasing the next AI tool, but about making the systems and data that marketers already use work together more intelligently?  This episode takes a slightly different angle on marketing transformation. Instead of talking with a brand marketer about how their team utilizes AI, we hear from Salesforce's Chief Customer Officer for Agentforce Marketing Kevin Siminski about how the technology provider is working to reduce complexity, connect data and make AI more practical for everyday marketing work.  Kevin starts by busting two myths that shape how many teams think about Salesforce: Marketing Cloud Engagement is not going away, and marketers do not have to face a challenging migration or choose between B2B and B2C capabilities to move forward.   He explains how Salesforce is instead bringing those capabilities together in the same platform, so customers can adopt what they need without starting from scratch.  Then Kevin discusses the data foundation underneath that experience—how a shared foundation can make agentic AI more useful in practice and enable organizations to customize how those tools work together. Kevin also explores how connectivity and AI can reshape marketers' day-to-day work. Rather than suggesting a vague transformation, he points to a more practical future: developing campaigns efficiently, streamlining delivery and giving teams more control over where human judgment still matters.    In this episode, you'll hear about:  The top two myths about Salesforce marketing solutions, busted  How Salesforce is bringing B2B and B2C capabilities together in the same platform  Why a shared data foundation can make agentic AI more useful in marketing  Ways AI could help automate campaign brief and orchestration tasks, shortening timelines without removing human judgment    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:30] The value of taking a gap year  [04:05] Kevin's path back to Salesforce  [05:35] Agentforce Marketing's impact  [06:40] Driving product adoption in a changing world  [09:10] Connecting MarTech platforms with strong data  [11:50] Embracing the future of headless CMS  [13:10] Combining AI agents into a "super agent"  [15:30] The autopilot metaphor  [18:10] Early career moments: Engineering in the telecom world  [20:45] Advice to your younger self: Listen more intentionally   [22:05] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Agentic AI's rapid growth  [23:10] Latest curiosities: The evolution of the trades and hands-on work  [26:25] Largest potential threat: Accelerating AI adoption without governance    Resources mentioned:    Salesforce Agentforce Marketing  Salesforce Data 360    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Kevin and Salesforce:  Kevin on LinkedIn  Salesforce on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

Marketers are being pushed to do more than run campaigns. They are being asked to build relevance, personalize at scale and make every interaction feel more relevant to the individual. That shift requires a different kind of leadership, one grounded in adaptability and curiosity.  In this episode, Visa Senior Vice President of Marketing Kevin Skirde reflects on a career shaped by experimentation. He said that taking roles he did not initially see himself in helped build a strong foundation for leadership, including learning how to be comfortable in the uncomfortable and turning complex information into clear strategy for executives. That mindset carries into how he thinks about teams. Skirde points to culture, high-performing teams and relationships as core drivers of effectiveness, saying strong outcomes depend not just on ideas but on the people and environment that bring them to life.   On marketing and artificial intelligence (AI), Skirde says the technology can automate repetitive tasks and help smaller companies compete more effectively. At the same time, it raises the premium on human judgment, strategy and relevance. As marketing shifts toward more continuous, one-to-one journeys, the real advantage comes from understanding what matters to each individual, and creating connections that feel personal rather than interruptive.    In this episode, you'll hear about how:  The strongest marketing feels personal, relevant and built around real consumer interests  Complexity becomes an advantage when teams simplify it into clear, actionable value  AI is raising the premium on human judgment and leaders who can build effective strategies, shifting from execution to direction and better outcomes    Key highlights:  [01:15] Introduction and a fear of flying  [05:11] Kevin Skirde's path to Visa  [05:45] Learning through career experiments  [06:45] American Express lessons: Precision, loyalty and operating mindset  [07:35] Startup lessons  [08:20] Leadership, culture and high-performing teams  [18:00] Making sense of marketing complexity  [23:05] From interruption to relevance   [26:25] An experience that defines you: Missing one path and finding the right one   [31:05] Advice to your younger self: Have fun, be patient, keep learning  [32:35 A topic you're trying to learn more about: Retirement and purpose  [35:45] Latest curiosities: The future workforce for the next generation  [41:50] Largest opportunity or threat: AI and the rising value of human judgment    Resources mentioned:    Visa    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Laura and GM:  Kevin Skirde on LinkedIn  Visa on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

RERELEASE: From the archives — originally released in July 2025. Are your ads landing with consumers?   According to iHeartMedia's "The New American Consumer 2.0" study, 44% of Americans feel ignored by most advertisers. In today's episode, Alan chats with Gayle Troberman, executive advisor at iHeartMedia, about bridging the gap between marketers and consumers, and the marketing principles that stay consistent despite technological advancements.   Gayle emphasizes the importance of balancing new technology with classic marketing approaches and cautions against neglecting potential customers by focusing too narrowly on the target audience.  She highlights the power of evoking memories in advertising, primarily through audio, with examples of iconic jingles. She also describes why radio and podcasting are effective tools for mass reach and emotional engagement.   Gayle Troberman is a highly respected marketing industry veteran. She spent 16 years as chief creative officer at Microsoft, then as chief marketing and ideas officer at IPG Mediabrands. She then became chief marketing officer at iHeartMedia for over a decade before moving into her current role as executive advisor. Today, Gayle works across all iHeartMedia businesses to help them connect with consumers in a deeper, more meaningful way. Her "human first, outcome second" approach to life and marketing has kept her consistently in tune with consumers throughout her career.    In this episode, you'll hear about: The inspiration behind "The New American Consumer 2.0" study and insights from the research    How marketers can better understand their audience    Approaches to using AI and targeting to add value from a consumer perspective    Key highlights:  [00:00] Rerelease note   [00:20] Introduction [01:50] A "muppalucky" life   [02:55] Gayle's career path   [05:55] The secret to a long CMO tenure   [07:50] Enduring truths in marketing   [13:45] "The New American Consumer Report 2.0"  [18:30] How marketers can reconnect with everyday consumers  [22:45] Who has influence?   [24:20] Using AI in a mindful way  [28:35] An experience that defines you: Developing a human-first philosophy  [31:35] Advice to your younger self: A little more patience and empathy  [33:05] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Balancing the new with the classics  [34:20] Subcultures and trends to follow: Young people taking strong stances  [35:40] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Fake performance indicators    Resources mentioned:    Gayle Troberman  iHeartMedia  The New American Consumer 2.0 study    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Gayle Troberman and iHeartMedia:  Gayle Troberman on LinkedIn   iHeartMedia on LinkedIn  iHeartMedia on Instagram  iHeartMedia on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

What strategies is Vanguard using to help marketing and sales stay aligned while keeping the client at the center?  In this episode, Vanguard's John Howie, head of sales channel marketing for the financial advisor services division, reflects on his move from sales into marketing. He discusses how marketing leaders can drive stronger results by grounding solutions in each client's selling realities and building a shared understanding with sales, not just for sales. John describes how his team uses direct input from sales leaders to shape marketing efforts around real selling conditions, and emphasizes that effective internal change efforts need both rational support and human buy-in. When it comes to AI, John advocates using it to guide strategy, rather than to fully design or replace the strategy itself. He warns that leaders should not let the push for speed and productivity crowd out creativity, judgment, and the distinctly human work of storytelling and problem solving.  This episode offers a practical point of view to help today's marketers keep the client at the center, use data and frontline insights together, and treat this moment of transformation as a chance to improve not only the way teams work, but the overall quality of work.    In this episode, you'll hear:  How building marketing and sales around the same customer reality can improve results  Tips for connecting a strong business case with talent buy-in for lasting change  Practical ways leaders can deploy AI to give teams more time for creativity and problem solving    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:00] Skydiving experiences  [02:30] John's path to Vanguard  [05:20] How marketing can find common ground with sales  [07:55] Adjusting for changing selling realities  [09:45] Centering customer and client perspectives  [11:45] Transforming an organization from the inside out  [13:50] AI's impact on the change management process  [16:20] Internal marketing use cases with AI  [18:45] An experience that defines you: Major life changes coinciding with career launch  [20:35] Advice to your younger self: Your performance rating is not your identity  [22:30] A topic you're trying to learn more about: AI's evolving role in daily life  [23:30] Largest potential threat: Rapidly implementing AI without a clear strategy  [25:30] What you would have an LLM do for you: Give me more time with family    Resources mentioned:    Vanguard    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with John and Vanguard:  John on LinkedIn  Vanguard on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads      

At General Motors, modernizing marketing means more than just adopting new tools—it requires thoughtful experimentation and sound human judgment to apply AI and other innovations while protecting the customer experience. In this episode, Laura Thornton shares how General Motors (GM) approaches this balance through two parallel efforts: marketing technology modernization and Project Leapfrog, a pilot program where teams can test low-risk ideas outside the core operating model.   She explains how this approach helps her team experiment with new AI tools to quickly solve problems and expedite workflows. Laura encourages marketing leaders to create room for testing, give teams permission to fail, build confidence through hands-on use of new tools while avoiding changing too much too fast.   Laura also discusses a real leadership challenge for marketing and consumer engagement leaders: not only adopting AI, but helping employees throughout the enterprise adapt while keeping human judgment and customer connection at the center.  "Taking risks is something that can feel very daunting, and as marketers, we have to be open to trying and testing new things. So that has to be fundamental." - Laura Thornton In this episode, you'll hear about:  AI adoption approaches that can bring change without putting core work at risk  Experimentation insights that can help teams unlock better ideas, accelerate learning and improve adoption  Leadership tips for fostering AI-driven change with humans-in-the-loop    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:20] An auto industry family legacy  [01:55] Laura's GM path: From account coordinator to executive director  [03:25] Perspectives from the agency side vs. client side  [04:15] Taking customer journeys from insights to action  [05:10] Embracing MarTech transformation  [06:25] Introducing Project Leapfrog  [07:25] AI pilot experimentation  [10:25] Integrating AI with the human workforce  [11:45] Lessons for future transformations  [13:00] An experience that defines you: Trusting the process through career pivots  [14:15] Advice to your younger self: Find your voice early to grow confidence   [15:10] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Change management  [17:00] Latest curiosities: Analog, in-person experiences  [18:45] Largest potential threat: Pressure to change too rapidly without a strategy    Resources mentioned:    General Motors    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Laura and GM:  Laura on LinkedIn  General Motors on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads      

What could marketing teams accomplish if they spent less time chasing inputs and more time shaping ideas?   In this episode, Stacy Martinet, chief content and creative officer at Adobe, shares her perspective on one of the near-term opportunities for marketing leaders: using AI to reduce workflow grind.    She highlights how processes that once took weeks—such as brief creation—can now take minutes, giving teams more time to focus on concepts, production and cultural relevance. Drawing on her experience across media, communications and brand leadership, Stacy suggests that even as AI tools and processes evolve, craft and specialist roles remain essential.  Stacy also discusses creator collaborations, which she believes work well when brands give creators room to do what they do best, rather than over-engineering the outcome. Authentic creator-driven content can help unlock a meaningful audience connection that brands cannot easily create on their own.    The key is creative leaders nurturing a culture of experimentation by reducing fear of trying something new and building AI fluency that enables brand growth.    In this episode, you'll hear about:  How creative teams can harness AI technology to drive results and increase focus on the big picture  Why brands should approach the creator economy as a valuable collaboration opportunity to reach more customers  Practical ways creative leaders can encourage technology experimentation and help teams adapt to change    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:05] Inspiration from everyday interactions  [02:20] Stacy's path to Adobe  [06:00] The role of creators in brand marketing  [07:15] How Adobe Firefly spotlights creators  [09:05] The origins of the creator economy  [10:20] Embracing the agentic AI era  [11:20] Streamlining the creative brief  [14:20] Early career inspiration: Role models  [15:30] Advice to your younger self: No lesson too small   [15:55] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Ancestry and Italian cooking  [16:30] Latest curiosities: Communicating change to prepare for the future  [17:00] Largest potential threat: Brands not keeping up with AI's rapid growth    Resources mentioned:    Adobe  Adobe Firefly    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Stacy and Adobe:  Stacy on LinkedIn  Adobe on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How can marketing help turn brand recognition into meaningful connections?  In today's episode, Alan Hart speaks with Herbalife CMO Hanan Wajih about how she views marketing's role in helping lead enterprise transformation by strengthening the brand, sharpening the company's storytelling, and equipping distributors with better tools and content to better support customers.  Hanan explains that Herbalife's current opportunity is not awareness, but familiarity, because many people know the name without fully understanding the company's purpose, product quality, innovation, scale or distributor model. She points to the company's broad reach—from nutrition clubs and distributors to sports partnerships and product innovation—and explains why that scale makes clear, consistent storytelling and increasingly personalized engagement more important than ever.  For marketing leaders, her comments suggest three practical priorities: continue investing in brand building as a long-term driver of trust and loyalty, use technology to make content and engagement more relevant at scale, and help teams build the skills needed to lead through ongoing change. Hanan also shares her perspective that, as AI reshapes marketing, authenticity, strong values and the willingness to challenge old ways of working are likely to matter just as much as new tools.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Why awareness may not be enough to build deeper trust, loyalty and long-term growth  How marketing can help support transformation through better tools, clearer stories and stronger alignment  The importance of balancing innovation with trust and credibility    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:20] A moment in Maui  [03:00] Hanan's path to Herbalife  [06:55] The scope of her role  [07:30] The mission of Herbalife  [10:00] Herbalife's enterprise transformation  [12:10] Marketing's role in the transformation journey  [15:00] An experience that defines you: A multicultural upbringing  [16:20] Advice to your younger self: Trust yourself sooner  [16:45] What are you curious about: Leadership in the AI era  [17:25] What are you trying to learn more about: Generation Alpha and Beta  [18:05] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Authenticity  [18:30] What would you want an AI agent or an LLM to do for you: Quantify the impact of brand marketing    Resources mentioned:    Herbalife    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Hanan Wajih and Herbalife  Hanan Wajih on LinkedIn  Herbalife on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

What does "AI-ready data" look like in a modern marketing organization, and where can it create practical value for marketers?  In today's episode Alan Hart talks with Neha Kovach about the practical work marketers may need to consider before AI can deliver real value. Neha is jeweler David Yurman's global head of customer resource management, data, customer experience and loyalty. Neha believes that getting data ready is less about volume, more about structure and context: cleaning it up, defining customers more clearly, and turning general customer data into signals that can guide action—like how recently someone purchased or how close they are to a milestone. She suggests the bigger opportunity for AI may not be routine service, but rather helping marketers improve conversion, retention, and personalization with more relevant timing and messaging.  She also points to a separate operational benefit: increasing workforce capacity by helping teams work more efficiently. Looking ahead, she also explores what it might take for brands to compete in a world where AI agents may increasingly shape what customers see, consider and buy.    In this episode, you'll hear about:  Ways to think about creating a stronger data foundation to prepare for AI more effectively  Where AI may offer practical support across customer engagement, team capacity and decision-making  Why understanding customer intent may become increasingly important as marketing continues to evolve    Key Highlights: [00:00] Introduction   [01:15] Moving to the United States  [02:05] Neha's path to David Yurman  [04:25] What is David Yurman?  [05:20] Preparing data for AI  [07:55] Bringing agents into the mix  [11:20] Specific agentic use cases   [13:20] Customer experience in an agentic-enabled world  [14:30] An experience that defines you: Losing her mother and becoming one herself  [17:35] Advice to your younger self: Be gentle to yourself  [18:50] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Neuroplasticity and quantum physics  [20:45] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Customer attention span    Resources mentioned:    David Yurman    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Neha Kovach and David Yurman  Neha Kovach on LinkedIn  David Yurman on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

What can stronger sales and marketing alignment look like in practice?   In today's episode, Alan Hart talks with Braze Chief Revenue Officer Ed McDonnell about building a career by chasing experiences and skills instead of titles; why strong sales and marketing partnerships start with shared ownership of the customer journey, and how marketers can stay close enough to customers to understand where performance is really breaking down.  Drawing on leadership experience across high-growth software, Ed explains why alignment can improve when teams focus less on funnel labels and more on the full customer journey, from awareness to renewal and advocacy. He also talks about the role of data, regular review cadences and honest conversations about where pipeline performance is falling short.  Ed shares how Braze is using AI to support decision-making, campaign execution and marketer workflows, and why he believes AI will make shopping more curated, conversational and immediate. For marketers, his message is clear: Better tools matter but staying close to customers and evolving as quickly as they do matters more.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Why growth can happen faster when sales and marketing stay focused on the customer  What leaders can do to spot weak points early and keep teams moving together  Where AI can help make customer experiences more relevant and responsive    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:00] Inside fantasy baseball  [03:30] Ed's path to Braze  [09:15] Where Braze is today  [11:10] Bringing sales and marketing together  [15:30] Tips for creating a better customer experience   [16:45] Building internal trust  [19:30] The impact of AI  [23:20] An experience that defines you: Family ties and a health scare   [26:30] Advice to your younger self: Chase experiences and skills, not titles  [28:50] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI applications for go to market   [30:50] What are you interested in right now: Fantasy books and golf   [32:30] Largest opportunity or potential threat to marketers today: Themselves    Resources mentioned:    Braze    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Ed McDonnell and Braze  Ed McDonnell on LinkedIn  Braze on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads      

How can marketing leaders use AI to scale customer storytelling in ways that drive growth without losing the human connection that matters?  In today's episode, Alan Hart talks with Génesis Miranda Longo, Shopify's head of customer and industry marketing, about how customer stories can drive both growth and trust. Génesis explains that her role spans two priorities: helping new customers discover Shopify and helping existing customers grow by bringing their stories to market. She sees those stories as more than content because they help prospects to picture what success looks like, give sales teams stronger proof points, foster community, and build deeper customer relationships.  Génesis believes AI should accelerate the work around the conversation, not replace the conversation itself. She shares how she uses AI to research, prepare, and scale customer marketing, while emphasizing that valuable insights still come from talking directly with customers. She closes with a broader lesson for marketing leaders: don't wait for permission, build what's needed, and use automation to create more space for real human connection.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Why customer stories are more impactful when they build trust  Where AI adds value in Génesis's workstream;  Why lasting progress often depends on clarity, not just speed    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:05] Growing up in Mexico  [02:00] Génesis's path to Shopify and the scope of her role  [03:20] Symbiotic customer storytelling  [05:20] Scaling customer stories  [07:14] Revving the performance engine  [08:10] "Matchie" and her library of content  [08:55] Shopify Champions  [10:10] Tips for marketers  [12:00] An experience that defines you: Being raised in Sinaloa  [12:55] Advice to your younger self: Don't wait for permission  [13:35] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI for decision-making  [14:45] What are you curious about: How new communities are being created  [17:10] Largest opportunity for marketers today: Becoming a "way maker"  [18:05] One-way agentic AI will fundamentally change how we shop in the next year    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Génesis Miranda Longo and Shopify:  Génesis Miranda Longo on LinkedIn  Shopify on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:  Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn  Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn  Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram  Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube  Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads 

How can marketers adapt when consumer behavior is shifting faster than traditional strategies can keep up?  In this episode Rich Honiball shares his perspective on navigating the fundamental transformation that's continuing to happen in how people buy and consume information. Drawing on his experience across retail and marketing leadership roles, Rich argues that today's rapid changes demand agile platforms where personalization becomes necessity rather than luxury, and that two-way communication with customers is critical to understanding what will make their lives easier. He challenges the assumption that economic factors alone explain changing purchase patterns, suggesting instead that consumers simply value different things now and seek expertise from different channels.  Rich emphasizes the importance of not abandoning core customers when chasing growth and studying how people actually take in information today. Throughout the conversation, Rich stresses that while the channels and methods are evolving rapidly, the fundamental work remains grounded in understanding and serving the people you are trying to reach.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Why your core customer should anchor your decisions even when everything else shifts  What it looks like to build agile platforms that serve complex needs—without losing focus  Where AI fits in marketing when human connection remains the priority    Key highlights:  [01:15] A man on the move  [02:10] Rich's path to the Navy Exchange  [03:55] Why does the military need a retail store?  [06:25] Meeting the needs of all patrons  [07:25] Staying competitive as retail options increase  [08:30] Balancing art and science  [09:55] The purpose of podcasting  [12:00] A humble expert is always a student  [12:55] An experience that defines you: Chicken gizzards and white rice  [15:30] Advice to your younger self: Failure is a part of the puzzle   [16:30] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Learn lessons from history  [17:50] Trends to follow: Sustainability and shifts in engagement   [19:30] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: AI is both     Resources mentioned:    George Mason University   Retail Relates Podcast     Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Rich Honiball and George Mason University:  Rich Honiball on LinkedIn  George Mason University on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

From the archives - orginally released March 2025 Episode Description Jenn Garbach is the chief marketing officer at PNC Bank, where she leads a team of approximately 200 marketing professionals. Her team focuses on brand and line-of-business marketing, paid and social media, direct marketing, and digital marketing strategies. She also helps oversee the bank's relationship with Arnold Worldwide, PNC's integrated marketing and advertising agency of record. With over 20 years of experience in financial and professional services, Jenn has worked across marketing, product management, strategy, technology, and customer experience. She began her career at Deloitte Consulting, and before joining PNC in June 2023, she held leadership roles at PayPal, Capital One, and Thomson Reuters.   On today's show, Alan and Jenn discuss her career journey, her initial goals upon joining PNC and the complexities of launching a new brand for a 160-year-old organization. They explore how marketing, often seen as "just pretty pictures," is actually a key growth driver, a concept they refer to as "The Big M." Jenn also breaks down the fundamental premise and strength of the "Yes, And" model and how it fuels innovation and collaboration. Looking ahead, they discuss AI preparedness and its impact on marketing.     Key quotes:  "You can't just go out with a really funny, creative ad campaign and hope that it's going to do the job. You have to live your brand every single day—and the products, services, experiences we are bringing to market." - Jenn Garbach, CMO at PNC Bank    In this episode, you'll learn:  Strategies to gain a competitive edge   Tips to enhance your marketing efforts using data-driven techniques  How to transform your team into powerful change agents    Key highlights:  [01:53] Jenn's first job as a cart pusher  [03:25] Jenn's career path  [06:45] Initial goal when joining PNC  [07:32] What is involved in launching a new brand  [09:10] "Brilliantly Boring" tagline  [13:20] Where does marketing go at PNC now?  [16:05] How people become a great change agent  [21:35] An experience from your past that defines you: studying abroad.  [24:20] Advice to your younger self   [25:30] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about: AI preparedness  [28:35] Trends or subcultures others should follow: Super Bowl   [30:50] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: pace of change     Resources mentioned:    Jenn Garbach   PNC Financial   Brilliantly Boring at PNC   Boring is Essential (Launch Video)     Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Jenn Garbach and PNC Bank:     Jenn Garbach on LinkedIn    PNC Bank on X    PNC Bank on Instagram      Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan on X   Alan on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

As AI reshapes discovery, how do you make complex tech clear to buyers and demonstrate how marketing is driving growth? Synopsys CMO Ann Minooka shares what it takes to market a highly technical business with clarity, precision, and accountability for business outcomes. She views marketing as the bridge between engineering and the market. Technical product marketing translates capabilities into value propositions, while brand and communications tailor the message for different audiences based on what they care about and where they go for information. Ann explains that her team is moving away from broad product campaigns and vanity metrics like impressions. Instead, she advocates an outcome-led, data-driven approach that uses marketing technology, intent signals and analysis to improve targeting and connect programs to lead quality, pipeline creation and new customer growth. She also outlines how AI is changing planning and implementation, including using behavior signals to meet buyers where they are, building more personalized web experiences, and rethinking content for answer-based discovery across platforms. While AI can speed up first drafts and analysis, Ann believes the bigger unlock is integrating AI across the full workflow and evolving talent and habits.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Ways to make complex offerings clear and relevant to different audiences.  How outcome-focused measurement can help connect marketing to growth.  How AI is reshaping buyer discovery, and ways leaders can adapt.    Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction   [01:30] A love for nature  [06:00] Ann's path to Synopsys  [09:35] What does Synopsys do?  [15:25] Marketing complex solutions   [20:05] Optimizing for outcomes  [23:40] AI's impact on marketing  [31:00] An experience that defines you: Gaining a global perspective  [34:40] Advice to your younger self: Learn an instrument, own your own career, and be curious  [37:20] A topic you're trying to learn more about: AI's impact on productivity and talent   [41:35] Trends or subcultures: The future of intelligence and space travel  [44:00] Largest potential threat: Resisting AI    Resources mentioned:    Synopsys  Ansys    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Ann Minooka and Synopsys: Ann Minooka on LinkedIn  Synopsys on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How can you create marketing that feels like entertainment and drives measurable growth?  Chime Chief Growth and Marketing Officer Vineet Mehra breaks down the product and marketing choices he sees fueling Chime's momentum, including being named Time magazine's No. 1 banking brand. He frames Chime as "not a bank" but a "financial technology company" built for "everyday Americans." And he attributes its traction to showing up in the channels and subcultures where many people spend time, while building products and features designed to meet real needs.   Vineet also shares what other marketing leaders can take from Chime's approach: Start with a differentiated product. Treat attention as the ultimate currency. And use social-first, episodic entertainment to make financial topics more relatable.  At Chime, brand building looks more like running a streaming platform or magazine, where the job is to consistently earn attention with programming people choose to watch.    To ensure that entertainment-driven attention translates into growth, he leans on "performance storytelling" that connects brand-building, direct response and customer lifetime value. He also explains how Chime is applying AI by mapping tools to "jobs to be done" across customer service, creative workflows and talent development. Vineet closes with his view that the biggest potential threat to marketers is resisting change—that leaders should encourage hands-on experimentation while staying anchored to commercial outcomes.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Ways attention can be earned through entertainment-style brand storytelling   Practical lessons for applying AI to specific high-impact work inside marketing and customer operations   How marketing leaders can earn more influence in executive and boardroom conversations    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:30] CMO by day, pizza maker by night  [03:15] Vineet's path to Chime  [08:00] Success in the banking industry  [11:15] Marketing that punches above its weight  [14:15] Showing up where people willingly spend time  [16:50] A brief history of marketing leading to performance storytelling  [23:10] Chime's AI journey  [29:30] How AI is impacting talent conversations  [32:40] Marketing and the boardroom  [36:25] An experience that defines you: Growing up as an immigrant in a blue-collar town  [38:25] Advice to your younger self: Bloom where you're planted  [40:15] A topic you're trying to learn more about: The platform shift  [41:30] Trends or subcultures: Hyper-personalized algorithms  [43:10] Largest potential threat: The innovator's dilemma    Resources mentioned:    Chime  "Mama, I Made It" interview series  Ball On A Budget    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Vineet Mehra and Chime:  Vineet on LinkedIn  Chime on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How do you raise awareness for complex, highly regulated medical therapies when most eligible patients do not even know it exists? At CES 2026, Alan Hart spoke with Naomi Rodiles, senior director of Global Integrated Communications, Neuromodulation, at Medtronic, about the patient communication required to grow adoption of therapies like deep brain stimulation that can support management of movement disorders like Parkinson's. Naomi explains that the challenge is not clinical efficacy or provider trust, but rather awareness. Even proven therapies can sometimes remain invisible to patients until late in their journey. She outlines how her team is evolving from primarily health care provider-centered messaging to a multichannel, digital-first communications model designed to directly reach patients and caregivers to help them discover, understand and evaluate options earlier. Naomi emphasizes that effective patient marketing in medtech is less about promotion and more about credible education that empowers better conversations in the clinician's office, while strengthening provider partnerships. She also shares practical leadership lessons from the transformation: design for modern consumer expectations, build integrated channel presence so information is findable when people search, and adopt AI carefully to scale content and storytelling within a regulated environment.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Why awareness, not efficacy, is often the real growth constraint for complex offerings and strategies to navigate it  Ways to win trust by prioritizing education over promotion  Practical lessons for scaling content in regulated, high-stakes categories using AI    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:00] Starting out at BET's Rap City  [02:15] Naomi's path to Medtronic  [02:50] The scope of Medtronic  [03:50] Medtronic's neuromodulation therapies  [05:55] Marketing life-changing solutions  [07:50] Evolving the messaging  [10:15] Lessons learned  [11:45] Symbiotic relationships with health care providers  [13:10] An experience that defines you: Falling in love with journalism  [14:40] Advice to your younger self: Be mindful of burnout  [15:05] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI  [16:00] What are you curious about: AI for equity  [16:50] Largest potential threat to marketers today: Resisting change  [18:10] CES trends: AI becoming helpful in everyday life    Resources mentioned:    Medtronic  CES  Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy   Medtronic Percept DBS system  Actualize Impact  BET's "Rap City: Tha Basement"     Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Naomi Rodiles and Medtronic:  Naomi Rodiles on LinkedIn  Medtronic on LinkedIn  Medtronic on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How can marketing leaders deliver personalization at scale as content demands surge? How do brands protect discoverability as customers shift their search focus from SEO to answer engines and AI agents?   At CES 2026, Alan Hart sat down with Rachel Thornton, Enterprise CMO at Adobe, to unpack the ways AI is reshaping customer experience orchestration and the content supply chain. Rachel explains that real personalization drives a major increase in content needs, and that AI can compress production cycles so teams can create, test and optimize large volumes of campaign assets faster than humans alone while staying consistent and on-brand across channels. The conversation then turns to generative engine optimization (GEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO) where Rachel notes discoverability is increasingly dependent on how brands show up in AI-driven search results and in the broader ecosystem of content beyond their own websites.   Throughout the conversation, Rachel reinforces that making AI work requires coordinated change across data foundations, processes and skills, not just new tools. She also offers practical lessons for other CMOs on centering customer needs and building a culture of curiosity and experimentation, so teams keep learning as the marketing playbook evolves.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Ways AI enables personalization at scale   Strategies to modernize the content supply chain   How AI is shifting marketing and the adjustments marketers can make to stay discoverable     Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:00] A love of reading  [01:40] Rachel's career path  [02:50] Life as the Enterprise CMO  [03:55] How AI is changing the marketing role  [06:05] Content supply chain at its best  [07:45] Using AI to its full potential   [09:20] Discoverability in the AI era  [11:45] Lessons for CMOs  [13:20] Examples of companies doing marketing well   [14:15] An experience that defines you: Customer face time  [16:05] Advice to your younger self: It's not linear. Try new things!  [16:45] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI   [17:40] What are you curious about: Robots  [18:30] Largest opportunity to marketers today: "Everybody is a creator at heart"  [19:50] CES trends: Embedded AI    Resources mentioned:    The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese  Adobe Creative Cloud  Adobe Marketo Engage  Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing   Adobe LLM Optimizer   Adobe Digital Academy   Project Fizzion (Coca-Cola x Adobe)  Adobe x NFL partnership  CES    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Rachel Thornton and Adobe:  Rachel Thornton on LinkedIn  Adobe on LinkedIn  Adobe on Instagram    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

How might your marketing strategy change if you could prove—with shared baselines and benchmarks—which efforts truly move the needle, and which don't? Anaplan CMO Jim Freeze explains how AI is evolving marketing workflows, elevating creative focus, and tightening the link to measurable outcomes. He details how his team sets explicit productivity goals and uses AI to support content development, enabling marketers to spend more time on strategy, creativity and smarter channel-mix decisions. He also dives into measurement fundamentals with practical advice leaders can act on now: establish transparent targets, align on baselines and industry benchmarks, and report progress regularly. The conversation also emphasizes tighter alignment with sales, stronger finance fluency for marketers, and preparing for the AI-driven search that will reshape content and site strategy.   In this episode, you'll learn:  Jim's tips to demonstrate marketing's value with metrics leaders trust   The importance of baselines, benchmarks and transparent reporting to earn credibility with the C-suite  The potential benefits of cross‑functional accountability and AI integration to pipeline velocity, win rates and team focus    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:40] Our first math major and second lawyer  [04:20] From programming in C to being a CMO  [07:55] The scope of Anaplan  [12:15] How Anaplan is using AI  [15:45] The evolution of the marketer role  [18:45] Demonstrating the value of marketing   [23:25] The importance of transparency  [26:55] Ways to improve your measurement framework  [30:00] An experience that defines you: Leaving law  [32:25] Advice to your younger self: Take more risks    [33:10] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Finance    [34:50] Trends and subcultures to watch: AI search  [35:40] Largest opportunity to marketers today: AI    Resources mentioned:    Anaplan    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Jim Freeze and Anaplan:  Jim Freeze on LinkedIn  Anaplan on LinkedIn  Anaplan on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

What if your next marketing idea could become your company's most valuable product?  Armen Najarian, former CMO at Sift, discusses the challenges of marketing in the digital fraud prevention industry, the power of incentives, and how a marketing solution became an impactful product innovation. Armen shares how creative referral programs like "Super Sifters" and a strong focus on third-party reviews have elevated Sift's market position and built lasting customer trust. He also explains how the company's Fraud Industry Benchmarking Resource (FIBR) tool began as a marketing initiative that faced internal pushback over essentially making company data open source. Despite the risks, the idea evolved into a real-time, peer comparison product feature—and ultimately became Sift's top demand generator. Armen's experience highlights the value of bold experimentation and cross-functional, innovative thinking in driving marketing-led growth.    In this episode, you'll learn:  The incentive strategies that move the needle for Sift How a bold marketing idea can turn into a standout product feature The benefits of finding a personal connection to your work   Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:05] Escaping to eastern Maine  [03:15] Armen's path to Sift  [05:20] The scope of Sift  [06:20] From brand management to product marketing   [07:55] 10 years in cybersecurity   [10:10] Incentive strategies and bobble heads  [13:45] How marketing can become a product  [15:10] FIBR product demonstration   [18:25] An experience that defines you: Entrepreneurship   [22:40] Advice to your younger self: Don't sweat the small stuff   [24:00] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Experimenting with AI   [25:25] Trends and subcultures to watch: Philosophy     [26:00] Largest opportunity to marketers today: AI    Resources mentioned:    Sift  FIBR  G2    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Armen Najarian and Sift:   Armen Najarian on LinkedIn  Sift on LinkedIn  Sift on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How can marketing leaders balance rapid change, emerging technology and brand purpose to drive lasting growth and loyalty across a portfolio of iconic brands? Anton Vincent, president of Mars Wrigley North America & Global Ice Cream, shares what it looks like to lead with purpose across a suite of powerhouse brands spanning confections, pet care and food. He discusses how Mars balances ambitious growth with a real commitment to responsibility, ensuring that business success and positive societal impact go hand in hand. Anton also underscores the strategic value of developing talent and enabling people to move across different business areas to encourage agility and fresh thinking. He shares why creativity remains essential for brands—especially as technology and analytics redefine what's possible—and highlights the discipline required to uphold quality and brand integrity in a crowded, fast-moving marketplace. Throughout the conversation, Anton stresses that enduring relevance and brand loyalty come from continuous learning and a clear understanding of both consumers and culture.   In this episode, you'll learn:  Why centering business growth with real purpose can create a lasting impact at scale   How ideas supported by data and fueled by originality can capture and hold people's attention in today's crowded market   Ways to build agile teams and nurture authentic brands to stay relevant in a constantly changing world    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:30] Basketball talk  [04:30] Anton's path to Mars  [08:00] The scope of Mars  [10:20] Alan's love to Hubba Bubba  [12:20] Scale versus independence of brands  [14:05] The Mars talent strategy  [15:40] Navigating the evolving marketing ecosystem  [18:20] Marketing that adapts to change  [20:30] Notable recent work  [22:05] An experience that defines you: Top Secret Popcorn recall  [26:00] Advice to your younger self: Slow down  [28:30] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Connecting creativity with technology  [33:45] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Constant learning    Resources mentioned:    Mars Wrigley  SNICKERS NFL Bedtime with Josh Allen    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Anton Vincent and Mars Wrigley: Anton Vincent on LinkedIn  Mars on LinkedIn  Mars on Instagram  Mars on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

Lingokids Chief Marketing and Chief Operating officer (CMO and COO) Mikael Journo shares how he skillfully blends data-driven strategies with intuitive decision-making to strike a perfect balance between brand building and performance marketing. Drawing from his extensive career experience, Mikael discusses the challenges of marketing to modern parents and highlights how Lingokids—the leading interactive app for children ages 2–8—addresses their worries.   When a recent study revealed that 75% of millennial parents feel guilty about their child's screen time, Mikael and his team saw an opportunity to lean in and shift the conversation. They did so by producing "The Trial," a film that directly confronts this issue and aims to ease parental guilt. Mikael also shares the thought process around the risks involved in the film and launch campaign, outlines the production process, and discusses the results that exceeded the brands expectations.      In this episode, you'll learn:  The importance of balancing intuition and brand building with data and performance marketing   Challenges and strategies for marketing to modern parents  Why and how Lingokids created a brand film    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction    [01:30] The podcast's first shark wrestler   [02:50] Mikael's path to Lingokids   [08:30] The scope of Lingokids   [11:05] Marketing as a growth driver   [13:35] Balancing the dual roles of CMO and COO   [16:25] Marketing to modern-day parents   [18:30] "The Trial" brand film campaign    [25:45] Navigating challenging subject matter    [29:05] A big bet that paid off   [31:10] An experience that defines you  [34:00] Advice to your younger self  [34:50] A topic marketers need to learn more about  [36:15] Trends and subcultures to watch   [39:40] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today    Resources mentioned:    Screen time guilt survey  "The Trial" (Lingokids brand film)  Piel Studio  Director, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza  Composer, Fernando Velázquez    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Mikael Journo and Lingokids:  Mikael Journo on LinkedIn  Lingokids on Instagram  Lingokids (for kids) on YouTube  Lingokids (for grown-ups) on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

Chief marketing officer (CMO) Andy Levey pulls back the curtain on experiential marketing at the Museum of Illusions (MOI) across the world, revealing the clever strategies that keep audiences coming back long after opening day. With more than 20 years of marketing experience across entertainment, hospitality and lifestyle, Andy's unconventional career path is as intriguing as the illusions he now promotes.   By building strong relationships with local groups and businesses, MOI positions itself as an important part of every community it launches in. One benefit of making those connections is they extend MOI's reach to audiences who might otherwise be outside the museum's marketing budget or traditional targets. Andy and his team focus especially on engaging Gen Z by designing video-first and shareable experiences, inspiring user-generated content, and partnering with social media influencers to spark excitement and create a powerful FOMO (fear of missing out) that drives repeat visits, online sharing and lasting brand loyalty.    In this episode, you'll learn:  How using influencers, user-generated content and a video-first strategy can help brands authentically connect with Gen Z and drive meaningful engagement   The importance of building a strong local market presence for earning trust, collaborating more effectively, and standing out as a valued community contributor  How smarter data collection can power more effective marketing decisions and foster influential relationships      Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:35] From banking to the circus  [07:45] What is the Museum of Illusions?  [10:55] Strategies to reach Gen Z  [13:25] Andy's approach to experiential marketing  [15:30] "Establishing the base"  [17:45] The data collection strategy   [19:30] Maintaining energy after the opening  [21:05] Brand collaborations   [26:50] An experience that defines you: Living abroad and beginning in a startup  [30:40] Advice to your younger self: Find your voice earlier   [31:45] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI implementation   [33:20] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Gen Z internet culture   [36:00] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Entertain and deliver     Resources mentioned:    Museum of Illusions  Museum of Illusions locations  PLAY Playground  Two Bit Circus  La Perle by Dragone  Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Andy Levey and Museum of Illusions:  Andy Levey on X  Andy Levey on LinkedIn  Museum of Illusions on LinkedIn  Museum of Illusions on Instagram  Museum of Illusions on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

Ford is using advanced data and analytics to make smarter, more personalized decisions that connect and benefit both its dealers and drivers. Mark Sucrese, head of marketing technology and dealer platforms at Ford Motor Company, shares why he believes effective marketing leadership in the automotive industry depends on combining customer insight, adaptable technology and responsible innovation.  Mark discusses how his team enhances both dealer and customer experiences by leveraging technology to strengthen brand connections throughout the customer life cycle. He explains the need to strategically manage customer data in a B2B2C environment and describes Ford's focus on achieving small, high-impact wins—particularly through hyperpersonalized experiences enabled by advances in AI.   The conversation underscores the importance of balancing the art and science of marketing, embracing experimentation, and integrating decisioning models with robust data and flexible technology. Adopting a thoughtful, measured approach to AI and new technologies is becoming essential for responsible, future-ready marketing leadership.    In this episode, you'll learn:  How Ford uses smart decisioning to transform diverse data into highly personalized customer experiences  Why embracing experimentation and learning quickly from failure can accelerate growth and innovation  Which technology trends Mark believes could reshape the automotive industry's future    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [00:55] Celebrities: They're just like us  [02:45] Mark's path to Ford  [05:05] The scope of his dual role  [06:10] Managing data in the B2B2C model  [07:20] Personalization and the data needed to power it   [08:55] Leadership lessons  [10:15] Perspectives on decisioning  [12:25] A measured approach to AI integrations  [14:30] The future of technology for the automotive industry  [16:05] An experience that defines you: A hard career truth    [17:10] Advice to your younger self: Embrace a "fast fail" mindset  [18:00] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Take a tech approach     [18:55] Subcultures and trends to follow: Overlanding  [19:50] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: AI adoption and resistance     Resources mentioned:    Ford Motor Company  Shah Rukh Khan    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Mark Sucrese and Ford Motor Company:  Mark Sucrese on LinkedIn  Ford Motor Company on LinkedIn  Ford Motor Company on Instagram   Ford Motor Company on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

Michael Schanker, chief marketing officer (CMO) at OneTrust, shares ways that marketing leaders can rethink their approaches to governance in an era defined by rapid advances in AI and increasing complexity around data responsibility.  OneTrust is a global software company that provides a platform for data governance, security, privacy and compliance. As it moves into the emerging category of governing AI, Michael draws on his sales experience to explain the importance OneTrust places on deeply understanding the evolving needs and potential risks facing their customers. He candidly describes OneTrust's journey to create a unified narrative across its product suite, emphasizing that AI governance is not just about compliance, but about protecting brand trust and enabling innovation at speed.  Michael encourages marketers to avoid complacency, challenge old habits, and continuously ask themselves if their current approaches fit into a changing world. He also highlights the importance of empathy, continuous learning, and adopting responsible AI practices internally before advising others. For marketing leaders, Michael issues a call to drive change with curiosity, data and a commitment to responsible growth.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Strategies for modern governance that can help you act fast while protecting trust  Why questioning "business as usual" can keep you ahead of the competition  The importance of deeply understanding your customers' evolving needs    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:00] Human Google alerts  [02:25] Micheal's path to OneTrust  [07:30] His first nine months in the role  [08:50] Marketing a new category  [10:10] What is AI governance?   [13:45] AI governance in practice  [15:05] AI at OneTrust  [16:50] The stakes are high  [18:35] "Enabling innovation through the responsible use of data and AI"  [19:55] An experience that defines you: Being the son of an artist and an engineer   [21:30] Advice to your younger self: Take more pictures  [22:40] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Innovative AI use cases    [24:25] Subcultures and trends to follow: Storytelling trends in media   [27:35] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Complacency    Resources mentioned:    OneTrust    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Michael Schanker and OneTrust:  Michael Schanker on LinkedIn  OneTrust on LinkedIn  OneTrust on Instagram  OneTrust on YouTube  OneTrust on X    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

Justin Schwartz, commercial IT leader at Marathon Petroleum, shares how his team is bringing people and technology together to drive meaningful change across the business. He highlights that understanding the needs of different users, from field staff to traders, is key to shaping effective solutions—and emphasizes the importance of starting with the real business problem rather than simply chasing new technology. Justin explains how field experiments with AI agents are helping his team learn in real time and improve performance, all while keeping humans at the center of innovation. He encourages leaders navigating rapid transformation to build an inclusive culture, engage teams early, and manage change with transparency and curiosity. Justin also notes that the pace of technology is only increasing, and that actively absorbing information and quickly adopting new ways of working is essential for long-term success.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Why engaging your people first, pinpointing real business challenges and designing solutions with clear value are crucial for leading successful transformation  Ways to accelerate progress by making experimentation a habit, learning alongside your teams and quickly applying new insights  Strategies to build a resilient team that is equipped to handle rapid transformation together    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:00] Zone defense: Four kids under 12   [02:00] Justin's path to Marathon   [02:40] The scope of Marathon   [03:30] Transformation throughout Justin's career   [04:50] Doing "transformation" right   [06:00] Justin's favorite transformation   [07:50] Fostering culture during transformation   [10:10] Experimenting with AI agents   [11:40] Staying human-centric  [13:20] An experience that defines you: Learning from challenges  [15:20] Advice to your younger self: Focus on listening  [16:20] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Deeper understandings   [17:10] Subcultures and trends to follow: Human elements of digital transformation   [18:20] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: The rate of change    Resources mentioned:    Marathon Petroleum Corporation   Dreamforce    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Justin Schwartz and Marathon Petroleum Corporation:  Justin Schwartz on LinkedIn  Marathon Petroleum Corporation in LinkedIn  Marathon Petroleum Corporation on Instagram  Marathon Petroleum Corporation on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

Oliver Steil, chief executive officer (CEO) at TeamViewer, shares how his team is reshaping the digital workforce across industries by enabling remote access, facilitating proactive issue remediation, and increasing productivity through automation for both frontline and technical workers. He details the importance of making information easily accessible to specialists wherever they are, explains how AI-powered automation can proactively address issues before they impact users, and highlights the value of strong business collaborations to achieve seamless workflows. Oliver encourages marketing leaders to embrace new technology to drive productivity, speaks about the potential risk of falling behind in a faster-paced, competitive environment, and advocates the importance of staying network-focused and open to change.    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:00] Dreamforce  [02:00] Olivers path to TeamViewer  [03:25] The scope of TeamViewer  [05:35] Alan's manufacturing experience   [07:45] Bringing the digital experience to the floor   [09:55] How AI is changing work   [12:20] Proactive issue remediation  [15:55] Remote work   [17:20] Collaboration opportunities   [19:30] Collaborations at scale  [21:15] Understanding your role  [22:30] An experience that defines you: Shifting from engineering to consulting   [25:05] Advice to your younger self: Network even more   [25:40] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Seeing opportunity in disruption   [26:50] Subcultures and trends to follow: International politics  [28:45] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Increased productivity    Resources mentioned:    TeamViewer  Dreamforce    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Oliver Steil and TeamViewer:  Oliver Steil on LinkedIn  TeamViewer on LinkedIn  TeamViewer on Instagram  TeamViewer on YouTube  TeamViewer on Threads    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

Dion Smith, senior vice president (SVP) of worldwide (WW) partner ecosystem at Siemens reveals how the 175-year-old and highly diverse organization, is transforming complexity into clarity by breaking away from historical silos with its "one tech mission." This strategic shift aims to unify their data, enabling Siemens to solve larger challenges and deliver better client results. He also highlights the strategic importance of collaboration and the use of marketing development funds (MDFs) and dual registration to foster alignment and measurable success for all sides.    Dion offers clear advice to leaders navigating their transformations: prioritize the customer journey and let data guide every major decision. Through a candid account of how his dyslexia became a professional superpower, Dion urges others to see value in different perspectives, to fail fast, stay focused on the future, and embrace how AI is freeing people from repetitive tasks to tackle higher-value strategic work. From his perspective, using AI for smarter personalization and predictive insight must always be balanced with respect for consumer trust, ensuring outreach feels supportive rather than intrusive.    In this episode, you'll learn:  How finding commonalities in complex data leads to clarity and unified strategies  Ways to connect marketing investments to measurable outcomes that drive more effective collaboration campaigns  Strategies to balance AI-driven personalization with consumer trust for ethical, impactful engagement    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:15] A near-death experience   [03:30] Dion's path to Siemens  [05:10] His role and the scope of the company   [06:45] The "one tech mission"  [08:00] Managing a large amount of complexity  [10:15] Lessons learned through transformation   [12:55] The role of MDFs and dual registration  [16:20] Advice for leaders driving transformation  [17:55] An experience that defines you: Embracing dyslexia   [22:30] Advice to your younger self: Delay reactions until you have the data  [24:00] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Finding clarity in complexity  [28:55] Subcultures and trends to follow: Agentic AI  [31:30] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Consumer trust around AI practices    Resources mentioned:    Jeff Bezos "Why It's Always Day One" video  INSEAD Business School  Dreamforce  Hewlett-Packard (HP) Garage Origin Story    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Dion Smith and Siemens  Dion Smith on LinkedIn  Siemens on LinkedIn  Siemens on Instagram  Siemens on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

Steve Hammond, general manager and executive vice president of Agentforce Marketing at Salesforce, sits down with host Alan Hart at Dreamforce to share his perspective on how leaders can navigate the fast pace of change in technology and marketing. Steve reflects on his journey from early entrepreneurial ventures to modernizing Salesforce's marketing technology, emphasizing how consumer expectations are shifting and how AI Agents now empower companies to unlock hyper-personalization at scale. He discusses how interconnected company data is essential to delivering more efficient, personalized experiences, and why executives should be fully invested in shaping strategies to break down barriers to innovation. Steve explains that the intersection of people and technology delivers the strongest results and shares his prediction that as AI evolves, marketers will spend less time managing technical details and more time focused on high-level strategies that empower them to create personalized customer experiences across all touchpoints.    In this episode, you'll learn:  How AI agents shift consumer expectations    Areas for organizations to address to meet evolving consumer expectations   How unified company data unlocks more personalized, efficient customer experiences    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction   [01:15] Finding rest on the farm   [02:45] What is Agent Force Marketing?  [03:50] Steve's path to Salesforce  [06:50] Keeping up with the pace of change  [08:55] The organizational elements needed to adapt shifting consumer expectations  [10:40] The intersection between people and technology   [14:35] The state of Salesforce marketing solutions  [18:10] Personalization at scale  [20:50] An experience that defines you: Experiences different cultures   [22:25] Advice to your younger self: Deliver on your vision  [23:30] A topic marketers need to learn more about: What is real and what is hype?  [25:00] Subcultures and trends to follow: The future of work  [26:30] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Apathy    Resources mentioned:    Salesforce.com    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Steve Hammond and Salesforce:  Steve Hammond on X  Steve Hammond on LinkedIn  Salesforce on LinkedIn  Salesforce on Instagram  Salesforce on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How can brands use innovation to stand out and improve the customer experience?    Alan Hart sits down with Lisa Tan, chief marketing and strategy officer at Reverie, a sleep technology company, on a mission to improve lives through the power of sleep. Together, they explore how brands can leverage technology and creative strategies to improve customer experience and stand out in competitive markets.   Lisa highlights the Reverie Innovation Summit, describing how this event not only showcases emerging sleep technologies and ideas but also helps deepen relationships with key industry collaborators. The Innovation Summit plays a key role in Reverie's approach by serving as a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and goal alignment. Reverie's approach to sleep technology goes beyond product innovation and focuses on transforming the customer experience. By integrating advanced sleep technology solutions, Reverie helps ensure that every customer interaction is personalized and impactful.    Lisa also explains how integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced marketing tech stacks enables Reverie to understand and engage their audiences better. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the importance of business relationships, continuous learning, and adapting to ever-evolving consumer behaviors to create lasting connections.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Creative approaches Reverie uses to enhance customer experience when working with distributors    The importance of marketers understanding their organization's tech stack    How Reverie uses an in-person summit to gather feedback and promote innovation in sleep technology    Key quote:  "As a CMO of a SMB [small and medium business], being able to understand, like really understand how all of the tech stack works and integrates is critical for success." - Lisa Tan, chief marketing and strategy officer at Reverie      Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction     [01:25] Growing up in Los Alamos    [02:55] Lisa's path to Reverie    [05:50] Reverie's sleep technology origins    [07:55] The evolution and scope of the business     [11:35] Reverie's go-to-market strategy    [13:20] Reverie's direct-to-consumer strategy    [14:55] The role of technology in customer experience    [18:20] Why marketers must understand the tech    [19:55] Reverie Innovation Summit    [24:25] An experience that defines you: Time spent waiting and wandering    [26:20] Advice to your younger self: Don't be afraid to be a beginner    [27:10] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Human motivation and trends     [28:55] Subcultures and trends to follow: Childhood cosmetic obsessions    [32:00] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today:  AI    Resources mentioned:    Reverie  MIT AI study    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Lisa Tan and Reverie:  Lisa Tan on LinkedIn  Lisa Tan on Instagram  Reverie on LinkedIn  Reverie on Instagram  Reverie on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

In today's episode, Alan sits down with BetterBriefs co-founders Matt Davies and Pieter-Paul von Weiler to discuss why they think marketing briefs are the most important document in the agency-marketer relationship, how approaching briefs as contracts may influence results, and the effect that clarity in briefs has on creativity. Matt and Pieter-Paul also share insights from the BetterBriefs Project, the first-ever global study on marketing briefs, revealing a widespread disconnect between marketers and agencies that can lead to billions in wasted budgets. In addition, they share findings from the follow-on BetterIdeas Project, showing that many brands lack criteria, tools and training to evaluate ideas properly, fueling the trust gap between agencies and marketers.  Matt and Pieter-Paul have won more than 20 marketing effectiveness awards, including two Grand Effies. With decades of experience managing thousands of briefs across global markets, they bring deep expertise and practical insights on how to improve briefs and evaluate ideas more productively. Their company, BetterBriefs, trains marketers worldwide on how to brief better and realize more effective ideas.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Why poorly written briefs can waste large amounts of budget and stall creativity  Ways to write better briefs that lead to more effective ideas  Why treating marketing briefs as contracts improves agency results  Strategies that help build trust between marketers and agencies for better collaboration    Key quotes:  "The more people we get to decide on which idea is right for our business, the more we end up being that child in kindergarten, mixing all the paint together. And we all know what kind of color we end up with." - Pieter-Paul von Weiler, co-founder of BetterBriefs  "If our strategy [in a brief] is ill-defined, we're not setting agencies up for success." - Matt Davies, co-founder of BetterBriefs  "You commission an artist and let them roam free so they can do their best work. Agencies need to be guided... and they need to be informed on what they need to do and how they apply their commercial creativity." - Pieter-Paul von Weiler, co-founder of BetterBriefs  "Just because you have an opinion [on an idea] doesn't mean that that opinion is informed [or] justified." Matt Davies, co-founder of BetterBriefs    Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction   [02:30] Why are there two guests here?  [03:20] The brutally honest collaboration origin story   [08:50] Strategies to waste less money  [11:35] The brief is a contract  [14:45] Balancing clarity with room for creativity   [17:55] Briefs versus ideas  [19:00] Tips to improve relationships between markets and agencies  [23:20] Contributing factors for poor idea assessments  [28:00] An experience that defines you: Diversity of experience and getting fired  [33:15] Advice to your younger self: Be a student of the industry and stop trying to outsmart everyone  [35:15] Where marketing science fits in  [38:15] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Tighter budgets and the need to write fewer briefs while being more effective     Resources mentioned:    BetterBriefs  BetterBriefs research  2021 marketing briefs study  Apple's "1984" Super Bowl Ad  Sony Bravia's Bouncy Balls  Guinness's "Surfer"   The Effie's  The IPA Effectiveness Awards  The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science  Dr. Byron Sharp  Dr. Karen Nelson-Field  Peter Field  Les Binet  Adam Morgan  System1  Jan-Benedict Steenkamp    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Pieter-Paul von Weiler, Matt Davies, and BetterBriefs:  Pieter-Paul von Weiler on LinkedIn  Matt Davies on LinkedIn  BetterBriefs on LinkedIn     Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

In today's episode, Alan wraps up our Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity content series with Tati Lindenberg, chief brand officer at Dirt Is Good. Together, they explore global brand strategy for balancing consistency with local relevance, the origin and evolution of the Dirt Is Good brand, and the brand's deliberate movement through distinct "eras."   Tati discusses the importance of identifying which parts of the brand are "sacred" and must remain unchanged, versus those elements that can be evolved and iterated to stay culturally relevant. She notes the brand's intentional move to highlight women athletes as main characters, showing its response to evolving consumer expectations. Drawing on her experiences as a mother and her life across multiple countries, Tati shares how these perspectives have shaped her approach to global brand strategy and her management of a diverse portfolio of brands across regions. As a highly awarded marketer, she offers insights into the role of industry recognition in building high-performing teams. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining brand distinctiveness while encouraging influencer authorship. Tati also reflects on the future of creativity in an artificial intelligence-driven landscape, her concerns about the growing "sea of sameness" in marketing, the dynamics of superfan culture, and the value of taking life a bit less seriously.    In this episode, you'll learn:  Ways to balance a global brand strategy with local execution  How Dirt Is Good has evolved while maintaining consistency and relevance  The impact advertising awards have on creativity and execution     Key quotes:  "We understand what trends are happening out there, what the company strategy is, and try to combine those two things to maintain the fresh brand." - Tati Lindenberg, chief brand officer at Dirt Is Good  "I'm really concerned that everybody seems to be doing the same thing... we need to keep asking ourselves, are we modern enough? Are we culturally relevant? Are we compelling enough for consumers?" Tati Lindenberg, chief brand officer at Dirt Is Good    Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction   [01:25] From São Paulo to the United Kingdom  [03:45] Tati's path to Dirt Is Good  [07:55] The scope of the fabric cleaning business  [09:50] Balancing a global brand strategy with local execution  [12:45] The Dirt Is Good origin story   [15:20] A new way to manage brand portfolio  [17:00] Balancing consistency with fresh ideas  [20:50] In their women's sports era  [22:00] The importance of awards  [24:40] An experience that defines you: Coca-Cola Christmas  [28:10] Advice to your younger self: Take it easy  [29:35] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Availability and affordability of tools  [32:45] Subcultures and trends to follow: Superfans  [33:45] Largest threat for marketers: "The sea of sameness"    Resources mentioned:    Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity  Dirt Is Good  Arsenal Football Club    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Tati Lindenberg and Dirt Is Good:  Tati Lindenberg on LinkedIn  Tati Lindenberg on Instagram  Dirt Is Good on LinkedIn  Dirt Is Good on Instagram    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

In today's episode, we continue our Cannes Lions series as Alan and David Sandstrom, chief marketing officer at Klarna, discuss how embracing change, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), and balancing data-driven efficiency with creativity are shaping the future of marketing and brand-building.   Klarna is a financial technology company that is well-known for its "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) options. David highlights the macroeconomic trends that he believes are contributing to the continuing growth of BNPL, while also sharing Klarna's efforts to diversify their offerings with digital banking and mobile phone plans. Innovation and experimentation are core to Klarna's culture, and can be seen in initiatives like their interactive customer hotline featuring an AI avatar of their chief executive officer. David also outlines how he and his team encourage employees to use AI internally by actively measuring AI usage, using it as a team on a daily basis, and challenging team members to complete tasks that would be impossible without it. However, despite Klarna embracing AI usage and adopting new technologies, David emphasizes the essential role of human creativity in creating resonant messaging. He also discusses his interest in "anti-trends", like long-form content, as open spaces to build brands and tell stories.    In this episode, you'll learn:  How building an AI-driven culture can boost innovation and efficiency  Why combining technology with creativity can be key to brand success  How expanding and educating beyond your core offering can drive growth    Key quotes:  "We're not doing anything new based on AI. We're only doing the things we used to do, but way more efficiently, way faster, at a way lower cost." - David Sandstrom, chief marketing officer at Klarna  "I think our investment in AI culture has been more important than our investment in AI infrastructure" - David Sandstrom, chief marketing officer at Klarna    Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction  [01:05] What's new for Klarna  [01:50] David's career path  [03:25] The key to David's CMO longevity  [04:00] Growth of BNPL  [05:20] Extending beyond BNPL   [06:15] Moving to digital banking  [08:00] Creating a culture to embrace AI  [11:30] The impact of AI on the creative process  [13:40] An experience that defines you: Being born to a juxtaposing pair  [14:25] Advice to your younger self: Enjoy the ride  [14:55] A topic marketers need to learn more about: How to build a brand today  [16:00] Subcultures and trends to follow: Anti-trends and long-form  [17:30] Largest threat to marketers today: Becoming too data-driven     Resources mentioned:    Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity  Klarna's AI chief executive officer report     Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with David Sandstrom and Klarna:  David Sandstrom on X  David Sandstrom on LinkedIn  Klarna on X  Klarna on LinkedIn  Klarna on Instagram    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

Sean Downey is the president of Americas & Global Partners at Google, overseeing the company's expansive advertising business, including Google Search and YouTube. With a background rooted in the earliest days of digital marketing startups and leadership roles at DoubleClick and Google, Sean draws on leadership lessons learned from his father, particularly the importance of creating a workplace where everyone feels they are contributing to something greater than themselves. He emphasizes authenticity, empathy, and continuous learning as core leadership values.  As part of our Cannes Lions content series, Alan and Sean connect at the International Festival of Creativity to discuss AI's impact on marketing. Sean explains how Google integrates AI and automation into its advertising platforms to help marketers achieve better results while protecting consumer privacy. He notes that marketers today have to be more efficient than ever and highlights how AI-powered tools help them work smarter and adapt to rapidly changing consumer behaviors. Sean also stresses the importance of first-party data, privacy-safe solutions, strong change management, and a growth mindset for teams navigating technological shifts.    In this episode, you'll learn:  The ways Google balances consumer privacy with marketing performance  Why change management and a growth mindset are essential as technology evolves  Strategies Google uses to empower brands and agencies to confidently adopt and leverage AI-powered tools     Key quotes:  "Brands can get caught in the trap of thinking they know exactly who their customer is. When in reality, they're looking for people that they didn't know existed, that are incremental to their business." - Sean Downey, president of Americas & global partners at Google  "Everyone knows when they walk to the doors in my building that they contribute to something greater than that. And that powers innovation, that powers customer orientation, and most importantly, it empowers growth personally and professionally." - Sean Downey, president of Americas & global partners at Google      Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction  [01:15] Work-life balance    [02:45] Sean's path to Google  [04:20] A North Carolina connection   [05:10] The scope of Google's advertising business   [07:15] Balancing privacy with marketing effectiveness  [09:25] Three tips for brands  [10:45] How AI is influencing Google products  [14:00] Empowering product adoption for brands and agencies   [20:20] Sean's leadership principles   [23:50] An experience that defines you: Learning from the most challenging times  [26:45] Advice to your younger self: Be honest with yourself  [27:35] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Change management  [29:10] Subcultures and trends to follow: What makes people resonate  [31:10] Largest opportunity to marketers today: The pace of ideas    Resources mentioned:    Sean Downey  Google  YouTube  Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Sean Downey and Google  Sean Downey on LinkedIn  Google on LinkedIn  Google on Instagram  Google on YouTube      Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

Andrew Messina is a Senior Vice President at Disney Advertising. He began his career on the agency side before moving into daytime sales at ABC, then advancing to a primetime senior account executive role, and ultimately rising to his current position. For the past 17 years, Andrew has led all brand advertising initiatives at Disney Advertising, including linear, programmatic, and addressable campaigns across platforms such as Disney, Disney+, Hulu, FX, and ESPN.  In today's episode, Alan and Andrew connect at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to discuss the integration, sponsorship, and advertising opportunities Disney offers brands across its many properties. Andrew shares how live events – particularly women's sports – are shaping advertising, highlights the importance of relationship-building in media sales, and explains Disney's approach to reaching diverse audiences. He also reflects on the importance of mentorship and how AI and youth culture are influencing marketing strategies.    In this episode, you'll learn:  How rising viewership of women's sports is creating new advertising opportunities   Why cultivating trust is essential for career growth, plus actionable development tips   Disney's approach to building relationships with brands     Key quotes:  "Relationships really, really matter, and the only way some of these things are going to get done is through making sure you're connected." - Andrew Messina, senior vice president at Disney Advertising    Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction   [01:10] A nontraditional introduction to the industry   [02:15] Andrew's path to Disney   [04:10] The scope of his role  [05:00] How consumer brands shape the sports landscape  [07:45] Some of the most valued properties for brands  [08:45] Co-creation with consumers  [10:00] Stand-out strategies for auto and retail  [11:30] Industry transformation over the years  [13:25] An experience that defines you: The opportunity to learn sales  [15:40] Advice to your younger self: Develop relationships  [16:50] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI  [17:35] Subcultures and trends to follow: Tastes of the younger audience  [18:50] Largest threat to marketers today: Complacency     Resources mentioned:    Disney Advertising  Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity  College GameDay Built by The Home Depot  Generation AI by Matt Britton    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Andrew Messina and Disney Advertising:  Andrew Messina on LinkedIn   Disney Advertising on LinkedIn   Disney Advertising on X  Disney Advertising on Instagram    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

Each year, top creative minds gather at the Cannes Lions Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for a week of innovations, awards, and candid conversations about the future of marketing. Over the next month, you will get exclusive insight into the latest trends and stories shaping the industry through interviews with leaders from some of the world's most influential brands, including Google, Disney, and Unilever.    In this episode, Alan kicks off the miniseries with our "crystal ball confessionals." Unlike our usual one-on-one interview style episode, today you'll hear snippets of Alan's conversations with industry leaders, creators, and innovators at Deloitte Digital's exclusive 'Collaborate with Certainty' and 'Engage with Certainty' brunches. These short, candid conversations explore the future of marketing, focusing on the evolution of the creator economy, the changing landscape of fan engagement, and the role of data and technology in shaping authentic connections.  Beginning at the 'Collaborate with Certainty' brunch, we explore how the creator economy transforms how brands connect with customers and drive growth. First, Celia Salsi, global head of product marketing at YouTube, shares her insights on why attention, relevance, and trust are crucial for brands striving to stand out in a crowded market. Building on this theme, Kaya Yurieff, team leader for the creator economy at The Information, explores creators' complex and evolving identities. Rounding out the conversation, Kenny Gold, Deloitte Digital's head of social and creator, shifts the focus to AI, reminding us that, despite technological advances, the true impact of creators remains grounded in authentic human connection.  Shifting to the 'Engage with Certainty' brunch, we tackle the question: What does the fan of the future expect from their entertainment experiences? First, we hear from Emma Simkiss, associate director of brand and marketing at the International Olympic Committee, on how authentic fan engagement is measured by meaningful interaction and loyalty, not just numbers. Michelle McGuire Christian, chief commercial officer for Converge™ by Deloitte for Sports, explains how leveraging data and AI can unlock deeper personalization and help brands truly listen to their audiences. Finally, David Geisinger, Marketing Technology, Data & Operations offering leader at Deloitte Digital, discusses a future where technology transforms fans from passive spectators into active participants, building vibrant two-way communities.    Key quotes:  "What we realized through research is that reach alone is no longer enough...They need attention, relevance, and trust. And what we've seen is that creators are best positioned to drive those three." - Celia Salsi, Global head of product marketing at YouTube    In this episode, you'll learn:  The importance of building authentic, long-term relationships with creators  The value of data in measuring creator impact and fan engagement  Ways to leverage AI to create personalized connections with your audience    Key highlights:  [00:30] Episode introduction   [02:50] The 'Collaborate with Certainty' brunch  [03:00] Celia Salsi on the evolution of creator relationships   [06:15] Kaya Yurieff on authentic connections for lasting engagement  [08:15] Kenny Gold on the importance of genuine collaboration   [10:20] The 'Engage with Certainty' brunch  [10:30] Emma Simkiss on driving and measuring engagement   [11:55] Michelle McGuire Christian on the role of data in engagement strategies  [13:55] David Geisinger on how technology is impacting fan engagement  [18:00] One-word summaries    Resources mentioned:    Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025  YouTube  The Information  Deloitte Digital  Deloitte  International Olympic Committee  Converge™ by Deloitte for Sports    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with the guests:     Celia Salsi  Kaya Yurieff  Kenny Gold  Emma Simkiss  Michelle McGuire Christian  David Geisinger    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube  

Are your ads landing with consumers?  According to iHeartMedia's "The New American Consumer 2.0" study, 44% of Americans feel ignored by most media and advertisers .1  In today's episode, Alan chats with Gayle Troberman, executive advisor at iHeartMedia, about the gap between marketers and consumers, ways for marketers to bridge this gap, and the marketing principles that stay consistent despite technological advancements.   Gayle emphasizes the importance of balancing new technology with classic marketing approaches and cautions against neglecting potential customers by focusing too narrowly on the target audience.  She highlights the power of evoking memories in advertising, primarily through audio, with examples of iconic jingles. She also describes why radio and podcasting are effective tools for mass reach and emotional engagement.  Gayle Troberman is a highly respected marketing industry veteran. She spent 16 years as chief creative officer at Microsoft, then as chief marketing and ideas officer at IPG Mediabrands. She then became chief marketing officer at iHeartMedia for over a decade before moving into her current role as executive advisor. Today, Gayle works across all iHeartMedia businesses to help them connect with consumers in a deeper, more meaningful way. Her "human first, outcome second" approach to life and marketing has kept her consistently in tune with consumers throughout her career.    In this episode, you'll learn:  The inspiration behind "The New American Consumer 2.0" study and insights from the research   How marketers can better understand their audience   Approaches to using AI and targeting to add value from a consumer perspective    Key quotes:  "Every time a new technology comes along... marketers think it's like the world has to change, and it really doesn't. If you know who your brand is and you know where you want to find growth, then it's about telling good stories. It's about being relevant to those consumers." - Gayle Troberman, executive advisor at iHeartMedia    "We sometimes let innovation get in the way of growth, or we get so enamored with the technology or the opportunity that we forget any of these platforms, any of these news tools, whether it's AI or targeting, are only as good as the stories we put out there." - Gayle Troberman, executive advisor at iHeartMedia    "The average marketer may not be as in touch with their consumers as they think they are... I think part of the problem is that we're very often talking to ourselves. Our ads are reflecting this bubble we live in. Our ads are not reflecting the values, the beliefs, the interests, or the passions of the real American consumers." - Gayle Troberman, executive advisor at iHeartMedia    "There's genius out there everywhere if you just talk to humans." - Gayle Troberman, executive advisor at iHeartMedia        Key highlights:  [00:32] Introduction   [01:45] A "muppalucky" life   [02:50] Gayle's career path   [05:50] The secret to a long CMO tenure   [07:45] Enduring truths in marketing   [13:40] "The New American Consumer Report 2.0"  [18:25] How marketers can reconnect with everyday consumers  [22:40] Who has influence?   [24:15] Using AI in a mindful way  [28:30] An experience that defines you: Developing a human-first philosophy  [31:30] Advice to your younger self: A little more patience and empathy  [33:00] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Balancing the new with the classics  [34:15] Subcultures and trends to follow: Young people taking strong stances  [35:35] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Fake performance indicators    Resources mentioned:    Gayle Troberman  iHeartMedia  "The New American Consumer 2.0" press release  "The New American Consumer 2.0" study     Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Gayle Troberman and iHeartMedia:  Gayle Troberman on LinkedIn   iHeartMedia on LinkedIn  iHeartMedia on Instagram  iHeartMedia on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

How do you determine your product's market value beyond its features?  In today's episode, Alan and Sjoerd Handgraaf, Sharetribe's chief marketing officer (CMO), discuss Sharetribe's origins, product evolution, and how Sjoerd's team identified its ideal product positioning by evaluating the true value it provides to marketplace founders. Sjoerd shares insights into the unique dynamics of building and branding two-sided marketplaces and explains how a "give first, ask later" philosophy has helped Sharetribe develop trust and lasting relationships with its community.   Sjoerd grew up as a do-it-yourself (DIY) punk rocker in a steel town in the Netherlands. He originally planned to become an English teacher, but love brought him to Finland, where he discovered the startup world. With his DIY background, Sjoerd joined Sharetribe as the first marketing hire in 2016 and became CMO in 2020. Sharetribe is a software as a service (SaaS) solution that aims to democratize the sharing economy by empowering marketplace founders with a no-code platform builder.     Key quotes:  "We just put value out in the world, and we hope that convinces people to at least give us a try." - Sjoerd Handgraaf, chief marketing officer at Sharetribe   "Look at what your [product's] unique benefits are compared to those [competitive alternatives] and then try to wrap those [benefits] in value, not features. A lot of tech marketers are quite fond of listing the features, but what is the value that [the feature] unlocks? What is the thing that it gives to customers?"" - Sjoerd Handgraaf, chief marketing officer at Sharetribe    In this episode, you'll learn:  Common pitfalls to avoid when starting a marketplace business   How to conduct an objective self-assessment to clarify positioning  Sjoerd's tips for marketers on navigating AI     Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction   [01:38] A punk record label mogul  [03:00] The Dutch directness   [05:15] Sjoerd's path to Sharetribe  [09:17] Who does Sharetribe serve?  [10:40] Sharetribe's origin story   [16:30] How to get the product positioning right  [33:27] The notion of "give first, ask later"  [28:25] Why marketing is moving back to basics  [31:15] Lessons learned from Two-Sided: The marketplace podcast  [36:15] An experience that defines you: Being a DIY punk  [37:20] Advice to your younger self: Be even more entrepreneurial  [38:05] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI is unavoidable  [42:55] Subcultures and trends to follow: No-Code and Indie Hackers  [44:35] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Leveling up with AI     Resources mentioned:    Sjoerd Handgraaf  Sharetribe  Two-sided: The Marketplace Podcast   The Lean Marketplace    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Sjoerd Handgraaf and Sharetribe:  Sharetribe on X  Sharetribe on Facebook  Sharetribe on YouTube     Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

Can streetwear be made with zero plastic?   Eric Liedtke says it can be, and he is on a mission to systematically change the fashion industry by shifting away from petroleum-based materials to plant-based materials. In 2014, Eric was already a leader in the fashion industry as the Head of Sports Performance at Adidas when the issues of micro and nano plastics were brought to his attention. As a vegan who loves to surf, Eric could not turn away from the fact that his work in fashion was contributing to the problem. By 2019, he stepped away from his executive board position at Adidas to launch UNLESS Collective, a statement streetwear brand with a regenerative creation model, meaning their products are made sustainably using zero plastic and decompose into nutrient-rich soil. UNLESS was recently acquired by Under Armour, and with that acquisition, Eric was also hired as their executive vice president of brand strategy.   In today's episode, Alan and Eric talk about what the acquisition means for UNLESS Collective's mission, how it fits into Under Armour's larger strategy, and where Eric thinks the Under Armour brand can go. UNLESS is on the cutting edge of sustainable fashion, and solutions to many of its challenges are still being invented. The backing of Under Armour has empowered UNLESS to invest in the research needed to make Eric's dreams a reality. With a background leading brands like Reebok, Eric also understands that UNLESS must meet consumers where they are and not ask them to compromise their tastes or budgets. Once the tech is fully developed and brought to market correctly, Eric believes they will truly transform the fashion industry.    Key quotes:  "People care. The [challenge] is they don't want to compromise their taste or the quality of the product for their values, and they don't want to compromise really too much on price." - Eric Liedtke, executive vice president of brand strategy at Under Armour and founder and chief executive officer of UNLESS Collective  "So, step one, get the value at the same level they're [the customer is] expecting, get the quality at the same level they're expecting, get the taste at the same level they're expecting, [and] get it built on a better stack. Step two is scaling the brand and getting the volumes to hit the unit economics on par." - Eric Liedtke, executive vice president of brand strategy at Under Armour and founder and chief executive officer of UNLESS Collective    In this episode, you'll learn:  How UNLESS is overcoming the challenges of manufacturing streetwear with zero petroleum-based materials  Eric's strategy to bring innovative value-aligned products to market at scale  The importance of authenticity in modern marketing     Key highlights:  [02:25] Eric's career path   [06:40] The founding story of UNLESS  [10:40] Zero wasted hours   [13:20] The logistics of moving from plastic to plant-based   [18:00] Evolving marketing with technology  [21:30] Benefits of working with Under Armour   [23:45] Propelling the Under Armour brand  [27:15] An experience that defines you: Having purpose-led parents  [30:10] Advice to your younger self: Don't let perfect get in the way of better  [31:25] A topic marketers need to learn more about: People want real  [34:00] Subcultures to follow: Surf  [35:40] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: AI and authenticity     Resources mentioned:    Eric Liedtke  UNLESS Collective  Under Armour  Parley for the Oceans    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Eric Liedtke, UNLESS Collective, and Under Armour  Eric Liedtke on LinkedIn   Eric Liedtke on Instagram  UNLESS Collective on Instagram  UNLESS Collective on TikTok  Under Armour on X  Under Armour Instagram    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

What do executive recruiters look for when placing chief marketing officer (CMO) candidates? Why do CMOs have some of the shortest average tenures among the C-suite?   Richard Sanderson has spent nearly his entire career as an executive recruiter. He began as an intern at Russell Reynolds Associates in the United Kingdom, then eventually joined them full-time, and was relocated to the United States. He went on to get his Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago before shifting into a new role as Senior Associate at Booz & Company. After five years in consulting, Richard rejoined Russell Reynolds Associates before moving into his current marketing, communications, and sales practice leader role at Spencer Stuart. In his role, he has led a series of high-profile Fortune 500 chief marketing officer (CMO) searches.  In today's episode, Alan and Richard break down the 2025 Chief Marketing Officer Tenure Study. They discuss what the data shows regarding career trajectories, changing titles and expectations, and the future of marketing leadership. Richard also shares what he seeks in CMO candidates when filling a role, provides listeners with actionable tips for interviews, and suggests that marketers align their language with their CEO's priorities.    In this episode, you'll learn:  The ABCs of interviewing: Leading practices and common pitfalls  Career paths for CMOs after their tenure   What shifting marketing leadership titles means for the role    Key quotes:  "Yes, it's your resume that gets your foot in the door... but it's the chemistry and the culture that gets you the job." - Richard Sanderson, marketing, sales, and communications practice leader at Spencer Stuart  "Low tenure is not a sign of failure... Many marketing leaders are being promoted into bigger and better roles. So, in other words, short tenure [does not mean] a bunch of CMOs [are] being fired. It's quite the opposite... a bunch of CMOs being promoted and given other opportunities." - Richard Sanderson, marketing, sales, and communications practice leader at Spencer Stuart  "Ultimately, when you think about the constituents of the C-suite, who is the voice of the customer? Is it the chief financial officer? Not really. Is it the chief information officer? I don't think so. Is it the chief HR leader? No. Really... the marketing leader is the true customer or consumer advocate; they are the voice of the customer." - Richard Sanderson, marketing, sales, and communications practice leader at Spencer Stuart   Key highlights:  [02:10] A new (destructive) addition to the family   [03:35] Richard's unusual path to executive recruiting   [06:55] How to shine in the job search and interview  [13:36] CMO tenure data  [17:00] Why CEO tenure is an outlier   [19:05] Where do the CMOs go?  [23:45] Evolution of the CMO role in financial services and healthcare  [26:05] Changing titles and responsibilities  [29:05] The marketing to CEO pipeline  [32:00] An experience that defines you: Living cross-culturally  [34:35] Advice to your younger self: Treasure your time  [36:15] A topic marketers need to learn more about: The shifts in industry and politicization of brands  [40:30] Largest opportunity to marketers today: Align the agenda and talk the language     Resources mentioned:    Richard Sanderson  Spencer Stuart  2025 CMO Tenure Study    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Richard Sanderson and Spencer Stuart  Richard Sanderson on LinkedIn  Spencer Stuart on X  Spencer Stuart on Facebook  Spencer Stuart on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads    

What lessons can marketers learn from Taylor Swift's massive success?  In today's episode, Alan Hart talks with Kevin Evers, senior editor at Harvard Business Review and author of the book There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift, about the branding and strategy lessons marketers can learn from the record-breaking artist. He reveals what prompted him to write about Swift and the commonalities he discovered between Taylor, Jeff Bezos, Jerry Garcia, The Beatles, and Reddit's true crime communities.  Kevin explains that since the start of her career, Taylor has created "blank space" for herself in crowded categories through innovative differentiation techniques, like insisting on writing her own songs as a teen girl for teen girls at a time when most hits on country radio were performed by men. He notes she has a classic entrepreneurial spirit that has helped her beat the odds and defy what the data said was possible to reach levels of fame beyond most people's expectations. Kevin and Alan discuss the rebranding lessons marketers can learn from Taylor's transition from country to pop music and noting how she integrates personal connection into every aspect of her approach while maintaining the allure of scarcity with her dedicated fanbase.   Kevin suggests that Taylor Swift's success goes beyond her songwriting talent and superstar status. He believes it's her strategic marketing approach and deep connection with her fans that truly set her apart—a lesson that all marketers can learn from.   Key quotes:  "Her customer obsession is her secret sauce. Again, incredibly talented, a great songwriter, but talent isn't necessarily a scalable asset, but she knows that her fans are a scalable asset." - Kevin Evers, senior editor at Harvard Business Review  "She sets high expectations and then she exceeds those expectations. And in most cases, she gives fans more than they maybe even deserve and I think that fan obsession is a big part of why her fans stick around for so long, and when she's able to recruit new fans." - Kevin Evers, senior editor at Harvard Business Review    In this episode, you'll learn:  The importance of Taylor Swift's "fan-first approach"   Rebranding lessons from her shift from country to pop  How Taylor has wisely evolved her marketing strategy over the years     Key highlights:  [01:30] Delayed speech created a great interviewer   [03:00] Kevin's unconventional path to Harvard Business Review  [03:55] Where did the idea for his new book come from?  [05:15] Taylor Swift as a brand  [06:35] A "fans first approach"  [12:00] Taylor's approach to risk  [14:00] Rebranding from country to pop  [16:55] Pros and cons of fame  [18:25] How Tayor's media strategy has shifted  [24:45] Differentiation in a crowded category  [28:45] An experience that defines you: Embracing the creative process  [30:20] Advice to your younger self: It's all going to be okay  [33:20] A topic marketers need to learn more about: What will break through?   [35:05] Subcultures to follow: Superfan subculture   [36:10] Largest threat to marketers today: A crowded marketplace     Resources mentioned:    Kevin Evers  Harvard Business Review  There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift   The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift   Grateful Dead Bootlegs  Pear Jam Wishlist   Deep Taylor Fandom on Reddit    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Kevin Evers and Harvard Business Review  Kevin Evers on X  Harvard Business Review on X  Harvard Business Review on Instagram  There's Nothing Like This on Instagram    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads      

What if you could know how new creative would perform before you invest in it? This is the exact functionality Adobe's latest creative intelligence tools are working towards.   In today's episode, Alan chats with Ed Kennedy, group product marketing manager at Adobe, to explore their new Generative AI (GenAI) tools. These tools provide a gateway for marketers to scale the impact of GenAI while maintaining the balance between cost efficiency and performance. Ed leads all the go-to-market strategy for Adobe's new GenAI products. This includes GenStudio for Performance Marketing which provides granular insights down to specific attributes of each ad, so marketers and creatives can work simultaneously to activate high-performing campaigns.  GenAI is causing many agencies and brand leaders to reevaluate their operating model, but Ed tells Alan that Adobe believes in an "AI-created, human-perfected" approach. This means GenAI takes on the low-value, repetitive, mundane tasks in the creative process, and then humans review and approve. If "marketers are marketing to consumers or businesses, then the humans are going to be in the driving seat," Ed notes in response to concerns around AI. He also outlines the best use cases for AI agents and cautions marketers against skepticism of this evolving technology.      Key quotes:  "We're big on "AI created, human-perfected" in all the go-to-market messaging that we're bringing out and helping CMOs understand they can do this." - Ed Kennedy, group product marketing manager at Adobe  "If you can look at the performance of the ad itself on the content or creative level, you can quickly double down on what's working and turn off what's not working. And I think that's where we're saving our clients spend because we're just not putting dollars behind bad creative or just underperforming creative." - Ed Kennedy, group product marketing manager at Adobe  "Our ultimate vision is that you should actually be able to score your creative before it ships – if it actually is going to perform well." - Ed Kennedy, group product marketing manager at Adobe  "We're trying to get to a place... where the brief becomes the new prompt. So instead of entering a prompt to get content, you submit your brief and ... the agent starts working for you." - Ed Kennedy, group product marketing manager at Adobe      In this episode, you'll learn:  Potential business use cases for GenAI today  How Adobe GenStudio is bringing marketers and creatives closer together through data  What the future of marketing jobs may look like       Key highlights:  [01:25] Yoga for work-life balance  [02:50] Ed's path to Adobe  [03:55] The scope of his role   [04:30] GenAI to drive advertising performance   [06:05] Versioning with GenAI   [07:45] Reevaluating the operating model  [10:05] Scaling the impact of GenAI  [11:45] Cost efficiency versus performance  [12:50] What is creative intelligence?  [15:20] Bringing performance and creative closer to data   [18:05] AI agents and internal evangelists   [21:30] An experience that defines you: It's a ride, not a race  [25:25] Advice to your younger self: Drop the intensity and expectations   [26:45] A topic marketers need to learn more about: F.I.R.E   [28:10] What are you curious about: AI video generation   [29:50] Largest threat to marketers today: Cynicism on the sidelines       Resources mentioned:    Ed Kennedy  Adobe  GenStudio  Agentic AI  GenAI      Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify        Connect with Ed Kennedy and Adobe  Ed Kennedy on X  Ed Kennedy on LinkedIn  Adobe Experience Cloud on X  Adobe on X  Adobe on Instagram      Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads        

Ryan Fleisch is the head of product marketing for Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform (CDP), and audience manager at Adobe. He is also a recent first-time girl dad and Alan's go-to technology whisperer. Ryan has experience on both the agency and brand sides of digital marketing and has been with Adobe since 2014. His current role, coupled with his previous leadership roles in solution consulting, has allowed him to understand the technical nuances of marketing and advertising technology and the big-picture trends that are transforming the industry at large.  In today's episode, Alan and Ryan reconnect for another interview at Adobe Summit 2025 to discuss Adobe's new marketer-first data collaboration tools and what marketing professionals need to know to help them stay ahead of the curve. When it comes to winning impressions in the crowded attention economy, using data wisely is the difference between standing out and blending in with the thousands of ads consumers see daily. Ryan also explains how agentic AI can help marketers move from data synthesis to action, allowing them to scale their impact as individuals and departments.  Key quotes:  "Agentic AI doesn't just understand my business data. It actually understands my business processes and my goals" - Ryan Fleisch, head of product marketing for Adobe Real-Time CDP, and audience manager at Adobe  In this episode, you'll learn:  How to understand the attention economy   Why "clean sketches" may replace "clean rooms"  What agentic AI could mean for your marketing strategy   Key highlights:  [02:05] "The sleep deprivation is real." [03:30] Ryan's path to Adobe   [06:00] Understanding the attention economy  [08:25] The data tradeoff between scale and accuracy  [10:30] Launching Real-Time CDP evaluations   [11:30] Old "clean rooms" versus new "clean sketches"   [14:45] AI empowering humans to do what they do best  [16:40] Generative AI versus agentic AI  [20:10] Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business  [22:45] An experience that defines you: Don't fear the bunk bed  [25:30] Advice to your younger self: Look at the big picture   [27:05] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Agentic AI and physical art  [28:50] Subcultures to follow: Appreciate artists  [29:35] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Pairing content with data  Resources mentioned:    Ryan Fleisch  Adobe  Adobe Real-Time CDP  Adobe Audience Manager  Announcement of new Adobe Real-Time CDP collaboration  Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify    Connect with Ryan Fleish and Adobe  Ryan Fleisch on LinkedIn  Adobe on X  Adobe on Instagram   Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads  

Kevin Hein is the chief growth officer (CGO) at GIPHY. He began his print publishing career with Ziff Davis when print and tech were merging. Here, he learned the fundamentals of strategic selling while working on the PC magazine account. Kevin joined GIPHY in August 2024 and has since been instrumental in transforming GIPHY into a unique platform that connects brands with audiences through messaging. Under his leadership, GIPHY has expanded its advertiser base, introduced innovative ad formats, and positioned itself as a key player in the messaging ecosystem, driving significant revenue growth and delivering exceptional client results.  Kevin joins Alan Hart at South by Southwest (SXSW) to discuss the unique positioning GIPHY offers brands–to become part of cultural conversations in an additive rather than intrusive way. GIPHY's daily reach touches over 1 billion people worldwide, creating a magical moment when users discover the perfect GIF to convey what words alone cannot. GIPHY collaborates with brands to seamlessly integrate their messages into this magic, transforming existing creative, optimizing new ideas, and experimenting in safe, engaging ways that drive organic, long-term results.  Kevin explains the collaboration process with GIPHY, why he thinks all brands need to experiment with creativity, and what marketers can learn from innovative online content creators.   Key quote:  "The beauty and the elegance [of] GIPHY is that it's part of the conversation. It's not intrusive, it's additive. It's a natural extension of what you're talking about." - Kevin Hein, Chief growth officer, GIPHY  In this episode, you'll learn:  How brands can influence culture without being intrusive What collaboration looks like with GIPHY  The value of creative experimentation  Key highlights:  [01:20] For the love of car detailing   [02:45] Kevin's path to GIPHY  [05:40] Understanding GIPHY today  [08:48] Where to go when you're already everywhere  [10:45] What makes GIPHY unique  [13:05] Cut downs and brand collaborations   [16:30] Where dexterity meets data   [19:20] Making magic with Mug Root Beer  [24:50] Investing in safe experimentation   [26:10] An experience that defines you: "It's just a chapter"  [28:10] Advice to your younger self: Give people space to prove you wrong  [29:55] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI experimentation  [32:50] Subcultures to follow: Innovative online creators  [39:55] Why experiment when everything is going great  [44:10] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Test and learn   Resources mentioned:    Kevin Hein  GIPHY  GIPHY Studios  GIPHY's daily reach statistic  Mug Root Beer and Mug Root Beer on GIPHY  Waz up Super Bowl Commercial  Justin Flom, magician and YouTuber Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify    Connect with Kevin Hein and GIPHY:   Kevin Hein on LinkedIn GIPHY on X GIPHY on Instagram  Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn  Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn  Deloitte Digital on Instagram  Deloitte Digital on YouTube  Deloitte Digital on Threads Post-production credits:   Integrity Media Solutions LLC