Think Big, Think Fast: X&O's Eric Segal

The Big Game (aka The Super Bowl) keeps getting bigger. As brands try to find new ways to break through, Eric Segal, accomplished ad guy with plenty of Super Bowl advertising cred, sees a marketing world that requires a fresh method for creating big brand ideas. He talks about what marketers are looking for and an agile new approach that veers away from the big ad agency models of the past.

John and Brian talk about Starbuck’s refreshed positioning, debate the proper ways to customize coffee, and unabashedly support their hometown underdogs, The Philadelphia Eagles. Go birds!

Key topics and chapter markers:

(00:52): What’s brewing at Starbucks. And an argument

(07:29): Introducing advertising pro Eric Segal, X&O

(11:00): The Super Bowl as a cultural opportunity 

(17:12): Crashing the Super Bowl with user generated content

(22:02): Starting a new model for big brand ideas

(27:47): A completely different work: a thousand different things

(32:22): The role of specialists

(42:22): Who’s holding the brand together?

(46:11): Sell me. But entertain me.

(48:29): Building a Super Bowl ad: how long should it take?

(55:04): Kicking the Giants while they’re down

Background content:

https://heyxo.co/

https://www.adweek.com/agencies/build-teams-not-departments/

https://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/starbucks-chief-brand-officer-tressie-lieberman-super-bowl-marketing-approach/2601161

https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/crash-the-super-bowl-creators-doritos-evolution-marketing/