The CMO Whisperer, hosted by former Forbes writer Steve Olenski, is dedicated to those who keep it real in AND out of the world of marketing. From others in the C-suite to agency leaders to editors of publications to athletes to entertainsers and on and on, this show is for them and about them.
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My guest this week is someone whose career path may not be linear, but it's been anything but boring. Jason Chebib started out in some of London’s top ad agencies, including Ogilvy, Publicis, J. Walter Thompson, and BBDO, where he worked alongside CMOs and future CMOs at brands like Shell, Unilever, Dyson, Mars, and Ford. Then came a pivot—from cre…
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From Data to Trust: Tory Pachis on Mastering CRM
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29:21My guest this week is Tory Pachis, CMO of Amica Mutual Insurance Company, based in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Tory is a seasoned insurance executive with nearly 25 years of industry experience. At Amica, he oversees five core areas within the marketing department: marketing, data science, media and platform, branding and communications, operations and …
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Think Human in the Age of AI with Doug Zarkin
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27:14My guest this week is Doug Zarkin, a transformative leader in branding and marketing, known for his quick-thinking, human approach. His career highlights are many, including co-founding breakthrough advertising, youth entertainment, and lifestyle marketing campaigns; leading the successful launch of Avon’s mark. brand; and elevating Victoria’s Secr…
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From Cultural Roots to Creative Futures: Lessons with Daniel Cherry
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30:40My guest this week is an award-winning marketer, business executive, strategist, and brand innovator. Daniel Cherry III has extensive experience across sports, CPG, lifestyle, music and entertainment, and luxury consumer categories. He’s had a storied career working with some of the world’s most iconic brands, including DC Comics, Activision Blizza…
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Where Data Meets the Forecast: Randi Stipes on Storytelling at The Weather Company
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33:33My guest this week is Randi Stipes, the Chief Marketing Officer at The Weather Company, one of the world's most trusted brands and most accurate forecasters. No stranger to marketing transformation, Randi challenges marketers to think differently about the weather and its business implications across every industry. With nearly three decades in med…
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Inside a Brand Strategist’s Mind with Brian Irving
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25:38My guest this week is Brian Irving, the Chief Marketing Officer of Lyft. Brian has over two decades of experience building and marketing iconic global brands, including Meta, Eventbrite, Apple, Google, Levi's, and Airbnb. As CMO at Lyft, Brian leads all marketing, creative, and communications efforts for the brand. This includes developing strategy…
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The Power of Brand Reinvention with Christy Hoskins from La-Z-Boy
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34:04My guest this week is Christy Haskins, the VP and CMO of La-Z-Boy, leading the brand reinvigoration efforts of the nearly 100-year-old—yes, 100!—beloved brand across consumer marketing, digital commerce, consumer insights, and creative. Previously, Christy worked across brands and portfolios at Whirlpool Corporation and Nestlé Purina PetCare. Her e…
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Marketing Mayhem & AI Magic with Steve Rotter
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28:21My guest today is Steve Rotter, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at DeepL, a Language AI platform that enables over 100,000 businesses to transform communications, reach new markets, and improve productivity. Steve is an entrepreneur, evangelist, and author, bringing over two decades of tech marketing leadership experience to his role as CMO. A two-ti…
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From Invisible Problem to Must-Have Solution : Melton Littlepage, CMO, 1Password
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34:20My guest today is Melton Littlepage, CMO of 1Password—trusted by more than 100,000 businesses to protect their data. 1Password gives you complete control over passwords and other sensitive business information. Melton has a 20-plus-year track record of innovation, category creation, and growth acceleration at technology companies. Prior to joining …
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Why Emotion Beats Logic in Advertising – John Kearon & Joel Weinberger
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39:15In this special two-for-one episode of The CMO Whisperer Podcast, host Steve Olenski welcomes two distinguished guests – John Kearon, Founder, System1 Group, and Joel Weinberger, Professor of Psychology, Derner School of Psychology. Together, they dive deep into the fascinating intersection of advertising, emotions, and decision-making, exploring h…
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Sony’s Marketing Transformation: Steven Fuld on Strategy & Storytelling
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33:43My guest today is Steven Fuld, the former Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Corporate Marketing at Sony Corporation of America. Steven led U.S. marketing efforts in collaboration with Sony's Tokyo headquarters and operating companies such as PlayStation, Sony Pictures, and Sony Electronics. His leadership spanned brand strategy and commun…
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The Business of Soccer: How Tim McDermott is Growing the Philadelphia Union
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26:46My guest today is Tim McDermott. Tim is the President of the Philadelphia Union and Union Sports and Entertainment, overseeing all club business operations. Since joining the Union in 2016, his efforts have focused on increasing brand strength, expanding the fan base, and enhancing revenue opportunities, while maintaining a commitment to growing so…
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Marketing the Super Bowl & Olympics: Jenn Ogden-Reese’s Playbook
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29:26My guest this week is Jenn Ogden-Reese, Chief Marketing Officer at On Location, a leading premium experiences company providing access to ticket packages with enhanced hospitality and premier end-to-end travel for bucket-list events. She has more than 25 years of experience building businesses and leading multi-platform marketing and strategy. Befo…
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From Fine Art to Fintech: Suzanne Darmory's Journey to Refundo
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34:02My guest today is Suzanne Darmory, the former Chief Marketing Officer at Refundo, the only minority-owned fintech platform in the tax industry, committed to fostering inclusivity in the communities they serve. In addition to founding her own boutique agency, The AGNCY That Sold Agnesi, she has spent her career on both the client side—working with c…
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Listening to Win: How Dara Treseder Builds Customer-First Brands
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33:50My guest this week is Dara Treseder, the Chief Marketing Officer at Autodesk, a leading technology and software company that is transforming how the world is designed and made. She oversees global marketing, brand, communications, demand generation, e-commerce, and education business teams. As a veteran CMO, Dara has held key leadership roles, incl…
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From Fast Casual to Fan Favorite with Thomas Prather
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31:55My guest this week is Thomas Prather, the Chief Marketing Officer at Smashburger. Thomas brings over 30 years of marketing expertise, beginning in automotive advertising, where he managed Cadillac's resurgence in 1995. He transitioned to the food and beverage industry in 2003, joining Starbucks and eventually becoming VP of U.S. Retail Marketing. A…
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The Culinary Landscape of Tomorrow with Andy Rebhun
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26:57My guest this week is Andy Rebhun. Andy joined as Chief Experience Officer in 2023. From 2019 to 2023, he held several senior leadership positions at El Pollo Loco, including Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Digital. Prior to that, he served in various marketing and digital leadership roles at McDonald's Corporation in Boston, Chicago,…
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Breaking Barriers in Marketing Innovation with David Edelman
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44:44My guest today is David Edelman. David's the former CMO of Aetna, and he's currently a senior lecturer in marketing at Harvard Business School. I've known David well over 10 years and we had an absolutely fascinating conversation focussing initially on AI and and the customer experience. One of David's recent HBR articles was "Customer Experience i…
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My guest today is Jeanniey Walden. Jeanniey is the senior vice president and CMO of Rite Aid and Thrifty Ice Cream. Her decades of experience span Fortune 500 companies and startups across a whole host of industries, including retail, health and wellness, consulting, ad agencies, fintech. Everything. If that weren't enough, she's also the host of h…
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From Clicks to Connections with Raja Rajamannar
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37:13My guest this week is a good friend who also happens to be one of the most influential marketers in the world, Raja Rajamannar, the CMO of Mastercard. Over his 10 years with the brand, he has transformed Mastercard into one of the top 10 most valuable brands in the world. At the helm of the iconic priceless platform, he and his team are on the cutt…
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Rewriting the Rules of Branding with Dr. Marcus Collins
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39:06My guest this week is Dr. Marcus Collins, an award winning marketer, best selling author and former chief strategy officer at Wieden+Kennedy, and currently a marketing professor at the university of Michigan. Part marketing professor, part chief strategy officer, Dr. Marcus prescribes lots of advice for brand health.…
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Redefining the Brand Experience With Geoff Cottrill
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39:43My guest this week has been everywhere, man—or seemingly everywhere—from Converse to Starbucks to Procter & Gamble, to Coca-Cola, to his current role as Chief Brand Officer at Topgolf. I met Jeff Cottrill many moons ago during my days at Forbes. What an amazing conversation we had! We touched on so many different topics. You're really going to enjo…
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Building Brands That Last a Lifetime with Edithann Ramey
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35:02My guest this week is Edithann Ramey, the Chief Marketing Officer at Six Flags Entertainment, where she oversees marketing strategy, consumer experience, CRM, group sales, and revenue management for North America's largest regional theme and water park company. Before joining Six Flags, Edith Ann was CMO at On the Border, a Mexican casual dining ch…
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Lessons for Big Brands and Startups with Adam Hanft
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28:26My guest today is Adam Hanft, one of the few strategic and creative brands who has achieved success with Fortune 500 companies and startups. He sits on the boards of Scotts Miracle-Gro and 1-800 Flowers, and works with dozens of entrepreneurial founders to tell their essential stories across all channels. From a jolly and nimbleness to stripping aw…
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Secrets of Sustainable Marketing with Amina Pasha
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41:24My guest this week is Amina Pasha, CMO of Thrive Market. With more than a decade of experience in CPG marketing at P&G, followed by a pivotal role at The Honest Company, Pasha serves as the guardian of Thrive Market’s mission-driven, e-commerce powerhouse. Thrive Market is now celebrating its 10th anniversary this November 10th by humanizing the on…
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My guest this week is Nic Chidiac, Chief Strategy Officer for Razorfish, where he oversees brand and experience strategy. He's worked with CMOs from the biggest brands in the world across a wider range of categories, including QSR, travel, tech, automotive and government. Formerly with Leo Burnett, Nic brings a global lens to his CMO perspective as…
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From Trendsetter to Thought Leader with Oksana Sobol
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37:42My guest this week is Oksana Sobol. Oksana leads the insights function at The Clorox Company, where she's implementing an agile, fast, and consumer centric insights model. Her global career spans everything from brand marketing and market research in her native Ukraine, and then the Czech Republic. She's worked for big companies like Nielsen, Kraft…
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Slam Dunk Marketing Tips from NBA Champion Channing Frye
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32:26My guest this week is former NBA player, Channing Frye. After an illustrious 14 year career, which included winning a championship in Cleveland with none other than LeBron James. Channing is now lead analyst for Warner Brothers Discovery, where he hosts the multitude of shows, including handles on NBA TV and his cohost of a very popular podcast wit…
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The Power of Emotional Marketing and Leadership with Doug Zarkin
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42:46My guest today is Doug Zarkin, former CMO of Pearle Vision and current Chief Brand Officer of Good Feet Worldwide. Doug's won Effie Awards and Cleo Awards and countless other awards that I can't even think of. I've known Doug for well over 10 years, and he is absolutely one of the brightest minds in all of marketing that I've ever met. Our conversa…
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Marketing that Moves the Needle with Lee Roth
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27:07Lee Roth is the co-founder of The Actionists, a platform designed to make marketing more actionable for businesses. He is an experienced marketer, entrepreneur, and agency leader. Driven by solving global, industry, and company problems, Lee founded the Action List with his co-founder, Pio Schunker. Lee has a diverse background in marketing, having…
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Reimagining Marketing with AI with Chris Johnson
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27:20My guest today is Chris Johnson. Chris is the managing partner of Tomorrow Today, a leading AI consulting firm that helps companies harness the transformative power of AI through strategic AI roadmaps and advanced AI implementations. He is also the founder and CEO of ELT, a full-service marketing agency focused on creating meaningful customer exper…
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A Play-by-Play from Pepsi to the NFL with Dawn Hudson
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40:01My guest this week is Dawn Hudson from CEO to CMO, the chairman of the board, her career has spanned high level posts in media, retail, consumer goods, and on and on and on at brands like the NFL, Pepsi, Loews, P.F. Chang's, Nvidia, the LPGA.By Steve Olenski
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The Marketing Mad Scientist with Duncan Smith
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29:56My guest this week is Duncan Smith. Duncan is a seasoned media and communications strategist with over two decades of experience in media planning, buying, and agency leadership roles across London, Europe, and New York. Throughout his career, he has led top-tier agencies, spearheading the launch of connection planning departments, managing global …
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This week's guest is Elizabeth Maxson, or "Emax," a seasoned marketing professional with over 18 years of experience across industries such as nonprofit, automotive, and high tech. As the SVP and CMO of Tableau, a Salesforce company, she drives global go-to-market strategies. Throughout her career at Salesforce, Elizabeth has held various roles, in…
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The Impact of Strong Leadership with Eric Danetz
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35:33My guest this week is Eric Danetz. He's the president and founder of Spencer Grace Advisors, a consultancy helping organizations navigate change and achieve growth. Previously, he was the Global Chief Revenue Officer at Reuters, overseeing global sales and customer success. He's also served as the Chief Business Officer at AccuWeather and SBP, and …
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The Art of Being a CMO with Marisa Thalberg
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35:32Marisa Thalberg is a globally recognized business strategist and brand-building innovator, known for leading brands like The Estée Lauder Companies, Taco Bell, and Lowe's Home Improvement to new heights of consumer resonance, cultural relevance, and business performance. Inducted into the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame, she also founded Executive Moms, an…
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The Role of AI in Omnichannel Marketing & More - Tim Ringel
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40:59My guest this week is Tim Ringel, a serial entrepreneur with a passion and drive to push past that stubborn status quo. He's the global CEO of next gen advertising group called Meet the People. We talked about all sorts of things, including the role of AI in and omni channel marketing. Here's my conversation with Tim Ringel. …
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In the pole position with Peter Jung, CMO, NASCAR
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30:03My guest this week is Peter Jung, the CMO of NASCAR. We talked about how the brand is engaging younger audiences, what they're doing to engage audiences around the world, and who the competition for NASCAR.By Steve Olenski
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Floating Talent & Why CMOs Need To Be Aware of It - Ashley Miles
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23:50My guest this week is Ashley Miles, the CEO of Franklin West, a new era business growth advisory and execution firm that is shaping the future of work in the growing on demand economy. The firm was recently awarded by Inc. Magazine and Globee awards for its impact on Fortune 500 companies. Ashley's had an amazing career with stops at many different…
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The Role of Culture in Digital Transformation - Doug Milliken
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33:30My guest this week is Doug Milliken, former VP of Marketing Transformation at The Clorox Company. When he was there, he was responsible for the company's brand building and growth capabilities. His experience led to one inescapable conclusion; the performance of an organization is driven largely by its culture.…
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How To Rebrand An Iconic 120-Year-Old Brand
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34:16My guest this week is Shani Seidman, the CMO of Kayco Kosher Foods, the parent company of Manischewitz the 120 year old brand that she was just entrusted with the rebranding of. It was an incredible challenge that she met head on. She shares insights and tips for other CMOs going through rebrands.By Steve Olenski
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Podcast Takeover: a marketing deep dive with the CMO Whisperer, Steve Olenski
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39:01In an unexpected twist, previous guest Oksana Sobol (and Insights Lead at Clorox), puts the CMO Whisperer in the hot seat for a podcast takeover. Oksana asks Steve about some of the key things he's learnt from doing this show, including insights on AI, data and the CMO tenure.By Steve Olenski
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How to leverage fractional support for marketing - Jess Shirra
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29:11My Guest this week is Jess Shirra, a fractional CMO and the founder of the Fractional CMO School. Her days are spent supporting her seven figure clients, helping them grow their membership and core businesses. Additionally, she mentors other marketers to help them launch and grow their own fractional CMO business. With more than 15 years in the fie…
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What Marketers Are Missing About AI & More - Dan Gardner
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39:25My guest this week is Dan Gardner, the co founder and executive chairman of the technology first network Code and Theory. They work with brands like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, JP Morgan, Chase and more. We kick of talking about the eerie similarity between 2001 and 2024, and what marketers are missing about AI.…
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From Near Death To A Multi-Million Dollar Brand
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37:42My guest this week is Ashley Black, the founder and CEO of Ashley Black Inc, Fashion Blaster and Advanced Regenerative Research Technologies and Associates. She's a multiple Stevie award winner for woman of the year, lifetime achievement and entrepreneur of the year.By Steve Olenski
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Talking Culture, Code & Creativity With Futurist David Shing
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39:33My guest today has been described by Forbes as an artist, a globe treading speaker and market seeker, a storyteller who identifies emerging trends and inspires clients to think differently. His name is David Shing, AKA Shingy. And he is a true visionary in a digital era who closely observes the unfolding future in the vast online landscape. Followi…
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Perpetual Relevance & Why Brands Need To Practice It, Umang Shah, VP of Marketing, Northwestern Mutual
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41:08My guest this week is Umang Shah, Vice President of Marketing, Enablement and Effectiveness for Northwestern Mutual. A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Umang has had stops at Xerox, Microsoft, Walmart, Unisys, among many others.By Steve Olenski
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Marketing, Consumers and the Great Disconnect with Rose Jia and Hetal Patel
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37:47Today I'm joined by two guests, Rose Jia and Hetal Patel. Rose is an award winning marketing and product leader who currently heads up lifecycle and launch marketing for Amazon's Prime Video. She and her team drive profitable growth across the customer life cycle through original and licensed content. She's also the creator of the Renaissance Marke…
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Building Better Comms, Content & Communities For Brands - Kyle Monson, Codeword
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35:22My guest this week is Kyle Monson, co-founder of Codeword, an agency that fuses journalism, PR, and advertising into a single field they call communication design. Over the past 12 years he's grown the agency from three people to more than a hundred people working together to shape the future of technology marketing. Kyle has worked in the tech ind…
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What Is Emotional Segmentation & What It Means For Marketers - Billee Howard, CEO/Co-Founder of Brandthro
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35:19My guest this week is Billee Howard. She's the co founder and CEO of Brandthro, the only AI research company that scores customer emotion via human input to create the first ever emotional segmentation datasets.By Steve Olenski
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