Building Better CMOs and Marketing Leaders Every Touchpoint Tells a Story with The New York Times CMO Amy Weisenbach
Jan 7, 2026
In this engaging conversation, Amy Weisenbach, CMO of The New York Times and former marketing exec at Unilever, shares her journey from traditional marketing to running campaigns that drive real engagement. She discusses the groundbreaking 'Truth Is Worth It' initiative, explaining how it earned the trust of journalists. Amy reveals her insights on merging brand love with performance marketing, navigating consumer preferences, and adapting to AI's influence on journalism. With anecdotes from her time at Unilever, she emphasizes the importance of asking bold questions in your career.
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Treat Subscriptions As Consumer Branding
- The New York Times evolved from performance-only marketing to treating subscriptions as a consumer brand challenge.
- Journalism already spreads the Times' brand widely, but brand marketing clarifies why people should pay for it.
Making Journalism Visible With 'Truth Is Worth It'
- The Truth Is Worth It campaign showed how journalism is produced to increase appreciation and subscriptions.
- Journalists were skeptical at first but later took pride in marketing that matched journalistic ambition.
Building Axe With Provocative Insight
- Amy describes working on Axe, which used edgy, attraction-focused advertising to break category sameness.
- She credits deep consumer insight and global creative teams for enabling provocative campaigns.