Uncensored CMO

Join James Kuczynski, Duolingo's Creative Director, and Dan Salkey, founding partner at Small World, as they dive into building entertaining brands. They discuss the rise and surprising 'death' of Duolingo's beloved mascot, Duo, and the creative autonomy that fuels their success. Discover how AI is revolutionizing language learning and why engaging content is crucial for brand loyalty. With insights from their recent SXSW panel, learn the traits of the most entertaining brands and how to apply them to your own marketing strategy!

Dan Ariely, a renowned behavioral economist and author, delves into the quirky world of customer decision-making. He explains how tiny cues can influence pricing perception and why letting customers choose their own price can foster engagement. Ariely also discusses the psychology behind misinformation, urging marketers to rebuild trust in industries like insurance. With intriguing insights into the value of effort in shaping perceptions, his expertise offers a fresh perspective on understanding irrational human behavior.

Join Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy and behavioral science expert, as he brings his unique wit and unconventional ideas to the discussion. He argues that marketing holds the key to economic growth, likening it to a casino rather than a science. Rory shares insights on leveraging competitors' weaknesses, reflects on his TikTok fame, and discusses the psychological intricacies of consumer behavior. Expect a mix of humor and thought-provoking anecdotes that reveal how effective marketing can drive innovation and change.

Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, returns for a lively discussion filled with provocative insights. He boldly claims that the CMO’s days are numbered, arguing that the brand era is over and rage has taken center stage. Galloway tackles the struggles young men face and critiques the social media environment. He also emphasizes the need for marketers to adapt to AI's rise, balancing innovation with strategic accountability. Expect no softballs when Prof G is in the room!

Colin Fleming, CMO of ServiceNow, delves into the intricacies of B2B marketing and the transformative impact of AI. Billy Seabrook, Global Chief Design Officer at IBM, shares insights on AI's evolution and its dual role as a tool for creativity and productivity in campaigns. Stacy Martinet from Adobe emphasizes the importance of agentic AI in enhancing marketing effectiveness and future-proofing strategies. Together, they explore how AI technology personalizes customer experiences, dispels myths about marketing, and fosters a culture of experimentation and learning.

Seth Matlins, Managing Director of Forbes CMO Network and an award-winning marketer, dives deep into the role of Chief Marketing Officers. He discusses the challenges CMOs face transitioning to CEOs and the necessity for better internal communication and trust in marketing. Matlins emphasizes that everyone within an organization is a brand manager and insists on the importance of entrepreneurial thinking. He also explores what makes a CMO influential and the need for marketers to adapt to rapidly changing consumer expectations.

Today Jon talks with Eugenia Zalis, CMO for one of the most iconic sweet brands in the world, Oreo. We talk about their "stay playful" positioning, incredible brand collaborations (with the likes of Coca-Cola and Post Malone) and some of the interesting innovations the brand has worked on.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:46 - Eugenia’s marketing journey01:33 - What can we learn from the Unilever approach to marketing?02:27 - How Dove turned into the brand it is today05:42 - How Eugenia started with Oreo06:33 - The “stay playful” positioning09:49 - The best way to eat an Oreo cookie11:08 - Managing a 110 year old brand12:14 - The Oreo playbook for marketing in different regions15:18 - Oreo’s collab with Coca-Cola18:49 - Oreo’s approach to innovation21:14 - System1 testing on Oreo innovations23:40 - Innovations from around the world25:23 - The surprising Coca-Cola collaboration25:52 - Oreo’s SuperBowl ad in 202428:34 - Winning a Cannes Lion for a tweet30:34 - Why is humour not used more35:37 - Oreo x Post Malone collab38:07 - Creative process for collabs39:02 - How to lead a $4.5b organisation43:57 - Advice to aspiring CMOs

Cadillac is an iconic American brand who are navigating the shift to electrification in the automotive industry and have partnered up with 72andSunny to launch their brand new campaign “Let’s Take the Cadillac. So today, Melissa Grady Dias, CMO of Cadillac, and Marianne Malina, President of 72andSunny join Jon to talk about working with a new agency and launching their first campaign together.Timestamps00:00 - Intro03:53 - Marianne’s background06:49 - How to manage a brand like Cadillac08:34 - How EV’s are changing the industry13:53 - How do you change your marketing for EVs15:08 - Insights and inception of “Let’s Take the Cadillac”17:56 - Developing the “Let’s Take the Cadillac” campaign21:41 - How to launch a new car23:39 - Building the campaign for different formats25:42 - 72andSunny and Cadillac’s first campaign together28:11 - Challenging the conformity in car advertising30:48 - Why brand is so important for car purchasing32:31 - Leading the marketing agenda inside a big org like General Motors34:24 - In car Cadillac Car-aoke35:22 - Melissa’s song36:13 - Coolest feature about Escalade IQ38:37 - Creating a luxury experience39:27 - Choosing your car as CMO of Cadillac40:57 - Creating a premium vehicle42:53 - Thoughts on the Escalade IQ

Rob Mayhew joins Jon for bonus episode, talking about his big move to New York City, becoming a full-time content creator and how brands can work with creators like him effectively.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:39 - Why Rob moved to NYC04:20 - Rob’s new YouTube show05:47 - London vs New York for marketers08:00 - Rob’s approach to content in 202511:00 - Rob’s view on the future of the social platforms14:17 - How System1’s ad testing works17:27 - Rob’s funniest posts on LinkedIn18:46 - Rob’s process for making content20:16 - Any trends that are different in the US than UK21:43 - Thoughts on the creator economy23:09 - The Poppi vending machine backlash24:22 - How does Rob plan his content?25:18 - Different audiences for TikTok and LinkedIn25:38 - Rory Sutherland’s TikTok26:48 - Power of B2B content creation

Rare Beauty is a brand built on the inclusive approach to beauty set by their celebrity founder, Selena Gomez. They've taken the US market by storm and so I'm speaking to their CMO, Katie Welch, about how they've done it. From strong positioning and making a difference in mental health across their customer base to growing a strong presence on social media (with a little help from their founder with over 400m Instagram followers), Rare Beauty is a wonderful success story of a challenger brand.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:50 - Katie’s career background07:46 - How Katie joined Rare Beauty11:09 - The challenges of launching a startup beauty brand14:19 - The positioning of Rare Beauty16:21 - New guest host interruption16:58 - Being true to the brand positioning19:48 - Being a purpose led brand22:47 - Addressing the pressures of social media26:27 - Building the Rare Beauty brand on social media28:22 - How involved does Selena Gomez get in the Rare Beauty brand29:57 - The secret to a successful product launch for Rare Beauty33:00 - Dealing with the growth challenges of a scale up40:36 - Evolving the Rare Beauty community42:24 - What’s next for the Rare Beauty brand?42:47 - Being an entreprenuer in a startup45:09 - Katie growing her own social accounts