

Marketing Vanguard
Adweek
The word “vanguard,” is defined as “a group of people leading the way in new development or ideas.” Marketing Vanguard: the podcast, spotlights the people who are driving the industry forward. It will feature valuable, must-listen nuggets of marketing-leadership wisdom, humility, stories, strategic insights, and growth opportunities in an era of ever more complex industry pressures and realities. Together we’ll dive into what's driving the decision-makers of today to move the needle of some of the world’s most exciting brands in incremental or monumental ways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 27, 2025 • 29min
How Feast & Fettle's Alon Rivel is Building a Regional Food Empire
 Alon Rivel, CMO of Feast & Fettle, discusses the Northeast meal delivery company's contrarian approach to growth with Marketing Vanguard’s host Jenny Rooney. With his unconventional background spanning TV media buying, The New York Times, Bloomberg, and B2C tech startups, he brings a unique perspective to building authentic brands.The conversation explores how Feast & Fettle differentiates by focusing on time as currency rather than trendy diets or speed. Their approach combines locally-sourced ingredients with hospitality-first service and community building.What You'll Learn:How to build authentic brand positioning that goes beyond product featuresWhy intentional regional growth can be more profitable than national expansionStrategies for creating community through food and shared experiencesHow to balance profitability with purpose-driven initiativesWhy cutting a marketing team in half can improve performanceThe importance of reading the room and understanding customer psychologyHow to maintain quality and authenticity while scaling operationsAlon Rivel serves as the first CMO at Feast & Fettle, where he's spent just over a year transforming their marketing approach. Previously, he worked across TV media buying, digital marketing for B2C apps, and various tech startups. He brings experience from The New York Times, Bloomberg, and multiple venture-backed companies in the dating and on-demand service sectors.Unlocking the Creator Economy with AwinDid you know influencer marketing drives twice as many sales as display advertising, with a 37% higher retention rate?Awin helps brands harness this potential with tailored influencer management solutions that drive measurable results. Whether you're looking to grow your creator roster, foster long-term relationships, or track full-funnel performance, Awin’s expertise and platform integrations make it easy to scale campaigns and optimize impact.With partnerships across CreatorIQ, LTK, ShopMy, and more, brands gain access to powerful discovery tools and seamless tracking capabilities, ensuring transparency and efficiency at every stage.Here’s how brands can maximize their influencer marketing:Find the right creators – Access a diverse network of influencers, even in niche markets.Track performance with full transparency – Measure impact from awareness to conversions in real time.Incentivize influencers effectively – Commission-based rewards through affiliate links and coupon codes keep creators engaged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

Oct 16, 2025 • 33min
Transforming Heritage Retail Brands from JCPenney to Brooks Brothers with Marisa Thalberg
 Welcome to this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with Marisa Thalberg, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Catalyst Brands, in a candid conversation about leadership, risk-taking, and brand transformation in retail marketing.Marisa discusses her career journey across diverse industries - from Estée Lauder and Taco Bell to Lowe's, SeaWorld, and now JCPenney. She opens up about learning from failures, dealing with short tenures, and why marketers must take calculated risks. The conversation explores her current role transforming JCPenney and the broader Catalyst Brands portfolio, which includes Brooks Brothers, Aeropostale, Lucky Brand, Nautica, and Eddie Bauer.What You'll Learn:How to navigate career missteps and build resilience as a marketing leaderThe dynamic nature of the CMO role necessitates a particular mindset and strategy.Strategies for transforming legacy retail brands while honoring their heritageThe importance of talking up to consumers rather than down to themHow to balance innovation with brand conventions that actually matterWhy customer-centric titles and thinking can transform marketing's roleLessons from managing a diverse portfolio of heritage retail brandsThe power of creative constraints in driving better marketing outcomesUnlocking the Creator Economy with AwinDid you know influencer marketing drives twice as many sales as display advertising, with a 37% higher retention rate?Awin helps brands harness this potential with tailored influencer management solutions that drive measurable results. Whether you're looking to grow your creator roster, foster long-term relationships, or track full-funnel performance, Awin’s expertise and platform integrations make it easy to scale campaigns and optimize impact.With partnerships across CreatorIQ, LTK, ShopMy, and more, brands gain access to powerful discovery tools and seamless tracking capabilities, ensuring transparency and efficiency at every stage.Here’s how brands can maximize their influencer marketing:Find the right creators – Access a diverse network of influencers, even in niche markets.Track performance with full transparency – Measure impact from awareness to conversions in real time.Incentivize influencers effectively – Commission-based rewards through affiliate links and coupon codes keep creators engaged.Blend influencer & affiliate marketing seamlessly – Awin’s integrations create a streamlined, results-driven approachUnlock the full potential of influencer marketing. Visit awin.link/adweek to start building high-impact partnerships today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

Oct 9, 2025 • 27min
Timeless Marketing Principles in the AI Era: A Conversation with Meta's CMO, Alex Schultz
 In this insightful conversation, Alex Schultz, CMO of Meta and author of 'Click Here,' shares his journey through nearly two decades of digital marketing evolution. He discusses the importance of incrementality measurement for marketing success and how timeless principles still drive effective strategies. Alex highlights AI's role in enhancing marketing efforts rather than replacing them and emphasizes the need for teams to adapt to new tools. Plus, he reveals his book's inspiration and its aim to bridge gaps in classic marketing texts. 

Oct 6, 2025 • 31min
Building Authentic Marketing in Baby Tech with Elizabeth Teran of Owlet
 Welcome to this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with Elizabeth Teran, Chief Parent Officer at Owlet. In this compelling conversation, Elizabeth shares how she's transforming marketing at the baby tech company that revolutionized infant monitoring with medical-grade pulse oximetry technology.Elizabeth brings extensive experience from her 10-year tenure at Skullcandy in product marketing, followed by over 5 years at Owlet where she led the company through significant challenges and growth. She discusses the unique positioning of marketing medical-grade technology to parents, the company's journey from FDA warning letter to full medical clearance, and her philosophy of authentic, education-based marketing.What You'll Learn:Navigating FDA regulatory challenges while maintaining brand trustBuilding product-first marketing strategies in healthcare technologyThe power of authentic community over paid influencer partnershipsTransforming crisis into opportunity through strategic pivotsBalancing medical credibility with accessible parent communicationUsing AI as a tool to enhance rather than replace human creativityBuilding global medical clearances across multiple marketsUnlocking the Creator Economy with AwinDid you know influencer marketing drives twice as many sales as display advertising, with a 37% higher retention rate?Awin helps brands harness this potential with tailored influencer management solutions that drive measurable results. Whether you're looking to grow your creator roster, foster long-term relationships, or track full-funnel performance, Awin’s expertise and platform integrations make it easy to scale campaigns and optimize impact.With partnerships across CreatorIQ, LTK, ShopMy, and more, brands gain access to powerful discovery tools and seamless tracking capabilities, ensuring transparency and efficiency at every stage.Here’s how brands can maximize their influencer marketing:Find the right creators – Access a diverse network of influencers, even in niche markets.Track performance with full transparency – Measure impact from awareness to conversions in real time.Incentivize influencers effectively – Commission-based rewards through affiliate links and coupon codes keep creators engaged.Blend influencer & affiliate marketing seamlessly – Awin’s integrations create a streamlined, results-driven approachUnlock the full potential of influencer marketing. Visit awin.link/adweek to start building high-impact partnerships today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

Sep 26, 2025 • 28min
From Heritage to Innovation: Building a Global Energy Brand with Francis Perrin, Chief Brand and Sustainability Officer of Rehlko
 Welcome to this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with Francis Perrin, Chief Brand and Sustainability Officer at Rehlko, about brand transformation and B2B marketing innovation.Francis discusses his career from P&G and L'Oréal to leading the transformation of Kohler Energy into the independent company Rehlko. He shares the strategic thinking behind the rebrand, including how they created the name Rehlko as an anagram of Kohler to maintain heritage while establishing independence. The conversation explores the opportunity in residential power generation, competing as a challenger brand against industry giants, and why Francis believes B2B marketing offers more opportunities than consumer marketing.Best Buy CMO, Jennie Weber also joins Jenny in a mid-episode sidebar discussion on the latest innovations for the Best Buy Ads retail media network and their latest campaign "We Got Next." Sponsored by Best Buy Ads.What You'll Learn:How to successfully rebrand and spin off from a heritage parent companyStrategies for competing as a challenger brand in established B2B marketsWhy embedding sustainability directly into brand leadership creates business impactThe untapped potential in residential power generation and data center marketsHow to build marketing organizations from scratch with enterprise-level thinkingWhy B2B marketing offers unique creative opportunities for CPG-trained marketersMethods for maintaining brand heritage while driving innovation and growthThe importance of focus and purpose-driven messaging in industrial marketingLearn more about miniMBA courses HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

Sep 18, 2025 • 33min
Building the Future of Marketing Leadership: Insights from Marketing Vanguard's Founding Members
 Welcome to this special episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with the founding members of Marketing Vanguard membership at ADWEEK: Soyoung Kang, President of eos Products, and Vineet Mehra, CMO of Chime. They discuss their unique career journeys, the evolving CMO role, and why they joined forces to help rewrite the narrative around marketing leadership. From efficient capital allocation to building trust in the C-suite, these leaders share candid insights about what it really takes to succeed as a modern CMO.These marketing leaders delve into their distinct career paths, the evolving responsibilities of a CMO, and their collaborative effort to reshape the perception of marketing leadership. They offer frank perspectives on the true requirements for success as a contemporary CMO, covering topics from effective capital allocation to fostering C-suite trust.What you'll learn:How non-linear career paths can lead to CMO successWhy "efficient growth" should be every CMO's unifying mandateStrategies for building trust and credibility in the C-suiteHow to understand different "love languages" of PE, VC, and public companiesWhy experience trumps traditional education in marketing leadershipHow to navigate the constant platform shifts that make marketing uniquely challengingWhat makes Marketing Vanguard's approach to CMO community building differentLearn more about miniMBA courses HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

Sep 4, 2025 • 29min
Marketing Evangelism and B2B Transformation: Insights from Sangeeta Prasad, CMO of Slalom
 Welcome to this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with Sangeeta Prasad, Chief Marketing Officer at Slalom, about her unique journey from classic consumer products marketing to B2B transformation leadership. Sangeeta shares her experiences transitioning from well-established brands like P&G, American Express, and JPMorgan Chase to becoming the first CMO at professional services firms.She explains why she calls herself a "marketing evangelist" rather than just a marketer, emphasizing her role in converting organizational skeptics into believers. The conversation explores the unique dynamics of B2B marketing versus B2C, particularly in professional services where trust, credibility, and relationships are paramount.What You'll Learn:How to transition from consumer marketing to B2B leadership rolesStrategies for overcoming marketing skepticism in sales-driven organizationsWays to position marketing as a revenue generator rather than a cost centerMethods for building emotional connections with B2B customers through "customer love" metricsHow to navigate the rapid pace of AI transformation in marketing teamsKey differences between B2B and B2C marketing approaches and when each appliesTechniques for aligning sales and marketing organizations for better resultsFuture plans for sales and marketing alignment and personalization at scaleLearn more about miniMBA courses HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

Aug 21, 2025 • 15min
ADWEEK x MiniMBA Brings Mark Ritson’s Masterclass to U.S. Marketers
 Welcome to this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast live from Cannes. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with Mark Ritson, world-renowned marketing professor and founder of MiniMBA, about his controversial views on brand purpose, the importance of running great ads for years, and why American marketing has lost its edge. Discover Mark's partnership with ADWEEK, his strategy of saying "no" to America for a decade, and why he believes killing brands is more productive than creating them.What You'll Learn:Why Mark Ritson avoided the American market for 10 years and his strategic partnership with ADWEEKThe uncomfortable truth about brand purpose and why the data doesn't support the hypeWhy running great creative for 2-3 years drives better results than constant campaign changesThe "pornography of change" and why AI won't transform marketing as quickly as predictedWhy killing brands is more productive than creating them (Mark's killed 200+ in his career) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

Aug 8, 2025 • 37min
The Future of Play in a Digital World: Insights from Jason Bunge, CMO of Hasbro
 "If you're constantly viewed as the ad team, the ad person, I think we lose. I think we're going to continue to struggle to dig out of the relevancy hole."Welcome to this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with Jason Bunge, CMO of Hasbro, in a conversation that challenges traditional notions of marketing leadership and explores the future of play in a digital world.Jason brings experience from technology companies including Skype, Microsoft, Riot Games, and EA before joining Hasbro two years ago. The conversation explores Hasbro's transformation from a traditional toy company to a diversified entertainment portfolio spanning physical toys, digital gaming, and trading cards through Wizards of the Coast. Jason discusses how the company navigates generational shifts in play patterns and how marketing must adapt to serve different audiences across multiple business lines.What You'll Learn:The evolution of marketing from tactical execution to strategic leadershipBuilding marketing credibility within organizationsHasbro's transformation across toys, gaming, and trading cardsGenerational shifts in play and consumer behaviorThe challenge of building franchises versus individual brandsPortfolio marketing strategy for diverse business linesThe future of physical versus digital play experiencesJason Bunge serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Hasbro, where he leads marketing strategy across the company's diverse portfolio of toys, games, and entertainment properties. Previously, he held senior marketing roles at EA Games, Riot Games, Microsoft, Trulia, and Skype. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and brings experience across both B2B and consumer marketing in technology and entertainment industries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

Jul 28, 2025 • 22min
Community Intelligence and the Future of Reddit Marketing: Insights from Roxy Young, CMO of Reddit
 What if you could tap into 20 years of authentic consumer conversations to transform your marketing strategy?In this special Cannes edition of Marketing Vanguard, host Jenny Rooney sits down with Roxy Young, CMO of Reddit, to explore the power of community intelligence and why brands need to embrace authentic engagement. From Reddit's evolution as a marketing platform to their groundbreaking AI-powered insights tools, this conversation reveals how marketers can harness the power of genuine community feedback. Tune in to discover why Reddit's unique approach to brand safety, open communities, and real consumer dialogue is driving 60% year-over-year revenue growth and changing the future of marketing.What You'll Learn:How Reddit transformed from 9 people with no space to a marketing powerhouse hosting 4,000+ visitors at CannesWhy Reddit is fundamentally different from social media and what that means for your marketing strategyThe three-layer brand safety approach that protects your brand while maintaining authentic community engagementHow to turn negative brand conversations into powerful customer winsReddit's game-changing Community Intelligence platform that delivers insights in minutes instead of weeksWhy being the 6th most searched term on Google makes Reddit conversations crucial for your brandThe evolution from Don Draper-style messaging to brave community marketing that requires giving up controlStream the new episode below and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or find it on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 


