Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

New Balance is not only “the shoe brand of choice for film stars, athletes and supermodels,” according to Urban Journal, it’s the brand for “the biggest, hype-inducing names on the street right now.” As CMO of the hotly resurgent brand, which was born in 1906, Chris Davis applies a risk/innovation model which puts 50% of the marketing budget into proven, demand-creation tactics, 30% into calculated risks (NFTs, for example) and 20% into purely experimental vehicles that may fail spectacularly or succeed later. Davis, who is also SVP Global Merchandising, says the only unacceptable risk is one that comprimes brand values. He tells us how to transform a 116-year-old product company into a world-class brand.Thank you, Chris, for joining me. Give it a listen, and fast forward your marketing mind in about 20 minutes.Brought to you by Mekanism.

Growing up, Ricky Engelberg loved both computers and playing baseball. While your basic 1990s high schooler would say the two sit on opposite sides of the cafeteria, it was the perfect mix for Nike, where Engelberg worked for almost 20 years after college. There at the dawn of the internet era, Engelberg helped Nike create digital products for athletes and sneakerheads alike, including Nike Plus Running, nurturing passionate communities. Today, as CMO at Vista (formerly VistaPrint), Engelberg is bringing a spirit of community among small business owners, who tackle marketing after regular business hours, helping them conquer pandemic-era digital transformations.In this episode you’ll learn: If you want to build a new line of business, go crack some eggs Community is a critical building block of brands today Be respectful of your consumers’ communities, realize you are a part of it Science plays a part, but ultimately, the future always involves a gut decision Brought to you by Mekanism.

Delve into the balance of intuition and analytics in marketing while embracing personal stories that enrich decision-making. Explore the integration of creativity and data, highlighting humor's role in a productive environment. Discover the emotional resonance in branding and the importance of cognitive diversity for innovative leadership. All this wisdom is woven together through heartfelt personal experiences that inspire resilience and loyalty, making for an insightful exploration of marketing's rich landscape.

Is success as seemingly simple as putting one foot in front of the other? Sam Parr, founder of The Hustle, one of the fastest-growing media companies, focusing on millennials, tech and culture, fueled his rise by curiosity, action and googling. Segueing from helping “American Pickers” Mike Wolfe set up a Nashville store to running a hot dog stand to feed the fans, Sam googled how to start an internet business and then did. He moved to Silicon Valley, started and sold a few ventures, then the self-proclaimed nobody started a blog which evolved into The Hustle. Sam’s career proves that hustle manifests success, more than degrees, connections and money.In this episode you’ll learn: Building a business is like writing a hit song About the benefits of a PhD in the school of life: Poor, hungry and driven. Throwing money at a new business can give an artificial sense of success How to hustle to bring your goals to life Thank you, Sam, for joining me. Give it a listen, and fast forward your marketing mind in about 20 minutes.Brought to you by Mekanism.

Bonin Bough’s first flare of marketing genius came at the age of 12, when the executive who would later set the pace for big brands entering online and social channels, launched a magazine in the NYC Public Schools. In college, the physics major built websites for brands, and one millennium-era internet party later, he joked, the vodka fountain and shrimp boat steered him into a marketing career. Bonin built internet practices at two global PR firms, then became the client and a prodder of global CPG companies, like PepsiCo, Mondelez and Kraft, to be digital innovators. You might recall him from the CNBC show, Cleveland Hustles, with LeBron James. And, as Founder of Lockstep Ventures he tackles systemic issues by helping Black founders create scalable businesses that also support their communities. Ventures, which tackles systemic issues by helping Black founders create scalable businesses that also support their communities.In this episode you’ll learn: Pack the pipeline, because the ingrained corporate response is to kill what is new, but they can’t kill it all. Babe Ruth called his shots, name your next win, because external pressure will help make it happen. “Marketers are like roaches”, they’ll infiltrate what you thought was a safe space. Jump in early, ride the bull, first runners have a better shot at winning. To learn something new, walk the outer trade-show booths on closing day, talk to everyone at the mixer. Thank you, Bonin, for joining me. Give it a listen, and fast forward your marketing mind in about 20 minutes.Presented by Mekanism

My guest on the pod this week, Josh Taekman is the Founder & CEO of the functional wellness brand, EBOOST. Inspired by hip-hop, Josh’s career started in the mailroom at Bad Boy Entertainment where he learned that you “eat what you kill” and hustled to start his own agency. Eventually, he saw a space for a functional wellness product that spoke to the pop culture audience. EBOOST, was born as a wellness supplement that supports immunity, boosts your energy and gives you essential vitamins. By focusing on building small, close communities, Josh has been able to triple distribution of EBOOST to 12,000 locations in the U.S.In this episode you’ll learn: You have to hustle and can’t take no for an answer. Building community is key for growth. Don’t judge by effort, judge by results. Not everyone is an entrepreneur. Thank you, Josh, for joining me. Give it a listen, and fast forward your marketing mind in about 20 minutes. https://apple.co/3LDwXNuBrought to you by Mekanism.

My guest on the pod this week, Jeff Jenkins, is CMO of Carter’s. He has one of those serendipitous career journeys that started when he was a 16-year-old tennis player coming home from a trip to Europe obsessed with this band, Ace of Base. As a young actor in New York, appearing on “Star Trek '' and in soap operas, he tempted in between at MTV and this sync with popular culture led to a stellar career at Taco Bell, where he learned to love the life of a 16-year-old audience to sell a lot of tacos. Wholly understanding the customer drives what he does at Carter’s, a brand that means everything to new parents, then fades away. Jeff keeps Carter’s present in an era of DTC and influencer brands, walking the tightrope between heritage and current culture.In this episode you’ll learn:• It's often the smarter decision to stay in your core demographic lane• New parents are scrolling through TikTok at 3 a.m.• Partnerships are a great way to keep a classic brand current• Every retailer wants to feel special, so build a bespoke line extension• The formula for career satisfaction: fun + learning + great people.Brought to you by Mekanism

Water with a hint of flavor but not of sugar was the simple but genius concept behind Hint Water. Founder Kara Goldin joins the pod today to tell us about a 17-year entrepreneur’s journey that has had her staring down category captains at retail, telling DTC brand stories and making the correlation between larger bottle openings and sales. Her acumen has brought accolades from Fortune–she’s both a Most Powerful Entrepreneur and Most Innovative Woman in Food and Drink–and a Huffington Post Disruptor in Business. Kara took a career hiatus from big tech to raise her children. During her three children’s toddler years, she noticed how apple juice jacked them up, but there were no flavorful, healthy alternatives in her grocery store. Hence, Hint Water was born in her garage and a classic business success story ensued.In this episode you’ll learn: Once you find your mission, act decisively How to keep scaling mini mountains Why you need to embrace competition to grow Leaders have their outside, clear brand voice and their inside brand debates How complex it is to create and simplify Brought to you by Mekanism

As a former senior executive at Starbucks, Aimee Johnson knows a thing or two about customer experience. While waiting in line was part of the community experience for some, the Starbucks’ app was also a critical timesaver for others. Aimee had to convince leaders at the democratized brand that tech could also have heart. In her most recent role as CMO of the Zillow Group, Aimee juggled how to build an online brand that showcased the dream of real estate with the realities of qualifying for a mortgage. With more than 30 years of high-level marketing experience, including years at Campbell Soup Company, Aimee joins the pod to share insights about product development and digital transformation at Starbucks and brand differentiation at Zillow, when the rest of the industry starts to copy you. Maybe her best advice came from her father: "Don’t listen to anyone’s bullshit."In this episode you’ll learn: That sometimes waiting is part of the community experience How to align internal groups by leaning into customers habits Why this Brené Brown fan agrees that vulnerability and values are your strengths Sustaining a consumer relationship that could take years to actual point of sale Why her mantra on digital transformation comes from Einstein: ”The true science of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” Brought to you by Mekanism.

GE CMO Linda Boff joins the pod this week to tell us about achieving success through reinvention. Through her career, including 18 years at GE, Linda has continually revitalized both career and company through practicing a restart mindset, knowing the difference between being recognized and being relevant and tapping into the innovation and marketing chops of Thomas Edison. Linda has one of the biggest jobs in marketing, overseeing global marketing, brand content, digital and sponsorships. Linda is also GE’s Vice President, Learning and Culture, meaning she manages the company’s legendary GE Crotonville center, and she is President of GE Foundation.In this episode you'll learn: How to climb the corporate career ladder when there’s no ladder in sight The re-start mindset What reinvention looks like at a global corporation The difference between being recognized and being relevant How to combine the fresh with the familiar A new take on Edison’s classic 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration formula How believing in people and living strong values pays off Why to always assume “good intent” Brought to you by Mekanism