Dig In

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Saverio Spontella, (newly appointed!) Chief Commercial Officer, at Land O’Frost, to discuss how marketing leaders can practically embed AI into everyday decision-making, use it to accelerate insight-to-action workflows, and why embracing AI is quickly becoming table stakes for modern marketing and insights teams.

On this week’s episode, Jess is joined by Kevin Hare, EVP here at Dig, to unpack how agile iteration, predictive insights, and social context are transforming innovation from early signals to validated concepts. 

On this week’s episode, Jess is joined by Jenna Levine, Senior Manager, Agile Strategic Priorities at Danone, to explore how consumer empathy fuels breakthrough innovation, why nuanced understanding maters when  designing for complex needs, and how agile, insight-led ways of working help teams move faster without sacrificing rigor. 

On this week’s episode, Jess is joined by Frank Serpico, EVP at Dig, to unpack how true conviction (without ego) helps overcome pushback, why the real power of segmentation lies in activation and stakeholder alignment, and what Gen Z’s BS radar means for brands trying to earn authentic credibility.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Amir Jamil, Associate Director of Analytics, Insights and Capabilities at Barilla, to discuss how he navigated stakeholder pushback to rebuild Barilla’s consumer segmentation, why trust and empathy are the real drivers of insights impact, and how Gen Z, AI, and shifting food trends are reshaping the future of the category.

On this week’s episode, Jess is joined by Erin Mays, EVP of Trends & Innovation at Dig Insights, to unpack how protein evolved from a niche fitness ingredient into a powerful cultural and brand signal, what its rise reveals about the shift from diet culture to resilience-driven wellness, and the lessons brand leaders can take from protein’s inclusive, insight-led path to mainstream relevance.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Brian Lechner, Senior Director of Category Leadership at Premier Nutrition, to unpack how the protein category defied traditional CPG rules to become a mass-market force, why retailers who “build it” are winning big, how innovation is shifting toward new formats and demand moments, and what GLP-1–driven behavior changes mean for the future of nutrition.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke chats with Dig’s very own SVP, Lesley Sloggett, to unpack how real customer stories fueled an empathy-rich financial campaign, why seamless collaboration between insights and marketing creates game-changing work, and how Gen Z’s nonlinear approach to money and life is reshaping the future of financial brands.

Erin Cohen, Senior Director of Consumer Insights and Intelligence at CIBC, and Rachel Vares, Director of Brand Marketing, share their extensive backgrounds in consumer sentiment and storytelling. They discuss how deep insights turned financial uncertainty into a campaign rooted in trust. Interesting anecdotes about sourcing authentic client stories and the challenges faced during production reveal the importance of collaboration. They also touch on understanding Gen Z's unique financial needs and offer valuable tips for successful insights-marketing partnerships.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Dig Insights Co-Founder and CEO Paul Gaudette to discuss why true innovation requires focus, how “killing the middle” frees teams to pursue ideas that matter, the dangers of chasing shiny objects without consumer purpose, and how building a culture of shared accountability, not isolated teams, fuels sustainable innovation.