Champions of Growth Podcast

Michael Farmer, chairman and CEO of strategic consultancy Farmer & Company, and author of Madison Avenue Makeover: The Transformation of Huge and The Redefinition of the Ad Business, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the growing schisms between client-side marketers and their advertising agencies, and how to enhance their relationships.

Marketers who fail to make their voices heard in the growing debate regarding data privacy could be in for a rude wakening if they don’t step up to the plate. That’s according to Arun Kumar, author of the recently released book The Data Deluge: Making Marketing Work for Brands and People, and former chief data and marketing technology officer at The Interpublic Group of Cos. Kumar joins how Matthew Schwartz to discuss why the marketing field is may be making a grave mistake deferring to Big Tech when it comes to influencing the conversation about fostering online privacy.

June marks “Pride Month,” which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and provides an opportunity for brands to boost engagement with gay and trans people. However, Todd Sears, CEO of Out Leadership, which advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ equality, says it’s crucial that marketers go beyond “Pride Month” and engage the community for the long term rather than a moment in time.

Randi Stipes, CMO of The Weather Company, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about how marketers sharpen their weather strategy, the growing relationship between weather and consumer trust, and how marketers leverage weather-related data that can be deployed across the organization.

Lou Aversano, CMO of The Cigna Group, discusses the debate between performance marketing and branding in B2B, emphasizing the need for emotional elements in messaging. They explore the importance of integrating branding and lead gen strategies for long-term growth and aligning sales and marketing for sustainable success in the evolving B2B landscape.

Sally Percy, journalist and author of “21st Century Business Icons: The Leaders Who Are Changing Our World,” joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how senior marketers bolster their leadership skills, why remote work is changing the so-called “70/20/10” rule of communications, and the increasingly key role empathy plays among successful leaders. 

Chris Comstock, chief growth officer at software firm Claravine, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how marketers bolster their data standards, why embracing failure is a path to success, and what the pending demise of third-party cookies means for brand advertisers and consumer engagement. 

Greg Boosin, EVP of global B2B and product marketing at Mastercard, joins host Matthew Schwartz to break down the ANA’s 2023 Marketing Capabilities Framework. The document provides a roadmap for how marketers navigate an increasingly complicated terrain as well as how to sharpen their career path. “It’s not a Monopoly Board,” Boosin says, referring to the Framework “It’s a template to shoehorn into your [company’s] marketing capabilities.”

Ryan Kutscher, founder and CEO of ad agency Launch Party, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss how B2B marketers recalibrate their ad-creative strategy, why less is more when it comes to quality content, and the marketing benefits of listening to the Broken Record Podcast hosted by legendary music producer Rick Rubin.

Bill Duggan, Group EVP at the ANA, discusses the wastage of ad dollars in programmatic ad buying. Marketers could save $22 billion with more efficiency. Tips include reducing the number of websites used for advertising, balancing cost efficiency, and navigating information asymmetry in programmatic advertising.