Champions of Growth Podcast

Francesco Lagutaine, chief marketing, communications officer at M&T Bank, and Jacqueline Kolek, senior partner and chief innovation officer at PR and marketing agency Peppercomm, join host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the long-standing relationship between M&T Bank and Peppercomm and why it’s increasingly important crucial that brand managers view their PR agencies as partners and not vendors.

Peter Prodromou, president of marketing and PR agency Boathouse, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about how the rise of generative AI is affecting marketing communications as well as agency-client relations. “There’s an opportunity for organizations to blend generative AI with human storytelling and for using AI to be smarter rather than just placing content,” says Prodromou, whose clients include Mass General Brigham, Project Liberty, and Eversource. Amid the onslaught of AI, he adds, marketers must be clear on what the most important metrics are for boosting engagement and driving growth. “Use [AI] to assess the data and come up with better insights.”

Gilbert Dávila, co-founder of AIMM and President and CEO of Dávila Multicultural Insights, joined host Matthew Schwartz to discuss where the marketing industry’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts go from here and how companies brace for what’s expected to be a turbulent year. The president of the Society of Human Resource Management was quoted in The Guardian late last year saying that DEI policies within U.S. companies will “come under full-out attack in 2024.”  

As the pressure for marketing accountability grows, creativity is getting to be a much tougher sell to upper management. Ann Marie Kerwin, Americas Editor at marketing research firm WARC, joins host Matthew Schwartz, to discuss WARC’s new study, titled “Building a Culture of Creative Effectiveness.” The study provides a road map for brand managers who are eager to make a business case for the value of marketing and advertising and develop a valid framework for their entire organization.

Ed See and Robert Tas, partners at McKinsey, join host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the results of their recent survey titled: “The Power of Partnership: How The CEO–CMO Relationship can Drive Outsize Growth.” The survey, based on the responses from more than 100 C-level executives and 21 CEOs from B2B and B2C companies of all sizes and across multiple industries, offers some salient and actionable advice for how chief marketers foster a more productive relationship with their CEO. Seldom a beacon of corporate synergy, the dynamic between CEOs and CMOs seems to be getting worse, as upper management ratchets up the pressure on marketers to spike both the top and bottom lines.

Avoid groupthink. Don’t get sucked under the marketing bubble. Recognize that it’s impossible for brands to be all things to all people. These are just a few tips for marketers who are grappling with dramatic and rapid changes in advertising and consumer behavior, compliments of Allen Adamson, cofounder of Metaforce.com, and author of the recently released “Seeing the How: Transforming What People Do, Not Buy, To Gain Market Advantage.” Adamson, former chairman, North America of branding agency Landor, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about why it’s incumbent upon brand managers to “zoom out” on their audiences to bolster consumer engagement and generate better returns.

Doug Novack, managing director of U.S. business and industrial markets at Google, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the ongoing debate throughout the B2B field about performance marketing versus brand advertising, the rapidly growing role of generative AI in both branding and lead generation efforts, and why it’s incumbent upon B2B companies to pivot to a full-funnel marketing strategy.

Erika Katz, head of brand marketing and studio at New York Road Runners (NYRR), joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss the NYRR’s rebranding campaign that launched earlier this year, getting the message out for the upcoming New York City Marathon (November 5), and making sure the event’s marketing and advertising efforts resonate with a global audience.

Mike Rosen, chief revenue officer at National CineMedia (NCM), which sells ads for movie theaters, joins host Matthew Schwartz to talk about the company’s new advertising services, why brands tend to underestimate the value of running in-theater spots, and whether movie theaters may be in for some reinvention.

Josh Ingram, founder and principal of MOST Wanted Co, which specializes in employee communications, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss why it’s crucial that employees feel that they can be themselves at work, how employers can tap into their workers’ side hustles, and the benefits of both mentoring and reverse-mentoring.