Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman

Tom Freston has a rare skill: the ability to pair raw, creative visionaries with the establishment to create bigger and bolder ventures than either could dream up on their own. From his work at MTV and Viacom— creating a “hothouse” for nurturing talent and spreading TV networks  across the globe, to nudging Vice from a street magazine to an Emmy-winning news service and multimedia behemoth, learn why Freston thinks you need to stay humble, how owning the IP changed the game for MTV and Nickelodeon, and why not buying MySpace may be the smartest thing he did for his career. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a kid, there were some things Translation's founder and CEO Steve Stoute just knew: that there were 50 houses on his block (he used to count them!), that there was no job he wasn’t willing to do (from shoveling snow to delivering newspapers), and that the Bangles didn’t have to be classified as either black or white music. Hear how following his curiosity led him to the record business, why the Men in Black soundtrack was a revelation to marketers, and how building bridges and railing against the “fake metrics of segmentation” has made him the incredible success he is. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judy McGrath once said John Sykes had the gift of “making everyone want to be at the party.” Hear Bob and John relive the scrappy and ingenious marketing from MTV (including why you should look a little closer when you buy a shack with a cashier’s check, and why you might not want to trust Van Halen with a contest winner). Plus, John gives tips on how to get your next project funded, and how he helped pull the Concert for NYC together in just 4 and a half weeks.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Brokaw didn’t win all those Peabodies and Emmys (and a Presidential Medal of Freedom) by cooling his heels! Hear how the legendary anchorman worked his way up from a little radio station in Omaha, why he thinks Watergate turned everyone into an investigative reporter, and how saying yes to opportunities and following his curiosity gave him the edge when the Berlin Wall came crumbling down. Plus, learn how he got a generation of quiet war heroes to finally talk about their experiences.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Global President and CEO of legendary ad firm DDB, Wendy Clark keeps pushing the company to break new ground. (Consider the branded Broadway Show she wrangled for Skittles!) Learn why Wendy believes the best creative campaigns can only come out of trust; how she’s used her perch to create a more diverse workplace, and how her experiences at AT&T, Coca-Cola, and even her early stint as a shift manager at McDonald’s have made her the thoughtful leader she is today.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It isn’t hard to call Fred Seibert a creative genius: from his early role in shepherding the look of MTV and crafting a brand image for Nickelodeon, to running Hanna-Barbera, to commissioning some of Cartoon Networks most iconic modern cartoons (Powerpuff Girls! Johnny Bravo!), Fred knows how to bottle Magic. But a big part of his secret is applying Math to the mix. Tune in as he reveals how to spot talent, the secret to great logo design, and why creatives need to count more Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bob sits down with Daniel Glass, President and Founder of the indie darling Glassnote Records. Dive into his origins as “Disco Danny” spinning tracks at the legendary Regine’s; learn why he’s so passionate about radio and why it was crucial to breaking acts like Mumford & Sons and Childish Gambino; and discover why he’s made a habit of letting go of the A-minuses (spoiler: he works harder to land bands like Phoenix and other A-pluses!)  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode Bob puts iHeart’s own CMO Gayle Troberman in the hot seat! Learn how Gayle outfoxed a tiny marketing budget and got all of NYC talking about her 90s start-up; why she believes audio and Instagram are the “two giant green fields” every brand needs to be playing in; and how Microsoft’s reluctance to use the word advertising helped her become a pioneer of branded content.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bob interviews Olivier Francois, the legendary CMO of Fiat Chrysler. Learn why Eminem volunteered to put himself in Olivier’s commercial, how coming up with a soundtrack for every brand helps Olivier shape his vision, and why a little cultural ignorance has helped him push the boundaries of advertising. Plus, hear the surprising backstory behind that incredible tagline: “Imported from Detroit.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you want lessons in reinventing your brand while keeping it relevant for decades, Shaggy is a smart place to start. Fresh off his tour with Sting, the two-time Grammy Award winning artist sits down with Bob to talk about why he risked going AWOL every week to record his first album, how he refreshes his brand while keeping it pure to his Jamaican roots, and why he always embraces the creative energy of the low periods.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.