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Ad Age Marketer's Brief

Ad Age Marketer's Brief

E.J. Schultz & Adrianne Pasquarelli 388 Episodes Oct 14, 2026

Marketer's Brief helps marketers stay ahead of what's changing and decide how to respond. Each episode focuses on the ideas, shifts, and strategic tensions shaping marketing right now, from how leaders are thinking about growth, platforms, and culture to how they're making trade-offs in real time. Conversations led by Ad Age editors and reporters surface patterns worth paying attention to and ways of thinking that can influence decisions at work. Subscribe to sharpen your judgment and spot what matters early.

Episodes

How marketers should approach an IPO, with Navan's CMO
How marketers should approach an IPO, with Navan's CMO Oct 14, 2026 16:48 An initial public offering (IPO) moves fast, and much of it is handled by bankers, lawyers and others who do it for a living. For Erika White, chief marketing officer at Navan, the risk for a CMO is getting so caught up in the checklist that marketing misses its chance to make the moment count. Having been through IPOs at Affirm and Navan, she uses the moment to set the company apart, treating it
Market AI to people, not committees, with SAP's global CMO
Market AI to people, not committees, with SAP's global CMO Oct 7, 2026 14:11 Companies facing a major technology shift don't need to be scared into it or buried in product specs, says Ada Agrait, SAP's global chief marketing officer. They need a partner that will see them through the transformation. And even when a sale runs through a buying committee, marketers are still selling to people. Agrait says SAP's own customers have moved past fear about AI and are asking which
Fewer media dollars, bigger rivals: how to compete, with Firehouse Subs CMO
Fewer media dollars, bigger rivals: how to compete, with Firehouse Subs CMO Sep 30, 2026 22:04 Firehouse Subs is the fourth-largest sub chain in North America, competing against rivals with bigger media budgets and a larger share of voice. Its guests visit for occasions rather than out of habit, anywhere from once a month to three times a year. For Carolina Berti, chief marketing officer for the U.S. and Canada, growth means more visits, not bigger checks. Berti explains how the 1,500-unit
Why Ally Financial combined tech, PR and marketing under one leader—and how it enables new speed to market
Why Ally Financial combined tech, PR and marketing under one leader—and how it enables new speed to market Sep 23, 2026 20:14 Ally Financial underwent a major reorganization in the last year to support its strategic pivot toward positioning the consumer bank as an everyday banking brand, while also speeding up decision-making and reducing unnecessary processes. Chief Marketing and PR Officer Andrea Brimmer breaks down the overhaul, which was designed to embed AI use across the organization. The Detroit-based company aims
Coterie's playbook for growing a mid-size brand without losing its edge, with marketing VP Lindsey Kling
Coterie's playbook for growing a mid-size brand without losing its edge, with marketing VP Lindsey Kling Sep 16, 2026 17:55 Coterie has surpassed $200 million in annual sales while taking a deliberately selective approach to growth. The baby care brand has expanded beyond its direct-to-consumer roots into retailers including Whole Foods Market and Wegmans, while treating store shelves as marketing opportunities—what Lindsey Kling calls a "giant billboard." Kling says 43% of Coterie's new customers now come through word
How one marketer now owns CX, creative and growth, with SharkNinja's brand chief
How one marketer now owns CX, creative and growth, with SharkNinja's brand chief Sep 9, 2026 24:28 Most marketing leaders get involved after a product is built. SharkNinja Chief Brand and Experience Officer Michelle Crossan-Matos says her role exists because that's too late—she now oversees creative, marketing and customer experience under one roof, with her team co-creating alongside engineers and product teams from the earliest stages of development. The reasoning is growth, not just structur
This packaging switch tripled sales velocity, with Saint James Co-Founder
This packaging switch tripled sales velocity, with Saint James Co-Founder Aug 19, 2026 23:02 Saint James Tea Co-Founder and CEO Brad Neumann says a single packaging switch—from cardboard cartons to resealable aluminum bottles—nearly tripled the three-year-old, better-for-you iced tea brand's sales velocity overnight. The bigger signal: Saint James sits in less than 17% of possible retail doors, yet has ranked as the country's fastest-growing iced tea brand in every four-week SPINS reporti
Why marketers chase active demand and miss the passive majority, with Indeed's CMO
Why marketers chase active demand and miss the passive majority, with Indeed's CMO Aug 12, 2026 19:48 Most marketing budgets are built to capture demand—people already searching—but Indeed CMO James Whitemore says that's leaving future demand on the table. He explains why Indeed is shifting spend beyond traditional demand capture toward passive and future job seekers, using culture, fandom and brand-building campaigns like "Jobs Need People" to do it. Whitemore also breaks down how Indeed balances
Turning consumer signals into campaigns that work, with Kayak's senior VP of brand marketing
Turning consumer signals into campaigns that work, with Kayak's senior VP of brand marketing Aug 5, 2026 17:30 An idea isn't a strategy. Kayak's marketing team gets plenty of raw material—search behavior, trending topics, notions floating around a meeting room—but treats none of it as ready for creative until research confirms it's real. That process turned a theory about group travel into "Bookboards": 84% of travelers have watched a group trip stall in the chat, and 90% blame one friend who won't commit.
Meet the Calvin Klein CMO using 'entertainment mentality' to turn culturally resonant campaigns into sales gains
Meet the Calvin Klein CMO using 'entertainment mentality' to turn culturally resonant campaigns into sales gains Jul 29, 2026 20:48 As brands try to make their campaign dollars stretch farther, they're looking to culturally resonant marketing that creates engagement—comments, likes and shares—and results in sales gains. Calvin Klein's Spring 2026 campaign with actress Dakota Johnson is an example of how the clothing brand is using content to 'game the algorithm,' according to Jonathan Bottomley, global chief marketing officer
Lessons from America's Hottest Brands
Lessons from America's Hottest Brands Jul 22, 2026 16:54 What does it take to be one of America's Hottest Brands? We comb through our annual list of 20 brands having a moment to discern marketing lessons applicable to brands of any type or size. Find out how NeeDoh and Pink are taking consumer listening to the next level and what Grillo's did to strike smart brand collabs. Ad Age's E.J. Schultz and Adrianne Pasquarelli also discuss other lessons, includ
The key to making sports partnerships pay off, with PepsiCo's Jonnie Cahill
The key to making sports partnerships pay off, with PepsiCo's Jonnie Cahill Jul 15, 2026 21:03 Too often, brand sponsorships stop at awareness when they could offer consumers something more. Jonnie Cahill, chief marketing officer of PepsiCo International Foods, says the strongest partnerships give the brand a credible role and make the experience better for the people taking part. His filter is straightforward: Has the brand earned the right to show up, and what can it add to the moment?  F

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