Ad Age Marketer's Brief

Chris Curtin arrived as chief marketing officer of Sam's Club in May just after the retailer, little sibling of Walmart, finished an agency review. But the veteran of Bank of America was familiar with his new agency, Publicis Groupe, from his old job. And he hit the ground running by overseeing a new holiday campaign starring Chris Pratt. Here, Curtin talks about what it's like coming in right after an agency review and just before Sam's Club's biggest season in retail, as well as how he's bringing finance and fintech experience to retail.

Blumhouse CMO Karen Barragan gives tips and tricks for Halloween marketing as well as the value of seasonal fans for expanding Blumhouses reach. She discusses the increasing mainstream attention on horror, beginning with Warner Bros. 2017 "It" campaign, and how brands can lean in. Plus, behind the scenes of the creation of the "Black Phone 2" and "Five Nights at Freddy's 2" marketing campaigns, and lessons from "Megan 2.0's" box office flop.

Zelle has tweaked its marketing strategy as it has looked to embrace being an emotionally resonant brand. Last month, it worked with its creative and strategic agency of record Pereira O'Dell to launch "When It Counts," a new brand platform that positions everyday payments as acts of care. It also marks a new level of maturity for the brand, which in 2014 saw Americans send more than $1 trillion across 3.6 billion transactions. Andrea Gilman, chief marketing officer at Zelle and Paze network operator Early Warning Services, discusses this change, Gen Z behavioral changes she's observed this year and Early Warning's AI approach, including how it used the tech in Zelle's latest campaign.

Athena Kasvikis is managing iRobot amid a turnaround more than 18 months after regulators nixed its acquisition by Amazon. But she's also been an entrepreneur who led Behave Bras to success on "Shark Tank." She brings classical Procter & Gamble marketer training to bear on Roomba, arguably the most iconic brand in robots, as interest in robotics and AI soars, in part thanks to Elon Musk. Here she talks on those things plus her outlook on CTV, data-based targeting, agency relations and how that "I, Robot" movie wasn't named after the company, or vice versa.

Meta's top marketer discusses the latest strategies digital advertisers need to know from search engines to social media. And he weighs in on agencies, automation and AI, in an industry worried about its future.

Spectrum Reach shows how having the right data can drive performance, brand safety and advertiser confidence.

How the owner of Lunazul tequila, Deep Eddy vodka and a high-end bourbon and whiskey portfolio is tapping into fast moving social media and food trends without losing sight of its roots. Blevins also discusses new agency relationships with Mono and Assembly.

Creator marketing is a huge part of Blizzard Entertainment's strategy. As the developer of properties with global appeal, such as World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Diablo, it has no trouble finding fans in all corners of the world, including basketball player Luka Dončić, who plays at one of the highest possible ranks in Overwatch. CMO Monica Austin discusses a recent partnership with Dončić, plus why Blizzard sees value in partnering with creators who are vocal critics of its work. She also discusses balancing Blizzard's global marketing strategy with region-specific campaigns.

Ad Age technology reporter Asa Hiken breaks down the state of AI search advertising, what ads on ChatGPT may look like, how much they'll cost and the different approaches companies including OpenAI, Google, Meta and Perplexity are taking. Plus, how marketers can strategize for consumers' changing AI habits. YouTube announced new ad tools that will give creators more power to curate sponsorships across their content libraries. Read how YouTubers are becoming more like traditional media networks. And a tax change set for 2026 threatens the future of free agency food. Get the info on how lunches might become the next differentiator for recruiting talent. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~Everything to know about AI search ads ~Inside Perplexity's ad test ~Answer engine optimization tips ~Listen to Grillo's CMO on the importance of experiential activations

On this episode, Luker also talks about what Grillo's looks for in partnerships.

Ad Age agency reporter Ewan Larkin demystifies the changing power dynamics at agency holding companies such as WPP, Publicis and Omnicom. Global account leads are becoming more important to agency growth, changing the position of regional and agency brand CEOs. Plus, Netflix announced it would make ad inventory available through Amazon's DSP. The partnership is a milestone in both companies' ad journeys—read more on the implications. And Goodby Silverstein & Partners named Sarah Thompson as its first-ever CEO. Go inside the reasons why. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~The meaning of agency holding companies' changing power dynamics ~Dentsu's strategy to stand out amid industry M&A ~Behind the scenes of the updated "How Many Licks" campaign ~Listen to Little Caesar's CMO talk sports marketing strategy

Greg Hamilton joins the Marketer's Brief Podcasts to talk about the chain's four years as an NFL sponsor.

Ad Age senior agency reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse goes inside the growing trend of brand-agency marriage counseling. Rather than jumping straight into a costly and time-intensive agency review, consultancies are increasingly suggesting services that evaluate the existing relationship, and potentially improve both the agency and brand's practices. Plus, Group Black is changing its name to Portrait Media Group. In an exclusive interview with Ad Age, co-founder Bonin Bough explained the reason as well as the company's future path. And one change for future CMOs is the rise of test-running roles before committing full-time. Read more on how to get noticed for interim marketing positions. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~Inside brand-agency marriage counselling ~The stats on client-agency tenure ~Google won't be forced to sell Chrome ~What Kraft Heinz's reorganization means for its future ~Keep up with the latest account reviews ~Buy tickets to Ad Age's Business of Brands conference ~Listen to Manscaped's CMO talk unconventional media strategies

Kertesz reflects on three years in the CMO role, including how media placements have become a form of creative messaging and how the DTC-born brand is embracing multichannel marketing. Plus, how the brand's "Send Face Pics Instead" went viral.

Ad Age reporters Erika Wheless and Gillian Follett break down the brand lessons from the recent Cracker Barrel and American Eagle dramas: How can marketers better prepare for social pushback, what to know about official brand responses and how the brand-consumer relationship is changing on social media. Plus, AI ad networks are beginning to emerge, which place paid content in chatbots such as ChatGPT. Dig into the debate between maintaining chat quality and monetizing the technology. And Svedka has resurrected its Fembot character in a plea for people to put down their phones and go out with friends. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~The latest on the Cracker Barrel rebrand saga ~Refresh yourself on American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney campaign backlash ~Inside E.l.f. Cosmetics' Matt Rife social campaign ~Keep up with the latest account reviews ~Buy tickets to Ad Age's Business of Brands conference ~Listen to Hinge's CMO talk connecting with Gen Z

Jackie Jantos, Hinge's president and CMO, shares tips for winning with Gen Z and how Hinge has been able to see growth when other dating apps are seeing declines

Jackie Jantos, Hinge's president and CMO, shares tips for winning with Gen Z and how Hinge has been able to see growth when other dating apps are seeing declines

In Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast, CMX's Parbinder Dhariwal shares how CVS connects brands with health-focused shoppers to drive growth.

Ad Age Creativity Editor Tim Nudd reveals the creativity trends of 2025 so far, including the impact of AI on brand marketing, the resurgence of experiential activations and the secret to an effective modern Super Bowl campaign. Plus, data reveals the impact of AI search on brand's website visits—some categories are seeing a lift while others are staying flat. Dig deeper into the differentiators. And E.l.f. Cosmetics finds itself the latest subject of consumer scrutiny after partnering with controversial comedian Matt Rife. Find out where experts are saying the brand went wrong. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~Tim's list of the top ads of 2025 so far ~Coca-Cola's AI-generated holiday campaign ~Google's not-so-good Olympics AI ad ~Walton Goggins' Doritos porn spoof ~Apply to join Ad Age's Small Agency Network ~Keep track of agency account reviews here

Ed Beadle, Honda VP of digital services and marketing, reveals how the automaker is getting more efficient with its marketing and how his background as a media strategist and Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master shapes his approach and leadership style.

Alvaro Luque talks tariffs, media mix and his guacamole recipe

Cash App targeted movie theaters for its recent campaign starring Timothée Chalamet

How the free-spirited light beer brand became Gallo's first beer investment

Creative Director Ryan Weaver talks about removing the stigma and increasing accessibility

CMO Vanessa Wallace talks about her 'fun, fast, furious first year' at the lingerie brand

Matt Graham talks AI and food and flavor trends on the latest episode of the Marketer's Brief Podcast

Rokt's Sophie Donoghue shares how AI and real-time targeting at the transaction moment help brands drive growth and performance in 2025

Nissan's U.S. CMO Allyson Witherspoon on the brand's comeback attempt and how she deals with burnout.

CMO Laura Jones talks about 90s-era prices, Super Bowl advertising and in-house agencies

Snap CMO Grace Kao talks sponsored snaps, AI and Cannes on the Marketer's Brief.

We take the temperature on the marketing job market with Michael Wright, founder of executive search firm Taligence. What industries are hiring? What is the future of the CMO role? Why are companies not hiring agency execs as CMOs? We cover that and more.

The company just debuted its first intimate care line

Stateside Brands President Matt Quigley discusses the fast-growing ready-to-drink brand.

Nothing's Hollie Bishop joins the Marketer's Brief podcast to discuss the importance of earned media when marketing its new phones.

CEO Jolie Weber joins the Marketer's Brief podcast to discuss the brand's partnerships and new look

Jerret West talks targeting, how the platform decides when to leverage cultural moments and the likelihood it will pursue a movie a la Minecraft.

Roundel's Monique Perlmutter on scaling retail media through omnichannel strategy and trust.

CEO of Dropps was also CEO of Method during its early rise and looks to repeat success in green household products as the brand moves into retail stores.

CMO Robin Page talks about how Rowan has disrupted the in-person piercing experience

VP Aaron Dunford talks about moving from transactional to experiential

CMO Andrew Katz on expanding availability and withstanding new competition

CMO Paul Nugent talks about new initiatives including a campaign with Sydney Sweeney

Rachael Zaluzec, VW of America's senior vice president of customer experience and brand marketing, discusses VW's SNL partnership, integration marketing and customer service and how the brand is approaching EV marketing.

CMO Olga Suvorova joins the Marketer's Brief podcast to talk about creators and use cases for Galaxy AI

CMO Radhika Duggal on how data and testing guide quick decisions—and what the 2026 World Cup could mean for the league

CMO Nick Chavez joins the Marketer's Brief podcast to discuss the chain's customizable drinks and local media strategy

CMO Merit Tully discusses the 'Orange Country' reinvention, recalling the mighty Disney era—with a bite

VP of partnerships Nick Kelly on how the brand thinks about Big Game advertising and its strategy for Super Bowl LIX

Chief Corporate Brand Officer Lina Polimeni talks about how the brand differentiates itself in the crowded pharma market

Whimsical brand began a Valentine's Day push in late December