Adspeak

What does it take to build a brand that stands out without getting caught in a race to the bottom? In this guest-only episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Paulie Dery, CMO at AG1, and Victoria Lozano, CMO at Crayola, share how brands can move beyond product benefits to create deeper consumer connections and lasting cultural relevance.Recorded live at BrandWeek, the conversation explores how to protect premium positioning against cheaper alternatives by giving consumers something meaningful to believe in. Paulie and Victoria discuss building authentic communities, embedding products into existing routines to encourage daily habits, and reframing competition around broader battles for time, attention, and lifestyle choices. They also examine how marketers can balance immediate revenue goals with long-term brand investment, align growth targets with executive priorities, and approach AI in ways that strengthen consumer creativity and trust.From AG1's challenger mindset to Crayola's enduring creative legacy, this episode offers practical lessons on turning brand purpose into everyday behavior, sustainable growth, and deeper consumer loyalty.What You Will Learn:How to escape the "race to the bottom" by moving beyond feature-vs-feature comparisonsWhy giving consumers something to believe in matters more than listing product specsThe "follow the tracks, don't create them" approach to building authentic community advocacyHow to build daily consumer habits by embedding your product into routines people already have, rather than adding new to-dosThe "magic number" framework for aligning growth targets with C-suite buy-in to fund brand investmentWhy marketers should pick bigger competitive battles—reframing rivals as time, attention, or lifestyle competitors rather than category copycatsHow to evaluate AI's role in your brand strategy by focusing on whether it enables consumer creativity and trust rather than replacing itAbout the Guests:Victoria Lozano is the Chief Marketing Officer at Crayola, a position she has held for over 16 years, where she has evolved the company from a product-focused manufacturer into a diversified creative ecosystem spanning products, experiences, and content. With deep expertise in brand building, category expansion, and consumer behavior, she has successfully elevated Crayola beyond functional product competition by redefining the brand's role in enabling daily creative habits across both children and adults. Paulie Dery is the Chief Marketing Officer at AG1, where he leads marketing strategy for a category-defining greens and multivitamin brand. With previous experience building iconic brands at Yeti and Uber, he brings expertise in elevating products beyond functional competition and building authentic community-driven ecosystems. Host and Guest Resources:Victoria Lozano on LinkedInCrayola WebsitePaulie Dery LinkedInAG1 WebsiteADWEEK Website

The WNBA’s rapid rise from an overlooked league to a cultural and commercial powerhouse reflects more than just the growing popularity of women’s basketball. It signals a shift in how athletes build their brands, shape their narratives, and fight for the compensation and working conditions they deserve. Sustaining that momentum requires authentic storytelling, responsible media coverage, and a business model that allows players to share in the league’s success.In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Mariah Rose, sports content creator, is joined by Lexie Brown, WNBA guard for the Seattle Storm, and together they explore the forces reshaping women’s basketball and the business of women’s sports. They discuss how social media and athlete-led content are transforming fan engagement, why collective bargaining negotiations are critical to fair compensation, and how offseason leagues are creating new opportunities for players. They also examine the importance of health benefits, retirement security, and expanded roster spots, alongside the commercial potential of emerging markets. Throughout, they explain why authentic athlete storytelling and a growing fan base can help build a more sustainable future for women’s sports.What You Will Learn:How athlete-led storytelling is transforming women’s sports marketingWhy WNBA players want compensation tied to league revenue growthHow social media gives athletes greater control over their personal brandsWhy rising stars can expand opportunities for the entire leagueHow offseason leagues support player development and financial stabilityWhy health benefits, pensions, and roster expansion matter to playersHow untapped markets offer new growth opportunities for women’s basketballAbout the Guests:Lexie Brown is a professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. In her eighth season, she brings firsthand experience to conversations about athlete branding, media representation, and the business of women’s sports. Through authentic social media content, vlogs, and her podcast Full Circle, Brown has helped connect fans with women’s basketball. She is also an advocate for fair compensation, improved player benefits, and better working conditions.Mariah Rose is a sports content creator and media personality specializing in women’s sports, particularly the WNBA. Through social media and her podcast Full Circle, she helps audiences understand the players, storylines, and business dynamics shaping women’s basketball. Rose is an advocate for authentic storytelling, stronger media representation, and greater visibility for female athletes. Her work explores how personal branding, fan engagement, and sponsorship opportunities are transforming the commercial landscape of women’s sports.Host and Guest Resources:Lexie Brown on LinkedInMariah Rose on LinkedInADWEEK Website

What does it take to reinvent a legacy brand without losing what made it iconic?In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Brittaney Keifer brings together four creative and marketing leaders to explore how established brands can move beyond outdated perceptions and build renewed cultural relevance. Amanda Earley, Jaime Robinson, Christy Hoskins, and Jessica Henrichs share lessons from rebranding La-Z-Boy and Brawny, including the importance of understanding a brand’s history, leaning into authentic strengths, and ensuring product innovation can support the promises made by a new identity.The conversation examines how creative partnerships can unlock stronger ideas, why consumer and stakeholder involvement can help prevent backlash, and how social platforms provide a valuable space to test new directions before making bigger commitments. From evolving familiar brand characters to creating culturally relevant activations, the panel reveals how brands can make change feel natural rather than disruptive. For marketers navigating the challenges of refreshing a household name, this episode offers practical insights into balancing heritage, innovation, consumer trust, and creative risk.What You Will Learn:How to reposition a brand stuck in nostalgia by mining your own history Why product innovation must precede any brand refreshThe "lean into your strengths" principle: La-Z-Boy's breakthrough How to pressure-test beloved brand iconsWhy earned, culturally-tapped activations should precede a full rebrandHow to future-proof against backlash by involving consumers Why social media is the lowest-risk place to test how a legacy mascot or character should evolve before committing to broader campaignsAbout the Guests:Amanda Earley is a brand and business leader who specializes in building brands, teams, and growth strategies through a combination of consumer insight, data-driven decision-making, and creative thinking. As Brand Director at Brawny, she has led product innovation, commercialization, marketing campaigns, and business revitalization. Known for bringing people together around bold ideas, Amanda combines strategic vision with hands-on cross-functional leadership. Jaime Robinson is an Emmy-winning entrepreneur and creative leader whose work has earned nearly 40 Cannes Lions, including multiple Grand Prix and Golds. She is a Co-Founder and former CCO of JOAN Creative, where the agency was recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies and earned Agency of the Year honors from Adweek and Campaign. A former ECD at Wieden+Kennedy New York and Pereira O’Dell, Jaime has also served on The One Club Board and as a Cannes and D&AD jury president.Christy Hoskins is a transformational marketing leader, growth driver, and culture builder with more than 20 years of experience across market-leading CPG, consumer durables, and retail companies. Her expertise spans brand building, consumer-driven strategy, business planning, portfolio strategy, customer experience, innovation, P&L management, and advertising. Christy is passionate about leading with vision, building future-focused organizations, and developing strong, engaged teams grounded in purpose, continuous learning, and compassion. Jessica Henrichs is CEO of DonerColle Partners, where she leads and helps brands navigate transformation, drive purposeful change, and accelerate growth. Since joining Colle McVoy in 2021, she has reshaped the agency’s model, invested in emerging capabilities, and built high-performing teams, earning recognition including the 2024 Adweek 50 and 2026 Campaign US Inspiring Women. Previously, Jessica spent more than a decade at Digitas, developing award-winning, data-powered creative strategies that earned over 100 honors, including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Data. Host and Guest Resources:Amanda Earley on LinkedInJaime Robinson on LinkedInChristy Hoskins on LinkedInJessica Henrichs on LinkedInADWEEK Website

Legacy retail brands have something that newer brands can only dream of: decades of recognition, emotional connection, and cultural history. But turning that heritage into modern relevance requires more than nostalgia. It takes clear positioning, product reinvention, bold creative decisions, and a strong partnership between marketing and leadership.In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Marisa Thalberg, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Catalyst Brands, sits down with Ken Ohashi, Brand CEO of Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer to explore the strategies behind transforming iconic retail brands. They discuss how to reposition struggling businesses, uncover new opportunities by listening to real customer behavior, and balance heritage with the need to evolve. Ken and Marisa also explore Eddie Bauer's shift from technical outdoor gear to a lifestyle brand, the role of cultural influencers, and why small, trusted teams can make better creative decisions. Throughout, they share lessons on building authentic brands that turn skeptical customers into loyal ones.What You Will Learn:How to turn around a bankrupt heritage brand Why creative decisions should avoid "committee thinking"The "off the mountain" repositioning framework Eddie Bauer used How to find hidden brand momentum by mining real customer behavior Why talking "up to" middle-America consumers builds trust and authenticity How strategic star power can be used as a cultural amplifier The importance of building CEO-CMO trust earlyAbout the Guests:Marisa Thalberg is a globally recognized business strategist and brand-building innovator, known for inspiring teams to take brands to new heights of consumer resonance, cultural relevance, and business performance. A pioneer of digital, social, and eCommerce marketing, she has orchestrated blockbuster product launches, unexpected cultural moments, and moved with uncommon ease between industries like beauty and QSR, retail and CPG, brand and performance marketing, mass and prestige.Ken Ohashi is Brand CEO of Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer, with more than 25 years of experience across fashion, consumer products, retail, and business development. He led Brooks Brothers through its acquisition and transformed the iconic brand to profitability in less than two years. Previously, Ohashi served as President of International and Global Retail at Authentic Brands Group, overseeing brand management, business development, and marketing across its international portfolio. He also held senior leadership roles at Aéropostale.Host and Guest Resources:Ken Ohashi on LinkedInBrooks Brothers WebsiteMarisa Thalberg on LinkedInCatalyst Brands WebsiteADWEEK Website

Halloween is no longer just a seasonal celebration. For brands, it can become a powerful cultural platform for building relevance, generating engagement, and creating long-term brand assets.In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Rebecca Stewart sits down with Ibrahim Khan, Global Vice President of Marketing at Fanta, to explore how Fanta turned Halloween into a global brand moment and generated more than 7 billion impressions through fan-generated content without paid media spend.The conversation explores how Fanta identified an opportunity to build ownership around Halloween, harnessed TikTok and community creativity, and partnered with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse to create collectible horror-themed cans. Ibrahim also explains how product design can become a storytelling platform, how to balance brand authenticity with licensed IP, and why giving audiences creative freedom can drive deeper engagement. He shares the long-term thinking behind turning a successful seasonal campaign into a recurring global franchise that builds anticipation and cultural relevance year after year.What You'll Learn:How to identify a "white space" holiday moment competitors have left unclaimed and build ownership around itWhy letting fans create content can generate more impressions than any paid campaignThe "constructive tension" principle for balancing a licensor's IP integrity with your own brand's authenticity How to select characters or creative assets that flex across generations and 50+ global markets without losing relevanceWhy product design itself (not just advertising) can become the most scalable storytelling platform a brand hasThe long-game playbook for turning a single viral moment into a recurring, expectation-building annual traditionAbout the Guest:Ibrahim Khan leads global strategy and marketing for Fanta, bringing more than a decade of experience at Coca-Cola across diverse markets. Previously, he served as Senior Marketing Director for Sparkling Flavors in Greater China & Mongolia, overseeing Fanta, Sprite, and Schweppes. His career also includes leading marketing for Sprite in its largest global market, managing sparkling portfolios across ASEAN, and driving brand strategy for Coca-Cola and Fanta across Thailand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Ibrahim specializes in global brand management, digital transformation, and creating consumer experiences that resonate across cultures.Host and Guest Resources:Ibrahim Khan on LinkedInFanta WebsiteADWEEK Website

Mental health campaigns can do more than raise awareness. Done well, they can change behavior, challenge stigma, and help people take meaningful action. In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Audrey Kemp speaks with three communication leaders: Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign and Program Officer at the Ad Council; Sherrie Mazur, Managing Director of Communications at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation; and WNBA star Jordin Canada. They explore how the national “Love Your Mind” campaign was localized for Georgia through culturally relevant storytelling, trusted community voices, and authentic athlete advocacy. The conversation examines why vulnerability can make athletes powerful messengers, how a “Brand Platform” approach keeps partnerships consistent, and how strategic media placements can reach audiences when they are most receptive. The guests also share why campaign success should be measured through behavior and resource-seeking, not vanity metrics. With awareness reaching 50% and resource-seeking increasing 49% in under five months, the episode offers a practical look at turning mental health messaging into action. What You'll Learn:How to localize a national campaign Why leveraging athletes' influence, not just celebrity status, builds authentic credibility The "Brand Platform" approach: treating a cause campaign like a product brand How to choose high-traffic, high-dwell placements (like airports) to reach broad, diverse audiences Why impact should be measured through actual behavior shifts and resource-seeking How brands can avoid tokenism on mental health by partnering with clinical expertsAbout the Guests:Heidi Arthur is Chief Campaign and Program Officer at the Ad Council, where she oversees national initiatives like Love Your Mind and transforms empathy into measurable action. With expertise in using communications to address critical social issues, she leads the Ad Council's mission to leverage donated media and cultural influence, particularly through sports and trusted athlete voices, to drive behavioral change. Sherrie Mazur is Managing Director of Communications at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, responsible for bringing national mental health initiatives to local communities with cultural relevance and measurable impact. Her work bridges philanthropy and grassroots activation by uniting diverse sports organizations and leveraging trusted local voices to destigmatize mental health conversations. Jordin Canada is a guard for the Atlanta Dream (WNBA) and a vocal advocate for mental health destigmatization both on and off the court. As a featured voice in the Love Your Mind campaign, she shares her personal experience navigating pressure, vulnerability, and the importance of seeking support as a professional athlete. Host and Guest Resources:Heidi Arthur on LinkedInAd Council WebsiteSherrie Mazur on LinkedInAMBFF Website Jordin Canada on InstagramADWEEK Website

Marketing is no longer just about winning clicks. As AI Overviews, rising ad costs, and changing search behavior reshape customer acquisition, brands need to rethink how they build visibility and engage audiences.In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Kyle Denhoff, Senior Director of Marketing at HubSpot, explores how HubSpot is adapting to an AI-first marketing landscape through its four-phase “Loop Marketing” framework: Express, Tailor, Amplify, and Evolve.The conversation explores how HubSpot uses AI to accelerate brand strategy, personalize outreach at scale, and transform a single expert interview into content across LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, and newsletters. Kyle also explains why marketers need to optimize not only for traditional search, but for visibility within AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. He shares how traffic from LLMs can convert at significantly higher rates than traditional search and offers practical approaches to auditing AI visibility, benchmarking competitors, and creating content that earns citations. What You'll Learn:Why traditional SEO and paid social are losing effectiveness The "Loop Marketing" framework: Express, Tailor, Amplify, EvolveHow to use AI to compress brand strategy development from months to weeks How to build a one-to-one email engine that personalizes outreach The content remixing method: turning a single expert interview into optimized formats Why traffic from LLMs like ChatGPT converts three times higher than traditional search trafficHow to audit your brand's AI visibility and benchmark it against competitorsAbout the Guest:Kyle Denhoff is the Senior Director of Marketing at HubSpot and a growth marketer and media operator with 15 years of experience spanning healthcare and SaaS. For the past four years, he's led the buildout of HubSpot Media and its Creator program, scaling properties like The Hustle, My First Million, and Marketing Against the Grain into a network that drives 20-25% of HubSpot's marketing lead demand. His focus: leveraging new media to build brand awareness and convert audiences into qualified pipeline.Host and Guest Resources:Kyle Denhoff on LinkedInHubSpot WebsiteADWEEK Website

Creator marketing is no longer just about generating awareness or social engagement. It is becoming a measurable growth engine that can influence consumers throughout the entire marketing funnel.In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Zoë Ruderman sits down with four business leaders from Microsoft, Pearpop, and AntiSocial: Marie-Laure De Veyt, Beth Everhart, Christopher Franco, and Cole Mason to explore how brands can turn creator partnerships into measurable business results.The conversation examines how Microsoft scaled a campaign to 42 creators and 69 assets in just six weeks while maintaining authenticity, creative quality, and performance. The guests discuss why creator content should be treated as a core paid media asset, how brands can measure impact through search lift, foot traffic, and brand lift studies, and why long-term creator relationships can build deeper trust and product knowledge.They also explore how creator-led market research can replace rigid creative briefs, how brands can balance authenticity with brand safety, and why extending creator content into retail media and CTV represents a significant untapped opportunity.What You'll Learn:How to run a six-week, 42-creator campaign at scale without sacrificing authenticity or creative qualityWhy creator content should be treated as a core paid media assetThe "Familiar Faces" framework for building long-term creator relationships How to measure creator campaign impact beyond impressionsWhy ditching the traditional creative brief in favor of creator-led market research can uncover insights brands would otherwise missHow to identify brand safety and creative fit without stifling a creator's authentic voiceWhy underutilizing existing creator content across retail media networks and CTV is one of the biggest missed opportunities for brands todayHow to look beyond the "typical" creator demographic (like Gen Z) About the Guests:Marie-Laure De Veyt is a strategic and creative senior marketing leader with deep expertise in social and creator marketing across global consumer brands. She has led high-impact campaigns for Surface, Windows, and Microsoft 365, including Microsoft’s first creator-led Retail Media Network content. Passionate about influence, commerce, and culture, she builds authentic partnerships that drive engagement, brand love, and measurable business results. Beth Everhart is the Managing Director at AntiSocial and a collaborative marketing leader with nearly 15 years of experience developing integrated campaigns and strategies for B2B and B2C clients across national and global markets. Known for building strong relationships and leading cross-functional teams, she thrives in fast-paced environments, bringing together people, ideas, and expertise to deliver exceptional results. Christopher Franco is currently an SVP, Data and Activation at Pearpop. Christopher Franco brings experience from previous roles at Hearts & Science, Merkle, Maxus Global, and Mindshare. Christopher Franco holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of La Verne. With a robust skill set that includes Ad Serving, Marketing Science, Clarinet performance, Technology Evaluation, Graphic Design, and more. Cole Mason is the Founder and CEO of Pearpop, a creator marketing platform specializing in pairing authentic creator content with strategic paid media distribution. With expertise in scaling creator partnerships at enterprise level, Cole has pioneered approaches that treat creators as independent production partners rather than vendors.Host and Guest Resources:Marie-Laure De Veyt on LinkedInMicrosoft WebsiteBeth Everhart on LinkedInAntiSocial Website Christopher Franco on LinkedInCole Mason on LinkedInADWEEK Website