Future Proof

For the 20th anniversary edition of BrandZ’s global report, Martin Guerrieria, Head of Kantar BrandZ, talks with Abhinav Kumar, Global Chief Marketing Officer, TCS about the evolution of marketing and brand-building over the past two decades and the importance of brand in driving growth. Abhinav is the Chief Marketing Officer of TCS, leading a team of 700 professionals in 55 countries who oversee the company’s brand, reputation and stakeholder relationships. In a 23-year career at the company, he has performed several leadership roles including CMO for LATAM, Europe and all international markets, winning over 150 brand and communications awards during his tenure. Read the 20th anniversary edition of BrandZ’s global report here: www.kantar.com/brandz

In this episode of Kantar’s Future Proof Podcast, Nicole Jones speaks with Jesse Waldele from the Wall Street Journal about the evolving landscape of advertising and consumer trust. They discuss the paradoxical nature of today's consumers, the importance of building trust in a polarized environment, and strategies for engaging diverse audiences, particularly Gen Z. Jessie shares insights on optimizing advertising campaigns, leveraging offline channels, and ensuring brand safety. The conversation highlights the Journal's commitment to providing valuable content and analysis while adapting to the changing needs of advertisers.

In this episode, Jane Ostler speaks with Professor Koen Pauwels Associate Research Dean and Distinguished Professor of Marketing at D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and Mary Kyriakidi, Kantars Global Thought Leader, to discuss the current state of marketing, focusing on Kantar's Blueprint for Brand Growth. They explore the significance of meaningful difference in branding, the correlation between penetration and sales, and the importance of being present in the market. The conversation also delves into pricing power, the role of innovation, and the impact of AI on marketing strategies. 

In this episode Jane Ostler talks to Nick Daniel, former CMO of Dogs Trust and Director of Flying Foxes Consultancy, to explore the unique challenges and strategies in charity marketing. They discuss the importance of brand identity, the competitive landscape of the nonprofit sector, and the growing role of partnerships and influencer marketing.  Nick also highlights the challenge charities face in standing out as commercial brands increasingly align themselves with social causes, blurring the lines between corporate and nonprofit impact. As donor behaviours shift and dog ownership trends evolve, he shares insights on how charities can adapt and innovate to stay relevant, offering valuable perspectives for anyone interested in the intersection of marketing, social impact, and the future of charitable giving.  

Coca-Cola's creative brilliance was celebrated at Cannes last year. In this Future Proof Podcast with Islam El Dessouky, Global VP of Creative Strategy and Content Lynne Deason explores what it is that gives Coca-Cola campaigns their real magic and fizz. This unmissable, inspiring and enjoyable conversation covers topics that anyone focussed on creating effective advertising today needs to master. Creating Emotional Connections: the art of crafting advertising that resonates emotionally and leaves a lasting impactEmotion alone isn't enough: why brand centricity isn't a nice to have and how to achieve itBuilding Brand Consistency: how to maintain brand authenticity and consistency across diverse markets and cultural contexts.Leadership: what it takes to be an inspiring and effective leader in today's dynamic marketing landscape.

GenAI dominates marketing conversations, but how does it connect to capability building and the evolving role of marketers? While excitement around GenAI is high, adoption remains low with less than half of those with access use it regularly. So, what’s holding marketers back?In this episode, host Jane Ostler is joined by Thomas Von der Fuhr, Head of Organisational Performance at Kantar, to discuss insights from the newly published report, GenAI in Marketing: Fear or FOMO. They discuss what marketers are saying about the barriers to adoption, the importance of organisational readiness, and how GenAI can enhance, rather than replace, traditional marketing skills.With leading organisations shifting from operational tasks to strategic brand growth initiatives, this conversation offers valuable guidance for marketers looking to move beyond the hype and maximize GenAI’s potential.Tune in to discover how to bridge the gap between GenAI excitement and real-world capability building.

In today’s episode, we’re exploring the marketing opportunities advertisers have in audio forward environments. Audio is present in nearly every moment of our lives, from weddings to commutes, workouts, and relaxation – and now marketers have more ways to engage their target audience in these spaces, and they aren’t just sound based. In recent years, the rise of podcasts and audiobooks has reshaped how people engage with audio, creating a deeper connection with streaming platforms and shifting public perceptions of media channels. Jenny Haggard, Global Brand Strategy Lead at Spotify, joins Kantar’s Chief Media Commercial Officer, Nicole Jones, to share how marketers can harness this new intimacy in audio-based media and what they can do to better create a multi-sensory experience in these environments and drive meaningful difference for their brands.

Over the past few years, marketers have nearly perfected their approach to performance-based marketing. However, research shows that the businesses that perform the best over time have a strong command over brand value. For brand marketers, this is great news and luckily, there is a lot that can be learned from the techniques and approaches from performance marketers in terms of supercharging brand.  Nicole Jones, Kantar’s Chief Media Commercial Lead and Ryan Brendle, Global Director of Marketing Sciences at Reddit, dive deep on the lessons brand marketers can take from their performance based colleagues and how applying these best practices can help grow brand value and overall revenue. 

TV and video streaming are two of the most effective ways to reach audiences and predispose more people. According to Kantar Media Reactions, consumers find advertising on TV and TV streaming fun and entertaining and that TV sponsorships have better quality experiences. Marketers too are planning on investing more in CTV advertising experience.  And yet, despite this interest, Kantar found that in Q3’24, only 16% of video streamers are happy with the relevance of ads shown to them. Nicole Jones, Kantar’s Chief Media Commercial Lead and Anna Miller, Head of Ad Measurement and Partnerships at Roku join forces to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of advertising in this rapidly changing market and discuss the future of streaming based ads.