Wharton Marketing Matters

Highlights from Barbara & Americus' conversations with Connor Blakley, founder of Youth Logic, about effective Gen Z engagement, and Matt Abrahams, Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer and author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter, who discussed practical frameworks for reducing anxiety and communicating with clarity and confidence.

Annie Barrett, Vice President of Marketing for Adidas Originals, Basketball and Partnerships, and Sean Bruich, Senior Vice President of AI, Engineering and Data Science at Amgen, share insights on how iconic brand storytelling and rapidly evolving AI capabilities intersect to drive authenticity, collaboration, and transformative innovation across industries.

Peter Adams, Senior Writer at Marketing Dive, joins Barbara Kahn to explore how economic bifurcation, evolving loyalty drivers, and rapid advances in AI are forcing marketers to rethink strategies, adapt to cultural moments, and navigate an increasingly complex industry landscape.

Doug Zarkin, Chief Marketing Officer at Take 5 Oil Change and former CMO of Pearle Vision, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed, II to discuss emotional branding through authenticity and creativity, while Matt Abrahams, Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer, author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter, and host of Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast, explains how to overcome anxiety, structure ideas, and communicate clearly under pressure.

L’Oréal’s Chief Creative Officer, Adam Kornblum, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed, II to share how storytelling and experimentation fuel innovation across top beauty brands. Merill Hollander, founder of the contemporary fine jewelry brand Fiametta, tells Barbara and Americus how her company is redefining fine jewelry with lab-grown diamonds and a bold, self-expressive approach.

Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spencer Spirit Holdings and head of Spirit Halloween, joins hosts Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed, II to discuss the business of seasonal retail—from scaling over 1,500 pop-up stores across North America to using AI, social media, and immersive experiences to sustain year-round engagement—and how the brand is now extending its magic into the Christmas market.

Sean Bruich, Senior Vice President of AI, Engineering and Data Science at Amgen, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed, II to discuss how AI’s rapid evolution is transforming industries—not by replacing humans, but by creating new opportunities that blend human expertise with advanced technology to drive innovation and efficiency.

Shannon Shae Montoya, Global Head of B2B Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Yahoo, joins Barbara Kahn to discuss how Yahoo uses data, creativity, and nostalgia to craft immersive campaigns that connect with new generations. Plus, Toby Espinosa, Vice President of Ads at DoorDash, talks with Dr. Americus Reed, II about scaling the company from startup to global marketplace and the future of retail media innovation.

Adam Kornblum, Chief Creative Officer for U.S. Brands at L’Oréal, joins Barbara Kahn & Dr. Americus Reed, II to share how he drives disruptive creativity across 17 brands, from the viral CeraVe Super Bowl campaign to the global youth innovation competition Brandstorm, illustrating how storytelling, experimentation, and an entrepreneurial mindset fuel innovation at L’Oréal.