Uncensored CMO

Colleen DeCourcy is one of the most influential creative leaders in modern marketing. Now Chief Marketing Officer at Sonos, she joins Jon for a candid conversation about the relationship between creativity, commercial performance and leadership through change.

They discuss why Colleen joined Sonos, what it takes to turn around a brand, and how to bring creativity back into an organisation when the pressure for short-term results is intense. From Nike’s changing fortunes to the limits of performance marketing, Colleen makes the case for brands that stand for something and leaders prepared to take difficult decisions when it matters.

She also reflects on the hardest moment of her career, why great teams need more than talent, and how marketers should approach AI without losing the human judgement that makes creative work valuable.

A masterclass in leading creatively when the business needs results.

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Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer
01:42 - The hardest moment of Colleen’s career
09:36 - Why we need more leaders taking a stand for what’s right
10:42 - Colleen’s thoughts on Nike falling out of the S&P 500
13:27 - Why Colleen joined Sonos
17:41 - How Colleen is bringing creativity into Sonos
21:47 - How to approach a brand turnaround
27:27 - How to lead through a time of change
31:17 - Why have we stopped valuing creativity?
34:56 - Whats the best piece of advice Colleen has ever received?
37:26 - Audience questions
40:08 - Colleen’s thoughts on AI
43:48 - How to make your team great

Thanks to Émigré for being our official black t-shirt partner. Find your travel wear and accessories at:
https://emigre.travel/

Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:
https://system1group.com/

Duolingo has built one of the most distinctive brands in modern marketing, not by playing it safe, but by creating the conditions for its team to move quickly, take risks and occasionally embrace a little chaos.

Manu Orssaud, Duolingo’s Chief Marketing Officer, joins Jon Evans to unpack the strategy behind the brand’s biggest moments: from the apparent death of Duo and its rapid-response iPhone content to a Bad Bunny campaign built at the speed of culture.

But this is not simply a conversation about being funny on social media. Manu explains the culture of trust required to take creative risks, how to sell bolder work into the business, and how Duolingo measures whether marketing is actually working.

They also discuss behavioural science, the limits of brand safety, handling the AI backlash, and why the next phase of Duolingo marketing may involve a little less chaos.

A masterclass in building a culturally relevant brand without losing commercial discipline.

Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer
01:03 - How do you pronounce Hermes?
02:55 - Duolingo’s iPhone Duo response
04:42 - The culture of trust that enables Duolingo to move fast
05:56 - Has Duolingo ever crossed the line with their social content?
07:55 - The benefits of taking risks
10:31 - The impact of the death of Duo
14:11 - Duolingo’s Bad Bunny campaign - moving at the speed of culture
16:28 - The origin story of the Duo brand mascot
23:05 - How Duolingo uses humour
24:12 - Emigre Sponsor
24:50 - How Duolingo tracks marketing performance
26:15 - Selling risky campaigns into the business
27:06 - The next phase of Duolingo marketing - less chaos
30:37 - How Duolingo is managing this transition
32:56 - Behavioural science insights that have grown Duolingo
34:37 - Duolingo’s AI backlash
38:09 - Going against what your shareholders want
43:46 - What makes Manu a successful CMO
47:47 - The power of constraint
48:46 - Duolingo’s 5 second Super Bowl ad
50:27 - The best advice Manu has ever been given

Thanks to Émigré for being our official black t-shirt partner. Find your travel wear and accessories at:
https://emigre.travel/

Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:
https://system1group.com/

Jessica Jensen, Chief Marketing Officer at LinkedIn, joins Jon Evans for a practical masterclass on what actually works on the platform now. Beginning with a review of Jon’s own profile, they cover the route to becoming a Top Voice, the changing role of B2B creators and how brands can work with them credibly.

They also explore the formats that are earning attention, whether collaborator posts genuinely work, and how buyers use LinkedIn to validate the people and companies they choose to work with.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
01:35 - Jon’s LinkedIn review
11:34 - How do you get a LinkedIn Top Voice
13:23 - The evolution of B2B content creators
14:34 - How brands can work best with creators
16:53 - How LinkedIn are battling AI slop
19:07 - Do collaborator posts on LinkedIn work?
20:02 - What formats work best on LinkedIn in 2026
22:16 - How are B2B buyers making buying decisions on LinkedIn
25:08 - Why LinkedIn is so important for LLMs
25:49 - What jobs is AI creating
29:27 - The best advice Jessica has ever recieved

Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:
https://system1group.com/

Spotify has become one of the world’s most distinctive brands, but what can marketers learn from the way it uses sound, culture and creativity to build emotional connection?

Bridget Evans, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Business Marketing, joins Jon Evans to explain why audio remains an underused marketing opportunity, and how brands can build an audio strategy people do more than simply hear: they remember it.

They discuss the return of the jingle, why taste may become an even more important differentiator in the age of AI, and whether younger audiences really have shorter attention spans, or simply higher standards for what deserves their attention. Bridget also shares how Spotify markets to Gen Z, the enduring impact of Spotify Wrapped, and why the company invests so heavily in Cannes Lions.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:22 - Some things people might not know about Spotify
02:42 - Is audio the most underrated channel?
05:15 - Do people trust audio more?
06:58 - Why taste will become the differentiator in the age of AI
07:44 - How audio branding helps emotion
09:11 - How to get your audio strategy right
10:09 - Why we need to bring back more jingles
12:44 - How Spotify markets to Gen Z
15:59 - Do younger generations actually have shorter attention spans?
17:46 - The opportunity for marketers in audio and podcasting
20:00 - How do we make B2B marketing not boring
26:24 - The impact of Spotify Wrapped
30:53 - Why Spotify invest so much in Cannes Lions
34:37 - How Spotify judge the success of their Cannes
36:49 - 3 things to make B2B marketing better
39:42 - Whats the best advice Bridget has ever been given

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This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

The media landscape has changed faster than most marketing plans have. Evan Shapiro, known as the Media Cartographer for his widely used maps of the media ecosystem, joins Uncensored CMO to explain where attention is really going, which channels marketers are overvaluing, and where the best opportunities may now lie.

They assess the relative value of TV, YouTube, podcasts, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and creators, asking a deceptively simple question: are marketers spending in line with how people actually consume media?

Evan also explores the shift of power towards consumers, why employee-generated content could become a major force, and where job losses are likely to hit the media industry next. They discuss the rise of founder-led media, the opaque problem of ad fraud, and what Evan has learned from building his own podcast.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:42 - Intro to Evan Shapiro
01:43 - Evan’s path into media
03:38 - How to entertain people with keynote speeches
06:37 - The biggest changes in the media universe: the shift to the consumer
10:44 - Where is attention being placed in 2026?
14:20 - The data on attention
17:22 - Overvalued vs Undervalued media
17:57 - TV: Undervalued or Overvalued?
22:29 - YouTube: Undervalued or Overvalued?
25:35 - Why Employee Generated Content is going to be huge
27:53 - Creators: Undervalued or Overvalued?
30:06 - Podcasts: Undervalued or Overvalued?
31:30 - TikTok: Undervalued or Overvalued?
31:57 - Instagram: Undervalued or Overvalued?
32:37 - Facebook: Undervalued or Overvalued?
33:51 - LinkedIn: Undervalued or Overvalued?
35:43 - How will the media landscape change in the next 12 months
39:53 - Where are job losses being felt in media
43:33 - The rise of founders
46:17 - Ad fraud in the media ecosystem
50:30 - Evan’s lessons from running his podcast
56:57 - The best advice Evan has ever been given

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Karen Blackett is one of the most respected leaders in marketing and media. As the former UK President of WPP and former CEO of GroupM UK, she has led through industry change, crisis and growth at the highest level.

In this marketing leadership masterclass, Karen shares the principles that have shaped her career: why great teams need diverse perspectives and healthy tension; why leaders must say what they really think; and how to make better decisions without mistaking consensus for alignment.

She reflects on leading GroupM UK through COVID, how she approaches recruitment, and the small meeting habit that helps ensure the most important conversations actually happen. Karen also discusses the evolving client-agency relationship, what the future holds for the creative industry, and the challenge of rebranding Barbados.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:51 - Karen’s new leadership podcast
02:03 - The surprising thing about leadership
05:25 - Why we need to change our view of leadership
05:58 - The standout leaders from Karen’s career
11:20 - Karen’s leadership lessons from running WPP
15:55 - The importance of diverse perspectives
17:34 - The importance of saying what you really think
20:28 - How to approach decision making
22:53 - How to approach recruitment
25:34 - Why you need healthy tension in a team
28:46 - Should we banish the voice note?
30:32 - Karen’s big covid turnaround story
34:57 - Why Karen never does “AOB” at the end of meetings
37:25 - The positive side of COVID for Jon
40:06 - How to foster a strong client agency relationship
44:59 - The future of the creative industry
48:42 - Rebranding Barbados
50:51 - What is the freedom of the city
51:48 - The best advice Karen has ever received

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

What happens when a CMO brings the discipline of P&G, private equity and fintech together?

Vineet Mehra, CMO of Chime, joins Jon to explain how the challenger bank has disrupted one of the most established industries in the world - and why modern marketing leaders need to become more fluent in the language of commercial value.

Vineet shares what marketers can learn from private equity, how to position investment with a CFO, and the financial metrics he watches most closely. He also unpacks the constant balancing act between long-term brand building and short-term performance: not treating them as opposing forces, but connecting both to sustainable growth. They also discuss where AI is genuinely creating return, how marketers can avoid becoming commoditised, and the skills CMOs will need as AI reshapes the profession.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:21 - Vineet’s background at P&G
04:51 - What marketers can learn from working in Private Equity
07:50 - What is Chime Bank?
09:02 - The strategies that Chime used to disrupt the banking industry
13:46 - Advice on how to position marketing to the CFO
17:00 - What financial metrics is Vineet most focused on?
19:40 - How Vineet combines long term and short term marketing
23:59 - Are we in a golden age for marketing?
26:59 - How Vineet is getting the biggest return on his AI investment
31:13 - How to stop AI commoditising marketers
36:09 - What skills will a CMO need in an AI-first future
38:58 - How to see AI as an opportunity not a threat
40:13 - Why Vineet is on the Effie’s board
42:15 - Why Vineet spends time building his personal brand on LinkedIn
46:00 - What’s the bst advice Vineet has ever received?

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

AI is rapidly changing how people search, shop and discover new brands. So what does that mean for marketers?

Sophie Neary has spent the past few years inside Google, giving her a front-row seat to some of the biggest shifts in consumer behaviour and advertising. In this episode, she joins Jon to explore what she's learned, the assumptions marketers still get wrong about Google, and the surprising ways consumers are already using AI.

They discuss how brands can show up in AI-powered search, the evolving relationship between advertisers and creators, how to make the most of the crucial golden quarter, and what AI commerce could mean for the future of shopping.

Plus, as AI becomes capable of doing more of the work, Sophie and Jon ask a bigger question: which uniquely human skills will become even more valuable to marketers?

This episode is an advertisement feature brought to you by Google.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:12 - What has Sophie learned in the past few years at Google?
03:07 - CMO lessons from being inside Google
05:11 - What assumption marketers have about Google would Sophie challenge
08:07 - A surprising consumer pattern with AI
11:17 - How brands can show up in AI searches
18:56 - How advertisers can collaborate with creators?
22:09 - How Sophie uses her Google Fitbit Air
24:18 - How to optimise the golden quarter
28:08 - How important will AI commerce be in the future?
30:36 - get them to check this section
34:01 - The most uncensored question for Sophie Neary
37:44 - Where will human skills count in the age of AI?
45:26 - The best advice Sophie has ever been given

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Dr Margaret Heffernan is one of the world's leading thinkers on uncertainty, leadership and creativity. A bestselling author, entrepreneur and former CEO, her latest book, Embracing Uncertainty, challenges one of the biggest assumptions in business that the future can, and should, be predicted.

In this episode, Margaret explains why forecasting often fails, where great ideas really come from, and why spending more time with uncertainty can actually make us better leaders and marketers. We discuss the dangers of relying too heavily on data, the surprising habits of highly creative people, and why walking might be one of the best things you can do for your thinking.

Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer
01:09 - Why pick uncertainty as a topic
05:31 - Why some companies shouldn’t forecast
09:04 - Why smart people are wasting time on forecasting
14:41 - The problem with having too much data
19:07 - Predictability only happens at scale
24:41 - Where do ideas come from?
27:19 - Why the Chief Economist of the Bank of England goes on walks
30:29 - Are we becoming too left brain dominant?
32:32 - The problem with AI
36:10 - Is AI killing our ability to think?
41:17 - How to make good ideas happen
44:11 - The power of surprise
46:15 - The improvisers paradox
49:31 - The correlation between the artists mind and the entrepreneur’s mind
51:57 - What human skills do we need to survive?
58:43 - The best advice Margaret has ever been given

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Ali Payne, CMO of Heineken, joins us to discuss how one of the world's most iconic beer brands became Creative Brand of the Year at Cannes Lions - and what it takes to keep a 150-year-old brand feeling fresh.

From being the "Official Beer of Soccer" as a non-sponsor of the FIFA World Cup to reviving the legendary "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign, Ali shares how Heineken balances long-term brand building with cultural relevance. We explore what it takes to get an entire organisation behind bold creative ideas, the role of sport in Heineken's marketing strategy, and how brands like Birra Moretti continue to grow through innovation.

Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer
00:56 - World Cup fever for the USA and Heineken
02:51 - Jumping on cultural moments
04:25 - Becoming the official beer of soccer (unofficially)
06:50 - How non sponsors got more coverage than sponsors for the World Cup
10:18 - How to manage a 150 year old brand
12:31 - Winning Cannes creative brand of the year
14:46 - Getting the wider business on board with creative work
17:06 - Ali’s favourite Cannes Lions winner
18:38 - Bringing back Dos Equis most interesting man
22:58 - The success of Birra Moretti
24:49 - Heineken’s sports sponsorship strategy
28:32 - How are Heineken bringing new people into the category
29:56 - The ingredients for a successful innovation
33:12 - Heineken’s partnership with Heinz
37:08 - How great CMOs keep creativity alive
40:11 - What makes a great CMO?
41:58 - What’s the best advice you’ve ever recieved?

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Najoh Tita-Reid, former Chief Growth Officer at Mars Petcare, joins us to discuss why she made the unusual decision to step away from one of the biggest roles in marketing to embark on a self-described "learning safari", immersing herself in the world of AI and exploring what it means for the future of business.

In this conversation, Najoh shares why she believes too many organisations are using AI purely to drive efficiency, when its greatest opportunity lies in unlocking growth. We explore how AI is changing creativity, leadership and the role of the CMO, why marketers risk becoming tacticians instead of strategic business leaders, and what today's CEOs really expect from marketing.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:57 - Why Najoh left Mars
02:18 - Why F1 is the perfect metaphor for AI in 2026
05:18 - Using AI for growth vs efficiency
08:01 - The impact AI is having on creativity
09:17 - Why AI is the colonisation of inefficiency
16:21 - Are we at risk of becoming tacticians and not strategy leaders?
18:52 - Does the CEO understand your role?
22:40 - Can AI actually delivery higher efficiency?
25:00 - What’s the secret to delivering growth
28:24 - What having a different job title gives you permission to do
33:11 - They key leadership skills for a great CMO
34:02 - Why great CMOs are accountable for making change
36:06 - Lessons from Najoh’s biggest failure
40:01 - The difference between culture in the UK and USA
44:09 - What Najoh has learnt on her learning safari
49:47 - The best advice Najoh has ever been given

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Brent Smart is one of the most respected marketers in the world. After spending more than 20 years in advertising, he made the rare move from agency life to become CMO of NRMA Insurance. Brent's most recent role as CMO of Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company, he helped transform the brand through bold, distinctive and highly effective marketing.

In this episode, Brent shares the principles behind his approach to creativity, from selling big ideas inside large organisations and drawing on academic marketing frameworks to building a culture where great work can thrive. We discuss the campaigns that defined his career, including Telstra's viral "Better on a Better Network" campaign, why humour and surprise remain powerful competitive advantages, and the unique agency model that helped Telstra consistently produce standout work.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:03 - Why Brent left Telstra
02:31 - Why Brent moved in house after 20 years agency side
05:41 - How to sell a creative idea into a big organisation
11:01 - The academic frameworks to create great marketing
12:16 - Why you should look at your brands heritage
14:02 - The most successful campaign Brent did for NRMA
17:33 - How Brent won a Grand Effie
21:13 - How Brent transformed Telstra’s brand marketing
26:08 - The Telstra Walk - the viral campaign
32:39 - Using humour to cut through
35:00 - The power of surprise and consistency
37:41 - The unique agency model that helped Telstra create cuthrough work
40:02 - Why craft is so important in 2026
42:44 - How to build a creative culture
47:11 - How to be a great CMO

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Bec Darley, CMO of Vodafone Australia, joins us to discuss what it really takes to grow a challenger brand in one of the world's toughest telecoms markets.

From competing against an entrenched duopoly to building distinctive campaigns with Ali Wong, Bec shares how Vodafone has embraced its challenger mindset rather than trying to imitate the market leaders. We explore why marketers need to understand far more than advertising, from unit economics and legal to customer experience and organisational change, and why the best marketing leaders are, ultimately, business leaders.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:54 - Who is Bec Darley?
03:31 - Taking on roles beyond marketing to make you a better marketer
05:38 - Why the history of duopolies in Australia makes being a challenger tough
08:53 - How does Vodafone take on the giants as a challenger
12:55 - Leaning into your disadvantage
16:01 - Vodafone’s commercials with Ali Wong
18:37 - The importance of legal for marketing
21:08 - When taking risks backfires - getting banned
24:19 - Focusing on mental availability
26:40 - Are we losing the ability to be creative while hunting efficiency
29:28 - Understanding the unit economics of the business
34:28 - How to manage a portfolio of brands
36:18 - Why you need to be customer first
38:51 - The best marketers move beyond marketing
40:24 - How to make change in a company
43:46 - Embracing discomfort and failing fast
46:23 - Bec’s advice to all young marketers

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Jonathan Kerr, CMO of Auto & General, joins us to explore how one of Australia's most successful challenger brands has built sustained growth by combining strong marketing fundamentals with relentless execution.

From creating a role for himself at Auto & General to helping Budget Direct become one of the country's fastest-growing insurance brands, Jonathan shares why product should always come before growth, how marketers can take greater ownership of the 4 Ps, and what insurance consistently gets right about creativity. We also discuss the power of distinctive brand characters, audio branding, in-house creative teams and a media strategy designed to maximise long-term effectiveness.

Useful links

• This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook
• Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Timestamps

00:00:00 - Start
00:01:41 - How Jonathan found out about Auto and General
00:03:31 - How Jonathan created a new role for himself
00:06:58 - How to balance low price with great product
00:10:36 - Market share growth for Budget Direct
00:12:06 - Focusing on product over growth
00:13:59 - How to control more of the P’s
00:16:51 - Why does insurance produce such creative work?
00:20:52 - The power of compounding work in insurance
00:24:21 - Developing brand characters, and when to kill them off
00:30:08 - The power of audio and jingles
00:34:16 - What’s too silly to be said can be sung
00:36:13 - Why they do so much work in house
00:40:34 - Budget Direct’s unique approach to media buying
00:42:43 - How Jonathan uses AI
00:48:04 - The key challenger brand principles Jonathan has followed
00:50:59 - What makes a successful CMO?
00:52:55 - Do we need to re-educate ourselves on marketing theory?
01:00:27 - The best advice you’ve ever recieved

Pedro Pina, VP of YouTube for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, joins us to explore how YouTube helped create the creator economy and why so many brands are still failing to take full advantage of it.

From the rise of full-time creators to the changing role of YouTube in the media landscape, Pedro explains what makes the platform unique, the metrics that actually matter, and why great content continues to outperform everything else. We also discuss the balance between long-form and Shorts, the "YouTube Confidence Gap" among CMOs, and how brands can build authentic partnerships with creators that drive real business results.

If you're wondering where marketing is heading next, this is a masterclass from one of the people shaping it.

Get the YouTube Confidence Gap Report from Little Dot Studios:
https://info.littledotstudios.com/little-dot-studios-the-youtube-confidence-gap-report

This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
01:35 - Why YouTube made a creator space in Cannes
03:06 - How Cannes has changed over the past 20 years
06:12 - How many people are paid to be YouTubers
09:39 - The secret of YouTube
11:08 - Who are the biggest creators on YouTube
12:36 - What are the most important metrics on YouTube
14:42 - Why content will always be king on YouTube
15:57 - What makes a succesful YouTuber
19:48 - Is YouTube a broadcaster, streaming platform or social network?
22:36 - How important is short form for creators in 2026
27:24 - The YouTube Confidence Gap
28:56 - What CMOs think about YouTube
29:54 - How to get more confidence in your YouTube strategy
32:53 - The biggest barriers for companies being successful on YouTube
35:00 - How can brands work successfully with creators
39:31 - How can brands be authentic when they work with creators
42:46 - What Pedro wishes CMOs understood better about YouTube
44:14 - The best advice Pedro has ever recieved

Novartis CMO Gail Horwood joins Janet Balis, Managing Director & Senior Partner at BCG, to explore how one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies is redefining healthcare marketing.

Fresh from winning two Cannes Lions, Gail shares how Novartis is proving that creativity can thrive even in one of the most heavily regulated industries. From partnering with the NFL for a Super Bowl campaign to convincing stakeholders to embrace bolder ideas, we discuss what it takes to create work that stands out while navigating complex regulations.

The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping both creativity and business transformation, where marketers should focus their efforts, and why the biggest opportunity for AI isn't just efficiency, but unlocking growth.

This episode has been produced in partnership with BCG. Browse their CMO Report here:
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/making-the-agentic-marketing-transformation-a-reality

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:49 - Jon’s full circle moment with Norvatis
01:39 - Novartis’ journey to two Cannes Lions
02:54 - Why more people need to walk the work
04:05 - Creating surprising advertising in a heavily regulated category
09:03 - Partnering with the NFL for a Super Bowl campaign
10:24 - How to get your company to embrace risky work
16:01 - How to get stakeholders outside of marketing onboard
19:35 - The reaction to the ads after Super Bowl
21:56 - How AI is being used in the service of creativity
27:04 - How Novartis are using AI for creativity
30:27 - How Novartis are rethinking their marketing with AI
32:46 - Where AI is going to be used outside of marketing
35:03 - AI for efficiency vs growth
37:16 - How to deliver leadership change in the age of AI
40:22 - The boring things AI will solve
42:53 - What makes Gail such a good CMO
44:25 - The worst way to evaluate your career success
45:57 - The best advice Gail has ever received

Lara Balazs, CMO of Adobe, joins us to discuss what it takes to lead one of the world's most influential creative brands through a period of enormous change.

From Adobe's presence at Cannes to the rapid rise of AI, Lara shares her vision for the company and why she believes technology should be used in service of creativity, rather than simply to drive efficiency. We explore why creativity matters more than ever in the age of AI, the skills Adobe looks for in marketers, and the traits that separate the most successful CMOs.

Lara also shares the practical leadership principles she uses to run her team, from creating a company plan on a page and harnessing the power of repetition to prioritising progress over perfection and using the “two-way door” approach to make faster decisions.

This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:23 - The most surprising thing about Lara
03:11 - How Adobe have stood out at Cannes
05:50 - What makes an influential CMO?
06:59 - How to manage a business through change
09:54 - Lara’s vision for Adobe
13:33 - Finding inspiration from a brand’s history
15:13 - Where AI has been used in service of creativity
18:03 - AI to enhance creativity vs increasing efficiency
20:42 - Why creativity still matters in the AI age
23:41 - What skillsets does Adobe hire for in marketing?
25:22 - The traits of the most successful CMOs
28:55 - The company plan on a page
30:49 - The power of repitition
32:05 - Progress over perfection at Adobe
33:14 - The two way door approach
37:19 - The best advice Lara has ever recieved

In this episode, Mark Abraham, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG, joins Elke Karskens, Head of International Marketing at OpenAI to explore how AI is already transforming marketing and what's coming next. We discuss OpenAI's remarkable growth, the launch of its first advertising campaign, and how marketers can prepare for a future where AI is embedded across every function.

The conversation covers how brands can increase their visibility in ChatGPT, the opportunities created by tools like Codex, the skills tomorrow's CMOs will need, and why the real value of AI isn't just efficiency, it's effectiveness.

This episode has been produced in partnership with BCG. Browse their CMO Report here:
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/making-the-agentic-marketing-transformation-a-reality

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:16 - Open AI’s meteoric rise
02:07 - Breakthrough moments for OpenAI
03:04 - How have Open AI scaled so quickly
04:49 - What will be led by humans and what will be led by AI in 5 years
06:09 - Open AI’s impressive first ad campaign
08:32 - Launch of the Open AI advertising platform
13:01 - How brands can rank in ChatGPT
14:44 - How brands can use Codex
17:44 - How do CMOs feel about AI
19:34 - How do you deliver transformation with AI
20:55 - What skillsets are going to be in demand for the future CMO
23:29 - Which brands are using AI well today
24:52 - What can we do with AI in a year from now we can’t do today?
29:45 - Why BCG and Open AI work together
30:53 - What don’t people understand about AI?
35:11 - Efficiency and cost savings vs effectiveness in AI
38:15 - Best advice you’ve ever been given

For years, Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp have been two of the most influential and most opinionated voices in marketing. They've challenged each other's ideas, debated strategy, and helped shape how an entire generation of marketers thinks.

Now, for the first time in more than a decade, at Cannes Lions, they sit down together to answer a simple question: what do they actually agree on?

From How Brands Grow and the 95:5 rule to distinctiveness, the 4 Ps, mass marketing, luxury brands, purpose and AI, this conversation explores the fundamental marketing principles they both believe every marketer should understand.

There are still plenty of disagreements (and more than a few jokes at each other's expense), but this is a rare opportunity to hear two of the industry's biggest thinkers build a shared foundation for modern marketing.

This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Timestamps

00:00:00 - Start
00:00:40 - Teaser
00:02:08 - Mark Ritson on Champagne
00:03:42 - When did Mark and Byron meet
00:05:36 - Why Byron and Mark are coming together after a decade
00:07:25 - When Jon met Byron
00:08:57 - Is AI more brand centric than humans?
00:11:08 - Mark and Byron’s criticism on their Cannes talk
00:12:49 - The problem with academia
00:13:45 - What do marketers still not understand about How Brands Grow
00:18:06 - You are not the customer
00:20:56 - Distinctiveness vs relative differentiation
00:28:45 - Why we need to control all 4 Ps
00:33:10 - The 95:5 rule
00:39:20 - Why Byron doesn’t like the term “Long Term”
00:42:41 - The role of mass marketing
00:46:40 - How to do mass marketing as a challenger brand
00:53:45 - How long does it take to build a proper brand
00:56:10 - What does Byron think of P&G
00:58:47 - The power of distinctive brand assets
01:03:42 - Why brand anniversaries are pointless
01:04:40 - How luxury brands grow
01:09:16 - The role of purpose
01:16:58 - The dark lord of penetration
01:18:17 - What pet name does Byron have for Mark
01:23:17 - Closing remarks

In this episode, Josh Spanier from Google and Lauren Wiener from BCG join us to discuss how AI is transforming marketing, organisations, and the role of the CMO. From navigating the AI hype cycle to building the right culture for change, they share practical advice for leaders trying to turn AI from a buzzword into a genuine competitive advantage.

We also explore the future skills marketers will need, the changing role of agencies, why marketing should lead AI transformation, and where the industry is likely to be just 12 months from now.

This episode has been produced in partnership with BCG. Browse their CMO Report here:
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/making-the-agentic-marketing-transformation-a-reality

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:52 - Where are we in the AI hype cycle
04:48 - How are Google seeing AI impact businesses
06:50 - The difference between the CMOs who are getting it right and wrong
09:05 - The future of marketing in the age of AI
10:48 - The skills of the future CMO
16:41 - Why marketing needs to drive the change
19:18 - Positive examples of AI
24:01 - How do organisations make the change
27:02 - When AI campaigns don’t go so well
29:11 - How AI data will transform marketing
30:13 - Dealing with higher expectations but less resource
35:25 - The culture to enable successful AI transformation
36:55 - The role of agencies in an AI world
38:50 - AI predictions in 12 months
40:23 - The best advice you’ve ever been given
41:52 - Where will marketing be in 12 months