In 2020, upwards of 845,000 weddings were canceled due to COVID-19. However, many brave couples decided their love couldn't wait, even if their friends and families couldn't be there with them to celebrate. Jared the Galleria of Jewelry stepped up to help these of couples make their dreams come true with a seamless and personalized virtual wedding platform, complete with customizable invitations, streaming, and celebrity advice and officiants. Alan Gravely, VP of Marketing and eCommerce for Signet Jewelers, took us behind the scenes and explained how the platform and campaign came together within a matter of days.

It’s safe to say that 2020 was a surreal year for everyone, but for Dave Mering, founder of the Mering Agency, a Shipyard company, that doesn’t begin to describe it. His agency works almost exclusively with brands in the travel and tourism industry, and as the world began to shut down due to COVID 19, 100 percent of his clients pulled all advertising, as consumers were asked to stay home. Dave and his agency faced massive challenges, but with agile operation and innovative thinking, they were able to create compelling work that kept tourist destinations top of mind without actually encouraging them to travel.

Today’s guest is Erich Joachimsthaler, VIVALDI CEO and author of The Interaction Field (among others). Since his time at university, Erich has spent his career chasing the intangible value of a brand, far beyond sentimentality and logo recognition. In his latest book, Erich lays out the true intangible value brands can leverage — new digital business models that go beyond delivering great products and services. He shared why brands must enter into a new “Customer Contract” with consumers, one in which they work to solve problems faced by society, not the market.

Our industry has a diversity problem. The lack of equity and inclusion on marketing teams – particularly leadership – is why today’s guest stopped waiting for a seat at a table and built her own. Selle Evans is the founder and CEO of Masterly Business Solutions, a marketing agency focused on leveraging personalization to grow brands. Selle and Mike discussed the power of personalization, common mistakes companies make in their early stages, and the romantic power of Mix CDs.

“Transformation” is a word that comes up quite a bit in the marketing world, and with good reason. Consumers, technology, and society at large are evolving at such a rapid pace, making minor adjustments and updates to your brand is no longer sufficient. Our guest for this episode, CFA Institute CMO Michael Collins, is no stranger to the “dirty work” of transformation. Michael shared how he reinvented the marketing function at CFA Institute and streamlined a team of 120 marketers working in dozens of regions across the globe.

IPG Media Lab works with some of the world’s largest brands to drive innovation in media, marketing, and business models. As the dedicated innovation initiative of the UM family of agencies, they’ve worked with companies of all sizes, across numerous verticals. Chad Stoller and Adam Simon of IPG Media Lab discussed the types of conversations they have with marketers around innovation, gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how IPG Media stays innovative, and asked whether one can truly measure innovation success.

In 2020, as the world was on lockdown, consumers reignited an old relationship – with their TV, that is. Today, we’re joined by Bob Ivins and Jo Kinsella of TVSquared to discuss the rebirth of television, and what it means to advertisers. Bob and Jo explained why Direct-to-Consumer brands are turning to TV in droves and gave their opinions on when we might finally see fully-addressable TV ads.   

What if I told you that every computer system on the planet had roots that stretched all the way back to 350 BC? Aristotle, a Greek philosopher who laid the foundation for much of modern Western thought, developed the concept of binary logic – that everything is either A or not-A, or to put it in more familiar terms, 1s and 0s. And while this system has served us well through the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the development of AI and Machine Learning has exposed a dangerous flaw in binary logic – collecting data in this black and white, yes or no fashion has perpetuated bias in AI systems.

Our guest today is Twain Liu, an inventor, engineer, and the former UBS board observer for more than 20 major tech investments. Twain discussed why binary logic is insufficient when trying to replicate the human thought process in machines and explained how da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and R2D2 from Star Wars, both played a pivotal role in her journey to developing a more human AI.

Marketers are constantly struggling to take the oceans of data at their disposal and figure out what to do with it. Adding to the challenge are data privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, which threaten to turn brands’ first-party data from an asset to a liability. To provide our listeners with some clarity on the subject, we spoke with Affinity Answers, a marketing data science company that focuses on identifying and activating the right data for brands.

Sree, Josh, and Jack of Affinity Answers discussed the difference Deterministic vs. probabilistic, offered tips for working with data scientists, and stressed why marketers should pivot their data focus from “knowing” to “understanding.”

Artificial Intelligence touches just about every facet of our modern lives, and its effect on marketing cannot be overstated. So, when you want to learn about what’s now, new, and next in AI, who do you turn to other than the folks that are building it? Today we’re joined by Antonio Maiorino and Alberto Mario Pirovano of Helixa, to talk about the evolving world of marketing automation, from next-gen chatbots to natural language processing. The two shared a peek behind the curtain on new developments in the company and discussed what other innovations could come from cracking the code of processing natural language.

From its inception, the Marketing Futures Podcast has always championed diversity and inclusion, recognizing their vital role in innovation, and creating a better tomorrow in general. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with someone who’s helping brands live their ideals. Our guest for this episode is Terrence Clark, President and CEO at The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council. Terrence certifies businesses owned by ethnic minorities, works to put them in the position to take advantage of market opportunities, and connects those companies with a network of major corporate members looking to diversify their supply chain. Learn how the NYNJMSDC accelerates the development of ethnic minority-owned companies, and how brands can play a role in diversifying the industry.

Spark, a New Zealand-based telecom company in the midst of a rebrand, created a truly inspiring app that sits at the nexus of purpose and next-gen technology. Kupu uses AI-powered machine learning to understand objects in photos and translate them into te reo, the language of the indigenous Māori people, in real time. Our guest, Dan Wright of Colenso BBDO, shared the inspiration behind the Kupu app, explained the tech behind it, and discussed the importance of this app, not just for the Māori people, but for all New Zealanders.

“Kupu by Spark” is an ANA ECHO Award-winner in four categories: Technology and Communications, Best Use of Mobile, Best Campaign for CSR/Social Good, and Best Use of Emerging Technologies. The ANA Awards program celebrates great marketing and innovative thinking from the industry’s leading brands. You can find more information on the ECHO Awards, and on the ANA Awards program in general.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing lack the innate ability to know what's going on around them because much of that situational awareness is driven by the ability to hear. Corinne Feight and Kristen Bell of Area 23 set out to find a way to help this community through technology and began a fateful journey that culminated in the creation of “See Sound.” See Sound by Wavio uses AI-powered machine learning to listen for common household sounds, such as glass breaking or a baby crying. Once detected, the technology sends a tailored smartphone notification to the user. Corinne and Kristen discussed the inspiration for the project, explained how AI was “trained” to recognize and differentiate sounds, and described the meeting that took See Sound from idea to reality.

See Sound is the ANA Multicultural Excellence Award Grand Prize Winner in the People with Disabilities category. The ANA Awards program celebrates great marketing and innovative thinking from the industry’s leading brands. For more information visit ANA Awards.

Estrella Jalisco, an beer under the Anheuser-Busch family of brands, noticed that the autocomplete function when typing "Mexicans are" in the Facebook search bar revealed very negative results that did not reflect the truth about Mexican culture. The brand embarked on a mission to change the negative stereotypes through “Share for Good,” a next-generation content marketing campaign, partnering with Mexican artists, filmmakers, designers, and creators to unleash a tidal wave of positive, inspiring content about Mexican people and culture.

“Share for Good” is the Grand Prize recipient of the ANA Multicultural Award for Excellence in Hispanic advertising. This is the inaugural episode in partnership with the ANA Awards program, which celebrates great marketing and innovative thinking from the industry’s leading brands. For more information visit ANA Awards.

For the majority of the U.S. workforce, the past three months have been a complete paradigm shift in what’s considered “business as usual.” Millions of us are, for the first time in our careers, working entirely remotely, and brands across the country are scrambling to establish a “new normal.” But what if your entire workforce was remote to begin with? Marketing Futures spoke with Russ Perry, the founder of Design Pickle, a member of Inc.’s 500 fastest growing companies in 2019, about what it’s like to manage a staff of more than 400, of which only a small handful live and work in the company’s headquarter city of Scottsdale, Arizona. Russ discussed what the first few weeks of the COVID-19 crisis were like for Design Pickle, and shared advice for leaders looking to maintain creativity and camaraderie from afar.

In an age where consumer attention spans are at an all-time low, something curious is happening: under the right circumstances, consumers are spending hours - even days - immersed in lush fictional worlds such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and The Avengers. However, world building isn't just for blockbuster entertainment franchises. When executed well, brands can create immersive worlds of their own, significantly driving brand loyalty in the process. We spoke with Tara Deveaux and Shawn Shahani of Wild Card about a new study on world building and consumer behavior. They shared what marketers could learn from Hollywood producers, and gave tips on creating a world of engagement around your brand.

“Innovation occurs when what’s needed meets what’s possible.”

Ted McConnell, SVP of Business Development at Lucid, is no stranger to innovation. Throughout his illustrious career, Ted found himself time and again pushing the envelope on behalf of global brands, including shepherding the creation and implementation of Hawkeye, P&G’s in-house programmatic buying operation, 10 years ago. Ted shared his thoughts on what brands need to do to enable innovation to thrive within their organizations, discussed the challenges of balancing consumer data privacy and effective advertising, and explained how playing with music synthesizers helped him understand data and technology.

Influencer marketing is one of the hottest trends in the industry right now. Brands are teaming up with celebrities, artists, athletes, and more to reach consumers in a way that feels genuine and native to the social platforms they spend all their time on. But all too often, brands jump into these relationships without the proper vetting, which can lead to disaster.

At the 2019 ANA influencer conference, we spoke with Richard Plansky and Benedict Hamilton of Kroll, a corporate investigation company, about brand safety in influencer marketing. Richard and Ben discussed the right way for brands to approach influencer vetting, shared some influencer horror stories, and shed light on one of the biggest misconceptions brands have about “micro-influencers.”

It’s 2020, and still one of the most popular topics among marketers is digital transformation. According to a study by Deloitte, 87% of companies think digital will disrupt their industry, but only 44% feel they’re prepared for such a disruption. That’s why today, we’re talking with Chris Aarons, one of the co-authors of the Digital Helix: Transforming Your Organization's DNA to Thrive in the Digital Age. Chris shared why tech alone isn’t going to cut it, and talked about the importance of intellectual curiosity, and constantly looking for new learnings and strategies on your path to digital transformation.

It’s a new year, full of possibilities, which makes it the perfect time to welcome Dr. Joseph Riggio to the Marketing Futures Podcast. Dr. Riggio is an expert in cognitive and neuroscience, and an executive trainer and consultant for 30 years. He breaks down “carrot” vs. “stick” motivation, and why “FOMO” (fear of missing out) might be every marketer’s favorite buzzword, but is a terrible way to base your long-term strategy. Instead, Dr. Riggio recommends “Possibility-Based Marketing,” which leverages joyful emotions and consumer aspirations to influence purchase decisions. Finally, he shares why the “Hero’s Journey” – the narrative structure of myths dating back centuries—is the key to driving meaningful, lasting brand loyalty.

It’s one thing to be agile and innovative when your business is a 10-person startup, “growth hacking” its way to success. It’s another thing entirely when your business has more than 17,000 employees, and a family of more than 20 brands, many of which are household names. David Lee and Ryan Reis of MillerCoors gave the Marketing Futures Podcast a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to make bold ideas work in a multi-billion-dollar company, and discussed why some ideas that seem like “no-brainers” from the outside look at lot different from within. 

The fourth installment in the Future of Brand Activation miniseries features the first Chief Innovation Officer to grace the Marketing Futures Podcast: Lisa Hurwitz, CMO and CIO of Grassroots Cannabis. Lisa welcomed us inside the Grassroots “Herbmobile” to share what it’s like growing a brand for the long-term in the midst of the “gold rush” market of legal cannabis. She discussed the challenges of reeducating consumers about cannabis after decades of stigmatization, and what a typical day looks like for the head of marketing and innovation in an emerging market.

We all get by with a little help from our friends. Today, we're talking with Joel Walker, Group Creative Director at BlueChip Marketing, as our miniseries on the Future of Brand Activation rolls on. Joel and his team have worked with brands ranging from challengers fighting for market share, to category leaders looking to evolve with the times, helping to infuse their marketing with the innovation necessary to drive growth.

Learn what Joel looks for when hiring new team members, and which trend he thinks is about to change the game.

For decades, Barbie has been one of the most iconic toy brands on the planet. However, recently the doll that played an integral role in the childhood of millions began to struggle to keep pace with the changes in society, and relevance (and sales) suffered as a result.

Enter: Lisa McKnight, a 20-year veteran at Mattel, who stepped up to bring the Barbie brand into a new era, creating new revenue streams in the process. Lisa shared her journey that led her to become the Global Head of the Barbie brand, and discussed the key insights that led to the transformation of an icon.

The Marketing Futures Podcast is proud to present a special miniseries on The Future of Brand Activation, recorded on-site at the 2019 Brand Activation Marketing Conference in Orlando, FL. The miniseries showcases brands that are driving growth using key elements of Brand Activation, including influencer marketing, retail activation, commerce marketing, and more.

In 2014, Alvaro Luque was hand-picked to become the first president and CEO of Avocados from Mexico, a not-for-profit organization charged with coordinating the marketing activities for all major Mexican avocado farmers. Just six months later, the brand introduced itself to the world on the largest possible stage for advertising: the Super Bowl. In each of the five years since, Avocados from Mexico has taken either the No. 1 or No. 2 spot on Merkle’s “Digital Bowl Report,” which evaluates Super Bowl advertisers’ digital marketing efforts. Luque shared his philosophy behind the brand’s bold debut strategy, and discussed the omnichannel activations that amplified the brand’s Super Bowl efforts beyond the TV screen.

Innovation takes many forms -- using cutting-edge technology to engage customers, forging unconventional partnerships to bring your brand into new spaces, and taking a bold stand on something you believe in, to name a few. We were lucky enough to speak with the head of marketing for Bacardi, a brand doing all of the above and more.

Ned Duggan, Global SVP of Marketing at Bacardi, talked company culture, the importance of music to Bacardi's brand, and why the company is vowing to eliminate the use of 1 billion single-use plastic straws by 2020.