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.

In the quest to keep up with technological advancements, brands are beginning to enter the world of venture capitalism to "get in on the ground floor" of the next game-changing innovation. But what type of partnerships make sense for brands, whose objectives aren't quick profit, but learnings and competitive advantages? And how does a brand even enter this space? We spoke with Jessica Peltz of MDC Ventures, who shared her journey into the world of Corporate VC, and discussed some tech developments marketers should keep an eye on.

The Hershey Company, celebrating its 125-year anniversary in 2019, was founded by Milton S. Hershey, a serial entrepreneur on a mission to “democratize chocolate,” which at the time was considered a luxury good. Over the years, what began as a simple candy bar has become a globally recognized family of brands, an amusement park, a school, and an entire town. But even a brand as established and beloved as Hershey isn’t impervious to disruption. We spoke with Charlie Chappell, Head of Integrated Media and Comms Planning at The Hershey Company, about the company’s philosophy on innovation, what it took to “digitally transform” its legacy media strategy, and some of the hits—and misses—that the brand experienced along the way.

Artificial Intelligence is already a significant part of most marketers’ toolkits. Whether it’s email automation, product recommendation, programmatic media buying, or data analytics, AI touches a majority of the marketing function. But did you know that the commercial application of AI is still 10 years behind what the technology is actually capable of? We spoke with Michael Trapani, Director of Marketing at IBM Watson Marketing, about the “now, new, and next” of AI, including the future of personalization, the importance of data security, and what the next decade of AI developments has in store for marketers.

A recent study that looked at the 3,000 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. found that businesses that hire and retain a diverse workforce across the ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation spectrum were better at developing innovative products and services. We spoke with Netta Jenkins, VP of Global Inclusion at The Mosaic Group and Ask Applications, about the importance of not only hiring, but training and empowering underrepresented employees. Netta shared how brands could take active steps to create an inclusive environment for their employees, and laid out the business benefits that come from a broad and dynamic marketplace of ideas.