Marketing Vanguard

Latest Episodes:

Successfully Using AI in Business with ClearPrompt CEO, Karin Timpone, at the World Economic Forum Event Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

Podcasting live from the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Karin Timpone, CEO and Founder of ClearPrompt, unpacks how to implement AI with focused, phased approaches rather than sweeping transformations and staying in the center of business strategy.

What You'll Learn:

Why CMOs are perfectly positioned to lead AI strategy across organizations
How to break down AI implementation into focused, phased pilots instead of betting the entire farm
The difference between technology adoption and strategic impact
How to build cross-functional alignment in the C-suite around technology and strategy
Pick one lane and go deep rather than trying to master all of AI
Why it’s important to lean into industry moments that connect you with peers facing similar challenges

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Brandweek 2025: Build-A-Bear’s CEO, Sharon Price John on Claiming Your Place, Being a CEO and More Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

From $0 confidence to CEO of one of the most well-known brands in the world, Sharon Price John’s story is nothing short of inspiring and we’re unpacking it on the latest episode of Marketing Vanguard. In this conversation, straight from the Brandweek 2025 stage in Atlanta, Sharon, CEO of Build-A-Bear, reveals her unconventional career journey and how that evolution directly shaped the turnaround and reimagining of an iconic experiential brand.

What You'll Learn:

How to transition from functional expertise to CEO-level thinking
Why CMOs must adopt a "business-first" mindset to advance
The confidence gap that holds high-potential women back from applying for stretch roles
How to unlock brand equity by understanding feeling over function
The critical role of authentic leadership in driving organizational transformation
How to pivot a single-location retail concept into an IP-driven, multi-vertical business

In an era where the marketing playbook is being rewritten daily, how can brands stay ahead? Joshua Spanier, Google’s VP of AI and Marketing Strategy, pulls back the curtain in “Frontier CMO,” his new podcast and weekly insights letter featuring the marketers, thought leaders, and industry pioneers who are reinventing marketing.

Josh previews the tough questions and unfiltered conversations featured on Frontier CMO, including:

AI as a leadership test: exploring the "human" side of the AI revolution. As technology and tools advance the challenge becomes equipping marketing teams to leverage these technologies
Brand relevance and connection: writing the next playbook for brand relevance by showing up as a main character in the places and spaces that connect with your audience
Agentic Commerce: understanding the transition from "speed vs. certainty" to a world where shopping is fast and smart
The new marketing organization: knowing where AI makes work faster and smarter and restructuring teams to keep up. Redefining agency partnerships to elevate insights and creativity in real time

Each episode of Frontier CMO features tactical, practical steps all leaders can take to navigate the future of marketing. Find it wherever you get your podcasts: YouTube | Apple | Spotify

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CMO Relevance Secrets with Sumit Virmani at the World Economic Forum Event Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

More than ever before, CMOs belong in the C-Suite. And, Sumit Virmani, CMO of Infosys, has a strong case to back this stance up. In this episode of Marketing Vanguard, live from the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Sumit breaks down the necessary evolution of the CMO, what AI has to do with it, and the strategic imperative of aligning with C-suite priorities.

What You'll Learn:

Why CMOs need to operate within the full C-suite context, not just marketing bubbles
How to position yourself as a transformation partner, not a marketing operator
The critical difference between using AI to do marketing better versus using AI to expand your business influence
Why advocating for marketing's "seat at the strategy table" requires complementing creative genius with AI-powered analytics
How to build an undeniable business case for attending high-level forums like Davos

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Workday CMO, Emma Chalwin, Discussing the AI Era - World Economic Forum Event Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

CMOs can drive business revenue - this is an established fact. But how can they do it better, bigger, and stronger in the age of AI? We’re unpacking this in the latest episode of Marketing Vanguard, live from the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos. Tune in as Emma Chalwin, CMO at Workday, breaks down the evolving strategic role of CMOs at major enterprises, the intersection of AI and human-centered marketing, and how chief marketing officers can become essential drivers of business growth.

What You'll Learn:

How to position CMOs as strategic business leaders in the age of AI
The "Art and Science" Framework for modern CMOs to thrive
Why AI adoption requires a human-centered brand narrative
How to reframe customer relationships from acquisition to retention
The "B2B to B2H" (Business to Human) messaging approach and why it’s critical
How to embed brand values as competitive differentiation

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Rachel Thornton is Making Marketers 10x More Powerful at Adobe - World Economic Forum Event Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

AI has long been thought of as a threat to creativity. But what if they’re not at odds at all? In this episode of Marketing Vanguard, live from the World Economic Forum in Davos, CMO of Adobe Enterprise, Rachel Thornton, reveals why putting human creativity at the center of marketing strategy is more critical than ever and how CMOs should be navigating this tectonic shift.

What You'll Learn:

How to position AI as "augmented intelligence" rather than artificial intelligence
Why the core creative concept must remain human-driven while AI handles scaling
How to free your marketers from tactical asset-building so they focus on what they love
The framework for proving marketing's revenue impact to your C-suite
Why authenticity and brand definition are now competitive imperatives
How to treat customers as co-creators of your brand experience, particularly with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences

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How Microsoft’s Bonnie Pelosi Uses AI to Lead at the Edge of Innovation - World Economic Forum Event Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

AI has permeated every conversation since 2024, but CMOs have yet to use it to its full potential. In this episode of Marketing Vanguard, live from the World Economic Forum at Davos, Bonnie Pelosi, CEO EMEA at Microsoft, reveals the truth about AI in marketing - what’s going right, what’s going wrong, and everything in between.

What You'll Learn:

How to embed governance into AI implementation from day one
Why CMOs must act as connectors across the entire C-suite
The "Customer Zero" mindset and why AI use cases must be geared, first, towards customers
How to lead cultural transformation, not just technology rollout
Why curiosity and empathy are non-negotiable CMO competencies
The distinction between tactical and strategic leadership

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Salesforce CMO, Ariel Kelman's 25-Year Playbook for Marketing at Scale Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

In today’s tech-driven world, tech marketers cannot afford to lose sight of client trust. And yet, they do. On this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast, President and CMO of Salesforce, Ariel Kelman, reveals why customer success storytelling matters more than ever, how to ground AI in trusted first-party data, and the key strategies for balancing AI automation with human creativity.

What You'll Learn:

How to ground AI agents in customer data to drive measurable outcomes
Why CMO leadership must pioneer AI adoption before mandating it across teams
AI’s productivity paradox - why it enables both more output AND better work-life balance
How to position your brand's trust as a competitive moat in the AI era
The framework for balancing centralized brand strategy with decentralized field execution
Why "show, don't tell" beats feature-focused marketing when launching complex products

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The Proven Playbook for Cultural Relevance at Georgia-Pacific with Laura Knebusch Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

How does one keep a 100-year-old brand relevant in today’s turbulent times of marketing and consumption? The full picture reveals itself in this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast as Laura Knebusch, SVP of CPG Marketing and CX at Georgia-Pacific, breaks down what it takes to keep a heritage brand alive and thriving. From how century-old heritage brands like Brawny, Angel Soft, and Dixie evolve without alienating loyal consumers to how a classically trained marketer navigates AI, retail transformation, and cultural moments in real time, this conversation proves that adaptability and agility aren’t just possible; it’s crucial to the success and growth of your brand.

What You'll Learn:

How to refresh iconic brand characters while preserving core equity
Why "living your brands" is an organizational imperative, not just a marketing function
The measurement system that connects marketing investment to business outcomes
How to capitalize on viral moments and cultural momentum without losing authenticity
Why sustainability messaging shouldn't drive your brand positioning (even when consumers care)
How to architect a modern marketing organization that balances internal capabilities with external partnerships

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How to Become a SUCCESSFUL Challenger Brand ft. BodyArmor and Tom Gargiulo Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

Creative scrappiness can take brands where no one else has ever gone before - that’s BodyArmor’s story and we’re diving deep into it on the latest episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Tune in as the brand’s CMO, Tom Gargiulo, opens up the pages of his playbook on succeeding as a challenger brand. From how to build winning athlete partnerships and leverage unconventional media channels for outsized ROI to executing a brand rebirth that resonates with both consumers and retail partners, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on punching above your weight in the CPG space and coming out on top.

What You'll Learn:

How to build a disruptor/ challenger brand positioning in a saturated category
Why athlete-first partnerships outperform big-budget league deals if you’re a resource-constrained brands
The power of the bottling community’s alignment in driving execution
How social media ROI dramatically outperforms traditional TV
The value of transparency and space-giving in high-performing marketing teams
Why strategic media partnerships (Barstool, Dude Perfect, Savannah Bananas) create household brand status without massive budgets

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When Your Brand is Core to the Growth Engine, You Need to Learn How to Drive ft. Caryn Wasser Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Brand marketing is getting its time to shine in the latest episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast as we sit down with Caryn Wasser, Chief Brand Officer at Little Spoon. Tune in for an energizing conversation on how a brand drives growth and revenue and why its place in scaling a business should never be underestimated. Plus: exclusive insights on how she built a $150M+ brand from a windowless WeWork room to become the largest online baby and kids food company in the U.S.

What You'll Learn:

How to design a Chief Brand Officer role from scratch by letting business needs dictate strategy, not industry conventions
Why "brand-led growth" requires being obsessively rooted in consumer truth over chasing marketing trends
The operational framework for treating marketing as a full-funnel, interconnected system where every team member owns business impact
How to maintain authentic brand positioning when scaling into retail without compromising identity
Why early-stage founders should pursue board seats and executive roles at startups over staying at legacy companies
The counterintuitive approach to celebrity and influencer partnerships

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