The Dumbest Guy in the Room

Latest Episodes:

You Are What You Eat. And Wear. And Watch. | Morgan Flatley, Global CMO of McDonald's Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

As political tribalism rages across America, supporting brands on social media has gotten more complicated. The brands we align with have to align with our values – because supporting the wrong ones could alienate us from our political tribes. This week, McDonald’s Global Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley joins CivicScience CEO John Dick to discuss how brands can navigate the minefield of politics and cancel culture, and whether it’s possible for a brand to appeal to everyone – or even most of everyone.

It's Politics, Stupid: Why Economic Realities are Drowning Under the Flood of Political Tribalism | Tony Fratto of Hamilton Place Strategies Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

Politics used to take a backseat to economics, but at some point that all changed. The average American today is better off financially than they were before the pandemic, but consumer confidence – our economic outlook – is in the tank. Why? It's politics, of course.

In this episode of The Dumbest Guy in the Room, Tony Fratto, the former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and current partner at Hamilton Place Strategies, joins host John Dick to discuss the friction between political tribalism and economic truth, how government and media have failed in explaining basic policy virtues to the American people, and why bagel sandwiches kind of suck.

Renewing the American Dream: How Hispanic-Americans Can Save our Fractured Nation | Roberto Ruiz, executive vice president of Research, Insights and Analytics at Univision Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

CivicScience data tell us that Hispanics today are a mind-blowing one-and-a-half times more likely than non-Hispanics to believe they can achieve the “American Dream.” Non-Hispanics are 20% less likely to believe the American Dream exists at all.

In our final episode of the season, CivicScience CEO and host John Dick talks with Roberto Ruiz, the head of Research, Insights, and Analytics for Univision, the largest Hispanic-audience media company in the U.S. The two discuss the growing and evolving population of Hispanics in America, why they’re so crucial to marketers, and – surprisingly – why a growing number of them supported Donald Trump in 2020.

Subscribe to the CivicScience newsletter at civicscience.com.

Banking, Breadwinning, and the Changing American Household: Part II | Andrea Brimmer, Chief Marketing Officer of Ally Financial Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

Research tells us that the way math is taught in elementary schools is better suited for boys, while the majority of high school math and science teachers are men. Play that out over a few hundred years and it’s not hard to understand why the odds are stacked against women in STEM. But the ripple effects don’t end there. In addition to – or perhaps even because of – the foundational gender biases in math, girls are also less likely to learn about financial management and investing at a young age, leaving them less equipped in those areas as adults.

In Part II of our series on the evolving role of women in America, CivicScience CEO and host John Dick welcomes Andrea Brimmer, the Chief Marketing Officer of Ally Financial. Andrea and John discuss how better digital tools have enabled a new generation of women to take control of their financial lives, why sponsorship of women's sports is so crucial, and how she uses bottles of wine to tell the days apart during COVID.

Subscribe to the CivicScience newsletter at civicscience.com.

Banking, Breadwinning, and the Changing American Household: Part I | Meredith Verdone, Chief Marketing Officer of Bank of America Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

To say the COVID crisis has been harder on women is an egregious understatement. The disproportionate mental, emotional, physical, and financial toll on women since last March will be one of the lasting – and saddest – legacies of the pandemic. Yet, according to Civic Science data, U.S. women continue to take on a greater share of household responsibilities in areas like finance, insurance, and major purchases like houses and cars. Most men are barely taking on a couple extra grocery runs.

To talk about the challenges facing women today, CivicScience CEO and host John Dick welcomes Meredith Verdone, the Chief Marketing Officer of Bank of America, one of the largest companies in the world and a leader in corporate responsibility. Meredith and John discuss the impact of the pandemic on women in the workforce, the women who inspired her, the role of empathy in marketing, and the one place she can’t wait to go when the pandemic is over.

Subscribe to the CivicScience newsletter at civicscience.com.

The Future of Work | Bracken Darrell, CEO of Logitech Apr 08, 2021

Show notes

By now, everyone knows about how the pandemic sent millions of (former) office workers scrambling to outfit their homes with new tech for the onset of a year of remote work. What isn't so intuitive is how much people have -liked- working from home: More than 40% of U.S. adults now say they'd be willing to take a pay cut to be able to work remotely from anywhere they choose.

On this episode of The Dumbest Guy in the Room, Logitech CEO (and this week's smart guest) Bracken Darrell joins host John Dick for a discussion of how the pandemic jumpstarted tech and work trends that began years before COVID-19 entered the lexicon. They also talk about company leadership, what it means to "fire yourself," and who exactly is picking up all those phone calls from unknown numbers.

Subscribe to the CivicScience newsletter at civicscience.com.

Shuffling Playlists: How Music is Reborn (Pt. 2): Matt Mangano, Bassist for the Zac Brown Band Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

Live music has been, without a doubt, one of the industries hit hardest by the pandemic. According to the latest CivicScience data, just 37% of Americans would be comfortable attending a concert right now.

In this episode of The Dumbest Guy in the Room, Zac Brown Band bassist Matt Mangano will share an artist’s perspective on the music industry, how professional musicians were uniquely equipped to weather the pandemic, and what music will look like when everything opens up again.

Subscribe to the CivicScience newsletter at civicscience.com.

Shuffling Playlists: How Music is Reborn (Pt. 1): Bob Lefsetz Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

CivicScience data show that Americans’ passion for music has been on a steady decline since 2016 — especially among Gen Z.

In this episode of The Dumbest Guy in the Room, legendary music critic Bob Lefsetz joins host John Dick to talk about the state of the music biz mid-pandemic, the effect of streaming, and how the music industry can turn things around.

Polling Sucks But We Need It - John Anzalone Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

In this episode of The Dumbest Guy in the Room, host John Dick explores the existential crisis facing the polling industry and why it needs to be saved, with smart guest, John Anzalone, the lead pollster for President Joe Biden and many others.

The Johns will also talk about how political research evolved during the 2020 election, why Democrats were easier to reach at home during the pandemic, and why America might not be nearly as divided as it seems.

Subscribe to the CivicScience newsletter at civicscience.com.

Mark Cuban: The Next Generation of Sports Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

Mark Cuban (the smart guy in the room this week) is a legendary entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist.

In this episode, Mark and CivicScience CEO John Dick discuss the economic climate, the growth of non-fungible tokens, and the future of sports and media.

They also discuss the potential for Gen Z and breakdown some of the insights we’ve gleaned from CivicScience polling data.

Subscribe to the CivicScience newsletter at civicscience.com.

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