Advertise on podcast: Adspeak

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Jenny Rooney speaks with Pratik Thakar, Global VP and Head of Generative AI at The Coca-Cola Company, about the brand’s bold, AI-generated holiday campaign unveiled at Brand Week. Thakar explains why Coca-Cola prioritised creative ambition and speed over cost-cutting, and how a human-first approach to AI is reshaping modern marketing. The conversation explores legal and ethical considerations, new agency collaboration models, and how to embed AI expertise across organisations without silos. It’s a clear-eyed look at why AI marks an inflection point CMOs can’t afford to ignore. What You'll Learn: How to position AI as a creative superpower, not a replacement toolThe "Human First, AI-Amplified" production frameworkWhy you cannot treat your biggest business opportunity as a cost-cutting experimentHow to create organizational velocity through distributed AI adoptionThe legal and IP infrastructure required to scale AI responsiblyWhy iteration speed and re-rendering flexibility are competitive advantages  About the Guest: Pratik Thakar is Global Vice President and Head of Generative AI at The Coca-Cola Company, where he leads the development of scalable AI platforms that enhance consumer and brand experiences across Coca-Cola’s global portfolio. With more than 25 years of experience in creative marketing, design, media, and communications, he has delivered award-winning work for some of the world’s most iconic brands. A passionate advocate for human-first AI, Pratik is also an industry leader, educator, and advisor focused on sustainability, equality, and responsible technology. Guest Resources:  Pratik Thakar on LinkedInCoca-Cola Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Ryan Joe speaks with Craig Brommers, CMO of American Eagle, about how bold and polarizing marketing can translate into real business growth. Brommers breaks down the strategy behind American Eagle’s headline-grabbing celebrity campaigns, including how the brand gained over a million new customers by refusing to retreat amid social media backlash. The conversation explores risk-taking and crisis management, while exploring why data and not online noise should guide decision-making. From building momentum like a serialized show to tapping into cultural moments that resonate with Gen Z, this episode offers a clear playbook for modern retail marketers. What You'll Learn: How to Build a Year-Round Holiday Marketing Engine by launching campaigns in August The "Don't Blink" Principle for Crisis ManagementWhy Social Media Noise Is Often Just NoiseReserving 20-30% "Open-to-Buy" Marketing Capacity to react to cultural moments The Competitive Advantage of Leaning Into Americana Without PoliticsHow to Sustain Momentum Post-Viral Campaigns About the Guest: Craig Brommers is the Chief Marketing Officer at American Eagle, with deep experience building iconic fashion and apparel brands. His career spans senior leadership roles at Calvin Klein, Gap, and Abercrombie & Fitch, where he became known for bold, culture-defining campaigns. A global, metrics-driven marketing executive, Craig blends creativity with commercial rigour to drive P&L growth, global consistency, and local relevance. He is passionate about purpose-driven brands, digital expansion, and building high-performing teams. Craig holds an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Guest Resources:  Craig Brommers on LinkedInAmerican Eagle Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on the sidelines of Brandweek, this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK features Jenny Rooney in conversation with AG1 CEO Kat Cole. Kat shares her journey from a Hooters hostess to leading a global wellness brand, unpacking how resilience and intuition shape bold leadership decisions. She explains AG1’s evolution from a single-product DTC business to a multi-product, multi-channel brand, including its first global “Good Morning Moon” campaign created in-house with Rick Rubin. Cole also reveals why AG1 redirected marketing spend into $20M of clinical research, upgraded its core formula, and positioned a new sleep product to compete with Netflix, not supplements. What You'll Learn: How to involve your CEO in creative development from concept to launchWhy rebranding at $160M in revenue is worth the riskThe power of listening to customers closest to the transactionHow to redirect marketing spend toward clinical credibility in saturated categoriesWhy reformulating a bestselling product is a calculated courage playThe importance of knowing who you actually compete against About the Guest: Kat Cole is Chief Executive Officer of AG1, the leading daily health drink brand. With a distinctive career trajectory spanning restaurant franchising, brand turnarounds, and large-scale portfolio management at Focus Brands (overseeing $4B+ in annual revenue across nine brands), Kat brings operational excellence and entrepreneurial thinking to the health and wellness space. She transformed Cinnabon from a $300 million struggling brand to over $1 billion in revenue within two years and spearheaded the evolution of Carvel, Jamba Juice, and other iconic franchises. Guest Resources:  Kat Cole on LinkedInAG 1 Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the most powerful career advice is to stop listening to everyone else? In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, recorded live at Brandweek, host Ryan Joe sits down with marketing powerhouse Bozoma Saint John to unpack how intuition and not approval has guided her career across Apple, Uber, Netflix, and beyond. Bozoma shares why traditional mentorship is overrated, how fear often disguises itself as “good advice,” and what it really takes to assert authority in rigid corporate environments. From building intuition through everyday decisions to planning intentional pivots, this conversation is a masterclass in leading authentically and confidently on your own terms. What You'll Learn: How to Assert Authority in Established Organizations Why Traditional Mentorship and Champions Are OverratedThe Practice Framework for Building Unshakeable IntuitionHow to Distinguish Fear-Based Advice from IntuitionThe Strategic Planning Method for Pivoting.How Mentoring Reveals Leadership Blind Spots About the Guest: Bozoma Saint John is the Creator and CEO of Eve by Boz, a culturally rooted hair and hair care brand celebrating Black women and women of color, and a Hall of Fame–inducted marketing executive, author, and unapologetic badass. She built an iconic career at SpikeDDB, PepsiCo, Apple, Uber, Endeavor, and Netflix, where she served as Global CMO. Bozoma is the author of The Urgent Life, a Harvard Business School case study subject, and creator of leadership programs including The Anatomy of a Badass. She serves on multiple boards, is an Ambassador for the African Diaspora to Ghana, and proudly considers motherhood her greatest achievement. Guest Resources:  Bozoma Saint John on LinkedInEve by Boz Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Disrupting a legacy category takes more than buzz; it takes clarity, conviction, and consumer empathy. In this Adspeak by ADWEEK episode, host Zoë Ruderman speaks with Elizabeth Banks and Marian Leitner-Waldman about how Archer Roose Wines reimagined the wine industry by solving real consumer problems, embracing humor, and refusing growth that didn’t align with their brand voice. From treating product launches like entertainment premieres to choosing partnerships that show up in real-life moments of celebration, the conversation unpacks how authentic disruption, cultural relevance, and disciplined decision-making can build sustainable, billion-dollar brands without chasing viral hype. What You'll Learn: How to identify category disruption opportunities by solving real consumer problemsWhy accessibility and humor are competitive weapons in traditional categoriesThe velocity-over-volume framework for sustainable growthHow to apply entertainment industry playbooks to consumer brandsThe partnership strategy for innovation adoptionHow to evaluate partnership fit using cultural zeitgeist alignment About the Guest: Elizabeth Banks is an award-winning actor, director, producer, and entrepreneur, born Elizabeth Mitchell in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she trained at the American Conservatory Theater before building her career in theatre, television, and film. Banks broke out in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and went on to star in hits including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Pitch Perfect, and The Hunger Games, earning Emmy nominations for her role on 30 Rock. Known for her wit and range, she also co-founded Archer Roose Wines, bringing the same creative disruption to consumer brands as she has to Hollywood. Guest Resources:  Elizabeth Banks on IMDb Archer Roose Wines Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Omnicom reveals its new structure after completing its $13 billion acquisition of IPG, is it building the modern holdco of the future or repeating an old playbook? On this episode of Adspeak, we explore the deal’s consolidation of brands, cuts in staffing, and push into data and buying power. Ibotta Founder & CEO, Bryan Leach joins Ryan at the end of this episode to discuss why “performance” and “measurement” are the words on every brand marketer’s mind right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Houseplant CEO and co-founder Mikey Mohr details how he and Seth Rogen used ceramics and home goods to build trust before entering the THC market. He explains the evolution from ashtrays to CPG and what it takes to survive a volatile category. Also, Treasure Data CMO Karen Wood joins Ryan in a mid-episode sidebar to discuss the biggest opportunities and challenges for companies leaning into autonomous hyper-relevant AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazon spent this year making an aggressive bid for the ad industry’s future, and the ripple effects were felt across agencies, tech vendors, and rival platforms. Ryan Joe and Adweek Retail & Commerce editor Kathryn Lundstrom break down Amazon's new tech that could challenge Meta, Google, and The Trade Desk for 2026 budgets. They also unpack why buyers were buzzing, why some partners were sweating, and why Amazon’s deeper push into the open internet and premium video may reshape the entire media landscape. ADWEEK shifts into high gear this November as we head to Las Vegas during formula racing season. Sports marketing has never been bigger, and we’re bringing together the industry leaders who are in the fast lane to brand growth and peak consumer engagement. Register now: http://bit.ly/3JrXXEH Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All eyes in the media world are on Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to hang up a "for-sale" sign, with a potential deal rippling across the media space. Lauren Johnson and Bill Bradley unpack the media giant's move and why Paramount may be the big winner. ADWEEK shifts into high gear this November as we head to Las Vegas during formula racing season. Sports marketing has never been bigger, and we’re bringing together the industry leaders who are in the fast lane to brand growth and peak consumer engagement. Register now: http://bit.ly/3JrXXEH Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Target’s Hot Santa is back, and Walmart’s going full Dr. Seuss. Ryan Joe and Brittaney Kiefer unpack two wildly different holiday ad strategies and what they reveal about each retailer’s fortunes heading into the season. ADWEEK shifts into high gear this November as we head to Las Vegas during formula racing season. Sports marketing has never been bigger, and we’re bringing together the industry leaders who are in the fast lane to brand growth and peak consumer engagement. Register now: http://bit.ly/3JrXXEH Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Santa’s out, chatbots are in. As Walmart, Shopify, and Etsy plug into ChatGPT, agentic AI is reshaping how consumers discover and buy gifts. Ryan Joe talks with ADWEEK deputy editor Lauren Johnson about what’s real, what’s hype, and how brands can prep for an AI-driven holiday rush. ADWEEK shifts into high gear this November as we head to Las Vegas during formula racing season. Sports marketing has never been bigger, and we’re bringing together the industry leaders who are in the fast lane to brand growth and peak consumer engagement. Register now: http://bit.ly/3JrXXEH Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From OpenAI to Anthropic, the machines have feelings now — or at least, really good creative directors. ADWEEK's Rebecca Stewart, Brittaney Kiefer, and Trishla Ostwal unpack how AI companies are humanizing their brands with some help from Madison Avenue, and how those efforts are landing with consumers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Google and PayPal to Red Bull and Bitcoin, the brands we trust say a lot about the generations we’re part of. In this episode, Morning Consult CMO Jeff Cartwright unpacks which brands Millennials and Gen Z trust most—and what their choices reveal about hustle culture, digital skepticism, and the future of brand loyalty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Digital_chadvertising built a meme account, got a flood of sources, and now shapes the industry’s inside jokes. We go deep on verification, fake‑tip paranoia, and why the coffee chart broke his DMs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney campaign broke the internet, drove 1 million new customers, and sparked outrage—from eugenics accusations to presidential hot takes. American Eagle CMO Craig Brommers unpacks how the brand weathered the storm, what it couldn’t say during the quiet period, and whether he thought the discourse had any merit. Plus: Travis Kelce, Roblox, and what’s next after the most polarizing jeans ad Gen Z has ever seen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.