What makes a world-class CMO? In this masterclass, we’re joined by Jane Wakely, CMO of PepsiCo, and Neil Barrie, founder of 21st Century Brands, to explore the strategies that drive growth of billion dollar brands. We discuss why CFO partnerships matter, how to reappraise established brands, and why creativity, whether through celebrity campaigns or a giant Cheetos thumb, still drives results. Plus, Jane and Neil share practical lessons on making change happen inside complex organisations.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - What are the attributes of a successful CMO?
07:57 - Why Neil created the CMO Thrive Guide
10:32 - Surprising things about Neil’s CMO research
12:44 - How Jane approached the first 90 days at PepsiCo
16:27 - The importance of the CFO and CMO relationship
22:22 - How marketers can influence the boardroom
25:44 - Managing over 20 $1b+ brands
27:52 - Navigating the complexity of a huge portfolio
32:25 - How large brands can “Stay Up”
34:49 - Why you should reappraise brands
41:05 - The impact of celebs in advertising
44:45 - Why the Cheetos giant thumb was effective
47:51 - PepsiCo’s involvement in Women’s sport
52:41 - How to make change happen in an organisation
Returning guest and everyone's favourite marketing professor, Mark Ritson, is back. As usual, Mark comes out firing with some no nonsense advice to all marketers. He talks about AI taking over his Mini MBA, leaving Marketing Week, why pricing is the most important P and some rules for creativity. Sit back and soak up the knowledge from Mr Mark Ritson.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
01:06 - Why Mark Ritson sold Mini MBA
02:12 - Mark Ritson leaving Marketing Week
04:19 - Jon’s favourite AI use case
08:07 - Will AI take over Mini MBA?
11:38 - What marketers think is different to what customers think
12:58 - Mark Ritson on that Sydney Sweeney ad
16:15 - The Creative Dividend: what makes great marketing in 2025
27:45 - Why marketers need to be involved in the 4 Ps
30:30 - Why pricing is so important (and why marketers should be involved)
38:28 - The absence of strategy and what to do about it
42:38 - What has surprised Mark Ritson most in 2025
43:09 - Why AI is being marketed so poorly
49:58 - The power of synthetic data
Ella Mills is the co-founder of Deliciously Ella, which began in 2012 as a simple blog sharing healthy recipes. What started online quickly grew into bestselling books, a #1 mobile app, and eventually a retail brand of healthy snacks. In 2024, Deliciously Ella was acquired for an undisclosed sum and today Ella is building her next venture, All Plants.
Her journey is inspiring, and in this episode we explore every milestone: from securing her first Starbucks listing, to navigating a failure that nearly sank the business, to proving how an “average” person can create a truly global brand.
Ella's podcast, The Wellness Scoop:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7F6YqGJ06UEuD7qG81tFHw
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
01:01 - The Deliciously Ella founding story
06:16 - When did the Deliciously Ella blog start to take off
11:22 - Dealing with overnight attention and success
13:33 - How can an average student become so successful?
15:03 - How to nail a successful book launch
17:16 - Scaling a personal brand
21:08 - What’s it like running the business with your husband?
24:00 - Going from recipe blogs to making retail products
24:53 - How Deliciously Ella landed in Starbucks
33:18 - Building out the product range
35:04 - Behind every success is a bunch of failures
41:07 - Managing risk vs return when scaling a startup
45:29 - How to make products that are successful in retail
49:53 - Why Ella took over a new brand after selling Deliciously Ella
52:30 - Where is the plant based market headed?
56:22 - Why Ella started a podcast?
David Gluckman, the man who invented Baileys and author of That S**t Will Never Sell, joins us to share stories from his legendary career in brand creation. From the birth of iconic drinks (including Purdey’s, Aqua Libra, Cîroc and Tanqueray) to lessons on creativity, innovation, and risk-taking, David reflects on what it really takes to bring bold ideas to life.
Timestamps
00:22 - The founding story of Baileys
04:32 - Naming Baileys
12:18 - How Purdey’s and Aqua Libra began
22:48 - Starting Cîroc and Tanqueray
33:26 - Principles of innovation
Jonny Bauer has helped transform some of the world’s biggest brands, from revitalising Axe (Lynx for UK listeners) at BBH to building strategy from the ground up at Droga5. In this episode, Jonny shares why brand can become a company’s greatest asset, what he learned moving from agencies to private equity at Blackstone, and how to bring brand to the front of the P&L. Plus, how to win CEO buy-in, build long-term strategy, and the case studies that prove the power of brand-led growth.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
01:58 - Why we never celebrate the strategy behind good campaigns
04:03 - What Jonny is most proud of from his time at BBH
06:27 - Transforming Lynx / Axe brand
09:34 - Building strategy from the ground up at Droga5
15:23 - Best strategy outcomes at Droga5
17:47 - From ad agency to private equity
28:39 - Learnings from Blackstone on running a successful business
32:34 - How Blackstone approaches marketing
33:50 - How to bring the brand up to the front of the P&L
37:06 - How to get brand buy in from your CEO
40:11 - Leaving Blackstone to use this approach on other clients
47:17 - Successful case studies
Fernando Machado is one of the world’s most celebrated CMOs, known for game-changing campaigns like Burger King’s “Moldy Whopper.” In this episode, Fernando shares the work he’s most proud of, why surprising campaigns cut through, and how creativity drives real business growth. We also discuss the most innovative non-advertising ideas from his career, what it takes to be an influential CMO, and his advice for startups looking to scale through bold marketing.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
01:30 - What campaigns has Fernando been most proud of throughout his career
07:57 - The Moldy Whopper Campaign
16:55 - Why surprising campaigns are effective
20:52 - The most creative non-advertising things in Fernando’s career
36:05 - How to be an influential CMO
41:46 - Fernando’s advice to marketing startups
51:39 - The Lions Growth MBA
Matt Pohlson is the co-founder of Omaze, a platform that’s raised over £300m for charity through once-in-a-lifetime prize draws. Matt shares how a life-changing moment shaped his mission, the business model behind giving away luxury homes and cars, and why storytelling and consistent advertising have fuelled Omaze’s success. Plus, the challenges of the founder journey and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:32 - Matt’s near death experience
03:08 - How a near death experience has changed Matt
06:56 - Omaze origin story
10:18 - Shifting from US celebrity to UK focused prizes
13:24 - Do Omaze buy the houses, cars and luxury items?
14:22 - The business model of Omaze
18:09 - Why storytelling is so important for Omaze
24:52 - Why Omaze make so many ads
28:16 - Omaze’s advertising success through consistency
31:27 - The most challenging parts of Matt’s founder journey
33:59 - Matt’s advice to aspiring founders
Is Jaguar’s bold rebrand a stroke of genius or marketing madness? We sit down with Rawdon Glover, Managing Director of Jaguar, to unpack the strategy behind one of the most dramatic relaunches in automotive history. From pausing sales to redesigning the brand from the ground up, Rawdon shares how Jaguar is reinventing itself for a younger, electric-first generation and talks about the visceral response from the launch video.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Rawdon’s journey into the automotive industry
02:34 - A challenging time to be at the helm of Jaguar
04:03 - Deciding between evolution and revolution at Jaguar
09:05 - Why new car buyers are getting younger
12:23 - Making the decision to rebrand Jaguar
15:45 - Creating differentiation in the age of electrification
18:46 - Designing the new Jaguar
24:43 - What the Jaguar Owners Club think of the new car
27:27 - The polarising Jaguar launch video
33:14 - Dealing with the visceral reaction to the rebrand
36:22 - How Jaguar will launch the car
39:29 - Choosing to pause selling cars
41:28 - Waymo’s partnership with Jaguar
45:04 - When will the new Jaguar go on sale
In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Tyler Bahl, CMO of Activision, to explore what it takes to market some of the world’s most successful games, from Call of Duty to Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Tyler shares insights on launching blockbuster titles, the evolving gaming landscape in 2025, and how livestreaming, esports, and AI are transforming the industry. Plus, lessons from 23 editions of Call of Duty, surprising audience insights, and working directly with icons like Tony Hawk.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:54 - Tyler’s time at Quibi
02:33 - State of the gaming industry in 2025
04:14 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater Surprise
05:35 - The demographics of the video game consumer
08:16 - How to launch a video game
10:47 - How live streaming and esports has transformed video gaming
14:10 - Ratio of male vs female video game players
16:28 - Is video game success due to the product or the marketing?
18:00 - The success and longevity of Call of Duty
19:13 - Maintaining marketing success after 23 editions of Call of Duty
20:36 - “The Replacer” campaign execution and success
22:21 - Measuring success
23:28 - How Activision do partnerships for game launches
25:35 - How Activision makes sports games
27:39 - Future sports games from Activision
29:42 - What impact is AI having on gaming?
31:40 - Working with Tony Hawk on the launch of the new game
32:46 - Lesson’s from Tyler’s career
In this episode, produced in partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Todd Kaplan, CMO of Kraft Heinz, to uncover the marketing “secret sauce” behind some of the world’s most iconic brands. Todd shares lessons from driving 21 quarters of growth at Pepsi, why simplicity beats complexity in marketing, and how he’s bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to Kraft Heinz. We also dive into working with agencies, building in-house creative, and what makes a truly great CMO.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Todd’s background
01:41 - How Pepsi achieved 21 consecutive quarters of growth
02:36 - Pepsi’s approach to innovation
04:22 - Battling short term vs long term in innovation
05:20 - From 18 years at Pepsi to joining Kraft Heinz
06:41 - Encouraging an entrepreneurial culture within Kraft Heinz
09:10 - Having an in house agency at Kraft Heinz
12:10 - Todd Kaplan’s tips for working with external agencies
16:28 - Why consistency of the brand is important for Kraft Heinz
18:55 - Creating marketing that actually works
24:39 - The best marketing is simple
27:44 - What makes a great CMO?
In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Grainne Wafer, Global Category Director (Beer, Vodka, Liqueurs) at Diageo, to explore how one of the world’s biggest drinks companies drives growth and builds iconic brands. Grainne shares the trends shaping the beverage industry, the transformation of Baileys, and how Diageo manages a portfolio of global powerhouses like Guinness. We also discuss the value of sports sponsorships, the rise of Guinness 0%, and why marketing effectiveness is always on tap.
00:00 - Intro
01:19 - What are the trends in the beverage industry?
03:25 - What are the up and coming portfolio brands for Diageo?
05:01 - How does Diageo manage brands internally?
06:30 - Is Diageo going to sell Guinness?
08:42 - What’s behind Diageo’s 17% YoY growth?
12:03 - Guinness sport activation with Rugby and Football
12:36 - How Guinness 0% is so close to the original
14:23 - Guinness’ sponsorship of Football and Rugby
16:26 - How to do measure the value of a sponsorship of the Premier League
17:39 - When the UK ran out of Guinness
18:08 - Sponsoring the Women’s Six Nations
21:44 - How Diageo broadly measures the impact of marketing
23:57 - Baileys celebrates 50 years
25:22 - How Baileys was transformed
27:23 - The Diageo way of brand building
31:38 - Grainne’s advice to CMOs
To celebrate 200 episodes, Tom Goodwin is back on Uncensored CMO. He's got a pretty strong opinion on the state of advertising. It's broken, and we need to fix it. Tom lays out where he thinks it's all gone wrong for the industry and what we can do about it. As uncensored as ever, Tom brings an entertaining and fresh perspective on marketing. Strap in.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:50 - The state of advertising in 2025
02:40 - Why is the advertising industry not moving forward?
06:13 - Brand vs performance marketing
09:20 - What’s broken with marketing in 2025
11:54 - How to actually be customer centric
17:23 - Winning internal battles to allow long term work to thrive
21:18 - Is performance marketing fraud?
26:23 - How to make advertising better
33:02 - Are we valuing creativity enough
In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Kory Marchisotto, CMO of e.l.f. Beauty, to unpack a 25 quarters of consecutive growth. From their bold “So Many Dicks” campaign to the $1B Rhode deal with Hailey Bieber, Kory shares how e.l.f. built a culture that fuels growth. We also dive into the power of creators and celebrities in beauty, partnerships with sporting icons like Billie Jean King and racing driver Katherine Legge, and the realities of leading as a high-growth, publicly listed CMO.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:40 - The last decade of Elf
01:35 - The Titanium and Glass Cannes Lions entry
03:01 - Elf’s “So Many Dicks” campaign
10:01 - The secret to 25 quarters of consecutive growth
13:36 - Building a culture that allows growth
17:03 - $1b Rhode deal
24:26 - How important are creators and celebrities in building beauty brands
26:37 - Collaborating with Billie Jean King
30:49 - Partnering with Katherine Legge, racing driver
34:16 - The realities of being a high growth, publicly listed CMO
Simon Morris is Adobe’s VP of International Marketing, joins us to share how Adobe is empowering creativity at scale. We discuss the impact of AI on marketing, why creativity will always need human skills, and how Adobe partners with brands like Real Madrid to build iconic campaigns. Simon also shares what makes a great marketing leader today, how to launch products successfully, and what’s next for AI and creators.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:43 - The size of the Cannes activation for Adobe
01:38 - Simon’s marketing career
04:21 - Adobe’s CEO named creative champion of the year
05:46 - Where has AI had the biggest impact in marketing?
08:14 - Will AI replace creativity?
09:35 - Where will human skills be most required in the age of AI?
14:21 - How Adobe are their own customer
15:10 - What campaigns have been made with Adobe’s own software?
16:19 - How brands can work with creators?
17:59 - Freedom for creators vs sticking to guidelines
19:16 - How to successfully launch a new product
20:59 - Partnering with sports teams to build their brand (Real Madrid)
23:25 - Maintaining trust in Adobe AI products, with potential IP worries
26:16 - Whats the next thing in AI we need to pay attention to?
28:37 - Building a brand for long term when the world is increasingly short term
29:56 - What makes a great marketing leader today?
In collaboration with TikTok, System1 have launched a new research paper called "The Long and the Short Form of It", explaining how brands can navigate and excel in this of this new world of short form content. In this episode I catch up with TikTok's Head of Business Marketing and Partnerships to discuss the research and help brands succeed on the platform.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
02:05 - Sofia’s marketing career
04:04 - Why B2B marketing needs to be more human
05:36 - TikTok’s marketing journey over the past 5 years
06:48 - How brands can use TikTok
10:47 - How brands can work with creators on TikTok
14:20 - How to make a TikTok that captures attention
18:18 - The TikTok economy
21:18 - Why authenticity pays off on TikTok
22:57 - How people can get started creating on TikTok
25:30 - Is TikTok just for teenagers?
26:51 - TikTok as an entertainment platform, not as a social media platform
27:54 - Romancing the creative vs proving the value
32:00 - Sofia’s leadership lessons
After 20 unhappy years as a headhunter, it took a near death experience for Sherilyn Shackell to launch The Marketing Academy, a non-profit organisation developing leadership talent in marketing. Launched in 2010, The Marketing Academy now helps marketers become CMOs and CMOs become CEOs. This episode, we focus on exactly how CMOs can get a seat at the table in the boardroom and all the traits they need to do this successfully.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:53 - How a near death experience led to the creation of The Marketing Academy
08:29 - Does trauma help founders?
11:27 - What is The Marketing Academy?
15:05 - How The Marketing Academy Fellowship helps CMOs become CEOs
20:08 - Why there needs to be CMOs on boards
27:03 - What CMOs can do to get on boards
35:36 - Why CMOs need to build their own profiles
39:23 - Why CMOs need to invest in relationships
44:16 - Why having a personal brand is a talent magnet
45:48 - The biggest fears and anxieties of CMOs
54:34 - What marketers can learn from the best CMOs in the world?
In a bonus live episode from Cannes, Professor Scott Galloway joins renowned CMO Kory Marchisotto (e.l.f. Beauty) and advertising legend Rory Sutherland to discuss three big topics: Is brand dead? Are we too risk-averse? And what is the future of the CMO?
Timestamps
00:00 - Start
00:26 - Is the era of brand dead?
13:54 - Do we need to make better advertising?
20:11 - How CMOs can approach risk
31:09 - The demise of the CMO
Ben Branson is the founder of Seedlip, a non-alcoholic spirit brand he started in 2015, and sold 3 years later to Diageo. Jon speaks to Ben about the origins of the brand, how the grew so fast, what makes Ben such an impressive marketer (despite him not liking marketing) and how a brand goes from 0 to exit in such a short space of time. We also talk about Ben's new brands and his Hidden 20% charity.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - SIntro
00:01:01 - Where did the idea for Seedlip come from?
00:14:14 - Charging a high price
00:18:47 - How to push through the hard times
00:21:10 - What led to such large growth in the early days of Seedlip
00:24:29 - Planning for success vs making it up as you go
00:27:44 - The power of intelligent naivety
00:29:30 - Creativity within budget constraints
00:31:05 - From innovator to scale up
00:38:05 - Why did Ben Branson and Seedlip sell to Diageo?
00:40:26 - What Ben doesn’t like about marketing
00:41:25 - Why Ben is a masterful marketer
00:48:51 - The Hidden 20%: Ben’s autism story and charity
01:00:35 - Why Ben wants to close his charity, The Hidden 20%?
The B2B boys Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg return to the podcast for a third time, this time wearing their new distinctive assets. They go hard on Professor Scott Galloway, disagreeing with his "brand is dead" statement, suggesting that not only is brand not dead, it's alive, thriving and you need it for your brand to survive. They also give us an update on their synthetic research company, Evidenza, and what the future of brands look like in the age of AI.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
02:07 - How is Evidenza going?
03:36 - Why Evidenza have embraced distinctive assets
08:29 - Why Jon and Peter disagree with Scott Galloway on brand
17:20 - The future of brand in the age of AI
21:21 - The 95:5 rule reinvented
27:48 - Why brand efforts compound
30:00 - Why brand matters more in B2B than B2C
38:49 - The Evidenza jingle
41:03 - What marketing questions can now be answered with AI
55:17 - What is the future of AI for research
I speak to Airbnb's CMO, Hiroki Asai, fresh off their 2025 Summer Release, where they announced their brand new "Services" and "Experiences" addition to the platform. This now positions Airbnb as the perfect alternative to a hotel when travelling. Hiroki touches on how they have launched this massive new innovation, why they do all their creative work in-house and rounds off with some poignant advice to marketers.
Timestamps
