Adweek的November 2024目录

IN 2014, the founders of Exverus Media set out to build the kind of agency they always wanted to work for. Tired of 12-hour workdays and having no personal life, they encoded flexibility and work-life balance into Exverus’ DNA long before those became buzzwords. Ten years later, Exverus Media is on a meteoric rise. The 45-strong Los Angeles media agency was among ADWEEK’s Fastest Growing Agencies in 2023, with managing director Talia Arnold being named to ADWEEK’s 2024 Media All-Stars list. Notably, all of this success has happened while Arnold, along with fellow co-founders Bill Durrant and Jack Win, prioritized work-life balance for themselves and their teams: Based on anonymous employee satisfaction surveys, Exverus Media ranked among the top workplaces in Southern California in 2023 by the LA Times. ‘WHAT…

AMY REINHARD’S FIRST year as Netflix’s ad sales president has “definitely been a whirlwind,” in her words. Reinhard stepped into Netflix’s top advertising role in October 2023, following the departure of former ads president Jeremi Gorman, who surprisingly left one year into the streamer’s ad-supported tier launch. Despite the leadership shake-up, the streamer that became part of the cultural zeitgeist with iconic series like Stranger Things and Bridgerton has been anything but shook. In Reinhard’s first year alone, Netflix added live Christmas Day NFL games to its roster, completely shaking up the TV industry; it’s made moves to bring its adtech in-house, becoming technology and sales independent from launch partner Microsoft; and it’s continued its quest for scale, with Reinhard telling ADWEEK the company now reaches more than 65 million…

CUSTOMIZATION HAS BEEN the buzzword in marketing for years. But there’s no amount of data that will make a creative in New York able to speak relatably to consumers in Minnesota. This calls for some professional soul-searching: If the industry aims to be customer-centric, why are we purchasing media in an agency-centric way? Your agency may have access to extensive resources and research tools, but that perceived advantage can become moot in the absence of tangible local market insights. To be truly competitive, agencies must expand teams to include local talent who live and breathe the markets they serve, empowering them to be significantly better at their jobs and dramatically enhancing the return on investment for your clients’ media spend. This matters significantly, given that U.S. advertisers will spend $157.1…

A LOT HAS happened during Leslie Berland’s short time at Verizon, including a high-profile global brand relaunch—the company’s first in nine years. Shaking up Verizon’s look was a bold move, but Berland’s career has been one of strategic risk-taking since her days as the first CMO of Twitter nearly a decade ago. On her arrival at Verizon, Berland saw immediate opportunities for the telecommunications company to endear itself to users through a new look and continued dependability. Berland credits her team for enthusiastically embracing the new direction. “The culture at Verizon is vibrant, passionate, caring, agile, creative,” she said. “It’s a daily inspiration.” SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT Berland’s next leader is Robyn Parks, vice president of local and segment marketing, noting Parks’ ability to reach the communities Verizon serves in an…

CHIPOTLE’S FUTURE SUCCESS starts with the seeds being planted now by Chris Brandt. He explained the need to be active in passionate, even niche online groups, citing everyone from TikTok foodies to esports fans as parts of a larger Chipotle community. Teaming up with influencers to expand the brand’s reach and using consumer feedback to inform inspired menu shake-ups is just the beginning. “Some activations drive transactions for today, while other campaigns drive the brand for tomorrow,” Brandt noted. “My role is to balance the two to ensure our marketing drives the business today while growing our future.” SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT Brandt’s next leader is Stephanie Perdue, vice president of brand marketing, noting her instrumental role in launching the “For Real” campaign, which featured unscripted testimonials and led to more…

HAVING PREVIOUSLY WORKED at industry giants like Viacom and Disney, Jim Mollica urges creative marketing teams to learn to communicate more effectively with C-suite professionals, which leads to a greater understanding of the real-time impact of campaigns. Relying on Bose’s 60-year history of high-quality products as the baseline, recent campaigns work to create a bridge between tech specs and the emotional impact of listening to music. This has allowed Bose to refine its approach to advertising across the board. “We’re not telling consumers what we’re about. We’re showing them by meeting them where they are in their music journey,” said Mollica. SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT Mollica has chosen two next leaders: Jack Daley, vice president of global media and partnerships, and Sean Rossi, vice president of global marketing. He drew attention…

BEFORE JOINING the nutritional supplement brand AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) as its top marketer in August, Paulie Dery was CMO at Yeti for more than three years, where he assisted with the drinkware company’s transformation into one of the world’s most iconic lifestyle brands. Dery’s intrinsic creative knack continues to highlight the importance of brand storytelling in driving customer loyalty. “As a DTC powerhouse, AG1 has always been performance marketing-driven. Building a brand on top of that and refocusing on our core members by giving the brand a POV and allowing ourselves to share our story has made us a better company without missing a beat on performance,” said Dery. “In an industry filled with snake oil, brand storytelling has helped educate people to understand better the power of the…

THERE’S YET TO be a scientific study to prove it, but evidence suggests that Band-Aids aren’t just good for cuts—they might help make you famous, too. Consider this. In 1975, the jingle “I am stuck on Band-Aid” debuted on national TV. The spot featured two unknown actors singing a tune by an unknown composer. They turned out to be Teri Garr, John Travolta, and Barry Manilow. There’s no word on what the two actors got paid, but Manilow—still a struggling composer—got $500 and was “grateful to have it,” he said in a recent interview. But even if Band-Aids can’t work career magic, it’s still fitting the celebs would share these sticky strips in common. After all, doesn’t everyone? According to Band-Aid maker Johnson & Johnson, we have applied over 100…

SINCE JOINING NATIONWIDE in 2000, Ramon Jones has risen through several leadership roles across its marketing and business operations to the CMO role in 2019. Jones’ wealth of experience during his tenure has helped drive further success for the company and its multiple business arms, including the recent launch of a national campaign to tout Nationwide’s position as one of America’s largest financial services companies—not just an insurer. “We often speak of the art and science of marketing. While we uphold the highest standards for creative excellence, we also prioritize the scientific aspects of marketing, such as attribution, revenue correlation, and the measurement of aided and unaided brand awareness. These elements are central to every decision we make,” said Jones. SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT Jones’ next leader is Emily Buzzard, associate…

VINEET MEHRA’S VISION for the marketing world is rooted in a desire to build consumer movements that dismantle outdated systems. “I’ve always been attracted to big, gnarly challenges,” he said. Mehra has referred to the present time as a golden age, explaining that the ability to listen and respond to consumers in real time has been a game changer for brands. He cites his work at Chime as an example of the disruptive power of marketing, utilizing branding to connect consumers with innovative banking solutions. “We are building not just one of the most culturally relevant and hottest brands in financial services, but across all industries,” he said. SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT Mehra’s next leader is Nick Fairbairn, vice president of marketing. Mehra praised Fairbairn for spearheading Chime’s largest campaign to…

THE ART OF impactful writing, whether in compelling marketing copy or meaningful handwritten notes, inspires Elizabeth Rutledge’s approach to value-driven marketing. Her 35-year tenure with Amex highlights her adaptiveness and keen expertise in combining captivating messaging with top-tier customer experiences. For example, by tapping into superfan culture through cardmember-exclusive experiences, Amex has seen increasing demand from their majority millennial and Gen Z patrons—their fastest-growing consumer cohort in the U.S. Moreover, Amex’s recent global partnership with Formula 1 and the debut of the American Express Venue Collection have helped drive even more growth. SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT Rutledge’s next leader is Reanna Gross, vice president and head of OnBrand, Amex’s in-house creative agency, where she spearheads creative projects and oversees financial efficiency, staffing, and operations. “Reanna has helped foster and build a…

IF THE ADAGE “always bet on yourself” were a person, it would be Alice C. Milligan. After leaving home at 19 with only the money she saved doing odd jobs, Milligan started her career at AT&T as an administrative assistant while going to school at night, eventually earning her master’s in marketing and communications. Milligan believes savvy marketing is comprised of art and science. “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” she said. “I’m a big believer in the power of data and analytics in shaping and refining marketing strategy and garnering support and buy-in for the practice.” Morgan Stanley’s global brand campaign—“Old School Grit. New World Ideas.”—appealed to the firm’s traditional audience as well as next-gen consumers, resulting in a double-digit boost in favorability among rising affluent consumers and…

FOR CARRIE PALIN, the bedrock of a successful marketing plan is clear, precise data. Creating reliable metrics and OKRs that track marketing contributions to business outcomes has been a focus of her three and a half years at Cisco. Resisting stagnation by embracing new tech, Palin’s strategy is one of continual reinvention. By focusing on consumer concerns like AI and cybersecurity, she encourages her team to keep moving toward a more efficient future. Another touchstone for Palin has been acknowledging the teamwork behind each accomplishment. She praises her people as the best in the business: “I have their backs, and they have mine.”…

WITH SOCIAL PLATFORMS and messaging apps—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to name a few—under Meta’s umbrella, there’s a lot of data ground to cover, which is where Alex Schultz comes in, continually finding innovative ways to keep the world connected. “I think about my role as helping shape the strategy and direction of the company, and not simply counting and marketing things,” he said. Since taking on his current role in 2020, Schultz’s astute investment in product-led growth levers for Threads has catapulted the platform to 200 million monthly users as of August, just over a year since its launch. “What inspires me is the ability to help connect billions of people to their friends, loved ones and interests in a totally new way every few years,” he said. SHINING THE…

BEFORE JOINING 7-ELEVEN in 2019, Marissa Jarratt held multiple senior leadership positions at PepsiCo and Dean Foods, so she knew about bringing new energy to legacy brands. At 7-Eleven—founded in 1927—Jarratt set out to give the brand a contemporary feel to boost social media followers and attract more Gen Z consumers. “I’ve steered the marketing strategy to focus increasingly on external partnerships and collaborations that help to reinforce the 7-Eleven brand purpose to ‘activate awesome’ in our customers,” said Jarratt. “This approach has elevated the cultural relevancy of the brand and driven new growth among younger customers.” For example, as 7-Eleven was tweaking the recipe of its nacho cheese, riot grrrl band Froggy posted a tribute song, “7-Eleven Nachos,” and tagged the brand asking if they wanted to make a…

THREE YEARS AGO, the Facebook family of companies changed its name to Meta. The idea, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained, was to usher in a new era of the internet where people were “in the experience, not just looking at it,” he wrote at the time. “It will touch every product we build.” Soon after, the metaverse was everywhere. Throughout 2021 and 2022, brands from Nike to Absolut Vodka and Chipotle Mexican Grill announced their intentions to enter the metaverse. Macy’s even hosted a virtual version of its Thanksgiving Day Parade in the metaverse. Executives mentioned the metaverse during earnings calls and company presentations at increasing rates. Private equity and venture capital firms invested more money in the technology. But then, almost as suddenly as metaverse excitement flourished with hopes…

AS THE FIRST marketing hire at Nature’s Fynd, it was up to Karuna Rawal to establish what consumer outreach would look like for the startup. Even with a lengthy background in marketing, Nature’s Fynd presented its own unique challenges and opportunities for Rawal. Without assets like a major marketing budget, she aimed her sights on high-impact, low-cost campaigns to maximize returns. Rawal views the CMO position as one of great responsibility and reward: “I think of my role as broader than just marketing, but as a key leader in the company who can help set our strategy and help our teams work through big challenges in an agile manner.” SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT Rawal’s next leader is Brian Frances, senior director of innovation and insights. She emphasized his versatility and ability…

BRINGING 20-PLUS YEARS of brand management experience to Fiserv, Shannon Watkins heads up the financial technology company’s global brand strategy, corporate communications, and creative direction, as well as overseeing marketing technology and operations. Watkins “thrives in change” and finds inspiration in the ever-evolving culture and commerce spaces. Prior to Fiserv, Watkins’ insightful marketing chops aided in the success of Jordan at Nike, developing innovative branding efforts resulting in continued double-digit growth for the brand, and Aflac, where she established strategies marrying the brand and its purpose to optimize growth and impact with stakeholders and consumers. Watkins sees marketing as what she’s coined as “the next frontier of social change. Marketers are changemakers by virtue of our position at the intersection of understanding and action. By amplifying stories and messages that…

WITH FOOD PRICES skyrocketing and huge demand for affordable dining options, George Felix looked to make Chili’s a solution rather than an expense. While many restaurant chains have struggled to appeal to modern consumers, Chili’s has thrived. According to Felix, creating value through menu shake-ups and social media buzz is just part of the equation. Arriving at the company during an advertising lull, Felix emphasized collaborating with the operations team to help workers create better dining experiences on a large scale. “That broader view of how marketing can impact our business has made a difference in our company’s success,” said Felix. SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT Felix’s next leader is Jesse Johnson, vice president of marketing, who he praised for successfully revamping the Chili’s menu and merchandising suite while pushing marketing ideas…

IN 2020, Phil Cook was named the WNBA’s first CMO. He brings over two decades of experience at Nike, where he led the brand’s global basketball strategy through identifying and catering to new consumers, driving revenue, and introducing female athletes into marketing campaigns. Moreover, Cook also served as Nike’s senior brand director for basketball concepts, where he launched successful initiatives to serve female athletes through authentic products and strategic marketing campaigns. Though Cook is a veteran of sports marketing, he isn’t resting on his laurels. He mentioned that his team is “embracing the energy and interest of the NCAA and inviting that fan base” into their ecosystem and being more purposeful with their messaging. “I’m intentionally working my way into a broader scope of the business model, representing marketing and…

AT A TIME WHEN companies are facing pressure from inflation, economic uncertainty, and ongoing world conflicts, marketers are operating with caution—and making it difficult for their agency partners to find green shoots. That’s why the growth demonstrated by ADWEEK’s 2024 Fastest Growing Agencies is so impressive: They’re defeating the odds to deliver rocket-like growth in a crowded and strained market. Each of these agencies has reached new heights by pushing into emerging areas of marketing, disrupting staid categories, and, most importantly, delivering breakthrough work that moves the needle for their clients. 1 CREATIVE CURRENCY CATEGORY........ FULL-SERVICE LOCATION........ CANADA GROWTH....... 1,228% TORONTO-BASED CREATIVE CURRENCY has been on a hot streak since opening its doors during the pandemic. In 2021, the full-service shop was spun out of communications firm Enterprise Canada to…