Brand New

Continuing on last episode’s pursuit of happiness, Steven and Marisa reflect on the groundswell around the new book “The Anxious Generation,” and its conclusion that: we have overprotected children in the real world and underprotected them online.  Should there be new guardrails around digital use for kids? It’s an important question as the Hot Topic of this episode is a deeper dive into AI, with friends of the hosts and author of the upcoming “Marketing with AI for Dummies” Shiv Singh. As the applications of Artificial Intelligence explode, this episode will give listeners thoughtful and practical views of how to think about it, and how to get started. 

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Steven and Marisa are at the 2nd annual Possible conference in Miami, which has quickly become a major industry gathering - and they’ve pulled out a few of their favorite nuggets for you. The bigger gold: a conversation with fellow conference guest Dr. Laurie Santos, whose Yale class: “Psychology and the Good Life,” is the most popular course in the university’s 300 year history, and her own podcast “The Happiness Lab” has had over 100 million downloads. As marketers, and simply as humans, you will not want to miss hearing what most of us get wrong about happiness…. And how we can get it right. 

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Steven and Marisa are back, and kicking off season 2 with 2 great guests: actor and producer Wilmer Valderama and iHeart President and CMO Gayle Troberman. Together, the four talk about a landmark study on how American consumers think… compared to how marketers think. A teaser example: every marketer knows the show “Succession.” The rest of America? Not so much. With some important discussion led by Wilmer and Steven on cultural bias particularly when it comes to Hispanic Americans, come back for Brand New Season 2 and enjoy this wide-ranging conversation and play along during a speed round of: Cool, or Cringe? 

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In this final episode of Season 1, Marisa and Steven share a few of the things they’ve learned from YOU about Brand New. One of the things they’ve learned: a favorite aspect of the podcast is getting an honest, inside look at the industry. With that in mind, the co-hosts riff on what they took away, what they talked about, what they loved - and even what they didn’t agree with - after coming back from being in the company of thousands of other marketers, advertisers and media executives at the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) annual Masters of Marketing conference. Teaser note: some of the inside scoop involves Jon Bon Jovi. 

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After the hosts open the episode reflecting on current world events from the lens of when to speak out corporately or individually, Marisa brings on one of her favorite personal mentors, Robyn Castellani, an expert  in helping enterprises and teams who are stuck - reset their narrative. It turns out there are some common and unexpected lessons we can all draw from:

- What people usually do wrong when lost in the woods
- Surviving being a prisoner of war in Vietnam
- The consistent conditions of work environments that will motivate people to work hard
- The singular focus that has determined whether companies facing major crises overcame them 

Want to know what those lessons are? Listen in and find out…

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Marisa and Steven hit the road for the Forbes CMO Summit, an invitation-only event for some of the industry’s top marketers and colleagues. As an homage to the theme: What Matters Most, the co-hosts invite friend and Managing Director  of the Forbes CMO Network to “pre-game” the conversation with a lively (semi) speed round on what does matter most on a range of topics, from brands to technology to leadership. Listen all the way through for this episode’s answer to “what’s on your minds” with another great audience question about shifting from agency to client roles (or maybe the other way).

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In a conversation that will have meaning for just about everyone, Marisa and Steven invite on a long-standing industry friend Lisa McCarthy, whose coaching company, Fast Forward Group, has helped over 100,000 professionals take ownership of their entire lives. This one is about how to have a brand new perspective on our ambition, our fears and our careers. This one is about the stories we tell about ourselves… to ourselves. Take the time to give this episode a listen (because hint: it’s also about finding time for what matters)!

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As heated conversations ensue about what the “right” work environments should be in this post-pandemic era: remote, in-office, hybrid: Marisa and Steven look at this issue through the lens of how these decisions can impact corporate and brand reputation. In their most highly charged hot topic yet, the two talk about companies that were absolute in their directive to employees that they could be remote and then did a total reversal: is that simply a company’s right and responsibility to change with circumstances… or in representing one clear thing and then revoking it, have they committed the fatal flaw of breaking brand trust? And what happens when a company whose entire brand and product is about virtual work — aka Zoom —
tells people they need to work in-person? As always, the co-hosts want to know: what do you think?

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Picking up on last episode’s theme of continuous learning, Marisa and Steven debate understanding Gen Z as this rising generation becomes increasingly important as consumers… and employees. Joining them for the conversation is a true Gen Z wunderkind: 24-year-old social entrepreneur Ziad Ahmed, Founder and CEO of JUV Consulting and an inaugural Obama USA Leader via the Obama Foundation. Stay to the end for “What’s on YOUR Minds,” where the hosts answer a listener’s question about how can you best pivot your career. (Hint: it’s not about the title).

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On this episode, Steven and Marisa talk about each of their recent work trips, which spins into a conversation or why “brand” matters and needs to be measured better, why “short term-ism” is a problem, and how their industries have an uncommon magic of “community.” Then the hot topic: in honor of Back-to-School, the co-hosts discuss the importance in this dynamic business world of being continuous learners. (And teachers… and learners). Give a listen and learn a little too!

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