BRAVE COMMERCE

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Selina Sykes, Global VP of Digital, Social and AI Transformation at Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing, about how AI is transforming marketing, consumer behavior, and the way brands build trust and drive discovery. 

Selina shares how Unilever is using AI to strengthen its marketing capabilities while maintaining what makes its brands distinctive. She also explores why AI's biggest opportunity goes beyond productivity, and how Dove leveraged authentic consumer conversations on Reddit to improve discoverability in AI-powered search. 

Key takeaways: 

• AI should amplify competitive advantage: Brands need to use AI to strengthen their unique capabilities, not simply produce more content. 

• Consumer behavior is reshaping brand discovery: As shoppers increasingly turn to AI for recommendations, brands must rethink how they create demand and earn visibility. 

• Trust is becoming a discoverability strategy: Authentic consumer conversations and recommendations can help brands build credibility and improve visibility in AI-powered search. 

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Marcelo Kertesz, Chief Marketing Officer at MANSCAPED, about how the men’s grooming brand evolved from a DTC-first business into an omnichannel brand with a growing retail presence.

Marcelo shares how MANSCAPED expanded its product portfolio and distribution strategy while staying true to the humor and brand identity that fueled its early success. He also discusses the value of bringing marketing, creative, and product development under one leadership team, and how the brand is navigating changing conversations around masculinity and men’s self-care.

Key takeaways:

• Investing in retail early helped MANSCAPED build its omnichannel presence beyond DTC.
• Unifying marketing, creative, and product development creates a more cohesive brand experience across channels.
• Expanding into new grooming categories requires balancing evolving consumer needs with a consistent brand identity.

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Rochelle Wainer, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Global Insights and Analytics at Kids2, about how consumer insights are evolving as technology changes how people research, shop, and make decisions.

Rochelle shares how Kids2 combines research, behavioral data, and emerging technology to better understand parents and translate those insights into action across product development, marketing, and retail. She also discusses the importance of studying the shopper journey across digital and physical retail and what brands can learn now as Gen Z becomes a larger part of the parent population.

Key takeaways:

• Consumer research needs to reflect how people actually make decisions, from digital behaviors and social signals to real-world shopping experiences.
• AI and new sources of consumer data can help brands identify patterns and anticipate needs, but human interpretation remains critical to turning those signals into action.
• As Gen Z becomes a larger share of parents, brands need to understand how their expectations around authenticity, digital experiences, and value differ from those of previous generations.

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Grace Kao, Chief Marketing Officer at Snap Inc., about how changing consumer behaviors are reshaping the way brands build relationships and drive growth.

Grace shares why marketing is shifting from one-way messaging toward more community-driven, two-way engagement, and what brands can learn from the rise of chat and conversational commerce. She also discusses the role of creativity as AI and other technologies evolve, how brands can show up authentically in more personal spaces, and the challenge of balancing innovation with the growing pressure to prove ROI.

Key takeaways:

• The future of brand engagement is increasingly two-way, requiring marketers to contribute value rather than simply broadcast messages.
• AI may change how marketers create and engage, but strong ideas and human creativity remain fundamental.
• Marketers need to balance measurable performance with experimentation across emerging consumer behaviors and technologies.

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Neela Montgomery, Board Director at Ahold Delhaize and Logitech and former CEO of Crate & Barrel, about what major shifts in consumer behavior mean for brands and retailers. Drawing on a career spent at the intersection of consumers, retailers, and brands, Neela shares her perspective on some of the most meaningful shifts in consumer behavior today and what they could mean for commerce.

From the rapid adoption of GLP-1s to growing attention around women’s health and menopause, Neela examines how changing needs and behaviors are showing up across the consumer landscape. She explores the ripple effects these shifts could have across categories, how they may reshape what consumers expect from brands and retailers, and where new opportunities could emerge as a result.

Key takeaways:

• Brands need to look beyond the immediate impact of a consumer trend to understand how it could influence behaviors and demand across categories.
• Product development and messaging should evolve alongside changing consumer priorities, rather than relying on assumptions about what shoppers value.
• Retailers have an opportunity to better understand consumers through different stages of their lives and create more relevant experiences around their changing needs.

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Rob Master, Chief Marketing Officer at Edgewell Personal Care, about what stays constant as AI rapidly transforms the way marketers work.

Drawing on his experience leading brands and teaching the next generation of marketers, this conversation explores how leaders can navigate rapid change without losing sight of the fundamentals. Rob also shares how Edgewell approaches growth across iconic and emerging brands and reflects on an early career bet at Dove that helped shape his willingness to challenge convention and take big swings.

Key takeaways:

• Keep people at the center: AI can enhance every stage of the marketing process, but strong ideas still begin with deeply understanding the people you’re trying to reach.
• Stay curious as technology evolves: As knowledge becomes more accessible, curiosity, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to keep learning become even more critical for marketers.
• Lean into adaptability: In a rapidly changing market, strong leaders are willing to revisit decisions and change course when new information or context calls for it.

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Nick Tran, President and CMO of First Round, a joint venture between Diageo and Main Street Advisors. The conversation centers around Nick’s perspective that the brands that stay relevant don't simply react to culture. They help create it.

Nick shares why brands should look beyond traditional marketing playbooks, how shifting consumer behaviors are changing the ways brands connect with people, and why AI's greatest opportunity isn't just improving efficiency, but helping marketers do things that weren't possible before.

Key takeaways:

• Building cultural relevance starts with rethinking where and how your brand shows up.
• Brands that use AI as a growth tool, not just a productivity tool, will be better positioned for what's next.
• Why an abundance mindset can be a competitive advantage for leaders navigating change.

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Mindy Shaltry, VP of Omnichannel Marketing & Activation, Mondelēz U.S., and Wes Saraceni, VP of Consumer Experience U.S. at Mondelēz International, about why today's shopper journey demands closer alignment between marketing and sales.

Mindy and Wes share how their partnership is helping break down organizational silos, reshape the traditional funnel, and build more connected consumer experiences across every stage of the path to purchase. They also discuss what large organizations can learn from smaller brands, why the "missing middle" of the consumer journey deserves more attention, and how stepping into unfamiliar roles has shaped their leadership.

Key takeaways:

• The consumer doesn't distinguish between marketing and sales, so organizations can't afford to either.
• Growth comes from connecting every stage of the consumer journey, not just optimizing the top or bottom of the funnel.
• Stepping into unfamiliar roles and challenging established ways of working makes leaders stronger.

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On this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter are joined by Mike Westgate, Sector Lead, Retail, Global Business Solutions at TikTok, and Ben Sylvan, Senior Vice President, Connected Media Team at Keurig Dr Pepper. Bringing together both a platform and an advertiser, they offer a behind-the-scenes look at how their partnership turned Dr Pepper's viral Romeo jingle into one of the brand's biggest marketing moments.

Mike and Ben discuss how the campaign came together, from identifying an organic creator moment to making the decision to feature it during the College Football National Championship. They also explore how brands can build organizations that move at the speed of culture, collaborate more effectively with platform partners, and measure both the immediate and long-term impact of their marketing investments.

Key takeaways

• Successful cultural moments happen when brands, platforms, and creators work together—not in silos.
• Community participation is one of the strongest signals of consumer demand and can help shape marketing decisions.
• Measuring incrementality alongside long-term brand growth provides a more complete picture of campaign performance.

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Branden Goodman, Head of Media & Marketing Capabilities, Beauty & Wellbeing US at Unilever, about how brands must adapt as algorithm-driven discovery reshapes consumer attention.

Branden explains why Unilever has embraced a social-first approach, what the shift from follower-based discovery to interest-driven discovery means for marketers, and how content creation is evolving from a campaign mindset to a continuous system of testing, learning, and optimization. He also shares how Unilever is building a modern content supply chain, where automation can accelerate execution, and why measurement must balance long-term business outcomes with real-time signals.

Key takeaways

• Consumer discovery is shifting away from social connections (who users follow) and toward algorithmic recommendations (what platforms predict is relevant).
• Winning brands are building content engines designed for continuous experimentation, not one-time campaigns.
• Real-time signals can improve performance, but long-term business outcomes should remain the ultimate measure of success.

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