Business of Marketing

"Our vision is for Halloween to become for Fanta what Christmas is to Coke.”

How do you turn a seasonal campaign into a global brand platform that could last for decades?

For Fanta, Halloween is about more than limited-edition packaging or a spooky campaign. It’s an opportunity to build an entertainment universe, connect with passionate fan communities and turn a local cultural insight into a global growth opportunity.

Justin Cooke sits down with Ibrahim Khan, Global Vice President of Marketing at the Coca Cola company, to explore the strategy behind Fanta’s Haunted Universe and how the brand is reimagining Halloween for audiences around the world.

From creating original characters and collaborating with entertainment franchises to using AI to bring ambitious creative worlds to life, Ibrahim reveals how Fanta is turning fun into a powerful driver of brand relevance and business growth.

But what makes a creative idea worth investing in? How do you build a global campaign that still feels culturally relevant? And how can marketers measure success beyond brand awareness and consumer love?

In this episode, we explore:

Building Fanta’s Haunted Universe: The ambition to make Halloween for Fanta what Christmas is for Coca-Cola.

Turning Halloween into a global platform: How a local insight became a scalable campaign across markets and cultures.

The business of creativity: Why great ideas must solve a real business challenge, capture attention and deliver results.

From brand love to business growth: Why recognition and positive sentiment are not enough without measurable commercial impact.

AI as a creative enabler: How technology helped bring Fanta’s Haunted Universe to life while keeping human creativity and judgement at the centre.

Marketing at the speed of culture: Why brands need to understand local audiences rather than simply react to every trend.

The future of advertising: How brands can earn attention in a world where audiences, not advertisers, control the conversation.

As Fanta looks to build a Halloween platform for the long term, Ibrahim makes the case for combining strong brand foundations, bold creativity and commercial thinking to create work that people genuinely care about.

How do you turn a heritage brand into a cultural phenomenon?

Since 1913, Stanley has built its reputation on quality, durability and innovation. But in recent years, the brand has reached a new generation of consumers, becoming a fixture in culture and experiencing extraordinary demand.

So how do you evolve a brand with more than a century of history while staying true to what makes it special?

Recorded live at Advertising Week New York, host Justin Cooke sits down with Kate Ridley, Chief Brand Officer at Stanley 1913, to explore the thinking behind the brand’s transformation from rediscovering its heritage to embracing creativity, culture and a more agile approach to marketing.

In this episode, we explore:

Reimagining a heritage brand: How Stanley has evolved its identity while staying true to its origins.

The power of storytelling: Why younger consumers care about brand history  and how Stanley is bringing its heritage to life.

Building a brand for the long term: Using quality, sustainability, originality and inventiveness to guide decisions.

Connecting brand and product: How consumer insight shapes everything from innovation to marketing.

Moving at the speed of culture: Listening to consumers, testing ideas and responding to cultural moments.

Authentic partnerships: Why the strongest collaborations are rooted in genuine connections.

AI and the future of marketing: How technology can support creativity, insight and more agile ways of working without replacing human empathy.

Managing hypergrowth: Building the teams, processes and capabilities to keep pace with demand.

As Stanley continues to grow, Kate shares why the future of great marketing lies in combining strong brand foundations with curiosity, creativity and the courage to keep evolving.

“Effectiveness over efficiency.”

Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Rory Dolan, VP of Marketing Strategy at Canva, joins The Business of Marketing host Justin Cooke to explore how AI, the creator economy and the democratisation of creativity are reshaping the future of marketing.

As AI makes content easier and faster to produce, Rory argues that the real competitive advantage lies elsewhere: in the quality of the ideas, the stories brands tell and the emotional connections they build with audiences. Drawing on his experience across agencies, platforms and marketing science, he explains why brands must look beyond short-term metrics, resist the temptation to optimise everything for efficiency, and remember that creativity is ultimately about connecting with people.

From the rise of the creator economy to Canva’s vision of making creativity accessible to everyone, Rory explores how brands can embrace new technology without losing sight of the fundamentals that drive long-term growth.

In this episode, we discuss:

AI and the future of creativity: Why the biggest opportunity is not simply producing more content, but achieving better outcomes.

Effectiveness vs efficiency: Why an obsession with saving time and money can come at the expense of business growth.

The creator economy comes of age: How brands can collaborate with creators while preserving the authenticity that makes their audiences care.

The democratisation of creativity: How Canva is removing traditional barriers to design and visual communication.

Building brands in the AI era: Why distinctive brand assets, emotional connection and long-term thinking still matter.

The danger of short-term metrics: Why marketers need to communicate the business value of brand building to CFOs and CEOs.

Human creativity in an AI world: How technology can empower people without removing them from the creative process.

What creates competitive advantage: Why the message and quality of the work matter more than how it was made.

The future of marketing talent: Why continuous learning, broad expertise and a commitment to mastering your craft are essential.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you're going to go far, go together.”

Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, this episode of The Business of Marketing explores what it takes to unite a global advertising industry facing mounting pressures from AI and economic uncertainty to sustainability, talent and proving marketing’s value.

Host Justin Cooke interviews Fredrik Borestrom, Global President and Chair of the International Advertising Association (IAA), about why the industry needs more than conversations about change. It needs collaboration, accountability and action. Drawing on his experience building partnerships, leading international organisations and working across markets, he explains how creativity can solve real-world problems, why trust is built through consistent action, and how brands can create long-term value rather than chase short-term gains.

From making advertising more sustainable to widening access to talent and building partnerships that deliver mutual value, Fredrik makes the case for a more connected, responsible and representative industry.

In this episode, we discuss:

AI and the future of advertising: How the industry can navigate rapid technological change together.

Proving marketing’s value: Why demonstrating ROI remains a critical challenge for brands and agencies.

Creativity beyond the usual markets: What the rest of the world can teach the industry about doing more with less.

Sustainable advertising: How better creative, smarter media choices and shared measurement frameworks can reduce environmental impact.

The future of talent: Why widening access and building diverse, representative teams matters.

Partnerships that last: The importance of mutual value, flexibility and trust.

Building for the long term: Why sustainable business growth sometimes means turning down the wrong deal.

The role of industry bodies: How global collaboration can help turn shared challenges into meaningful progress.

Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Justin Cook sits down with Lana Busignani, CEO of MarketCast, to explore what it takes to turn complex data, fragmented products and ambitious growth plans into real business results.

In an industry overflowing with information, AI-powered tools and promises of innovation, what do clients actually need? For Lana, the answer is clarity, speed and insights that lead to action.

Drawing on her experience across analytics, media, advertising and consumer insights, Lana shares how businesses can simplify their offerings, identify new opportunities for growth and build stronger relationships between product, sales and marketing. She also challenges leaders to rethink how they approach innovation, strategic partnerships and team culture.

From knowing when to let go of products that no longer work to having the confidence to take on a role before you feel completely ready, this is a conversation about making smarter decisions, building stronger businesses and creating the conditions for people to thrive.

In this episode, we explore:

From data overload to decisive action: Why clients need insights they can use immediately, not reports that end up gathering dust.

AI and the future of insights: How AI-powered analysis and integrated data are helping businesses get to answers faster.

The power of simplification: Why understanding the problem you're solving is essential to building products that customers actually want.

Finding your next growth opportunity: How to identify where to invest, what to experiment with and when it's time to retire products that no longer fit the market.

Speed versus personalisation: How changing client expectations are reshaping the way businesses sell insights and media solutions.

Why sales, marketing and product must work together: How stronger cross-functional relationships can improve client experience and drive commercial growth.

Strategic partnerships that deliver: Why the right partners can push your business to innovate, expand and compete more effectively.

Leadership, culture and honest conversations: Why the best teams need more than polite meetings — they need trust, challenge and genuine communication.

Career growth and the confidence to take risks: Lana's advice on stretching yourself, recognising your value and pursuing opportunities where you still have room to learn.

The takeaway? Sustainable growth isn't about doing everything. It's about understanding what matters, focusing your efforts where they can have the greatest impact and giving yourself and your business room to evolve.

Key advice from Lana:

"Make sure that you have something to give, but make sure you're going to get something too."

Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Justin Cook sits down with PJ Pereira, advertising pioneer, co-founder of Pereira O’Dell and co-founder of Silver Side AI, to explore why the creative industry is facing a revolution and why the biggest risk might be failing to embrace it.

From AI-powered campaigns for global brands to the future of creative agencies, PJ challenges the industry to rethink everything it knows about creativity, technology and the business of marketing. He argues that curiosity means being willing to waste time, that the best ideas can begin with what seems impossible, and that AI could give creatives unprecedented control over their ideas.

But with the economics of creativity shifting, the creator economy reshaping culture and the relationship between brands and agencies evolving, what does it take to stay ahead?

In this episode, we also explore:

AI as a creative revolution: How AI is collapsing the distance between having an idea and bringing it to life.

Why the future belongs to the curious: PJ’s case for experimentation, embracing failure and pursuing ideas that technology cannot yet deliver.

Creativity that delivers results: Why simplicity, repetition and business impact matter more than creating work that simply looks impressive in a case study.

From branded entertainment to AI: The thinking behind award-winning campaigns and how PJ’s approach to storytelling has evolved.

The future of creative agencies: Why the industry must embrace AI as its own rather than risk being displaced by technology companies.

What comes next? PJ’s predictions for the changing economics of creativity, the power of the creator economy and the shifting role of CMOs.

Advice for the next generation: Why breaking down the boundaries between creative disciplines could be the key to thriving in an AI-driven industry.

The takeaway? The future of advertising won't belong to those who simply keep up with technology, but to those willing to experiment, challenge convention and help shape what comes next.

Key quote from PJ:

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Justin Cooke sits down with Paul Blackburn, Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, to explore the rapidly evolving world of shoppable media and commerce.

Paul explains why the next generation of advertising is about removing friction between seeing something and buying it while still protecting the consumer experience.

In the conversation:

Shoppable media: Turning existing advertising into an interactive shopping experience without forcing consumers to leave the environment they're in.

Commerce media: Why closed-loop attribution and measurable outcomes are becoming increasingly important.

The creator economy: Why influencers could become an increasingly important part of the transaction journey — not just the brand impression.

AI and commerce: The next opportunity could be conversational commerce, bringing product discovery and transactions into AI environments.

Trust: Why trusted retailers and familiar brand experiences matter when consumers are ready to buy.

From vanity metrics to outcomes: Why marketers need to focus on sales and transaction outcomes rather than simply impressions and media metrics.

The future of retail media: Connecting brands, retailers, publishers, creators and technology into one ecosystem.

A key quote from Paul:

“The next wave of AI is decisioning, personalisation and scale.” 

A fascinating conversation about shoppable advertising, commerce media, AI, creators, trust and the future of how brands turn attention into transactions.

Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Business of Marketing host John Horsley sits down with Troy Townsend, CEO and co-founder of Zitcha, to explore the next chapter of retail media from connecting media and merchandising teams to measuring real business impact and preparing for AI-driven commerce.

Troy discusses why retail media networks need to look beyond short-term revenue, how retailers can connect their data, technology and teams to drive sustainable growth, and how AI is set to reshape product discovery and the way consumers shop.

The conversation also explores why human creativity will remain essential in an increasingly AI-driven world and why retailers need to adapt as the industry evolves.

In this episode, we also explore:

The evolution of retail media and where the industry is heading

Connecting media and merchandising teams to drive business growth

Measuring retail media success beyond ROAS and focusing on real business impact

The challenges of building and scaling a successful retail media network

How AI and agentic commerce could transform product discovery and shopping

Preparing retail strategies and product feeds for AI-driven commerce

Why human creativity will continue to play a vital role in capturing audience attention

Troy’s advice on setting clear targets, securing organisational buy-in and adapting to change

A key quote from Troy:

“That’s why creative will never die.”

What happens when a data-driven performance marketer takes the reins of a creative, publisher-powered social business?

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Justin Cooke sits down with Mallory Simmonds, CEO of Jungle Creations, just eight weeks into the role.

Mallory shares her perspective on where social, creativity, data and performance are heading — and why brands need to rethink what success actually looks like.

In the conversation:

AI moves from debate to action — “We’re spending less time on whether or not we should. Because we are.”

Beyond vanity metrics — why followers, views and reach aren't enough, and how brands can get closer to measuring real business impact.

The future of social performance — connecting creative, data, media and measurement.

Speed + creativity — why brands are struggling to balance the volume social algorithms demand with genuinely engaging creative.

Data as a creative advantage — how Jungle is using 13 years of performance data and its Jungle IQ platform.

The rise of creators — and why networks of creators can create a powerful network effect.

Building a publisher-powered agency — bringing audiences, data, technology and creative together.

Mallory also gets candid about ambition, leadership and learning to slow down:

“It’s possible to be productive without being manic.”

A candid conversation about AI, social, performance, creativity, data and the future of agencies, recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026.

What if the biggest mistake businesses are making with AI is trying to make their existing operations more efficient, rather than questioning whether those operations should exist at all?

Recorded live at Prompt in New York City, John Horsley launches the first episode of Business of AI with Dr Benjamin Herndon, Chief Strategy Officer at KUNGFU.AI, to explore why the real opportunity isn't simply automation or cost reduction. It's fundamentally rethinking how businesses create value, compete and operate.

Benjamin introduces the idea of "refounding": returning to the principles that made a business successful, then challenging the structures, assumptions and technologies that may no longer serve it.

Together, they examine how AI is threatening traditional consulting and enterprise software models, why connecting more data doesn't necessarily produce better decisions, and how poorly governed AI adoption can expose organisations to significant risks.

They also explore who should own AI transformation, why organisational culture matters more than technology, and what leaders need to do differently to turn experimentation into lasting competitive advantage.

For CEOs, board members and business leaders, this is a conversation about moving beyond AI adoption to genuine business reinvention.

Business is being rewritten.