CMO Weekly

The first OpenFortune x CMO Weekly Roundtable Video is finally live!

A few months ago, we had the idea to build something that felt like Lebron's 'The Shop' but for marketing leaders.

So we got a private dining room in NYC, invited leaders from WeWork, Hard Rock Digital, Blue Apron, Wonder, and Air, and told everyone the same thing:

Speak your mind on the state of the marketing industry. No Bullshit.

We wanted to see what happens when you get people around a table, get them mic'd up, and let them challenge each other on what's actually working (and what's not) in 2026.

By the end of the night, it didn't even feel like a business dinner.

It was just a group of friends who actually give a damn about this industry, finally speaking freely.

We're just getting start with these. NYC was the first, but we're taking the table to other cities next.

Featuring:

Carlo Palomino, President of OpenFortune

Jeffrey Tousignant, Head of Marketing of Air

Raina Enand, VP of Marketing of Blue Apron

Joshua Egan, VP of Growth Marketing of Wonder

Hayley Clover, Executive Producer & Host of the CMO Weekly Podcast

Woozae Kim, Board of Directors of The Lower Eastside Girls Club of New York

Joe Sancio, Director Of Marketing Partnerships of Hard Rock Digital

Courtney Warren Brown, Chief Marketing Officer at Kickstarter

Becky Wang, Chief Operations Officer at Metafide

Petula Lucey, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at WeWork

How do you take a "billion-dollar knock" and turn it into a modern, digital-first brand? 🏠✨

In this episode of CMO Weekly, host Hayley Clover sits down with Kerry McGovern, the Chief Brand Officer at Power Home Remodeling. Kerry’s career is a masterclass in professional agility, spanning roles as a music publicist, a speechwriter for Under Armour’s Kevin Plank, and a brand-builder for the NHL and Drizzly.

Now at Power Home Remodeling—ranked #14 on Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For—Kerry is leading a massive brand transformation. She discusses how she’s moving a door-to-door sales powerhouse into the digital age with the "Our Work Shows" campaign, while maintaining a "people-first" culture that believes they "sell windows to hire people".

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The "Eras Tour" of a Marketing Career: How Kerry pivoted from the music industry to professional sports and eventually to high-growth tech and remodeling.

Rebuilding Iconic Brands: Behind-the-scenes stories of speechwriting at Under Armour and navigating the "teal horse" era of the Detroit Pistons.

The Billion-Dollar Knock: How Power Home Remodeling is evolving its legendary canvassing model into a multi-channel digital brand experience.

"Our Work Shows": The strategy behind Power’s first external brand platform in 15 years and how it connects with modern homeowners.

Influencers & Social Strategy: Why a home remodeling company is partnering with fashion influencers like Sai De Silva to reach new audiences.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction: Meet Kerry McGovern.

1:40 – Career Origins: From Seattle’s music scene to the Detroit Pistons.

4:30 – Lessons from the NHL and Speechwriting for Under Armour.

8:30 – The Drizzly Risk: Moving from a 100-year-old league to a startup.

13:00 – Why Home Remodeling? Finding a "People-First" culture at Power.

16:00 – Scaling the "Billion Dollar Knock" and Brand Identity.

20:00 – Launching the "Our Work Shows" Brand Refresh.

25:00 – Revamping Social Media & Influencer Partnerships.

29:00 – Kerry’s Best Advice: "It takes longer than you want and is harder than you think."

31:37 – Baltimore Recommendations & Closing.

Connect with Kerry & Power Home Remodeling:

LinkedIn: Kerry McGovern

Website: Power Home Remodeling

About CMO Weekly: CMO Weekly sits down with the world’s top marketing leaders to uncover the bold moves, tough lessons, and breakthrough ideas that shape their journeys. Hosted by Hayley Clover.

Sponsored by OpenFortune: Reach your audience where they’re smiling. Learn more at openfortune.com.

#Marketing #CMO #BrandBuilding #PowerHomeRemodeling #CareerAdvice #DigitalTransformation #InfluencerMarketing #CMOWeekly

This episode of CMO Weekly, hosted by Haley Glover, features an in-depth conversation with Will Martin, the founder and CEO of LiveDuel. LiveDuel is a cutting-edge sports and e-sports fan activation platform that uses decentralized finance (DeFi) mechanics to prioritize fairness and user experience in the sports betting world.

Will shares his unique journey—from studying economics and computer science to marketing for Beats by Dre—and explains how he leveraged creator culture to generate over 750 million organic views on TikTok.

📌 Key Topics Covered

The Origins of LiveDuel: How Will combined his background in arbitrage, financial trading, and product marketing to innovate the sports betting industry.

The Tech Behind the Platform: Using smart contracts to remove the middleman and liquidity pools to facilitate instant, efficient trades between fans.

Growth Hacking TikTok: The strategy behind building TikTok filters that empowered 600,000 creators to produce viral sports content.

Building a Creator Community: Why LiveDuel started as a WhatsApp group and is evolving into a formal hub for content creators to collaborate and learn.

Navigating Regulation: The challenges of building a business at the intersection of crypto and sports betting while maintaining a long-term, compliant strategy.

The Future of LiveDuel: Upcoming tools for live streamers and the vision for the World Cup in North America.

In this episode of CMO Weekly, host Haley Clover sits down with Conley Downing, the Chief Marketing Officer at Archer Roose Wines, live from Adweek’s Brand Week.

Conley shares her journey from "unsexy" pharmaceutical marketing to leading a disruptor brand in the declining wine category. They discuss how Archer Roose is redefining wine culture through convenience, sustainability, and high-profile partnerships with figures like Elizabeth Banks.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Disrupting Tradition: How Archer Roose is overcoming the "canned wine stigma" through scientific research with Cornell University and best-in-class quality practices.

Brand Voice vs. Celebrity Voice: The strategy behind balancing the brand’s unique identity with the creative style of celebrity partner Elizabeth Banks.

The Power of Partnerships: Inside the "scrappy" creative moves that turned a JetBlue placement into a viral DIY in-flight spritz campaign.

Marketing for the Modern Consumer: Why the "sidecar" serving method and "better-for-you" transparency (vegan, sustainably sourced, no added sugar) are winning over today’s wine drinkers.

Growth Metrics: How Archer Roose achieved a 92% increase in DTC sales this year and maintains an 88% reorder rate.

About Conley Downing

Conley Downing is a veteran marketer with a rich background in spirits and emerging brands. Her career includes stints at major agencies working on Pepsi and Diageo accounts, as well as leadership roles with Sean Combs' brands (Ciroc and DeLeón) and the startup 21 Seeds. She joined Archer Roose a year ago to lead their brand strategy and growth marketing.

How do you market a sports team in a city with a "Championship Culture"? In this episode of CMO Weekly, we sit down with Sandra Moore, the Chief Marketing Officer at Sporting Kansas City, to discuss the evolution of fan engagement, brand loyalty, and the intersection of sports and community.

Sandra shares her insights on navigating the competitive MLS landscape, leveraging data to personalize the fan experience, and how Sporting KC stays "Always On" even during the off-season. Whether you’re a sports marketer or a brand builder, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies for creating deep emotional connections with your audience.

📈 Key Takeaways from this Episode:

The Fan-First Philosophy: How Sandra and her team prioritize the "matchday experience" to build lifelong loyalty.

Data vs. Emotion: Balancing hard analytics with the passion of a sports fanbase.

Community Integration: Why Sporting KC views itself as a community asset first and a soccer team second.

Growth Tactics: Lessons on scaling a brand in a mid-market city with high-level competition.

In this episode of CMO Weekly, host Haley Plummer sits down with David Plumi, the CMO of Luckia Gaming Group. Since taking the helm in 2023, David has been instrumental in scaling Luckia’s content offerings, securing high-profile partnerships like LaLiga, and leading the brand toward a top-three position in the competitive Spanish market.

David shares his unique journey from professional poker player and entrepreneur to CMO of one of Europe’s rising gaming brands. We dive deep into why Luckia views itself as a "family" business, the strategy behind multi-million dollar sports sponsorships, and how to balance traditional media with a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

In this episode of CMO Weekly, host Haley Clover sits down with Victoria Lozano, the Chief Marketing Officer of Crayola, to explore how a 120-year-old heritage brand is evolving into a full creative ecosystem. Victoria shares insights from her 16-year tenure at the company, discussing the shift from selling art supplies to fostering "creativity as a life skill" through content, experiences, and digital innovation.

Key Topics Covered:

Building a Creative Ecosystem: Discover how Crayola has expanded beyond physical products into Crayola Studios and location-based entertainment to showcase creativity in action.

The Power of "Crayola Creativity Week": Victoria discusses the massive success of this free global program, which reached 13.2 million children in over 120 countries last year by integrating creativity into core subjects like math and literacy.

Nostalgia vs. Modern Relevance: How Crayola uses emotional triggers—like the return of retired colors (Dandelion) and global color votes—to stay relevant for both children and nostalgic adults.

The Adult Coloring Resurgence: Learn why 57% of Crayola purchases now come from households without children, as adults turn to coloring for relaxation and "rebalancing".

The Secret to Marketing Longevity: Victoria offers advice for early-career marketers on finding passion, embracing diverse roles within a single brand, and thinking about the "bigger ecosystem".

Crayon Naming Stories: A look behind the scenes at how colors like "Macaroni and Cheese" and "Tickle Me Pink" were named by fans and children.

Welcome to a groundbreaking episode of CMO Weekly, where we go beyond the headlines to explore a truly purpose-driven client-agency relationship. Host Haley Clover sits down with two of the industry's most dynamic leaders: Lina Polimeni, Chief Corporate Brand Officer at Eli Lilly and Company, and Jason White, President of Wieden+Kennedy, to uncover the secrets behind their successful two-year collaboration.

In a highly regulated sector like pharmaceuticals, how do you find the opportunity for a bold, breakthrough creative idea? Lina and Jason reveal how their deep, shared sense of purpose has allowed them to move past industry norms and shift from a purely transactional model to a truly relational one.

Key Topics and Breakthrough Ideas:

The Power of Shared Purpose: Learn how an immediate alignment on the mission—using creativity to change the world, particularly in healthcare—became the magnet and foundation of their partnership.

Creativity vs. Regulation: Lina Polimeni challenges the industry belief that regulation is a conflict to creativity, arguing that you can be compliant and creative by focusing on human truth.

The "We Can Create" Initiative: Hear the details on their cultural resonance platform, which leverages the power of storytelling in the entertainment space to depict health authentically on screen.

Health Inclusion in Culture: The leaders discuss the importance of health inclusion and how the accurate depiction of health in film influences culture and even medical decisions (citing examples like the Barbie movie and increased ObGyn visits, and Angelina Jolie’s public discussion of her mastectomy).

Advice for CMOs: Jason and Lina offer invaluable advice for marketing leaders in any regulated space: be courageous, relentless in the pursuit of the great idea, and focus on building deep trust with your partners to navigate compliance challenges and achieve your full potential.

This conversation is a masterclass in modern marketing leadership, demonstrating what is possible when a courageous client and a world-class creative agency commit to a purpose bigger than themselves

In this dynamic episode of CMO Weekly, we sit down with Erin Chin, Head of Global Brand Marketing for Logitech G. Erin discusses her incredible journey from investment banking to becoming a leader who guides the marketing and brand storytelling for Logitech G, the company’s billion-dollar gaming brand that now unites both gamers and creators under one umbrella.

Previously the CMO for Logitech for Creators, Erin shares the vision behind the "Together We Create" platform and how she is leveraging her expertise in building culturally relevant brands to shape one of the most influential communities in tech and gaming.

Key Discussion Points:

The Non-Traditional CMO Path: Erin details her unique career evolution, starting as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs before moving into international strategy at MTV Networks, and then holding senior marketing roles at major beverage companies like Diageo and PepsiCo (Mountain Dew).

The Power of Creators & Gaming: Insights into the explosive growth of content creation and gaming, where one out of every three people in the world is a gamer. Erin explains how Logitech G is dedicated to creating innovative gear for this vast audience.

Building Brand Authenticity: How Logitech G's strategy focuses on building authentic relationships, leading and driving culture through storytelling and actions, rather than just chasing trends.

Global Brand Strategy in Practice: A look at Logitech G's global initiatives, including orchestrating 18 IRL event activations around the globe. She discusses community engagement, masterclasses, esports tournaments, and collaborations with iconic brands like McLaren and Herman Miller.

Tune in to learn what it truly takes to unify a global brand, build a massive creator community, and market products in the fast-paced world of gaming and content creation.

Guest Info:

Erin Chin is the Head of Global Brand Marketing for Logitech G.

Connect with Erin on LinkedIn (search for Erin Strother Chin).

About CMO Weekly: Every week, we go beyond the headlines to explore what it really takes to build brands, lead teams, and stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.

This episode is brought to you by Open Fortune, the only marketing company putting your brand inside actual fortune cookies.

CMO Weekly: Cash is King, Gen Z, & The Future of iGaming Affiliation | Richard Dennys, CEO Game Lounge

In this candid episode of CMO Weekly, we sit down with Richard Dennys, CEO of the influential iGaming affiliate brand, Game Lounge. Since taking the helm in early 2024, Richard has been steering the global company—which operates over 130 websites across dozens of countries—through a wave of growth, innovation, and industry change.

Richard offers a refreshing, straight-talking perspective on what it takes to lead a successful performance marketing business today. He dives into why the core lesson from his decades-long career is that "cash is king" and why the business philosophy of being "boring" (focused on strong fundamentals) is the key to massive, sustainable growth.

The conversation goes beyond typical marketing strategy to explore:

The Trust Economy: Why Game Lounge is committed to becoming the "most trusted affiliate in the sector" by embracing data transparency and moving the industry away from a "cloak and dagger" mentality in its partner relationships.

The Future of the Player: How the affiliate model must fundamentally change to serve Gen Z and younger players, who trust social networks, peer-to-peer recommendations, and crypto platforms more than traditional SEO.

The AI Revolution: Richard's view on how generative AI is lowering the industry's barrier to entry, forcing companies to differentiate through genuine product quality and content expertise.

Culture & Productivity: His leadership philosophy of "more brains, less hands," how Game Lounge hires for attitude over skill, and the focus on productivity rather than presenteeism in their hybrid work model.