In this episode of Building A Better Brand®, host Tony Triumph sits down with Mariam Asmar, a global brand and marketing leader whose career spans advertising, tech, and creative innovation. From her early PR days at Time Warner to shaping campaigns for legacy giants like Coca-Cola and L'Oréal, to now driving creative strategy at Braze, Mariam brings a rare vantage point on the intersection of creativity, community, and technology. Together, they unpack the hype and reality of Cannes Lions, which they call “the Oscars of advertising,” and explore how tech has redefined brand building, customer engagement, and creative accountability.

The conversation reveals how Mariam is bridging the gap between traditional brand playbooks and performance-driven tech, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and storytelling. You'll get an inside look at Braze's Creative Innovation Lab and its role in helping brands merge creative strategy with data to build genuine, lasting relationships with their customers. Whether you’re a founder, operator, or modern marketer, this is a must-listen for anyone curious about the future of brand building and the evolving role of brand marketing in 2025.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Cannes Lions: An Insider's Look: A deep dive into the "Oscars of advertising" and a juror's unique perspective on judging the world's most innovative brand campaigns.
• Bridging the Brand-Tech Gap: Insights on how to connect traditional brand playbooks with data-driven tech strategies to drive real growth and creative effectiveness.
• Braze's Creative Innovation Lab: A look inside the team's mission to help Fortune 500 brands and startups alike stay ahead of the curve by pushing the boundaries of creativity.
• Timeless Principles for Early-Stage Brands: Mariam’s actionable advice for founders building from scratch and why brand differentiation is your biggest advantage when budgets are small.
• Brand in the Age of AI: Mariam’s take on how new technology and shifting consumer expectations are forcing brand marketing to evolve from a separate department to a core, integrated strategic function.
• A Colorful Career: From McCann to Braze: A look at Mariam's diverse and storied career path and how she connected her past experiences to her current role in tech.
• Top 3-5 tips to build a better brand?: Mariam's actionable insights on what it takes to create a successful, enduring brand.

Connect with Braze on their Instagram, LinkedIn, and website here. 

Connect with Tony Triumph: @tonytriumphofficial (IG), LinkedIn