Question Everything

Speed from clarity: How Underdog built a brand that moves fast with Underdog's Devin Bellamy & Mike Posner

Finding your footing as a challenger brand is tough. You're up against bigger, better-funded competitors with deep brand equity and loyal audiences. So what stake do you put in the ground? How do you stand out and show consumers what they're missing?

Our newest client, Underdog, answered those questions. They got clear on who they were, and that gave them the ultimate advantage: They move with clarity and conviction, launching activations that keep up with the pace of culture.

In this episode of Question Everything, we sit down with Underdog's Senior Director of Integrated Marketing Devin Bellamy and Head of Executive Development Mike Posner on the heels of their first-ever national campaign, Unleash Your Dog. We chat about building Underdog's brand and culture, plus how they took The Dog from brief to screen and beyond.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How brands can move fast without compromising quality

• How Jody Hill and Paul Walter Hauser gave The Dog a soul, and why letting talent improvise was the unlock

• How The Dog is showing up in the Underdog app

• Why Novig's Sydney Sweeney spot may have won attention but lost the brand

• The secret to understanding your audience

• Why Underdog would do Unethical Hoops all over again, cease-and-desist and all

• Why brand leaders should have faith in their ideas from brief to activation

• Why Devin hasn't felt disadvantaged in senior marketing roles across male-dominated industries

• Why Underdog skipped the big office and invested in Camp Underdog, its annual off-site, instead

Resources:

• Learn more about Underdog on their website

• See Paul Walter Hauser as The Dog

• See why Underdog got a cease and desist letter for selling Unethical Hoops

• Watch Novig's controversial spot with Sydney Sweeney

• Connect with Devin on LinkedIn

• Connect with Mike on LinkedIn

The indie agency advantage: What CMOs need to know with Ad Age Executive Editor Judy Pollack

As Ad Age's Executive Editor, Judy Pollack has her finger on the pulse of the biggest campaigns across the marketing industry. In addition to breaking major industry news, she also helps determine which shops deserve a spot on Ad Age's coveted A-List and Small Agency Awards.

In this episode of Question Everything, we got the scoop on why small indie agencies are gaining ground, how they're earning the attention of major brands, and what helps the best shops stand out in an increasingly crowded landscape.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The difference between being a reporter in the 80s and now
• The story Judy and Ad Age regret holding
• Why social-first thinking is starting to drive the brief
• How CMOs should invest in social
• What the ad industry is losing with the disappearance of legacy HoldCos
• What CMOs need to understand about the new wave of super independents
• The biggest industry story Judy has broken at Ad Age
• How small agencies get on Ad Age's radar
• Why half of this year's A-list winners were independents
• What the best CMOs have in common

Resources:

• Connect with Judy on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to Ad Age for the latest marketing news
• See Small Agency winner, Conscious Minds social campaign that captured Ad Age's attention

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro 1:17 Meet Ad Age Executive Editor Judy Pollack 4:33 A surprise from American Idol winner David Cook 5:31 Advertising's wildest "Mad Men" days 8:41 The story Ad Age wishes it broke 11:01 Why social-first is taking over advertising 14:06 What's lost when legendary agencies disappear 16:18 What CMOs need to know about indie agencies 19:36 Breaking one of advertising's biggest stories 22:38 How to get your agency on Ad Age's radar 26:00 Are indie agencies beating the holding companies? 28:00 Why holding companies should fear indies 29:00 What makes a CMO interesting to the press 31:00 The biggest change in advertising since the '80s 34:00 The pitches Ad Age actually wants to receive 34:45 Why CMOs should let their agencies pitch the press 37:00 This or That with Judy Pollack 40:00 Judy's advice for getting in touch with Ad Age

The growth playbook behind Mike & Ike's We Got'Chew with Meenakshi Trehan, Chief Growth Officer at Just Born

Meenakshi Trehan is responsible for growing some of the most iconic candy brands in the world, including MIKE AND IKE, PEEPS, HOT TAMALES and GOLDENBERG'S PEANUT CHEWS. As Chief Growth Officer at Just Born, she's helping beloved brands with decades-long histories find new ways to show up for today's consumers.

In this episode of Question Everything with Meenakshi, we cover how MIKE AND IKE turned a product truth into the "We Got'Chew" brand campaign platform, the best ways to modernize legacy brands, and celebrity partnerships that actually build brand equity.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How legacy brands should (and should not) use their heritage

• How MIKE AND IKE and Curiosity arrived at the new "We Got'Chew Platform"

• The four keys for a successful legacy brand

• Meenakshi's proven leadership advice for CMOs

• Why Knicks player Josh Hart was named President of Candy Operations

• The story behind Kenan Thompson's directorial debut for MIKE AND IKE's We Got'chew

• How family-owned companies like Just Born can outperform corporate machines

• Balancing playful creative with meaningful business results

Resources:

• Learn more about MIKE AND IKE and Curiosity's We Got'Chew campaign

• Meet Josh Hart, MIKE AND IKE's President of Candy Operations

• See how PEEPS ignited social during this year's big game

• Learn more about the family-owned company, Just Born

• Connect with Meenakshi on LinkedIn

Adam Wilson has spent his career helping brands stand out. After years at creative agencies and a stint leading brand marketing at Carhartt, he now leads strategy and creative at D/CAL, the agency he co-founded with Tony Hawk.

In this episode of Question Everything, Adam shares why so many CMOs struggle to differentiate their brand, how brands can think like creators to earn attention, and how CMOs can get the most from their agency partners.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How CMOs are being set up to fail and what agencies can do to help

• Why you can't rely on quantitative data to differentiate your brand

• Why you need to differentiate further upstream

• The best use case for AI in agencies

• Why there should be some pushback in your agency relationship

• Why D/CAL's advisory board is filled with cultural tastemakers like Skateboarder Tony Hawk and Music Producer Paul Blair

• Why brands need to start thinking like creators

• What CMOs get wrong about Creatives and what Creatives get wrong about CMOs

Resources:

• Learn more about D/CAL on their website

• See D/CAL's advisory board

• Check out D/CAL's latest work

• Connect with Adam on LinkedIn

Like most creatives in ad land, Ben was taught how to make great work, not how to sell it. He let his work "speak for itself" until he realized that great ideas don't win unless they've got a great pitch behind them. With few actionable frameworks or guides available, he took matters into his own hands, teaching himself the art of pitching. That journey led him to build a 10-session course, author two books, and coach some of the industry's top creatives on how to "sell it great."

In this episode of Question Everything, Ben shares how to uncover the invisible brief every client has, shake off presentation nerves, and answer the four questions a pitch must address to win.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What the client's invisible brief is and how to solve it

• The four or five motivations your clients have behind the work

• The most powerful tool for presenters, and how to use it

• Why you should get comfortable with silence in presentations

• Two exercises to shake off nerves before big presentations

• How a presentation changes when it's virtual vs in-person

• How to stop "hiding behind your deck"

• The four questions you must answer for a winning pitch

Resources:

• Learn more about Ben and his Sell It Great program on his website

• Get a copy of Stop Reading Slides, Ben's guide to creative presentations

• Plan your next creative presentation with Ben's Practical Pitch Planner

• Find more on REI's #OptOutside Black Friday campaign

• Connect with Ben on LinkedIn

What it takes for brands to break through with Heidi Hackemer, Principal of Hackemer

Heidi Hackemer is the Principal of strategy consultancy Hackemer, where she fearlessly tackles the brand world's most interesting challenges. Her approach to breakthrough strategy isn't flashy – it's rooted in the fundamentals. From Google and Nike to the Obama White House, she's started every assignment the same way: the 4C's framework, a whiteboard, and a Diet Coke.

In this episode of Question Everything, Heidi shares what brands can do to create space in a crowded landscape, what legacy brands need to make a comeback, and why CMOs need to be the bravest people in the room for a brand to grow.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The thinking behind Oatly's infamous "Wow No Cow" Super Bowl spot

• Heidi's big win for the Obama's comms department

• The three dimensions of a breakthrough campaign

• Why Unilever allowed Axe to scale with minimal oversight

• Why CMOs who are cautious are pissing money away

• Why you should listen to classical music when building presentation decks

• How to use the 4C's framework for both legacy and challenger brands

• What legacy brand who has lost their way but can make a comeback

• Heidi's proudest career moment and one she'd re-do.

Resources:

• Watch Oatly's 'Wow No Cow' Super Bowl spot

• Hear more from Heidi on her Substack

• Learn more about Hackemer

• Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn

Christy and Whit Hiler are the powerhouse duo driving huge growth for Cornett, the nationally acclaimed, independent ad agency based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Since becoming Cornett's owner in 2020, Christy has led the agency to four Ad Age Small Agency of the Year wins. Beyond running the shop, she's driving the Own It movement – working to increase women and nonbinary ownership across the industry.

Alongside Christy through it all is her partner, Chief Creative Officer Whit Hiler, known for wallet-opening work that's captured the attention – and long-term commitment – of iconic national and regional brands

In this bonus episode of Question Everything, you'll hear how Christy defines her role as an owner, why she champions a promote-from-within culture, and why CMOs should partner with agencies that treat themselves like a client.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The story behind Cocaine Bear, and why the Hilers own the rights

• When ownership stopped being a title and became part of Christy's identity

• Why an agency's people and culture are the ultimate growth engine

• What happens when you start treating your agency's brand like a client's

• The keys to a successful agency rebrand

Resources:

• Watch the movie trailer for Cocaine Bear

• Learn more about the Own It movement

• Learn more about Cornett on their website

• Connect with Christy on LinkedIn

• Connect with Whit on LinkedIn

Why you're not getting press coverage and how to fix it with Luz Corona, Editor of Campaign US

Luz Corona sits at the center of the advertising industry, covering the brands and agencies shaping culture. Beyond managing headlines, she's also leading must-hear conversations with the industry's top voices as a host of Campaign US's Campaign Chemistry podcast.

In this episode of Question Everything, Luz breaks down what it takes to land on Campaign's Agency of the Year list, who's really making an impact on DEI in marketing, and how to get out of the inbox and into the headlines.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Times when great creative wins awards over business results

• The conversation the industry should be having right now

• Why Campaign US's "Leading Women" matters

• Brands and agencies actually improving DEI in marketing

• Four keys to a winning Campaign US agency award entry

• Why your creative campaigns aren't scoring headlines

• Why the industry is in its indie era

• And, do Ad Age, Adweek, and Campaign really get along?

Resources:

• Subscribe to Campaign US for more advertising news

• See Lush's statement against anti-immigration sentiment

• Read more on how the industry can improve in DEI

• For an example of genius creative, watch Spotify's Spreadbeats campaign

• Our podcast episode with Pedro Lerma, Founder and CEO of LERMA/

• Connect with Luz on LinkedIn

Why purpose-driven work pays off, Founder and CEO of LERMA/

Pedro Lerma leads one of the most culturally impactful agencies in the world. The Founder and CEO @ LERMA/ has two small agency of the year awards, an A-list standout appearance, and an Ad Age agency executive award under his belt. Not to mention, his small agency has produced multiple Super Bowl spots for clients Avocados from Mexico and He Gets Us.

In this episode of Question Everything, Pedro shares LERMA/'s method for producing work that both connects with and shapes culture, the tool he developed to combat AI bias, and how the "He Gets Us" client reacted when their 2024 Super Bowl spot went viral for the wrong reason.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How LERMA/ takes DEI a step further – and how that translates to results

• The three things LERMA/ and their clients do to practice cultural fluency

• What the creative process for a Super Bowl spot looks like

• Why trust isn't built by being perfect, but by being accountable

• Why Luis Messianu, Richard Edelman, and Pedro Lerma formed the MEL agency

• What being a service-minded leader looks like

• The headline that should've been written after the viral 2024 He Gets Us Super Bowl campaign

• How LERMA/ is combating generative AI bias

• Why LERMA/ shifted from being multicultural to a cross-cultural agency

• Why Pedro went back to school and got his degree at 53

Resources:

• Learn more about LERMA/ on their website

• Watch LERMA/'s viral He Gets Us campaign

• See more about the book Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman

• See more about the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

• Connect with Pedro on LinkedIn

For the Super Bowl edition of Question Everything, we caught up with former NFL linebacker, now investor and entrepreneur, Dhani Jones. After founding two creative agencies, advising several startups, and serving as a board member across multiple categories, Dhani shares what it takes for brands to stand out in today's increasingly crowded marketing landscape.

In the episode, you'll hear about Dhani's journey on and off the field and the lessons he's carried from the gridiron into the business world. He unpacks the parallels between the locker room and the boardroom, the Super Bowl ads that truly earn attention, and why playing it safe may be the fastest way for a CMO to lose their job.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The similarities between huddles in an NFL locker room and a boardroom

• How brands should approach their halftime strategy

• Why CMOs who don't take risks should find a new job

• The one thing that nobody knows about Tom Brady

• Dhani's view on creativity in advertising and why he was drawn to the industry post-NFL

• How to make sure your $7 Million Super Bowl spot isn't a flop

• Why Dhani designed his own major while attending Michigan

• What inspired Dhani to create the H.E.A.D.S. organization

Resources:

• Connect with Dhani on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Dhani's foundation, Bowtie Cause

• See some of Dhani's all-time favorite Super Bowl spots:

Verizon's Buzz Aldrin commercial

Colgate's Every Drop Counts

Cetaphil's Game Time Glow

Budweiser's First Delivery

Budweiser's "Bud" "Weis" "Er"