Question Everything

How to pitch and win in 2026 with Robin and Steve Boehler, Founders @ Mercer Island Group

Robin and Steve Boehler have seen the good, bad, and ugly in countless pitches for culture-shaping brands like Starbucks, Microsoft, Abbott, and Nintendo. Lucky for us, they wrote a book on how agencies can shift the pitch spotlight from core capabilities and humble brags to solving your prospect's problems. Cause that's how you win.

In this episode of Question Everything, we cover major insights every agency needs to hear from the Boehlers' new book, It's Not About You: Winning New Business In A Crowded Agency World. You'll learn what a prospect-friendly pitch looks like, how to get to the root of a prospect's problem quickly, and how to seal the deal before leaving the boardroom.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why agencies need to stop talking about themselves in the pitch

• The five slides that agencies can use for every pitch deck

• The types of questions agencies need to ask during a Q&A session

• Making the most out of a 60-minute presentation

• Uncovering the prospect's problem, quickly

• What needs to be true to be invited to pitch

• Unconventional ways to sound like a genius in the room

• How agencies should think about scope

• What clients are looking for from agencies in 2026

Resources:

• Connect with Robin on LinkedIn

• Connect with Steve on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Mercer Island Group on their website

• Get a copy of It's Not About You: Winning New Business In A Crowded Agency World

What CMOs need to know about Gen Alpha with Mintel's Director of Consumer Trends, Diana Kelter

Diana Kelter, Mintel's Director of Consumer Trends, is always one step ahead of where consumer behavior is headed. By combining data, cultural observation, and brand analysis, she helps marketers understand not just what people buy – but why.

In this episode, Diana unpacks the newest generation of consumers, Gen Alpha. You'll learn what makes these 15 and unders an experimental and disruptive generation, how they discover and evaluate brands, and why cross-category marketing is becoming one of the most powerful drivers of relevance and presence.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What sets Gen Alpha apart from Gen Z

• The powerful role of aesthetics in Gen Alpha's life

• Why the most successful brands must become Gen Alpha's "friends."

• Why Gen Alpha will seek out experimentation and disruption over stability and comfort

• Marketing strategies in response to the anti-algorithm movement

• How brands can act as guests and not landlords in consumer spaces

• How CMOs can earn Gen Alpha's trust

• What draws Gen Alpha to in-store shopping

• Gen Alpha's relationship with AI

Resources:

• Connect with Diana on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Mintel on their website

• See more Mintel reports on Gen Alpha

• See how Rhode participates in cross-category marketing

Peter Hinssen has spent his career helping leaders make sense of a world that refuses to slow down. A technologist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker, Peter has advised companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google on how to thrive in what he calls the "never normal" a new era defined by nonstop disruption and exponential change.

In this episode, Peter shares what CMOs must do to successfully lead in a world of constant acceleration, the power of "day after tomorrow" thinking for your business, and why failing fast has quietly become one of the biggest competitive advantages in modern marketing.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Peter's three keys for leaders facing uncertainty

• Why Peter is a pathological optimist as a technologist

• Why AI isn't a real threat to ad agencies

• The harm "tomorrow thinking" is causing business leaders

• How to exercise "day-after-tomorrow" thinking

• How you can use uncertainty to your advantage

• Why organizations should shift from a scalable execution model to a scalable learning one

• How leaders can give their teams courage facing the never-normal climate

Resources:

• Connect with Peter on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Peter on his website

• Find more on his latest book, The Uncertainty Principle

• Get your hands on his survival guide for the never-normal, The Day After Tomorrow

• Why you should be an optimist in the face of massive technological change from one of Peter's biggest influences, Hans Rosling and his book Factfulness

• See a less optimistic view on the digital world by Cory Doctorow with his book Enshittification

Nicole Ayers has built a career out of scaling brands that make mealtime 1000x more fun. She once managed cereal icons like Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. These days, she's all about four-legged foodies. Partnering with Curiosity, Nicole and Blue Buffalo are stepping into the fresh pet food game with their newest product innovation: Love Made Fresh.

In this episode, Nicole pulls back the curtain on how you can confidently bring new product innovations to market, why you should never let consumer testing dictate the fate of your work, and how to make the most of your marketing dollars.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The keys to a successful new product launch

• Why Glossier has the best product launches

• Nicole's thoughts about AI-generated spots

• Brand-building strategies Blue Buffalo can learn from Lucky Charms

• General Mills' strategy behind Edgard & Cooper's exclusive partnership with PetSmart

• The secret to selling bold creative to companies like General Mills

• How to maximize your marketing dollars against big category spenders

• How to know when the strategy and creative are right

• Why concept testing shouldn't be the final verdict for creative

• How to turn your "thinks" into "knows" by asking the consumer

• A BTS look at Cinnamon Toast Crunch's cereal cannibalism campaign

Resources:

• Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Blue Buffalo on their website

• Read more about Love Made Fresh

• See the new Love Made Fresh work

• Watch Cinnamon Toast's cereal cannibalism spot

Stefan Lagerqvist is a proven business leader best known for his unique blend of elevated financial expertise, strategic insight, and world-class brand-building experience, honed at P&G and Unilever. Currently, Stefan serves as the Group CEO at NICK'S, a Swedish better-for-you ice cream and protein bar brand that's made a name for itself in snack aisles across Europe and the US.

In this episode, we cover the unexpected difficulties Stefan and Nick's faced during their high-growth era, the keys to pulling off the best experiential marketing, and how Nick's crafted their flirtatiously bold brand voice.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The unexpected business challenges of extreme growth

• How to uncover your true target consumer

• The Nick's product that outperformed Snickers

• Why having legacy brands copy you is great for business

• How to evaluate creative without paid testing

• Why cynicism is necessary for business growth

• The keys to pulling off the best experiential marketing

• When challenger brands truly challenge legacy brands

• How Nick's retooled their marketing approach for the US

• How Bethenny Frankel became Nick's #1 fan

• What to remember in influencer marketing

• How Nick's balances their messaging to be both fun and functional

Resources:

• Connect with Stefan on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Nick's on their website

• Follow Nick's on Instagram

• See Bethenny Frankel show Nick's love

Multiplying impact with unique perspectives with Damaune Journey, Global Chief Growth Officer @ 72andSunny

Damaune Journey's leap into advertising was inspired by purpose. A lack of representation across media inspired his mid-career pivot, and since then, he's made historic strides as the Global Chief Growth Officer at 72andSunny. Damaune has helped lead the agency to global recognition, award-winning campaigns, and an internal creative culture rooted in optimism. From filming Super Bowl spots in Ghana to co-founding Sport Beach at Cannes, he's proving that advertising is bigger than driving sales.

In this episode of Question Everything, Damaune unpacks his formula for impactful advertising, 72andSunny's internal litmus test used to judge their work, and the agency's unique process for democratizing culture-shifting campaigns.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The power of Purpose x Perspective x Persistence

• Damaune's charge for advertisers to consider representation

• Why agencies should seek perspectives from every department

• 72andSunny's "Murph Meter" and what it means for their work

• Why it's crucial to think beyond the traditional TV spot

• Why AI won't replace your job, people who know how to use it will

• The most star-studded names at Cannes Sport Beach

• Damaune's career moments that his daughter is most proud of

Resources:

• Learn more about 72andSunny on their website

• Watch 72andSunny's "Run With It" campaign

• Watch 72andSunny's "Born To Play" campaign

• See more on Tinder's "Swipe Night" campaign

• Connect with Damaune on LinkedIn

Breaking and Entering's Media's Geno Schellenberger is writing Gen Z's ad industry playbook

Geno Schellenberger's Breaking and Entering Media takes pretension out of the press by using Gen Z-native content strategies to keep advertisers entertained and in the know.

In this episode of Question Everything, Geno opens up about the power of personal brand building in the age of AI, the most impactful Gen Z marketing strategies, and trends the industry should retire. It's a party, and Geno's inviting the industry's newest talent to dance.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How Breaking and Entering Media started

• The best way to stand out as a Gen Zer in an AI-fueled world

• An outdated adland mindset that should retire

• The most surprising thing Geno has learned about the ad industry

• How theater and improv can boost presentation skills

• What agencies get wrong with their positioning

• What CMOs still get wrong about Gen Z

• The brand campaign that first made Geno say, "I want in."

• The most overused breakthrough tactic right now

• What it really means to be authentic, and why it's non-negotiable

Resources:

• Connect with Geno on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Breaking and Entering Media on their website

Oliver McAteer shares Mischief's secrets to successful disruptive creative campaigns

Oliver McAteer is in the business of making brands unignorable. As Partner and Head of Development at Mischief @ No Fixed Address, he's helped shape one of the world's most talked-about and awarded creative agencies.

In this episode of Question Everything, Ollie gets candid about how Mischief arrives at their disruptive creative strategies, how agency culture fuels talked-about campaigns, and what it takes to get CMOs outside their comfort zone. From viral cheese pulls to deepfake diplomacy, he shares what it takes to earn attention and keep it.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What award Mischief has received means the most to Ollie

• Mischief's response when a spot was pulled from networks at the last minute

• How Mischief gets CMOs to trust that the stir is worth it

• How Mischief helped Chili's make its comeback

• How Mischief's agency culture shapes their success

• The truth behind the rumor about presenting 24 briefs to Greg Hahn

• Mischief's approach to the pitch process

• Ollie's recent favorite non-Mischief campaign

• Who in the industry Ollie wants to grab a Coors Light with

Resources:

• See more about Mischief and RepresentUs "Dictators" campaign

• Ollie's recent favorite non-Mischief campaign from DoorDash

• Connect with Ollie on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Mischief on their website

PJ Pereira schools us on the best AI tools for CMOs and overcoming AI anxiety.

PJ Pereira is an industry legend whose success is fueled by creatively embracing eras of extreme innovation. Starting his career when the internet was in its infancy, he has conquered the digital age of marketing and is setting his sights on taming the AI giant in the room. His third agency, Silverside AI, has already solved creative problems for some of the biggest brands in the world using AI. Most of all, PJ is fiercely passionate about helping creatives facing AI anxiety head-on by retooling their skillsets for the next generation of advertising.

Must-hear moments for this episode include: How a CMO can avoid paralysis when integrating AI into their business, why the future of big ideas is actually small ideas, and why ad professionals need to embrace AI or risk losing relevance.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How agency and in-house creative teams can work together

• Why an underdog mindset wins more Cannes Lions

• The one time a Cannes Lion jury got it wrong

• How a CMO can implement AI into their operations ASAP

• Where the ad industry is headed in the next five years

• What AI for agencies looks like

• PJ's reaction to the Coca-Cola AI-generated campaign backlash

• Why the industry must embrace AI-driven creative to survive

• How industry professionals can overcome their AI anxiety

• PJ's incredible story of overcoming his first 6 months in America

Resources:

• Learn more about Silverside AI on their website

• See Silverside's AI Coca-Cola campaign

• Get a copy of PJ's latest novel, The Girl from Wudang, on Amazon

• Connect with PJ on LinkedIn

‍Don't let the name fool you: Frownies, the miracle wrinkle patch, has delivered cheese-worthy results for over 100 years. Helen Morrison, Frownie's Chief Marketing Unicorn, has breathed new life into the family-owned brand thanks to her best-in-class organic social media approach. The secret? She prioritizes building a true community around her audience's shared goal – not just to sell product.

Can't-miss moments for this episode include: how brands can win the trust of their target, key do's and don'ts for building a community on social, and how your brand can sustain success for over a century.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to scale a smaller business and remain authentic

• Ways to show your audience you truly care about them on social

• Steps to building a community on social

• How Frownies is targeting the increasing number of men investing in skincare

• The moment Frownies went viral and what happened

• The secret to keeping a brand relevant for over 100 years

• How CMOs can make a big impact with a smaller marketing budget

• The perks and oddities of working with family

Resources:

• Learn more about Frownies on their website

• Join the Frownies community on Instagram

• See Frownies on TikTok

• Connect with Helen on LinkedIn

• Message her on her personal Instagram

• See Helen's latest beauty obsession: Anastasia's facial massage methods on Instagram