Few people have a role that combines media, creative, and analytics.  However, Brad Feinberg, VP of Media, Digital, and eCommerce at the Molson Coors Beverage Company, is one of those rare individuals. And if that’s not enough, he’s also part of the company’s Americas Commercial Accelerator leadership team. The Accelerator aims to build capabilities across all geographies and categories for premium brand growth, while scaling beyond beer.  Plus, it looks to invest in those initiatives that support people, communities, and the planet. Brad outlines strategies for enhancing value across a portfolio of brands in a competitive category while delivering effective and meaningful consumer engagement amidst changing behaviors.

When Mollye Rhea founded For Momentum in 2003, she pioneered one of the first cause marketing agencies to foster partnerships between brands and nonprofits.  She characterizes her work as “bringing causes and companies together to multiply good.” For Momentum is now one of the leading cause-related marketing firms in the United States. For Momentum has been monitoring corporate partnership trends for over a decade. Their latest study, The Partnership Shift: Evolving Trends in Corporate and Nonprofit Collaborations, has just been released. Mollye Rhea shares the findings at a time when rapid policy changes are compelling companies and nonprofits to adapt swiftly. She provides insights on navigating this dynamic landscape and highlights strategies experienced corporate partnership professionals and nonprofits can employ to effectively respond to these challenges.

Ask Amy Dunham, Habitat for Humanity International's Chief Communications Officer, about her latest initiative, and she'll enthusiastically discuss encouraging the Habitat organization to take a fresh look at a much-loved brand. Whether reacting to changing market conditions, new leaders, or an organizational strategy update (or all of the above), she believes marketers must continue to plan and execute in uncertain times, regardless of fast-changing, incomplete information. Amy Durham shares how she's leveraging a brand refresh effort through research (thanks to a donor gift).

David Aaker is prolific. He has published over 120 articles and 18 books that have sold more than 1 million copies and have been translated into 18 languages. Among them are Managing Brand Equity, Building Strong Brands, Aaker on Branding, Creating Signature Stories, and The Future of Purpose-Driven Branding.  Marketing Expert Philip Kotler called him the Father of Modern Branding. David Aaker was named one of the top five most important marketing/business gurus. His new edition of Aaker on Branding responds to information overload, skeptical consumers, and acerbic social media.  We discuss what marketers must get right to leverage strong brands.

Many associate marketing with innovation, but it is also about anticipating what’s next.  If anyone can look around corners as a strategic and transformational leader focused on driving growth, it’s Charlie Chappell of The Hershey Company. 

Few people have held such a diverse range of marketing roles—from product development at Kimberly-Clark to brand management and marketing at P&G to senior roles at Hershey that span Global Marketing Excellence, Media Leadership, and now Vice President of Innovation and R&D.  

Today, we examine the qualities that make a future-driven marketing leader, particularly in an era of constant change. And what does that mean for brand innovation?

Not all visionaries are people of action.  Amy Williams is both.  

She recognized the need to redesign online advertising, making annoying internet ads a force for good.  In 2016, she co-founded Good-Loop as a simple and profitable way for major brands to do good through their advertising.

So far, her Good Formats have raised over $10 million for good causes globally.  Today, we’ll discuss how she accomplished it.

Mike Nichols’ career has been at the intersection of business, sports, and philanthropy—an inspiring but not typical combination. As Chief of Sponsorship and Activation at Group 1001, an Indiana-based financial and insurance collective that includes brands like Gainbridge®, Delaware Life, and Clear Spring, he “brings to life” the group's values with partnerships that build community through education and sports. 

“Parity Week by Gainbridge®: Investing in the Future of Women’s Sports” is one example of collaboration between for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including Gainbridge®, Parity, and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF®).  At the event in November 2024, $150,000 in grants were awarded to 21 deserving organizations and athletes that support girls and women through sports and/or education.

Throughout his career, Manos Spanos has been consistently motivated by the intersection of marketing, innovation and technology—whether working for large multinationals or startups.   Now, as the Chief Commercial Officer of Sunny Sky Products, a leading producer of beverage solutions, he talks about turning bold ideas into realities while offering his perspective on the potential of AI, purposeful branding, and rising above the clutter.

According to Kate Price, “High-performance marketing means integrating the drivers of brand and demand – long-term customer perceptions and short-term sales.  

Kate, a partner at Prophet's New York office specializing in marketing transformation, shared findings from a recent report by the consultancy, titled Brand & Demand: A Relationship Guide (to Marketing’s Great Love Story).  

The study, based on a survey of over 300 marketing leaders in North America, demonstrated that companies outperforming their competitors are three times more likely to integrate brand building with performance marketing.   In our discussion, we examine the strategies employed by these top-performing companies and identify what distinguishes them from those lagging behind.

TRENDSETTERS:  Parity Reveals a “Silver Lining” for Brands in Support of Women Athletes Parity, the sports marketing and sponsorship platform that’s revolutionizing the financial model for women athletes and creating impactful opportunities for brands, released some new research quantifying the economics of being a woman athlete. Leela Srinivasan, Parity’s CEO, discusses some key takeaways from the organization’s “Beyond the Game” study and outlines a “silver lining” for brands that can also make a “very meaningful” or “life-changing” difference to the athletes themselves.