Uncensored CMO

Claudine Cheever, Pinterest’s Chief Marketing Officer, joins Jon Evans to explain the company’s counter-positioning, its growth to 640 million monthly active users, and why trust, design and user experience remain central to the product.

Pinterest has built a very different kind of internet platform. Rather than competing for endless attention, it is designed around inspiration, intent and the things people want to do next.

They discuss how Pinterest is approaching AI, creators and commerce, why the platform offers brands a distinctive route to consumers, and what Claudine learned from Amazon about leading marketing in a tech business.

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Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:51 - Claudine’s experience working at Amazon
04:17 - Challenges at Amazon
05:15 - Quick fire marketing hot takes
11:11 - Why Claudine joined Pinterest
11:41 - Pinterest’s intriguing counter-positioning
16:17 - How important is design and user experience to Pinterest
17:34 - Who actually uses Pinterest?
18:56 - What are the trending things right now?
20:57 - The role of the creator on Pinterest
22:14 - How AI has been impacting Pinterest
23:59 - Growing to 640 million Monthly Active Users
25:43 - How Pinterest are driving growth (11 consecutive quarters)
26:31 - How to establish trust in your brand?
27:45 - How Pinterest fuels e-commerce
30:17 - How CMOs should spend the first 90 days at a new brand
31:36 - The secret to being a great tech CMO
32:45 - 3 tips to educate your company on marketing
34:46 - The best advice Claudine has ever been given

Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:
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Colleen DeCourcy is one of the most influential creative leaders in modern marketing. Now Chief Marketing Officer at Sonos, she joins Jon for a candid conversation about the relationship between creativity, commercial performance and leadership through change.

They discuss why Colleen joined Sonos, what it takes to turn around a brand, and how to bring creativity back into an organisation when the pressure for short-term results is intense. From Nike’s changing fortunes to the limits of performance marketing, Colleen makes the case for brands that stand for something and leaders prepared to take difficult decisions when it matters.

She also reflects on the hardest moment of her career, why great teams need more than talent, and how marketers should approach AI without losing the human judgement that makes creative work valuable.

A masterclass in leading creatively when the business needs results.

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Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer
01:42 - The hardest moment of Colleen’s career
09:36 - Why we need more leaders taking a stand for what’s right
10:42 - Colleen’s thoughts on Nike falling out of the S&P 500
13:27 - Why Colleen joined Sonos
17:41 - How Colleen is bringing creativity into Sonos
21:47 - How to approach a brand turnaround
27:27 - How to lead through a time of change
31:17 - Why have we stopped valuing creativity?
34:56 - Whats the best piece of advice Colleen has ever received?
37:26 - Audience questions
40:08 - Colleen’s thoughts on AI
43:48 - How to make your team great

Thanks to Émigré for being our official black t-shirt partner. Find your travel wear and accessories at:
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Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:
https://system1group.com/

Duolingo has built one of the most distinctive brands in modern marketing, not by playing it safe, but by creating the conditions for its team to move quickly, take risks and occasionally embrace a little chaos.

Manu Orssaud, Duolingo’s Chief Marketing Officer, joins Jon Evans to unpack the strategy behind the brand’s biggest moments: from the apparent death of Duo and its rapid-response iPhone content to a Bad Bunny campaign built at the speed of culture.

But this is not simply a conversation about being funny on social media. Manu explains the culture of trust required to take creative risks, how to sell bolder work into the business, and how Duolingo measures whether marketing is actually working.

They also discuss behavioural science, the limits of brand safety, handling the AI backlash, and why the next phase of Duolingo marketing may involve a little less chaos.

A masterclass in building a culturally relevant brand without losing commercial discipline.

Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer
01:03 - How do you pronounce Hermes?
02:55 - Duolingo’s iPhone Duo response
04:42 - The culture of trust that enables Duolingo to move fast
05:56 - Has Duolingo ever crossed the line with their social content?
07:55 - The benefits of taking risks
10:31 - The impact of the death of Duo
14:11 - Duolingo’s Bad Bunny campaign - moving at the speed of culture
16:28 - The origin story of the Duo brand mascot
23:05 - How Duolingo uses humour
24:12 - Emigre Sponsor
24:50 - How Duolingo tracks marketing performance
26:15 - Selling risky campaigns into the business
27:06 - The next phase of Duolingo marketing - less chaos
30:37 - How Duolingo is managing this transition
32:56 - Behavioural science insights that have grown Duolingo
34:37 - Duolingo’s AI backlash
38:09 - Going against what your shareholders want
43:46 - What makes Manu a successful CMO
47:47 - The power of constraint
48:46 - Duolingo’s 5 second Super Bowl ad
50:27 - The best advice Manu has ever been given

Thanks to Émigré for being our official black t-shirt partner. Find your travel wear and accessories at:
https://emigre.travel/

Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:
https://system1group.com/

Jessica Jensen, Chief Marketing Officer at LinkedIn, joins Jon Evans for a practical masterclass on what actually works on the platform now. Beginning with a review of Jon’s own profile, they cover the route to becoming a Top Voice, the changing role of B2B creators and how brands can work with them credibly.

They also explore the formats that are earning attention, whether collaborator posts genuinely work, and how buyers use LinkedIn to validate the people and companies they choose to work with.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
01:35 - Jon’s LinkedIn review
11:34 - How do you get a LinkedIn Top Voice
13:23 - The evolution of B2B content creators
14:34 - How brands can work best with creators
16:53 - How LinkedIn are battling AI slop
19:07 - Do collaborator posts on LinkedIn work?
20:02 - What formats work best on LinkedIn in 2026
22:16 - How are B2B buyers making buying decisions on LinkedIn
25:08 - Why LinkedIn is so important for LLMs
25:49 - What jobs is AI creating
29:27 - The best advice Jessica has ever recieved

Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:
https://system1group.com/

Spotify has become one of the world’s most distinctive brands, but what can marketers learn from the way it uses sound, culture and creativity to build emotional connection?

Bridget Evans, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Business Marketing, joins Jon Evans to explain why audio remains an underused marketing opportunity, and how brands can build an audio strategy people do more than simply hear: they remember it.

They discuss the return of the jingle, why taste may become an even more important differentiator in the age of AI, and whether younger audiences really have shorter attention spans, or simply higher standards for what deserves their attention. Bridget also shares how Spotify markets to Gen Z, the enduring impact of Spotify Wrapped, and why the company invests so heavily in Cannes Lions.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:22 - Some things people might not know about Spotify
02:42 - Is audio the most underrated channel?
05:15 - Do people trust audio more?
06:58 - Why taste will become the differentiator in the age of AI
07:44 - How audio branding helps emotion
09:11 - How to get your audio strategy right
10:09 - Why we need to bring back more jingles
12:44 - How Spotify markets to Gen Z
15:59 - Do younger generations actually have shorter attention spans?
17:46 - The opportunity for marketers in audio and podcasting
20:00 - How do we make B2B marketing not boring
26:24 - The impact of Spotify Wrapped
30:53 - Why Spotify invest so much in Cannes Lions
34:37 - How Spotify judge the success of their Cannes
36:49 - 3 things to make B2B marketing better
39:42 - Whats the best advice Bridget has ever been given

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This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here:
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The media landscape has changed faster than most marketing plans have. Evan Shapiro, known as the Media Cartographer for his widely used maps of the media ecosystem, joins Uncensored CMO to explain where attention is really going, which channels marketers are overvaluing, and where the best opportunities may now lie.

They assess the relative value of TV, YouTube, podcasts, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and creators, asking a deceptively simple question: are marketers spending in line with how people actually consume media?

Evan also explores the shift of power towards consumers, why employee-generated content could become a major force, and where job losses are likely to hit the media industry next. They discuss the rise of founder-led media, the opaque problem of ad fraud, and what Evan has learned from building his own podcast.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:42 - Intro to Evan Shapiro
01:43 - Evan’s path into media
03:38 - How to entertain people with keynote speeches
06:37 - The biggest changes in the media universe: the shift to the consumer
10:44 - Where is attention being placed in 2026?
14:20 - The data on attention
17:22 - Overvalued vs Undervalued media
17:57 - TV: Undervalued or Overvalued?
22:29 - YouTube: Undervalued or Overvalued?
25:35 - Why Employee Generated Content is going to be huge
27:53 - Creators: Undervalued or Overvalued?
30:06 - Podcasts: Undervalued or Overvalued?
31:30 - TikTok: Undervalued or Overvalued?
31:57 - Instagram: Undervalued or Overvalued?
32:37 - Facebook: Undervalued or Overvalued?
33:51 - LinkedIn: Undervalued or Overvalued?
35:43 - How will the media landscape change in the next 12 months
39:53 - Where are job losses being felt in media
43:33 - The rise of founders
46:17 - Ad fraud in the media ecosystem
50:30 - Evan’s lessons from running his podcast
56:57 - The best advice Evan has ever been given

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Karen Blackett is one of the most respected leaders in marketing and media. As the former UK President of WPP and former CEO of GroupM UK, she has led through industry change, crisis and growth at the highest level.

In this marketing leadership masterclass, Karen shares the principles that have shaped her career: why great teams need diverse perspectives and healthy tension; why leaders must say what they really think; and how to make better decisions without mistaking consensus for alignment.

She reflects on leading GroupM UK through COVID, how she approaches recruitment, and the small meeting habit that helps ensure the most important conversations actually happen. Karen also discusses the evolving client-agency relationship, what the future holds for the creative industry, and the challenge of rebranding Barbados.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:51 - Karen’s new leadership podcast
02:03 - The surprising thing about leadership
05:25 - Why we need to change our view of leadership
05:58 - The standout leaders from Karen’s career
11:20 - Karen’s leadership lessons from running WPP
15:55 - The importance of diverse perspectives
17:34 - The importance of saying what you really think
20:28 - How to approach decision making
22:53 - How to approach recruitment
25:34 - Why you need healthy tension in a team
28:46 - Should we banish the voice note?
30:32 - Karen’s big covid turnaround story
34:57 - Why Karen never does “AOB” at the end of meetings
37:25 - The positive side of COVID for Jon
40:06 - How to foster a strong client agency relationship
44:59 - The future of the creative industry
48:42 - Rebranding Barbados
50:51 - What is the freedom of the city
51:48 - The best advice Karen has ever received

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

What happens when a CMO brings the discipline of P&G, private equity and fintech together?

Vineet Mehra, CMO of Chime, joins Jon to explain how the challenger bank has disrupted one of the most established industries in the world - and why modern marketing leaders need to become more fluent in the language of commercial value.

Vineet shares what marketers can learn from private equity, how to position investment with a CFO, and the financial metrics he watches most closely. He also unpacks the constant balancing act between long-term brand building and short-term performance: not treating them as opposing forces, but connecting both to sustainable growth. They also discuss where AI is genuinely creating return, how marketers can avoid becoming commoditised, and the skills CMOs will need as AI reshapes the profession.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:21 - Vineet’s background at P&G
04:51 - What marketers can learn from working in Private Equity
07:50 - What is Chime Bank?
09:02 - The strategies that Chime used to disrupt the banking industry
13:46 - Advice on how to position marketing to the CFO
17:00 - What financial metrics is Vineet most focused on?
19:40 - How Vineet combines long term and short term marketing
23:59 - Are we in a golden age for marketing?
26:59 - How Vineet is getting the biggest return on his AI investment
31:13 - How to stop AI commoditising marketers
36:09 - What skills will a CMO need in an AI-first future
38:58 - How to see AI as an opportunity not a threat
40:13 - Why Vineet is on the Effie’s board
42:15 - Why Vineet spends time building his personal brand on LinkedIn
46:00 - What’s the bst advice Vineet has ever received?

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

AI is rapidly changing how people search, shop and discover new brands. So what does that mean for marketers?

Sophie Neary has spent the past few years inside Google, giving her a front-row seat to some of the biggest shifts in consumer behaviour and advertising. In this episode, she joins Jon to explore what she's learned, the assumptions marketers still get wrong about Google, and the surprising ways consumers are already using AI.

They discuss how brands can show up in AI-powered search, the evolving relationship between advertisers and creators, how to make the most of the crucial golden quarter, and what AI commerce could mean for the future of shopping.

Plus, as AI becomes capable of doing more of the work, Sophie and Jon ask a bigger question: which uniquely human skills will become even more valuable to marketers?

This episode is an advertisement feature brought to you by Google.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:12 - What has Sophie learned in the past few years at Google?
03:07 - CMO lessons from being inside Google
05:11 - What assumption marketers have about Google would Sophie challenge
08:07 - A surprising consumer pattern with AI
11:17 - How brands can show up in AI searches
18:56 - How advertisers can collaborate with creators?
22:09 - How Sophie uses her Google Fitbit Air
24:18 - How to optimise the golden quarter
28:08 - How important will AI commerce be in the future?
30:36 - get them to check this section
34:01 - The most uncensored question for Sophie Neary
37:44 - Where will human skills count in the age of AI?
45:26 - The best advice Sophie has ever been given

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

Dr Margaret Heffernan is one of the world's leading thinkers on uncertainty, leadership and creativity. A bestselling author, entrepreneur and former CEO, her latest book, Embracing Uncertainty, challenges one of the biggest assumptions in business that the future can, and should, be predicted.

In this episode, Margaret explains why forecasting often fails, where great ideas really come from, and why spending more time with uncertainty can actually make us better leaders and marketers. We discuss the dangers of relying too heavily on data, the surprising habits of highly creative people, and why walking might be one of the best things you can do for your thinking.

Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer
01:09 - Why pick uncertainty as a topic
05:31 - Why some companies shouldn’t forecast
09:04 - Why smart people are wasting time on forecasting
14:41 - The problem with having too much data
19:07 - Predictability only happens at scale
24:41 - Where do ideas come from?
27:19 - Why the Chief Economist of the Bank of England goes on walks
30:29 - Are we becoming too left brain dominant?
32:32 - The problem with AI
36:10 - Is AI killing our ability to think?
41:17 - How to make good ideas happen
44:11 - The power of surprise
46:15 - The improvisers paradox
49:31 - The correlation between the artists mind and the entrepreneur’s mind
51:57 - What human skills do we need to survive?
58:43 - The best advice Margaret has ever been given

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Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot

Download System1's creator effectiveness report here:
https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook

Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:
https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo