Campaign Chemistry

For years, the advertising industry has been obsessed with "purpose." It was the golden ticket for brands looking to connect with a younger, more conscious generation.  But somewhere along the way, the message got muddied by empty promises and shiny PR campaigns that lacked real-world substance. According to Amy Williams, the founder and CEO of Good Loop, that version of purpose-led marketing is o...

For years, the retail playbook was simple: Cut the price, drive the sale. But in the age of AI, the playbook is changing every day. And while Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are still the biggest shopping days of the year, the strategies driving them are shifting beneath retailers' feet as brands try to keep up with the rapidly evolving consumer habits fueled by technological advancements. In...

This week, we revisit our conversation with Asha Shivaji, the CEO of SeeMe Index, a platform that uses AI to score brands’ purposes, ads and products on identity and inclusivity. SeeMe Index’s COO and cofounder, Jason Klein, recently spoke at Haymarket’s AI Deciphered panel on AI, ethics and marketing .   Shivaji shares her journey from digital marketing to founding a company focused on inclusive...

Few things unite the world like sport. Global sporting events like the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup and Olympic & Paralympic Games represent high-stakes marketing battlegrounds where brands not only compete for relevance, trust and eyeballs, but for ways to drive tangible business impact. In today’s complex operating environment, a modern approach is required that puts communications at the center t...

Is the agency world in trouble? Despite the current landscape of layoffs, restructuring and acquisitions, agencies are still consistently producing a stunning 20% return on equity. It’s a number that explains why private equity firms are continuing to invest in agencies, but also fueling a tension between making money and making bold moves. On this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Brian Wieser, CEO...

Josh Earnest knows a thing or two about navigating turbulence. Earnest spent years behind the podium at The White House, shaping the national conversation as former President Obama's press secretary. Today, he is EVP of communications and advertising at United Airlines and has played a critical role in reshaping the airline's communication strategies to engage with customers effectively. Earnest s...

AI Deciphered is back for a second year! On Thursday, November 13, three Haymarket Media publications – PRWeek , Campaign and MM+M – will reunite for a daylong conference focused on the ongoing AI revolution. Attendees will get to hear from leaders across a variety of industries and sectors about how AI is impacting their work and what the future holds for these innovations. The opening keynote wi...

Every great brand story begins with trust — and a customer who feels seen.  In this episode of Campaign Chemistry , Christina Garnett, marketing strategist and author of Transforming Customer-Brand Relationships , joins editor Luz Corona to explore what truly drives loyalty in today’s world of constant noise and performance metrics. The conversation breaks down the psychology of emotional connecti...

This week we revisit a conversation from last June with Adeela Johnson, CEO and co-founder of travel gear brand Béis, who shared her journey from being a mom of three to leading the successful D2C brand she co-founded with actress and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell. Johnson discussed the importance of consumer-centric design, the importance of relatability in influencer marketing and what the Béis tea...

Alyson Griffin’s journey from Silicon Valley to State Farm has been an award-winning one for a reason: Since joining the brand nearly five years ago, she and her team have breathed new life into the 103-year old brand’s marketing, partnering with up-and-coming sports and creator talent, gamifying insurance to engage future consumers and capitalizing on opportunities using its own and established I...

It’s not every day a 112-year-old brand becomes the must-have accessory of the moment. But thanks to its commitment to its consumers, Stanley 1913 has gone from rugged and reliable to viral and vibrant. In this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Stanley chief brand officer Kate Ridley discusses the brand's rich history, its evolution over the years and the strategies that have led to its recent resurg...

This week on Campaign Chemistry, we’re revisiting a conversation that first aired back in February. ‘Creator-preneur’ Jayde I. Powell discusses her unique approach to content creation when working with B2B platforms including Hootsuite and Sprout Social. Emphasizing the importance of being true to oneself and her belief that “B2B doesn’t have to be B2Boring,” Jayde Powell brings a breath of fresh...

On this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Luz Corona talks with Geno Schellenberger and Jack Westerkamp, co-founders of Breaking and Entering about their journey from college students to entrepreneurs, the scrappy early days of starting up during quarantine and the role of fun in content creation. They open up about hiring for vision and culture over technical and building a team that thrives on posi...

In this episode, which first aired last February, Campaign's Luz Corona and Leslie Blount went "off-site" to visit the Nespresso office in New York City's Herald Square and chat with Jessica Padula, VP of marketing and head of sustainability for Nespresso US. Padula shined a light on how Nespresso integrates purpose into every aspect of its business, from empowering farmers through beekeeping init...

Being a creator these days is costly. In this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Hannah Campbell, founder and managing director of U.K.-based One Twelve Agency, and Campaign reporters Cecilia Garzella and Julia Walker join in to discuss the late payment crisis in the creator economy impacting all key stakeholders.  Campaign recently published Inside the creator economy’s late payment crisis , an in-de...

The Grinner. Medusa. The Sheriff. No, these aren’t winners of a Halloween costume contest — they’re archetypes in Mita Mallick’s latest book,  The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses. The Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller author Mita Mallick joins the newest episode of Campaign Chemistry to discuss what all of us can learn from bad bosses. She emphasize...

It’s “the most wonderful time of the year.” In this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Campaign staffers Luz Corona and Leslie Blount explore the evolution of the US Open into a cultural and marketing phenomenon, highlighting how the event’s fan engagement, brand partnerships and on-site activations have turned it into a playground of creative marketing. This year, the tennis tournament celebrates the...

From navigating the early buzz around blockchain to reshaping the image of one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, Haider Rafique has seen firsthand how consumer sentiment can make or break an industry.  As the CMO at OKX, he led a bold rebrand, one that consisted of unique partnerships with brands including UFC, Manchester City and Tribeca Festival to change the way people see crypto. The fi...

New tech, new client demands and new ways of defining what great work looks like are rapidly transforming the ad industry, but for Justin Thomas-Copeland, these are not challenges to fear.  The new CEO of the 4As joined the latest episode of Campaign Chemistry to discuss his first 100 days in office, from his transition into leadership to his vision for the future of the advertising organization t...

On this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Luz Corona speaks with Jonathan Adashek, the SVP of marketing and communications at IBM. They explore how IBM’s 113 year-old legacy fuels innovation, why story “showing” is central to brand identity and how career growth often emerges from uncomfortable moments. From the launch of the “Let’s Create” campaign to weaving AI into the marketing strategy, Adashek...

When Dani Mariano joined Razorfish eleven years ago, the agency playbook looked very different. Today, she finds herself writing an altogether new one. With clients chasing market share and AI’s ever-growing influence on collaboration and creative work, Dani describes how she’s moving Razorfish forward with smart, adaptable strategies. campaignlive.com   Music - Take you Out by Lucid Tides, c...

And the winner is...Uncommon Creative Studio. In this episode of Campaign Chemistry, the Campaign team took a special field trip a few subway stops away to the NY headquarters of Uncommon Creative Studio to clink champagne glasses with its co-founder, Nils Leonard, celebrating the agency's recent win as Campaign's  Agency of the Year  in the US. Leonard discusses the innovative projects that have...

For AKQA founder and former chief executive Ajaz Ahmed, leadership is about one thing: being a decent human being. On the latest episode of Campaign Chemistry, Ahmed opens up about his WPP departure, the cultural cost of bureaucracy in holding companies and why this is a “golden era” for independent agencies. He shares more details around his latest venture, Studio. One, and how he’s leaning on hi...

When it comes to Kudzi Chikumbu’s career success, it’s not just one thing setting him apart. The creator, author and now podcast host shares his journey from being an accountant to being one of the first employees at Musical.ly before it turned into TikTok and everything in between. After becoming a key player in the creator economy as the head of global creative marketing at TikTok and the creato...

In this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Kirshbaum discusses the evolving landscape at the intersection of music and advertising. He highlights the rise of niche artists and "third places," the current state of messiness when it comes to AI and copyright and music festivals like Governor's Ball turning into "brand ball." The discussion also covers successful brand activations during events like Reco...