The CMO Podcast with Fexingo: Marketing Leadership, Budgets, and Executive Strategy

Loyalty programs cost companies billions — but what if most of that spend is wasted? This episode drills into a surprising study of 14 major U.S. retailers showing that fewer than 15 percent of loyalty-program members generate 80 percent of the program's cost. Lucas and Luna explore how American Airlines inadvertently created a liability with AAdvantage miles, how Starbucks Rewards drove a 9 perce...

Episode 6 of The CMO Podcast with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna unpack the 'Retention 75' benchmark — the idea that every marketing dollar should first be measured against whether the campaign retains existing customers at a 75% rate before chasing new ones. They trace the rule to a 2023 study by Bain and a leaked internal memo from Spotify's CMO. Lucas explains how Peloton's post-pandemic crisis forced...

Episode 5 of The CMO Podcast with Fexingo: Marketing Leadership, Budgets, and Executive Strategy. Lucas and Luna dissect Geico's marketing spending paradox: the insurer spent over $1.5 billion on advertising in 2025, more than any competitor, yet lost a full percentage point of market share. They examine the shift from rate-comparison ads to a fragmented media strategy, the rise of Progressive and...

CMOs have been told for years that digital advertising is becoming more efficient. But behind the headlines, the cost of acquiring a single customer—CAC—has quietly doubled across most DTC brands since 2020. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into why a $40 bag of coffee now costs $68 to sell. They walk through a leaked LTV-to-CAC ratio from a real mid-market skincare brand, unpack what happens w...

In this episode of The CMO Podcast, Lucas and Luna unpack the strategic pivot of digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs) as they move from online-only to retail shelves. Using Allbirds’ failed expansion as a cautionary tale—the brand lost $230 million in 2024—they explore why wholesale growth often destroys margin for DTC companies. They discuss the structural tension between platform control and...

Episode 2 of The CMO Podcast with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna drill into the marketing collapse of First Republic Bank during the spring 2023 banking crisis. They discuss how a brand built on white-glove relationship banking and high-net-worth client events saw its core trust evaporate in weeks after Silicon Valley Bank fell. Lucas walks through the specific numbers: the 60 percent share price drop, t...

In this premiere episode of The CMO Podcast with Fexingo, hosts Lucas and Luna dissect the surprising turnaround of Pop-Tarts — a brand that went from stale to essential in the breakfast aisle. Lucas reveals how Kellogg's CMO pivoted from product innovation to cultural relevance, boosting sales by 12% year-over-year after years of decline. Together they unpack the strategy behind leveraging nostal...