Wharton Marketing Matters

Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spencer Spirit Holdings and head of Spirit Halloween, joins hosts Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed, II to discuss the business of seasonal retail—from scaling over 1,500 pop-up stores across North America to using AI, social media, and immersive experiences to sustain year-round engagement—and how the brand is now extending its magic into the Christmas market. Hosted o...

Sean Bruich, Senior Vice President of AI, Engineering and Data Science at Amgen, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed, II to discuss how AI’s rapid evolution is transforming industries—not by replacing humans, but by creating new opportunities that blend human expertise with advanced technology to drive innovation and efficiency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon Shae Montoya, Global Head of B2B Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Yahoo, joins Barbara Kahn to discuss how Yahoo uses data, creativity, and nostalgia to craft immersive campaigns that connect with new generations. Plus, Toby Espinosa, Vice President of Ads at DoorDash, talks with Dr. Americus Reed, II about scaling the company from startup to global marketplace and the future of reta...

Adam Kornblum, Chief Creative Officer for U.S. Brands at L’Oréal, joins Barbara Kahn & Dr. Americus Reed, II to share how he drives disruptive creativity across 17 brands, from the viral CeraVe Super Bowl campaign to the global youth innovation competition Brandstorm, illustrating how storytelling, experimentation, and an entrepreneurial mindset fuel innovation at L’Oréal. Hosted on Acast. See...

Annie Barrett, Vice President of Marketing for Adidas Originals, Basketball and Partnerships, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed, II to share how the brand’s Superstar campaign celebrates the shoe’s evolution from sport innovation to cultural icon, while highlighting Adidas’ focus on authenticity, collaboration, and global brand storytelling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Matt Abrahams, Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer, author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter , and Host of Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed to explain how professionals can overcome anxiety, build communication frameworks, and handle spontaneous conversations with clarity and confidence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon Shae Montoya, Global Head of B2B Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Yahoo, joins Barbara Kahn to explore how Yahoo leverages data, creativity, and nostalgia to craft experiential marketing campaigns that leave lasting impressions—revitalizing the brand for new generations and reinforcing its relevance across digital and physical spaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Highlights of interviews with Ryan Heuser, SVP of Experiential at Liquid Death, discussing the company’s origins, its brand partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles, its approach to experiential marketing, and how its strategy sets it apart from other brands in the category, as well as with Jordan Yob, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Saucony, on the brand’s heritage, the importance of staying co...

Daphne Howland, Senior Reporter at Retail Dive, joins Barbara and Americus to discuss the risks and rewards of legacy brand reinvention, from Cracker Barrel’s controversial logo change to Gap’s viral cultural campaigns and Victoria’s Secret’s ongoing identity reset, offering insights into how companies can balance tradition, modern trends, and consumer expectations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

Toby Espinosa, Vice President of Ads at DoorDash, joins Dr. Americus Reed to discuss his journey from the company’s early days to its rapid growth into a global marketplace, offering lessons on sales, scaling complex ecosystems, and the future of retail media innovation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Highlights of Wharton Marketing Matters episodes featuring Connor Blakley, founder of Youth Logic, discussing the origins of his company, how to effectively reach Gen Z, and the missteps brands often make with this generation, and David Picioski, Head of Global Brand Partnerships and Collaborations at Wilson Sporting Goods Co., who shares insights on Wilson’s partnership with the NBA, relationship...

Hannah Kelly, Chief Marketing Officer at Resy, an American Express company, joins Barbara Kahn to share how her team leverages technology, partnerships, and curated experiences to connect diners with top restaurants, support hospitality businesses, and enhance customer engagement in an evolving dining landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug Zarkin, Chief Marketing Officer at Take 5 Oil Change and former CMO of Pearle Vision, joins Barbara Kahn to discuss how brands can forge emotional connections with consumers by embracing human truth, strategic partnerships, and creative campaigns like "Take 5 Clive"—all while balancing modern marketing tools such as AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Kelly, Senior Reporter at Marketing Dive , joins Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed to share behind-the-scenes insights into recent brand campaigns—from Sprite’s culturally nuanced partnership with Jalen Hurts to McDonald’s targeted approach in the Chicken Wars, and the unexpected rise of Dude Wipes—highlighting how companies craft relevance through identity, humor, and deep consumer understandi...

Merill Hollander, founder of the contemporary fine jewelry brand Fiametta, joins Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed to discuss how she entered the traditionally insular jewelry industry to create a bold, identity-driven collection centered on lab-grown diamonds, sustainability, and empowering self-purchase for modern consumers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adobe's Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Chief Communications Officer, Stacy Martinet, speaks with Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed about the company’s transformation from its PDF roots to a global leader in creativity and digital experience solutions, offering insight into Adobe’s strategic reinvention, generative AI integration, and data-driven consumer behavior research like its...

A highlight from Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed's conversation with Damian Valdes, Global Consumer Product Marketing Lead at Spotify, discussing how the company designs personalized, tech-driven listening experiences, the evolution of music consumption, and the future role of AI and identity in marketing digital products. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Damian Valdes, Global Consumer Product Marketing Lead at Spotify, joins Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed, to explore how Spotify designs personalized, tech-driven listening experiences, the evolution of music consumption, and the future role of AI and identity in marketing digital products. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren Sudworth, Head of Brand and Content at PhotoRoom, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed to talk about AI photo editing, the digital photo landscape, the metaverse, and more. They are also joined by Annie Reardon, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Ludo, to discuss the Ludo founding story, loyalty rewards, rebranding the company, and gamification. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Eshan Ponnadurai, the Head of Meta’s Consumer Marketing, joins Barbara Kahn & Dr. Americus Reed to discuss his background in the industry, how Meta connects with consumers, and WhatsApp's campaign with F1 driver Lewis Hamilton. They are also joined by Sara Saunders, Chief Marketing Officer at Sazerac, to talk about their TikTok campaign for Fireball whiskey, responsible digital advertising, an...

Cheryl Guerin, EVP of Global Brand Strategy & Innovation at Mastercard joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed to talk about the changes in branding at Mastercard over time, the strategy behind removing the name of the company in their logo, the Mastercard "Priceless" campaign and experiential marketing, and the pace of change in the marketing landscape for brands. Hosted on Acast. See acast....

Ashley Cummings, Owner of Content Connect, and SaaS content writer, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed to talk about her "March Brandness" campaign, and the use of AI in marketing and crisis response. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan Heuser, the SVP of Experiential for Liquid Death joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed to talk about the origins of the company, their brand partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles, their approach to experiential marketing, and how their marketing strategy sets Liquid Death apart from other brands in the category. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Asa Hiken, Technology Reporter for Ad Age joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed to talk about Walmart's immersive commerce initiative, the use of gaming in immersive commerce, digital consumer engagement, and the partnership between WPP and Stability AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Chriswick, SVP of Brand & Communications at Orangetheory, joins Barbara Kahn and guest co-host Annie Wilson to talk about what sets their brand apart from other fitness brands, how they keep their gyms welcome to people at all fitness levels, developing the new campaign to freshen up the brand, and the importance of community when it comes to fitness brands. Hosted on Acast. See aca...