The Big Impression

Dating app OkCupid views itself as the feisty underdog that is comfortable causing a stir. The brand did just that last year with its “Every Single Person” campaign, which they doubled down on after it sent waves through the advertising industry, social media, and the New York City subway. The leader behind OkCupid’s overall branding is Melissa Hobley, the company’s first-ever chief marketing officer. Hobley left OkCupid in August to step in as the CMO of Tinder, both of which are owned by parent company Match Group. Before she moved roles, Hobley went on The Current Podcast to talk about why OkCupid is so at ease taking big swings with its branding. “We have to do this in an interesting, provocative way. Partly because it’s real,” she says, “and partly because when you don’t have those giant budgets and you don’t have tons of star power but your product is better and you really believe that, you feel like you have the permission to be aggressive and loud and make people uncomfortable.” Jason Harris, president and CEO of Mekanism, the brand’s agency of record, also joined Hobley to discuss creation of the “Every Single Person” campaign, standing out through the crowd in the dating app space, and why they worked so well as partners. “When you don’t have that core or the soul of the brand and what it stands for, you’re kind of inventing things to make the brand create hits,” Harris says. “I think what’s great about OkCupid is they have a real platform that you can run with for a while.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To David Cohen, an industry veteran who now serves as the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s chief executive officer, the media landscape is clear. “The future of video will be streamed,” Cohen says on The Current Podcast. “There is no doubt in my mind that it is going to happen. The main question is how much the industry needs to evolve from now until then.” Cohen breaks down the biggest challenges around being at the center of the digital advertising industry, Netflix starting up an ad-supported tier, the Great Resignation, and why he believes the upfronts and NewFronts will merge in this episode. “This is going to be one video market,” he says. “There is no need for the time and effort of separating them. It is a fallacy today and it will certainly be a fallacy in the future.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Campbell Soup Company is synonymous with memories of Mom making soup. Nowadays, the 153-year-old company still wants to hold on to that authentic branding, but to do so in the modern age. Campbell has been refining its data-driven strategies with Marci Raible, vice president of integrated marketing, at the helm. “It’s really easy to ask for a lot of data, but having the strategy for the data you need and how you are going to execute is critically important,” Raible says on The Current Podcast. “Otherwise, you can get paralyzed.” Retail media is also a key data driver for Campbell. On the podcast, Raible discusses how retail media has become a catch-all umbrella term, the innovations she would like to see with advertising on streaming platforms, and how to find new ways to connect with consumers who have been surrounded by the Campbell’s brand since they were kids. “How are we evolving with them as their lifestyle has changed? It’s really easy to just say, ‘We want to change. We’re going to be whatever, you know, is happening today.’ And to me, that just doesn't work,” she says. “We must be authentically Campbell. It’s understanding who we are as a brand, but then doing it with a modern twist. That is really the difference.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. politicians across the aisle, from ultra-Libertarian to extreme Republican, have used digital advertising to fuel their presidential campaigns. With the 2022 midterms and 2024 presidential election fast approaching, the time is ripe for new strategies. On the latest episode of The Current Podcast, meet two men who sit — Wizard of Oz style — behind the curtain of political advertising: Billy McBeath and Mike Schneider. McBeath is the digital director and senior advisor at the Senate Leadership Fund — a Republican super PAC that specializes in getting conservatives elected to the Senate. Schneider, on the other hand, sits on the liberal side of the political spectrum. He worked on President Biden’s presidential campaign in 2020 as a partner and head of BPI Labs for Bully Pulpit Interactive. “What we’re really buying for is impact and outcomes,” Schneider says on The Current Podcast. “Where can we deliver a persuasive video message to a voter to get them to shift their opinion?” “It’s all about how can you measure how your message is received, not how many times it was viewed,” McBeath adds. The next upcoming elections also align around the expected deprecation of third-party cookies, which McBeath is awaiting. “We’re basically going to be rebuilding the airplane while we’re flying it next cycle,” McBeath says. “It’s going to be fun, but also really challenging.” McBeath and Schneider also discuss the fast nature of a political marketer’s job, why connected TV will be the way forward for all future elections, and how important identity will become as we get closer to the deprecation of third-party cookies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fifteen years into his celebrated career as chief creative officer at BBDO, Greg Hahn — like millions of other people — lost his job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later, however, he launched Mischief @ No Fixed Address, which found immediate success and recently was crowned Ad Age’s Agency of the Year. “That’s kind of mind-blowing,” Hahn, who also acts as chief creative officer of the agency, says on The Current Podcast. “But if you surround yourself with the right kind of people and everybody knows why they’re there, the results are endless.” Ironically, Mischief has developed a reputation true to its name, creating campaigns for Jay-Z’s cannabis brand, Monogram, that challenge marijuana regulation by comparing it to state laws of incest and bestiality. Another example: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese asked people to “send noods.” For Hahn, the riskiest idea is “the one no one pays attention to.” In this episode, Hahn goes into how he discovered his co-founder at Mischief, what he looks for when he hires new employees, and the benefits of taking risks with campaigns. “That’s been our guiding force,” Hahn says. “How do you remain pure to your vision and grow at the same time? And I think it can be done.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Not too many people can say they’ve gone from working as a chemical engineer to chief marketing officer, though that’s exactly what Discover CMO Kate Manfred has done. In our latest episode of The Current Podcast, Manfred discusses her unconventional career path from working as an engineer and then consultant to her current role as CMO of Discover. “To make good, robust decisions, you really need to embrace the math and data that every consumer leaves as they’re clicking around the internet,” Manfred says on the podcast. Manfred’s scientific background equips her with a marketing skill set that allows her to thrive as a data-driven CMO. Despite her unique background, Manfred knows she can’t do everything on her own. “No one can do this job alone. A CMO can never be successful by himself or herself,” Manfred says. “It really comes down to the strength and quality of the team that you build both internally and externally.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.