The Big Impression

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.” Dive into more insights and inspiration from leaders in ad tech: https://www.thecurrent.com/ 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.” Dive into more insights and inspiration from leaders in ad tech: https://www.thecurrent.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Twelve years into his career, Mike Law took a self-described “sabbatical” from advertising holding company Dentsu when he moved client side to be Director of Media at Pfizer. In the third season of The Current Podcast, Law describes how he’s using the lessons he learned at Pfizer in his second go-around with Dentsu, where he now serves as CEO of the award-winning agency, Carat U.S. Law also touches on the recent work he’s most proud of (hint: it has to do with the Covid-19 pandemic), why former college student-athletes can thrive in advertising even if they don’t have any experience, the value of working for an agency today, and why he loves working in advertising. “Everything that happens in the world, whether it be Hollywood or real geopolitical issues, has an impact on us and for us,” Law says. “We watch TV kind of cautiously, because we are like, okay, whatever happens next I'm going to have to think about what that means for my clients and my brands, but it also makes it a really exciting business.” Dive into more insights and inspiration from leaders in ad tech: https://www.thecurrent.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To L’Oréal executive Shenan Reed, advertising is part art and part science. Reed went from working with the beauty brand on the agency side to taking over as L’Oréal’s senior VP and head of media in 2020. During that time, she has emphasized approaching customers as people instead of targets and making sure the consumer experience is the best it can be.  “It’s inspiring to be inside and understand how an organization like ours is dedicated to the science and to the quality of the products we put forward,” Reed says in our debut episode of the third season of The Current Podcast. “I absolutely love being in the position to help make the decisions on the media side.” Reed, who previously served as president and chief client officer at Publicis Groupe, discusses how L’Oréal has deep roots in technology, why marketing across a variety of channels is critical to scale messaging, and why she thinks the advertising industry will be better without third-party cookies. Since 2020, Reed has been bringing her unique vision to the timeless L’Oréal brand. The 112-year-old French personal care company, which owns brands like Lancôme, Maybelline, Prada, Ralph Lauren, and CeraVe, is evolving by offering skin diagnostics and more sustainable product options. This shift led to record sales last year. “The opportunity for us to lean into technology allows us to help create products that bring the experience of the products to life on behalf of the consumer,” she says. “It’s definitely a very proud part of our heritage.” Dive into more insights and inspiration from leaders in ad tech: https://www.thecurrent.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Parents with children over ten will likely know Roblox as a gaming platform, which bills itself as the ultimate virtual universe that allows create and share experiences with friends. But as the concept of the metaverse has gone mainstream, Roblox is already positioned as a metaverse — a universe of millions of immersive experiences that attracts over 47 million users a day — half of which are now older than 13 years old. Within Roblox, people interact as avatars and purchase in-game currency called Roblox to acquire digital items that they then collect or dress up their avatars. The marketing opportunities of this new space are not lost on major brands like Warner Bros., Gucci, Netflix and others who have partnered with Roblox to bring virtual experiences, concerts, and launch parties to its users. Joining us on The Current Podcast is Christina Wootton, vice president of global brand partnerships at Roblox, who discusses the power of the metaverse, how the platform is on the frontlines innovating and driving its development, and how brands can interact on the platform. Dive into more insights and inspiration from leaders in ad tech: https://www.thecurrent.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dubbing itself “the world’s most global bank,” Citi is evolving its approach to be on the frontlines of marketing, as it strives to set the brand apart from others in the competitive financial services category. Leading with a sharp, data-driven digital marketing strategy, Citi relies on its brand efforts to connect with customers and differentiate the banking experience. In this episode, we speak with Mike Venables, the head of media, managing director at Citi — a longtime agency leader who recently made the switch to his first client-side gig — to understand his media strategy and how his background of leading media efforts across clients like AT&T, IBM and Merck is helping him drive better outcomes and accelerate growth during a moment of transformation for this iconic brand. Dive into more insights and inspiration from leaders in ad tech: https://www.thecurrent.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.