Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomM In this episode, Daniel Blumer, CMO of Restaurant Brands International (EMEA), breaks down how Burger King’s parent company keeps four iconic brands fresh in a noisy quick-service world. From ditching 1,000-slide reports to tapping local culture first, Daniel shares the practical framework that powers 7,000+ restaurants across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. One key takeaway: Stop a...
Jul 16, 2025•36 min•Ep. 100
This week, it's a Scratch special. Fresh off The Croissette at Cannes 2025, Baby Eric and Baby Jenna join us to share their key takeaways from the most talked-about event in all of marketing and advertising. As yes, we said Baby Eric and Baby Jenna. All courtesy of AI of course. But do expect serious, insightful, sometimes rogue insight and opinions as usual from the Rival team all about what CMOs need to know from Cannes this year. What better way to discuss a major marketing event than in the ...
Jul 11, 2025•37 min•Ep. 99
Watch out documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomM In this live-recorded episode, Phoebe Corcoran, Brand & Communications Lead at Peanut, tells us how a two-person marketing team fuels the world’s fastest-growing social network for women across fertility, pregnancy, motherhood, and menopause. We discuss how they used real-time user insights to create headline-grabbing ideas - from the #FourSmiles statue takeover that spotlighted post...
Jun 25, 2025•24 min•Ep. 98
Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomM In this episode of Scratch, Eric sits down with Molly Landman, the first Chief Marketing Officer of PetSafe, the 30-year-old pet-tech pioneer behind invisible fences, automatic litter boxes, GPS collars, and more. Molly explains how she inherited “the biggest pet brand no one knows,” why an early push into broad awareness failed to lift sales, and how a tighter focus on consumer jobs-to-...
Jun 11, 2025•47 min•Ep. 97
Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomM This week, we sit down with Nicole Parlapiano, CMO of Tubi, the leading free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) with the largest content library on the planet - 275 K+ movies and TV episodes. Nicole unpacks how she’s rewriting the rules of entertainment marketing: brand-first positioning, bottom-up cultural relevance, and creative swings that punch way above their media weight. On...
May 28, 2025•45 min•Ep. 96
Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomM On this week’s episode of Scratch, Jake Karls, the energetic co-founder and Chief Rainmaker of Midday Squares, joins Eric to unpack the reality-show marketing strategy that’s rocketing their functional chocolate bars onto shelves across North America. From filming therapy sessions to smashing Costco road-show records, Jake explains why attention is today’s most valuable currency and how ...
May 14, 2025•46 min•Ep. 95
Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomM In this episode, Eric sits down with Åsa Borg, the Chief Marketing & Commercial Operations Officer at Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand that's challenging the automotive industry. Since launching in 2017, Polestar has rapidly expanded to 27 markets globally with their lineup of electric vehicles. Åsa brings her wealth of experience from 20 years at Volvo Cars to th...
Apr 30, 2025•40 min•Ep. 94
In this episode, we sit down with Khalid El Khatib, the Chief Marketing Officer of Consumer Reports, one of America’s most trusted and oldest consumer advocacy organizations. Khalid unpacks how he’s transitioning Conaumer Reports from a “publisher” mindset to a platform strategy that emphasizes product-led growth, user-centric advocacy, and yes, the iconic lab testing (including a cat-hair-laden robotic vacuum test). One of the key takeaways here is how community can be a company’s competitive m...
Apr 09, 2025•43 min•Ep. 94
We’re excited to sit down with Gastón Tourn, the Chief Growth Officer of Oddbox, a subscription service rescuing produce that would otherwise go to waste. In this conversation, Gastón dives into the importance of genuine storytelling, the fascinating psychology behind “Veg Haters,” and why focusing on customer insight (rather than competitors) unlocks true growth potential. One of the key takeaways from this episode is Gastón’s belief that marketers should read fiction writers—like Hemingway—to ...
Mar 26, 2025•43 min•Ep. 93
Check out our new podcast ‘Ripples’ on Microcultures from the links 🔗 below 👇 🎙️ Listen on Apple podcasts here 🎧 Listen on Spotify here In this episode, we sit down with Fabio Tambosi, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at ESL FACEIT Group (EFG)—the world’s largest esports and gaming ecosystem. Fabio shares his journey from a near-pro soccer career to marketing roles at Nike, Adidas, and Saucony before stepping into the high-velocity realm of esports. One of the biggest takeaways from...
Mar 12, 2025•51 min•Ep. 92
Check out our new podcast ‘Ripples’ on Microcultures from the links 🔗 below 👇 🎙️ Listen on Apple podcasts here 🎧 Listen on Spotify here here In this episode, Kaiwei Tang, CEO & Co-Founder of Light, reveals how a 10-year-old “anti-smartphone” brand has cultivated a dedicated community by doing less. Light’s flagship product, the Light Phone, eliminates data-hungry apps, social media, and constant notifications—replacing them with practical tools and pure utility. Kaiwei shares how organic...
Feb 26, 2025•49 min•Ep. 91
Check out our new podcast ‘Ripples’ on Microcultures from the links 🔗 below 👇 🎙️ Listen on Apple podcasts here 🎧 Listen on Spotify here here In this episode, Eric sits down with Radhika Duggal, CMO of Major League Soccer, to discuss the league’s explosive growth and unique approach to sports marketing in the United States. Radhika brings insights from her time at household-name brands like JP Morgan and Pfizer, revealing how a data-driven approach helps MLS turn viral moments (like Lionel Me...
Feb 12, 2025•43 min•Ep. 90
In this episode, Diana Springer, Group Head of Brand & Marketing at Standard Bank, talks about preserving trust while infusing fresh creativity into Africa’s largest financial institution. With a heritage spanning 162 years and 15M+ customers, Standard Bank has every reason to play it safe—yet Diana reveals how her team fosters innovation, internal advocacy, and an emotive brand narrative in a typically functional category. From her agency background (Ogilvy, Saatchi) to the challenges of ma...
Feb 06, 2025•42 min•Ep. 89
We’re back with Scratch! In this episode, we sit down with Abey Mokgwatsane, Chief Marketing Officer of Investec, an international bank and wealth manager that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary—and still thinking like a challenger. Abey shares how his team keeps the brand fresh by simplifying complexity, focusing on consistent storytelling, and staying true to the heritage that first propelled Investec into the private banking space. He also explains what it’s like to join a new industry as a “...
Jan 15, 2025•49 min•Ep. 88
In this episode, we’re thrilled to sit down with Sadira Furlow, the Chief Marketing Officer of Tony's Chocolonely, an impact company on a mission to end exploitation in the cocoa industry. Tony's Chocolonely isn't just about making delicious chocolate—they're committed to making systemic change in the chocolate industry by producing ethically sourced chocolate and encouraging others to join their mission. In our conversation, Sadira dives deep into the reality of building a challenger brand that...
Nov 27, 2024•50 min•Ep. 87
In this episode, we’re thrilled to sit down with Charl Bassil, the Chief Brand Officer of the BBC, a globally renowned public service broadcaster (yes, the BBC) committed to enriching people's lives through programs and services that inform, educate, and entertain. In our conversation, Charl dives deep into the art of nurturing brands for the long term, emphasizing the responsibility of brand custodians to preserve and grow what has been created. He shares insights on how marketers can think lik...
Nov 13, 2024•49 min•Ep. 86
We’re thrilled to sit down with Michael Katz, the CEO of mParticle in this episode. mParticle is a leading customer data platform that helps businesses unify and activate their customer data to drive better marketing outcomes. They specialize in integrating various data sources to create unified customer profiles, enabling companies to deliver personalized and efficient marketing campaigns. In our conversation, Michael dives deep into the evolution of customer data management, sharing insights o...
Oct 23, 2024•43 min•Ep. 85
In this episode, we’re thrilled to sit down with Ben Amanna, the CEO of Boxraw, a pioneering boxing apparel and equipment company that’s aiming to revolutionize the sport. Boxraw specializes in high-quality boxing gear and lifestyle apparel, helping people around the world embrace boxing not just as a sport, but as a lifestyle 🥊. In our conversation, Ben dives deep into the art of building an authentic lifestyle brand centered around boxing. He shares insights on community building, the importa...
Oct 09, 2024•50 min•Ep. 84
We're joined by the CEO of Bespoke Beauty Brands, Stacey Tank in this episode. Founded by Toni Ko in 2019, Bespoke Beauty Brands, LLC is reshaping the landscape of affordable luxury beauty. The company blends its deep expertise in color cosmetics with the creative brilliance of artists like KimChi and Jason Wu, while embracing core values of creativity, inclusiveness, and self-acceptance. Stacey gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what has driven the company's success, particularly with the Kim...
Sep 25, 2024•55 min•Ep. 83
We’re back with Scratch after the long summer break! For our first episode after the break, we’re thrilled to sit down with Andrew Davies, the CMO of Paddle , a leading payment infrastructure provider designed specifically for SaaS companies. Paddle takes care of the tricky stuff—payments, taxes, subscriptions—essentially all the payment logistics, so businesses can focus on what really matters: growth. In our conversation, Andrew dives deep into the art of building a brand-led B2B business and ...
Sep 11, 2024•41 min•Ep. 82
We're joined by the Co-founder of Hyrox in this episode, Moritz Fuerste. Hyrox is a global fitness race that combines running with functional exercises. Hyrox is experiencing explosive growth in cities worldwide, with participation skyrocketing to over 210,000 athletes across 30 cities in the 2023/24 season and events selling out rapidly. Their origin story stemmed from identifying a gap in the fitness market for a measurable, repeatable sport that is accessible to everyone. Moritz discussed the...
Jun 26, 2024•47 min•Ep. 81
We’re joined by the CMO of Fever-Tree, Jeremy Kanter in this episode. Fever-Tree is a global brand that sells premium drink mixers designed to complement the world’s finest spirits 🥂✨. We discuss, 1 - How incumbents view innovation, 2 - The signs that a category is ripe for disruption, and 3 - What it truly takes to build an authentic premium brand. As Jeremy reveals in this episode, customers often don't think about your products as obsessively as you do; They make decisions based on what’s to...
Jun 12, 2024•50 min•Ep. 80
In this episode, we are joined by the SVP of Brand Marketing and Communications at Grindr, Tristan Pineiro. Grindr is an online dating & meetup app predominantly used by gay and bisexual men and the trans & queer community. Tristan’s marketing philosophy is to understand and align the three brand truths - who you say you are, who people say you are, and who you really are. He emphasizes that finding the authentic, true brand narrative serves as the foundation for a successful marketing f...
May 29, 2024•48 min•Ep. 79
In this episode, we are joined by the CMO of Tomorrow.io , Dan Slagen. Tomorrow.io is a global weather intelligence brand that provides predictive insights to help major brands and governments mitigate operational risks from weather events. Despite being a Series E company with a marketing team of just 4 people, Dan shares how they have built a major brand around their service through 1- Creative storytelling, 2- Leveraging media coverage, and 3- Establishing "weather intelligence" as a new cate...
May 15, 2024•56 min•Ep. 78
In this episode, we are joined by Andrew Garrihy, a veteran global CMO who spent several years working in senior marketing roles at major Chinese companies like Huawei and Didi. Andrew shares his fascinating experiences navigating the complexities of Chinese business culture as a Western executive. He provides invaluable insights into understanding the mindset and values that shape the Chinese professional environment, such as the emphasis on collective wisdom, respect for hierarchy, and the rel...
May 01, 2024•49 min•Ep. 77
Jose Moreno, the CMO of USA Pickleball, joins us in this episode to share USA Pickeball’s journey from a small governing body (with just 4-5 employees a few years ago), to now leading the charge as the fastest-growing sport in America. How did they do this? - By building a strong sense of community around the sport. Jose emphasized the importance of constant listening and adapting to authentically 'build credibility' with their player base, instead of simply dictating from the top down. The bran...
Apr 17, 2024•45 min•Ep. 75
Dylan Jones, the CMO of Podium Nutrition joins us in this episode to share the story of Podium - from a small CrossFit supplement brand to an emerging lifestyle performance brand, with ambitions to become the leading nutrition brand for Olympic athletes by the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The key? Focusing on lifestyle and entertaining content to build authenticity over traditional product marketing. Dylan talks about the importance of understanding the core "pain points" of a niche audience and c...
Apr 03, 2024•51 min•Ep. 74
In this episode, we are joined by Bryant Garvin, Head of Marketing & Growth 📈 at Ozlo Sleep. Bryan offers a fresh perspective on the age-old debate between brand building and performance marketing. He introduces ‘performance branding’ - an approach that focuses on building brand awareness through emotionally resonant & entertaining content, while strictly measuring & optimizing for performance metrics. This simple strategy has been key 🔑to the success of brands like Ozlo, and Purpl...
Mar 20, 2024•52 min•Ep. 73
In this insightful episode, Ashley Boyce, CMO and co-founder of Noteworthy, takes us through their journey of building a perfume brand that dares to be different in the competitive $48bn fragrance category. Noteworthy is a challenger brand that’s empowering consumers to discover their unique signature scent using AI, moving beyond the traditional designer and celebrity endorsements. In the episode, Ashley discusses the importance of creating products that not only meet a tangible need but also c...
Mar 06, 2024•43 min•Ep. 72
In this episode of Scratch, the Chief Brand Officer of Who Gives A Crap 🧻, Ronalee Zarate-Bayani, joins us to share how they've turned their unique brand identity and commitment to purpose into their superpower. You’ve probably seen Who Gives a Crap, you know, the colourful wrapped toilet rolls that decorate your cool friend's toilet? Well, you’ll be surprised to hear that Who Gives a Crap is leading the charge when it comes to disrupting and dominating the $31bn toilet paper segment. In this e...
Feb 21, 2024•45 min•Ep. 71
