Podcast · Business

Uncensored CMO

The Uncensored CMO was created to explore the good, the bad and quite frankly downright ugly truth about marketing theory & practice.

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 50 min
Latest: 7 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026 · 43 min

How Spotify makes B2B marketing worth listening to - Bridget Evans

Spotify has become one of the world’s most distinctive brands, but what can marketers learn from the way it uses sound, culture and creativity to build emotional connection? Bridget Evans, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Business Marketing, joins Jon Evans to explain why audio remains an underused marketing opportunity, and how brands can build an audio strategy people do more than simply hear: they remember it. They discuss the return of the jingle, why taste may become an even more important differentiator in the age of AI, and whether younger audiences really have shorter attention…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E289 · 30 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Why marketers are wasting their media budgets - Evan Shapiro
The media landscape has changed faster than most marketing plans have. Evan Shapiro, known as the Media Cartographer for his widely used maps of the media ecosystem, joins Uncensored CMO to explain where attention is really going, which channels marketers are overvaluing, and where the best opportunities may now lie. They assess the relative value of TV, YouTube, podcasts, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and creators, asking a deceptively simple question: are marketers spending in line with how people actually consume media? Evan also explores the shift of power towards consumers, why…
E288 · 23 Sep 2026 · 54 min
Marketing leadership masterclass with ex WPP President, Karen Blackett CBE
Karen Blackett is one of the most respected leaders in marketing and media. As the former UK President of WPP and former CEO of GroupM UK, she has led through industry change, crisis and growth at the highest level. In this marketing leadership masterclass, Karen shares the principles that have shaped her career: why great teams need diverse perspectives and healthy tension; why leaders must say what they really think; and how to make better decisions without mistaking consensus for alignment. She reflects on leading GroupM UK through COVID, how she approaches recruitment, and the small…
E287 · 16 Sep 2026 · 49 min
How to build a disruptive brand and win over the CFO - Vineet Mehra, Chime
What happens when a CMO brings the discipline of P&G, private equity and fintech together? Vineet Mehra, CMO of Chime, joins Jon to explain how the challenger bank has disrupted one of the most established industries in the world - and why modern marketing leaders need to become more fluent in the language of commercial value. Vineet shares what marketers can learn from private equity, how to position investment with a CFO, and the financial metrics he watches most closely. He also unpacks the constant balancing act between long-term brand building and short-term performance: not treating…
E286 · 9 Sep 2026 · 48 min
What every Marketer needs to know about the future of search - Google’s Sophie Neary
AI is rapidly changing how people search, shop and discover new brands. So what does that mean for marketers? Sophie Neary has spent the past few years inside Google, giving her a front-row seat to some of the biggest shifts in consumer behaviour and advertising. In this episode, she joins Jon to explore what she's learned, the assumptions marketers still get wrong about Google, and the surprising ways consumers are already using AI. They discuss how brands can show up in AI-powered search, the evolving relationship between advertisers and creators, how to make the most of the crucial golden…
E285 · 2 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Why uncertainty creates better marketing & what AI will never replace - Dr Margaret Heffernan
Dr Margaret Heffernan is one of the world's leading thinkers on uncertainty, leadership and creativity. A bestselling author, entrepreneur and former CEO, her latest book, Embracing Uncertainty , challenges one of the biggest assumptions in business that the future can, and should, be predicted. In this episode, Margaret explains why forecasting often fails, where great ideas really come from, and why spending more time with uncertainty can actually make us better leaders and marketers. We discuss the dangers of relying too heavily on data, the surprising habits of highly creative people,…
E284 · 26 Aug 2026 · 45 min
How Heineken became creative brand of the year - Ali Payne
Ali Payne, CMO of Heineken, joins us to discuss how one of the world's most iconic beer brands became Creative Brand of the Year at Cannes Lions - and what it takes to keep a 150-year-old brand feeling fresh. From being the "Official Beer of Soccer" as a non-sponsor of the FIFA World Cup to reviving the legendary "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign, Ali shares how Heineken balances long-term brand building with cultural relevance. We explore what it takes to get an entire organisation behind bold creative ideas, the role of sport in Heineken's marketing strategy, and how brands like…
E283 · 19 Aug 2026 · 56 min
Why AI should drive growth, not just efficiency – Najoh Tita-Reid
Najoh Tita-Reid, former Chief Growth Officer at Mars Petcare, joins us to discuss why she made the unusual decision to step away from one of the biggest roles in marketing to embark on a self-described "learning safari", immersing herself in the world of AI and exploring what it means for the future of business. In this conversation, Najoh shares why she believes too many organisations are using AI purely to drive efficiency, when its greatest opportunity lies in unlocking growth. We explore how AI is changing creativity, leadership and the role of the CMO, why marketers risk becoming…
E282 · 12 Aug 2026 · 54 min
How creativity transformed Australia’s No.1 Telecom’s brand - Brent Smart
Brent Smart is one of the most respected marketers in the world. After spending more than 20 years in advertising, he made the rare move from agency life to become CMO of NRMA Insurance. Brent's most recent role as CMO of Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company, he helped transform the brand through bold, distinctive and highly effective marketing. In this episode, Brent shares the principles behind his approach to creativity, from selling big ideas inside large organisations and drawing on academic marketing frameworks to building a culture where great work can thrive. We…
E281 · 5 Aug 2026 · 48 min
Why your brand can't afford to be boring - Rebecca Darley, Vodafone Australia
Bec Darley, CMO of Vodafone Australia, joins us to discuss what it really takes to grow a challenger brand in one of the world's toughest telecoms markets. From competing against an entrenched duopoly to building distinctive campaigns with Ali Wong, Bec shares how Vodafone has embraced its challenger mindset rather than trying to imitate the market leaders. We explore why marketers need to understand far more than advertising, from unit economics and legal to customer experience and organisational change, and why the best marketing leaders are, ultimately, business leaders. Timestamps 00:00…
E280 · 29 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
20 years of challenger brand lessons with Auto & General CMO, Jonathan Kerr
Jonathan Kerr, CMO of Auto & General, joins us to explore how one of Australia's most successful challenger brands has built sustained growth by combining strong marketing fundamentals with relentless execution. From creating a role for himself at Auto & General to helping Budget Direct become one of the country's fastest-growing insurance brands, Jonathan shares why product should always come before growth, how marketers can take greater ownership of the 4 Ps, and what insurance consistently gets right about creativity. We also discuss the power of distinctive brand characters, audio…
E279 · 22 Jul 2026 · 48 min
How YouTube built the creator economy and how brands are still missing out - Pedro Pina, YouTube
Pedro Pina, VP of YouTube for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, joins us to explore how YouTube helped create the creator economy and why so many brands are still failing to take full advantage of it. From the rise of full-time creators to the changing role of YouTube in the media landscape, Pedro explains what makes the platform unique, the metrics that actually matter, and why great content continues to outperform everything else. We also discuss the balance between long-form and Shorts, the "YouTube Confidence Gap" among CMOs, and how brands can build authentic partnerships with…
E278 · 20 Jul 2026 · 50 min
The creative revolution inside the worlds most dull category - Novartis CMO, Gail Horwood
Novartis CMO Gail Horwood joins Janet Balis, Managing Director & Senior Partner at BCG, to explore how one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies is redefining healthcare marketing. Fresh from winning two Cannes Lions, Gail shares how Novartis is proving that creativity can thrive even in one of the most heavily regulated industries. From partnering with the NFL for a Super Bowl campaign to convincing stakeholders to embrace bolder ideas, we discuss what it takes to create work that stands out while navigating complex regulations. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping…
E277 · 15 Jul 2026 · 41 min
Why creativity matters more than ever in the age of AI - Adobe CMO, Lara Balazs
Lara Balazs, CMO of Adobe, joins us to discuss what it takes to lead one of the world's most influential creative brands through a period of enormous change. From Adobe's presence at Cannes to the rapid rise of AI, Lara shares her vision for the company and why she believes technology should be used in service of creativity, rather than simply to drive efficiency. We explore why creativity matters more than ever in the age of AI, the skills Adobe looks for in marketers, and the traits that separate the most successful CMOs. Lara also shares the practical leadership principles she uses to run…
E274 · 13 Jul 2026 · 42 min
OpenAI on what every CMO needs to know about AI with BCG
In this episode, Mark Abraham, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG, joins Elke Karskens, Head of International Marketing at OpenAI to explore how AI is already transforming marketing and what's coming next. We discuss OpenAI's remarkable growth, the launch of its first advertising campaign, and how marketers can prepare for a future where AI is embedded across every function. The conversation covers how brands can increase their visibility in ChatGPT, the opportunities created by tools like Codex, the skills tomorrow's CMOs will need, and why the real value of AI isn't just…
E276 · 8 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 26 min
Byron Sharp vs Mark Ritson - 5 big marketing truths we agree on
For years, Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp have been two of the most influential and most opinionated voices in marketing. They've challenged each other's ideas, debated strategy, and helped shape how an entire generation of marketers thinks. Now, for the first time in more than a decade, at Cannes Lions, they sit down together to answer a simple question: what do they actually agree on? From How Brands Grow and the 95:5 rule to distinctiveness, the 4 Ps, mass marketing, luxury brands, purpose and AI, this conversation explores the fundamental marketing principles they both believe every…
E275 · 6 Jul 2026 · 47 min
The Google approach to marketing in the age of AI (with Google and BCG)
In this episode, Josh Spanier from Google and Lauren Wiener from BCG join us to discuss how AI is transforming marketing, organisations, and the role of the CMO. From navigating the AI hype cycle to building the right culture for change, they share practical advice for leaders trying to turn AI from a buzzword into a genuine competitive advantage. We also explore the future skills marketers will need, the changing role of agencies, why marketing should lead AI transformation, and where the industry is likely to be just 12 months from now. This episode has been produced in partnership with…
E273 · 1 Jul 2026 · 45 min
The Startling Power of Surprise with Adam Morgan
Adam Morgan, founder of eatbigfish and co-creator of The Cost of Dull, joins us to explore why surprise is one of the most powerful tools available to marketers. Drawing on new research unveiled at Cannes Lions, Adam and Jon explain the psychology behind surprise, the science of reward prediction error, and why memorable brands consistently give people more than they expect. We discuss the different types of surprise, why products need to live up to the expectations created by advertising, and examine some of the best examples of surprise in modern marketing from Aldi to Jaguar and beyond.…
E272 · 24 Jun 2026 · 58 min
The real 4 P's of the CMO with Susan O'Brien (Just Eat)
Suso O'Brien, former CMO of Just Eat, joins us to discuss what the role of the modern CMO really looks like. Drawing on her experience helping scale Just Eat and the findings from a new CMO survey conducted with TikTok, Suso argues that today's marketing leaders need a completely different set of priorities. We revisit the growth of Just Eat, the success of the iconic “Did Somebody Say…” campaign, and the role celebrity partnerships and sonic branding played in building the brand. But beyond the advertising, Suso shares why CMOs spend surprisingly little time on the work itself, why internal…
E271 · 22 Jun 2026 · 45 min
The power of incredible customer experience - Jamie Domenici, Klaviyo
Jamie Domenici, CMO of Klaviyo, joins us to discuss why customer experience has become one of the most powerful drivers of growth. Drawing on lessons from nearly a decade at Salesforce and her experience joining Klaviyo just months before its IPO, Jamie shares how great brands create loyalty by obsessing over the customer. We explore what marketers can learn from customer success teams, why events like Dreamforce are so memorable, and how Klaviyo has repositioned itself while building a competitive moat in an increasingly crowded market. Jamie also shares her views on AI, the future…
E270 · 17 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 21 min
Why brave creativity means business results according to GUT co-founder Anselmo Ramos
Anselmo Ramos is one of the most respected creatives in advertising and the co-founder of GUT, the agency behind some of the world's most talked-about campaigns. Built on the belief that brave creativity drives business growth, GUT has quickly become one of the industry's most successful modern agencies. In this episode, Anselmo shares the story behind founding GUT, the principles that guide the business, and why marketers need to trust their instincts more. We discuss the power of relationships, how to build a great co-founder partnership, and why the biggest challenge often comes after…
E269 · 10 Jun 2026 · 59 min
Greg Hahn on why the biggest risk you can take is to be ignorable
Greg Hahn returns to the podcast to discuss the philosophy that has made Mischief one of the most talked-about agencies in the world. From Tubi's famous Super Bowl interruption campaign to turning around legacy brands like JCPenney, Greg explains why the biggest risk brands face today isn't failure, it's being ignored. We discuss how to create safe spaces for dangerous ideas, why AI risks making marketers more cautious, and the hidden cost of playing it safe. Greg also shares the traits of great CMOs, the future of agencies and pitching, the campaigns he's most proud of, and the advice he'd…
E268 · 3 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
How Chili’s used creativity, culture and customer experience to create one of the greatest turnaround success stories - George Felix
George Felix, CMO of Chili’s, joins us to tell the story behind one of the most impressive brand turnarounds of recent years. From iconic menu items like chips and salsa and the famous margarita to viral social media moments and creative partnerships, George explains how Chili’s became culturally relevant again and reignited growth. Before Chili’s, George played a key role in the legendary Old Spice turnaround, and in this episode he shares the lessons he's learned from transforming legacy brands. We discuss the power of nostalgia, making the most of your agency relationships, influencing…
E267 · 27 May 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Tom Goodwin and Rory Sutherland Fix Marketing (Part 2)
Rory Sutherland and Tom Goodwin return for part two of our wide-ranging conversation on the future of marketing, creativity, and business. From driverless cars and Silicon Valley thinking, to the dangers of digitising every human interaction, Rory and Tom explore what businesses lose when efficiency becomes the only goal. They also discuss why governments need creative departments, whether we truly understand how advertising works, and how marketers can finally gain the influence they deserve inside organisations. Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:56 - What will be the advertising agency of the…
E266 · 20 May 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
Rory Sutherland and Tom Goodwin Fix Marketing (Part 1)
Two of our most popular guests return for a conversation on what’s gone wrong in modern marketing and how to fix it. Rory Sutherland and Tom Goodwin tackle everything from digital overload and bad choice architecture to the disappearance of taglines, long-term thinking, and genuine creativity. Expect behavioural science, contrarian thinking, and plenty of ideas that will make you rethink how marketing really works. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Start 00:01:31 - Digital overload - are consumers given too much choice? 00:05:51 - The power of “Easter Egg Thinking” 00:07:54 - Have hotels destroyed…
E265 · 13 May 2026 · 45 min
How to manage a crisis with ex United Airlines Chief of Comms, Jim Olson
Jim Olson has spent his career helping businesses navigate moments of intense pressure from corporate crises to deeply personal challenges, running comms at United Airlines and Starbucks. In this episode, the author of Tailwind shares the lessons he’s learned from leadership, resilience, and facing adversity head-on. Drawing inspiration from Captain Sully’s Hudson River landing, Jim explains why the best crisis leaders follow the same process: aviate, navigate, communicate. We discuss where crisis management often goes wrong, what leaders can learn from failures like United Airlines, and why…
E264 · 6 May 2026 · 48 min
Marketing lessons from 20 years at Google - Dan Taylor
Dan Taylor has spent over two decades at Google, helping shape how brands grow through search, media, and technology. Today, he leads global advertising at one of the world’s most influential companies, giving him a front-row seat to the biggest shifts in marketing. In this episode, Dan shares what he’s learned from 20 years at Google, from the importance of simplicity to navigating organisational complexity and the evolving relationship between product and commercial teams. We also dive into the future of search, including AI, new tools like “Circle to Search,” and what it all means for…
E263 · 29 Apr 2026 · 43 min
How Sephora built brands through creators, partnerships and loyalty - CMO Zena Arnold
Zena Arnold, CMO of Sephora, joins us to break down how one of the world’s most influential beauty retailers continues to set the standard for brand, community, and culture. From standout branding to record-breaking product launches, Zena shares what’s behind Sephora’s success and how the business stays relentlessly close to its customers in a fast-moving category. We explore the rise of celebrity brands, the power of loyalty, and how Sephora works with creators through initiatives like the Sephora Squad. Thank you to our sponsor, System1: https://system1group.com/ Timestamps 00:00 - Start…
E262 · 27 Apr 2026 · 39 min
Marketing in the age of AI with Adobe Enterprise CMO, Rachel Thornton
Rachel Thornton, Enterprise CMO at Adobe , joins us to unpack how one of the world’s leading technology companies is navigating marketing in the age of AI. From brand building in B2B to launching complex software products, Rachel shares what it takes to drive growth at global scale. We discuss the role of major events like Adobe Summit, how AI is transforming both the practice and perception of marketing, and why community and storytelling are becoming more important than ever. Rachel also explains how Adobe balances brand and product marketing, invests in partnerships like sports…
E261 · 22 Apr 2026 · 55 min
Nir Eyal on how belief can transform your life & your brand
Nir Eyal returns to the podcast to discuss his latest book, Beyond Belief , and the powerful role belief plays in shaping our behaviour, relationships, and decisions. From the difference between fact, faith, and belief to the surprising ways our perceptions influence what we see, Nir explains how beliefs can be consciously changed and why doing so can transform everything from personal performance to company culture. We also explore the role of belief in branding, including how companies like Liquid Death use anticipation to disrupt entire categories, and why the most successful brands don’t…

About Uncensored CMO

The Uncensored CMO was created to explore the good, the bad and quite frankly downright ugly truth about marketing theory & practice.

Uncensored CMO is a English business podcast from Jon Evans. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Jon Evans
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 50 min
Latest episode: 7 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1486335987
Rights: 2024 Uncensored CMO

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