Chipotle Unveils 'Rewards on Repeat' Loyalty Overhaul, Adds Free Chips, Guac for New Members
On April 13 Chipotle rolled out a revamped loyalty platform called Rewards on Repeat, giving new members free chips and guacamole at sign‑up and adding monthly free‑food drops. The changes target the chain’s 21 million active members and seek to reverse a year of declining comparable sales.
The Wine Group’s Helen Kurtz on Speed to Market and Competing in a Crowded Category
The Wine Group’s CMO Helen Kurtz explained how the company is slashing product launch cycles, moving new wines to store shelves in months rather than years. By prioritizing speed to market, the firm aims to capture emerging consumer trends before...
Puma Taps Ex-Adidas VP as New Creative Lead as Competition Heats Up
Puma has appointed former Adidas executive James Carnes as Senior Vice President of Creative Direction, a newly created role that will steer the brand’s design, innovation and product excellence. Reporting to Chief Brand Officer Maria Valdes, Carnes will align creative...
HRE Development Appoints Ahmed Mashaal as Group Marketing Director
HRE Development announced the appointment of Ahmed Mashaal as Group Marketing Director, a move aimed at bolstering its brand and accelerating growth in the UAE real‑estate sector. Mashaal brings a portfolio of luxury residential and hospitality projects across the GCC...
INova Pharmaceuticals Appoints Sarvesh Sahni as Marketing Director AMENA
iNova Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Sarvesh Sahni as Marketing Director for Skincare & Women’s Health across the AMENA region, operating from Singapore. Sahni brings more than 15 years of consumer‑health and FMCG leadership, most recently at Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, where he...
Ex-Mars, Global Growth Powerhouse Najoh Tita-Reid Confirmed For Crocs
Cairns Crocodiles, the marketing festival presented by Pinterest, has confirmed former Mars Petcare global chief growth officer Najoh Tita‑Reid as a keynote speaker for its 2026 program. Tita‑Reid, celebrated for integrating AI, creativity and data‑driven strategy at brands like Mars...
Beauty Briefing: The Business of Being Rachel Zoe
Fashion influencer Rachel Zoe is capitalizing on her recent stint on "Real Housewives" to secure high‑value brand partnerships, expanding her beauty empire beyond traditional styling services. The exposure has translated into multiple endorsement deals and a surge in her social...
Production Resource Group Appoints Darren Pfeffer as Chief Commercial Officer to Drive Global Growth
Production Resource Group (PRG) announced Darren Pfeffer as its first Chief Commercial Officer, a role created to lead revenue strategy and deepen client relationships. The veteran of Live Nation, Madison Square Garden and iHeartMedia brings nearly three decades of live‑event...
Five9 Installs New CEO, CMO, and CPO to Accelerate AI‑Driven CX Strategy
Five9 announced a three‑person leadership overhaul, naming Amit Mathradas as chief executive, Jay Lee as chief marketing and growth officer, and Ajay Awatramani as chief product officer. The moves aim to deepen the company’s AI‑centric CX platform and fuel its...
Nespresso’s Gen Z Glow-Up: Dua Lipa, Iced Drinks, and a Bold New Visual World
Nespresso is rolling out a new creative platform aimed at Gen Z, anchored by a partnership with pop star Dua Lipa. The campaign introduces a line of iced coffee beverages and a bold visual language that blends street‑style graphics with the...
Tesco Teams with Adobe to Launch AI‑driven Personalised Marketing Platform
Tesco has joined forces with Adobe to roll out an AI‑driven personalised marketing platform that will tap the retailer’s Clubcard data covering more than 24 million UK households. The partnership is designed to sharpen customer engagement and lift sales across Tesco’s...
Ego Pharmaceuticals Revamps Elucent with TikTok‑Centric Campaign and New Design
Ego Pharmaceuticals has relaunched its Melbourne‑made Elucent brand, unveiling two high‑performance product ranges and a litmus‑strip inspired visual system. The rollout was anchored by an anonymous TikTok tease that generated strong early engagement, signaling a shift toward culturally relevant, science‑backed...
How Grocers Can Embrace the ‘Promiscuous Shopper’
Grocery shoppers have abandoned single‑store loyalty, with only 1% sticking to one retailer and the average American visiting at least two stores weekly. Upside research shows over 90% of shoppers are “uncommitted,” chasing price above brand affinity. Victor Kimble of...
Wavelength Appoints Matt Kline as Chief Growth Officer Amid LA Campus Expansion
Wavelength announced the hiring of Matt Kline as Chief Growth Officer as it opens a new 10,000‑square‑foot campus in Los Angeles. The move pairs a seasoned brand‑commerce executive with a physical hub designed to accelerate the studio’s branded‑entertainment projects across...
How Jake From State Farm Made His TV Debut in Netflix’s ‘Running Point’
State Farm has teamed with Netflix for an integrated campaign around the sports comedy series “Running Point,” featuring its mascot Jake from State Farm in a first‑ever TV debut within the show. The partnership includes a co‑branded pre‑roll spot starring...
Clear Tagline Boosted Olipop to $200M Revenue
Olipop doubled revenue to $200M in one year by changing their tagline from "A Sparkling Tonic" to "A New Kind of Soda." Meanwhile you're using confusing niche jargon on your packaging and wondering why you can't scale past your early...
Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley Discusses AI, IRL Events on Forbes C‑Suite Unscripted
Tinder's chief marketing officer Melissa Hobley appeared on Forbes' C‑Suite Unscripted podcast, outlining the brand's push into AI‑driven profile tools, in‑person events, and heightened safety measures. The interview signals a broader shift among consumer‑app marketers toward technology‑enabled engagement and community...
Unilever Hunts CMO as Another Marketer Departs
Unilever is actively recruiting a new chief marketing officer for its Australia‑New Zealand (ANZ) division after two senior marketing leaders exited within six months. Former ANZ CMO John McKeon left in January to take a global role in Malaysia, and his successor,...
Pinterest Pushes Real-World Inspiration as Social Media Backlash Grows
Pinterest has launched a new campaign urging users to put their phones down and seek real‑world inspiration, marking the first major initiative under new CMO Claudine Cheever. The 60‑second spot stitches together home movies from the 1950s‑80s and is narrated...
Guzman Y Gomez Global CMO Lara Thom Resigns
Lara Thom, the global chief marketing officer of Australian fast‑food chain Guzman y Gomez, is leaving after a ten‑year tenure that helped grow the brand to more than 200 stores in four countries. She will depart on April 24, with...
Sol De Janeiro’s Director of Global Influence on the Rise of ‘Non-Followers’ and the New Rules of Social Engagement
Sol de Janeiro’s new director of global influence, Avrielle Cortes, says the brand is shifting from a TikTok‑centric strategy to a fragmented, multi‑platform approach. She highlights the rise of “non‑followers” – viewers reached through algorithmic feeds – as a key...
Social Becomes Frontline CX, Forcing CMOs to Rethink Strategy
New research from CMSWire shows that social platforms are now the primary customer‑experience touchpoint for many brands, exposing a blind spot in most CX strategies. The study warns that unanswered social interactions are perceived as indifference, prompting CMOs to treat...
Kustomer Raises $30M to Push AI-Driven CX Over UI Tweaks
Kustomer announced a $30 million funding round to accelerate its AI-native customer experience platform, positioning intelligence as the core of CX rather than incremental UI improvements. The move follows its 2023 spin‑off from Meta and signals a broader industry shift...
Five9 Names Jay Lee Chief Marketing and Growth Officer to Drive AI‑Powered B2B Demand
Five9 announced the appointment of Jay Lee as its first Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, tasking him with unifying marketing, data and revenue functions to boost AI‑driven customer experience. The move signals a strategic push to scale B2B demand generation...
Shake Shack Rolls Out Project Catalyst to Power AI‑Driven Loyalty and Unified Commerce
Shake Shack announced Project Catalyst, a technology overhaul that adds AI‑powered loyalty, unified commerce and edge‑based POS upgrades. Partnering with cloud‑native platform Qu, the chain aims to scale to 1,500 company‑operated restaurants while tightening direct guest relationships.
Unilever Expands Creator Network to 300,000 Influencers for AI‑Powered Search Discovery
Unilever announced it will scale its creator network to 300,000 influencers, tying their content to emerging LLM‑driven search experiences. The move aims to make brand‑related queries surface creator‑generated media, giving marketers a new channel for discovery. The initiative signals a...
Anonymous Content Hires Liza Burnett Fefferman as First Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Anonymous Content named veteran Liza Burnett Fefferman its first Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, reporting to CEO Darren Walker. The new C‑suite role will unify messaging across talent, production and branded content as the company scales amid industry consolidation.
Greggs Hires On The Beach CMO Zoe Harris as Customer & Marketing Director to Revamp Brand
Greggs announced that Zoe Harris, former CMO of On The Beach, will join as Customer and Marketing Director in May. The hire follows a 9.4% drop in pre‑tax profit to £171.9 m ($218 m) despite a 6.8% sales rise, as the bakery‑chain...
Five9 Appoints Jay Lee as Chief Marketing and Growth Officer to Unify GTM and Revenue Strategy
Five9 announced the hiring of Jay Lee as its new chief marketing and growth officer. Lee will integrate marketing, analytics and revenue operations to speed AI‑powered customer‑experience initiatives. The move signals Five9’s push to tighten go‑to‑market execution across its 3,000+...
Premium Brands Spend Tens of Millions on Immersive Coachella 2026 Activations
Coachella 2026 attracted more than 125,000 daily attendees as luxury brands such as Ciroc, Dorsia, Guess and Rivian invested tens of millions in immersive pop‑ups, VIP suites and high‑priced dining. The festival’s blend of music, art and digital livestreams is...
Douglas Salinas Webster and Joshua Dichiaccio Champion CMO‑to‑Growth‑Partner Model
Douglas Salinas Webster and Joshua Dichiaccio announced a new CMO‑to‑Growth‑Partner model that reframes the chief marketing officer role as a strategic growth partnership. The shift emphasizes data‑driven strategy, community focus, and alignment with overall business objectives, signaling a broader industry...
Hostinger Rolls Out $7‑Month AI Agent Suite for SMBs
Hostinger has introduced Hostinger Agents, a subscription service that bundles seven AI‑driven specialists for $6.99 a month. The suite promises to cut small‑business consulting costs by delivering strategy, SEO, marketing, legal and sales support on demand.
Harley‑Davidson Launches "RIDE" Platform to Shift Brand Toward Fun, Joy Under CEO Artie Starrs
Harley‑Davidson unveiled its RIDE brand platform on April 9, a full marketing reset that spotlights the "fun and joy" of motorcycling. The shift, driven by new CEO Artie Starrs, seeks to shed the brand’s older, darker image and draw a...
Pete Hines Says He Left Bethesda because He Didn't Want to Watch It Being 'Damaged' And 'Abused'
Pete Hines, Bethesda’s longtime vice‑president of marketing and public relations, departed the studio in 2023 after Microsoft’s 2020 acquisition. He said he stayed because the company needed him, but grew powerless to protect its efficient development culture as Microsoft restructured...
Ya Dough'n Pizza Scales to Multi‑State Brand Using Pre‑Order, Limited‑Menu Model
Ya Dough'n Pizza, founded by Garett Goodman, turned a COVID‑era backyard pop‑up that sold 25 pizzas a week into a four‑location brand. The company relies on weekly pre‑orders and a tight menu to test demand, and it now targets six...
Sue Higgs Exits mFuse
Executive Creative Director Sue Higgs has departed mFuse, the London‑based advertising agency. Higgs, who joined the firm in 2019, was responsible for overseeing integrated campaigns and driving creative strategy across key client accounts. The agency announced her exit without detailing...
What Would an AI-First Fractional CMO Change First?
An AI‑first fractional chief marketing officer (CMO) embeds artificial‑intelligence tools across a B2B SaaS firm’s marketing stack, shifting decision‑making from gut‑feel to data‑driven insight. The first change is continuous customer data collection and AI‑powered analysis that reallocates spend from low‑performing...
On the Move: Lionsgate Promotes Pecchia to SVP-Corpcomms
Lionsgate promoted Laurel Pecchia to senior vice president of corporate communications, elevating a leader with experience at William Morris Endeavor, CBS Films and Lionsgate itself. Pecchia will direct media‑relations, executive and employee messaging, and board and earnings‑call preparation. In parallel, Anonymous Content...
It’s a 10 Haircare Taps Khloé Kardashian as Ambassador, Plots Packaging Rebrand, Book Release for 20th Anniversary
It’s a 10 Haircare, founded by Carolyn Aronson in 2006, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with $500 million in annual retail sales. The brand has appointed Khloé Kardashian as its first global ambassador and is launching a full packaging redesign that will...
Marketers on the Move: Hires and Exits at Babylist, OpenAI, McDonald’s, and More
A wave of marketing leadership changes swept the industry this week. OpenAI’s chief marketing officer Kate Rouch stepped down to focus on health, while Babylist hired veteran Jill Cress as its first CMO after a 45% revenue surge to $750 million. Other...
Meet the Top 30 Movers & Shakers: Restaurant Marketing
FastCasual.com’s publisher Cherryh Cansler announced the 2026 Restaurant Marketing Top 30 Movers & Shakers, to be honored at a Boston workshop June 2‑3. The honorees span chains from Wing Shack to Velvet Taco and showcase how data‑driven loyalty engines, AI‑powered insights, and...
Stagwell Brings in Growth Chief to Step Up Push for Big Clients
Stagwell has hired Nicole Souza, former chief marketing officer of Publicis Groupe’s creative division, as chief growth officer for North America. The appointment follows a 25% rise in new business last year, which added marquee brands such as Starbucks, PepsiCo...
Uncommon Hires Robyn D’Arcy as Head of Data and Steph Morrow as Head of Cultural Strategy
Uncommon has bolstered its leadership team by appointing Robyn D’Arcy as head of data and Steph Morrow as head of cultural strategy. Both new executives will report directly to Chief Strategy Officer Tobey Duncan and co‑founder Lucy Jameson. D’Arcy brings...
Audible Taps BookTok Star Luke Bateman To Engage Gen Z & Young Men
Audible has appointed Australian former NRL player and podcast host Luke Bateman as its new ambassador to drive audiobook adoption among Gen Z, especially young men. Bateman will front launches, events and social‑first content that showcase titles like Andy Weir’s *Project Hail Mary*. The initiative...
AX Beauty Names Noelle Cantarano as First Chief Marketing Officer
AX Beauty has appointed Noelle Cantarano as its first chief marketing officer, marking the company’s inaugural C‑suite marketing role. Cantarano arrives from Future Beauty Labs, where she served as vice president of global marketing. She will direct brand strategy, positioning,...
Luxury Briefing: Luxury Brands Proceed with Retail Plans in the Middle East
Luxury brands are pressing ahead with new retail projects across the Middle East, signaling confidence in the region’s high‑net‑worth consumer base. Orlebar Brown’s CMO highlighted a strategy built around the luxury travel circuit, while other players such as Saks, Brunello...
Sunny D Launches Nostalgic Purple Vodka‑Seltzer, Reviving 1990s Ad Gag
Sunny D rolled out a limited‑edition Purple Vodka‑Seltzer, a 4.5% ABV ready‑to‑drink cocktail priced at $9.99 for a four‑pack, tapping the iconic 1990s "purple stuff" commercial. The move illustrates how legacy advertising can be repurposed to drive adult RTD sales...
Panera Bread Rolls Out $8‑$13 "Salad Stuffers" Nationwide
Panera Bread launched Salad Stuffers, a new handheld salad concept sold in an Italian Stuffer Roll for $8‑$13, across its 2,251 bakery‑cafes. The move is part of the chain’s RISE transformation strategy to drive traffic and revitalize its brand amid...
AMI Interim CEO Says ‘High Tide Will Help All Ships’ as New Marketing Group Launches
The Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) named Kathryn Illy as interim CEO following Bronwyn Heys' departure. At the same time, marketer Michael Apte launched the Sydney Marketing Community (SMC), which has already attracted about 1,000 members. Both SMC and The Marketing...
Disney to Cut 1,000 Marketing Jobs in Restructuring, Impacting TV Operations
Disney announced plans to eliminate roughly 1,000 marketing positions, representing under 1% of its 231,000‑strong workforce. The cuts are part of a broader restructuring led by a new chief marketing officer under the internal "Project Imagine" initiative, and come as...