#OnTheRadar: New McCann COO, BUD
McCann Joburg elevated Brendo‑lee Tobias to chief operating officer and promoted Malefa Motutswe to business unit director, reinforcing its “Truth Well Told” positioning. The South African advertising community mourned the deaths of veteran producers Iris Vinnicombe, Oliver Nurock and marketer Mike Freedman, whose careers shaped decades of commercial production. Flow Communications added the national lottery operator and tourism group Tourvest to its client roster, while Dialogue launched a 52‑card “Cards for Conversation” deck to improve campaign alignment. Scopen Africa research shows retail and financial‑services brands now top agency‑preferred client lists, and the Mark Awards announced new strategy subcategories and returning jury co‑presidents.
Pepsi CMO Takes ‘Omni-First’ Mindset for Prebiotic Cola Launch
PepsiCo’s chief marketing officer Mark Kirkham unveiled an “omni‑first” approach by launching its new Prebiotic Cola exclusively online through Walmart Connect on Black Friday 2025. The limited‑run sold out within 24 hours and generated 80% positive sentiment, giving the brand...
Marketbridge Names Geoffrey Sidari Chief Innovation Officer to Drive AI Growth
Marketbridge announced the appointment of Geoffrey Sidari as Chief Innovation Officer and Head of AI, charging him with accelerating AI‑enabled go‑to‑market solutions for its B2B clients. Sidari brings more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of marketing, analytics...
SHEIN’s Lisa Zlotnick on How ‘Festival House’ Cracked the Gen Z Code
At the 2026 Meltwater Summit, SHEIN’s U.S. Brand PR head Lisa Zlotnick explained how a survey of 18,000 app users uncovered that nearly 70% of Gen Z shoppers plan festival outfits three to four weeks in advance and expect tops under...
How the Portland Fire Marketed a Basketball Team with No Players
The Portland Fire tackled the classic expansion challenge of marketing a team before any players were signed. SVP Kimberly Veale leveraged the jersey launch and a partnership with the NBA Trail Blazers to create visual brand momentum in January. A...
TBC Corp Names Rachel Tibor as New Chief Marketing Officer
TBC Corp., the Palm Beach Gardens‑based tire wholesaler, announced the promotion of Rachel Tibor to chief marketing officer. The move underscores the company's intent to refresh its brand and capture growth in a crowded market. Tibor will steer marketing strategy...
General Motors’ Chief Growth Officer Norm De Greve Announces Exit
General Motors’ chief growth officer, Norm de Greve, announced he will depart in June after three years leading the company’s marketing transformation. His exit comes as GM grapples with a costly EV write‑down and a shift back to its core...
Howard Tattersall on Why Footasylum’s Marketing Strategy Is the ‘Blueprint’
Footasylum’s entertainment‑first social media strategy, launched in 2018, has become a benchmark for UK retailers. By prioritising TikTok, YouTube and culturally‑relevant influencers, the brand cuts through digital noise and embeds itself in consumers’ daily routines. The approach leverages hyper‑local campaign...
TripleLift Names Timothy Jasionowski CPTO, Adds Benjamin Felix as CMO to Push Unified Ad Tech
TripleLift announced the appointment of Timothy Jasionowski as Chief Product and Technology Officer and Benjamin Felix as Chief Marketing Officer. The hires are intended to accelerate the company’s TL Spark platform and deliver a more integrated advertising stack across the open...
Haleon Appoints Richard Manso as U.S. CMO to Accelerate Data‑Driven Health Marketing
Haleon has named former Google executive Richard Manso as its U.S. chief marketing officer. Manso will steer an integrated, data‑focused marketing strategy across categories, targeting moments when consumers make health decisions. The move signals Haleon's push to deepen personalization and...
Wellness Briefing: Ritual Calls on Consumers to Pressure DC Lawmakers Towards Supplement Regulation Reform, Plus News
Ritual’s new “We’re expecting” campaign asks consumers to pressure Washington lawmakers to tighten supplement regulation, targeting heavy‑metal contamination and unverified clinical‑testing claims. The company’s CEO Kat Schneider and chief impact officer Lindsay Dahl highlighted the push as part of a...
Nike Alumni, Now at Superfeet, Want Their Insoles in ‘Every Shoe in the World’
Superfeet, the longtime running‑focused insole maker, is pivoting to serve athletes across soccer, basketball, volleyball and football. The shift is driven by new leadership – CMO Mike Donnelly, a 23‑year Nike veteran, and CEO Trip Randall, also ex‑Nike – who...
Lazada Group CMO Marcus Chew Steps Down
Marcus Chew, who joined Lazada Group in 2021 as group chief marketing officer, has stepped down. During his three‑year tenure he oversaw end‑to‑end marketing across 11 Southeast and South Asian markets, centralising operations and building insight‑led measurement frameworks. Chew previously...
Thu Nguyen Named CEO of Dentsu Vietnam
Dentsu announced Thu Nguyen as CEO of its Vietnam operation, effective May 1, 2026. Nguyen, a two‑decade veteran of the Vietnamese marketing scene, previously founded Ambient Digital, which was later absorbed into dentsu. As Deputy CEO, he drove integration across capabilities and...
Nexa’s Decade of Drift
Maruti Suzuki’s premium sub‑brand Nexa marks a decade with mixed results, as its contribution to total sales slipped to 27.6% in FY26 and unit volumes fell to 503,881 units. The brand’s portfolio is heavily skewed, with Baleno, Fronx and Grand Vitara...
Ulta Beauty’s AI‑Driven Rewards Program Generates 95% of Sales
Ulta Beauty’s chief marketing officer Kelly Mahoney says the company’s AI‑enhanced rewards program now fuels 95% of its sales, drawing on data from 46.7 million members. The move highlights how AI‑driven personalization can turn loyalty programs into the core revenue engine...
Vita Coco Q1 Sales Surge 37% on Distribution Push and Brand‑Centric Marketing
Vita Coco posted $180 million in net sales for Q1 2026, up 37% year‑over‑year, as broader U.S. and international distribution and a CMO‑led marketing push lifted coconut‑water volumes. The company also saw a modest insider sale that analysts say reflects a...
Checkers & Rally’s Rolls Out $3 Double Sandwich Lineup to Drive Value‑Focused Growth
Checkers & Rally’s unveiled a $3 Double Sandwich lineup, featuring three new double‑patty options and a $6 combo with fries and a drink. The launch, championed by CMO Scott Johnson, aims to attract price‑sensitive diners and increase average ticket size...
Fox’s Refreshed Pitch to Advertisers Connects Fandoms to Outcomes
Fox Advertising unveiled a refreshed brand platform and visual identity that consolidates its five verticals—Fox Sports, Fox News, Fox Entertainment, Tubi and Fox One—under the tagline “Turn Passion into Performance.” Developed with agency Sibling Rivalry, the new system highlights energy,...
KS95 Keeps Eagan, Makes Minneapolis Role Official
Chris Eagan has been named permanent Vice President of Brand & Content for KS95 (KSTP) in Minneapolis‑St. Paul, while retaining his VP role for Chicago’s 101.9 The Mix and Throwback 100.3. Eagan, who joined Hubbard Radio in January 2025, previously spent 16 years at...
Ocean & Earth Appoints Smith Optics Exec as Marketing Chief
Australian surf‑accessories brand Ocean & Earth named Thomas Edgar, former global eyewear marketing manager at Smith Optics, as its new head of marketing. Edgar brings 15 years of experience across Australian surf and outdoor firms, most recently steering Smith Optics'...
Victoria's Secret Shifts to Fragrance, Targeting Bath & Body Works Share
Victoria's Secret announced a strategic pivot toward fragrance and home scent products, positioning the brand against Bath & Body Works. CEO Hillary Super said the nearly $1 billion beauty segment grew low‑single‑digit in Q4 FY2025, marking the core of the turnaround.
From Devices to Daily Life: Samsung’s AI Living Push
Samsung’s chief marketing officer, Allison Stransky, outlined the company’s "AI for All" strategy at CES 2026, positioning AI as a daily companion across its broad product ecosystem. The plan emphasizes higher‑order benefits—like AI‑driven meal planning in Bespoke refrigerators and SmartThings‑enabled home‑insurance...
Salomon Further Strengthens Its Ranks with Talent From New Horizons
Salomon, the Amer Sports‑owned outdoor brand, announced three senior hires to accelerate its shift toward a broader lifestyle positioning. Valérie Loh joins as senior vice‑president of brand and marketing, bringing luxury experience from Moncler, Bottega Veneta and Dior. Olivier Benon is appointed director...
Chief Growth Officer Norm De Greve to Leave General Motors
Norm de Greve, who joined General Motors as chief marketing officer in 2023 and was later elevated to chief growth officer, announced he will leave the automaker in June to pursue a new endeavor. During his tenure, he oversaw what...
Costello’s Ace Hardware Names VP of Marketing and Merchandising
Costello’s Ace Hardware announced the promotion of Monica Rodriguez to Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising. Rodriguez, who previously served as senior director of marketing, will now oversee the company’s integrated marketing and merchandising strategy and report directly to CEO...
Inolex Announces Key Appointments
Inolex announced two senior hires: Jennifer O’Hara as director of marketing & commercialisation and Jennie Creech as director of product sustainability. O’Hara, with over 20 years in personal‑care chemistry, will steer sustainable ingredient innovation, while Creech will deepen sustainability integration...
Campbell’s Risa Cretella on Reinventing Iconic Brands and Winning in Commoditized Categories
Campbell’s executive vice president Risa Cretella explains how the company is reinventing its iconic brands by injecting an entrepreneurial mindset into a large organization. She emphasizes fast, data‑light decision‑making and empowering teams to act on clear consumer demand. The discussion highlights...
5 Things CEO-Ready CMOs Know That Others Don’t
The article argues that CMOs who aspire to become CEOs must master five dimensions: owning brand trade‑offs, articulating a healthy growth algorithm, accounting for capital intensity, aligning marketing plans with operational capacity, and speaking the language of investors. By treating...
Brianna Doe on the One Thing CMOs Should Change About Creator Marketing Right Now
Brianna Doe, founder of Verbatim, argues that CMOs must stop treating influencer marketing as a siloed paid‑media tactic and instead embed creators within broader brand programs. She highlights the creator economy’s rapid growth, the flood of AI‑generated content, and the...
Whataburger Launches Kids Whatameal to Take on McDonald's Happy Meal
Whataburger introduced the Kids Whatameal across its 1,100-plus locations on May 5, pricing the meals between $3.89 and $6.49. The new offering features interactive orange‑and‑white packaging, rotating collectible toys and a menu of kid‑friendly entrees, positioning the chain to compete directly...
Polymarket Rolls Out $20 Referral Bonus to Boost New User Sign‑ups
Polymarket announced a referral program that gives new users a $20 bonus after a $20 deposit, allowing them to bypass the platform’s waitlist. The move aims to accelerate user growth for the crypto‑powered prediction market amid rising political and sports...
AI100 Finalist Interview: Depthfirst
Depthfirst is vying for a spot on the AI 100 by claiming its AI‑driven platform fundamentally reshapes application security. Traditional scanners rely on pattern matching against CVE databases, generating high false‑positive rates and missing complex flaws such as business‑logic errors, broken...
Hyper Collective Appoints Apurvah Sahay Aarzoo as Digital Marketing Head
Hyper Collective, the digital arm of Nihilent, has named Apurvah Sahay Aarzoo as its new head of digital marketing. In the role she will steer content creation and social‑media initiatives across the agency’s digital mandate. Aarzoo brings a track record...
Škoda India Appoints Ashutosh Dixit as Brand Director of Porsche India
Porsche India, a unit of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India, has appointed Ashutosh Dixit as its new Brand Director, effective immediately. Dixit arrives with 28 years in the automotive sector, including nearly two decades within the Volkswagen Group and most recently as Market...
Silencer Central Makes Key Sales and Marketing Hires
Silencer Central, a leading suppressor retailer, announced three senior hires on May 5, 2026. Ryan Houck joins as senior director of marketing, bringing experience from Duluth Trading, Timberland and Nike. Daniel Baugher becomes director of sales after stints at Black...
Duncan Painter Quits Omnicom for Tech CEO Role
Duncan Painter has resigned as chief executive of Omnicom, ending a tenure of less than three years. His departure comes shortly after Omnicom completed the $1.2 billion sale of its data‑technology unit Flywheel in 2023. Painter is set to become chief...
Why American Family Insurance Made a Reality Competition Series for Hulu
American Family Insurance partnered with Disney Advertising to launch “Designed To Last,” a four‑episode reality competition premiering May 5 on Hulu. The show pits architects, engineers and inventors against design challenges focused on home‑preparedness for threats like wind, fire and ice,...
Vodafone Media Lead Departs Following Three Merger
Daniel Mogridge, Vodafone's media lead for eight years, is leaving the brand shortly after the Vodafone‑Three merger. His exit comes as the newly combined operator works to integrate advertising and media functions across two formerly separate networks. Mogridge had overseen...
Finn Partners’ Steven L. De Luca Named to Marquis Who’s Who for Marketing Leadership
Steven L. De Luca, senior partner of business development and marketing at Finn Partners, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. The honor highlights a career that delivered a 40% revenue lift at American Express’s DEPARTURES unit, tripled...
Manscaped’s Whole‑Body Media Strategy
Manscaped’s CMO Marcelo Kertész is steering the brand from a niche ball‑trimmer into a whole‑body grooming platform, a shift summed up as “from ball to all.” The company invested a multimillion‑dollar Super Bowl spot featuring anthropomorphic hair balls to signal...
Yahoo Sports Appoints Jarrod Schwarz as GM to Drive Product and Ad Growth
Yahoo Sports announced veteran sports media executive Jarrod Schwarz as its new general manager. Schwarz will oversee product, design, technology, revenue, partnerships and content, reporting to Yahoo Media Group president Ryan Spoon. The hire signals a push to expand Yahoo...
Elevate Appoints Wade Clark as Chief Growth Officer to Drive Organic Expansion
Elevate, the operator‑led accounting and advisory platform, announced Wade Clark as its new Chief Growth Officer. Clark will lead a unified, data‑driven organic growth function that complements Elevate’s active M&A strategy, drawing on more than three decades of experience scaling...
Chief Growth Officer and Others Gone at VML Australia Amid Strategic Review
WPP‑owned VML Australia has dismissed chief growth officer Johan Borg and a small group of staff as part of a broader strategic review. The cuts follow WPP’s global “Elevate28” overhaul, which targets roughly $630 million in cost savings over three years....
Visa Appoints Danny Osman to Lead APAC Media, Social, Data and Digital Innovation
Visa has hired Danny Irsyaduddin Osman as head of media, social, data, content and digital innovation for Asia Pacific, consolidating several marketing‑technology functions under one leader. The move aims to deepen cultural relevance and data‑driven engagement across 20+ markets, from...
‘Too Expensive, Too Hard’: Aussie Families Ditch Europe for Short-Haul Escapes
Australian families are turning away from European vacations, citing high costs and booking complexity. A Shangri‑La survey of 1,419 respondents found that more than two‑thirds consider Europe too expensive or hard to arrange, and nearly half are already favoring shorter,...
Omnicom Appoints Christine Gambino as Omni CEO, Alex McCord Takes Commerce Lead
Omnicom Group announced Christine Gambino as chief executive of its Omni platform and Alex McCord as head of Omnicom Commerce, while data chief Duncan Painter departs for a senior role in the UK. The moves come as the firm integrates its...
Why This Zoom Exec Built an Internal ‘SWAT Team’ to Prepare for AI Search
Zoom’s chief marketing officer Kimberly Storin has formed an internal “SWAT team” to ensure the video‑conferencing firm appears in AI‑driven search results. A recent G2 survey shows 87 percent of B2B buyers say AI reshapes their research, with half using chatbots...
Clio Health Champions 2025: Meet 20 Leaders Driving Progress in Healthcare Marketing
Clio Health announced its 2025 Health Champions, a slate of 20 individuals from agencies, biotech/pharma, nonprofits and even UEFA who are shaping healthcare marketing. The roster, released on May 15, spotlights senior creatives and strategists such as Jillian Baum of Klick Health...
Saudi Aviation Club Reveals Influencer Strategy that Led to 50 Million Views for Sand & Fun
Saudi Aviation Club partnered with Bold Influence to rebrand its Sand & Fun 2025 airshow from a pure aviation exhibition into a national lifestyle platform. The agency assembled a hybrid influencer roster—aviation specialists like Captain Joe and mass‑appeal creators such as Dr. Kholoud and...