Uncensored CMO

Jon Evans
  • 5.0 (3)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Amazon Creative Masterclass with Jo Shoesmith Chief Creative Officer

    Jo Shoesmith, Chief Creative Officer at Amazon, joins us for a second time to reveal how one of the world’s biggest brands continues to make advertising that connects emotionally and stands the test of time. She shares what she’s learned moving from agency life to leading creativity inside a global giant, why Amazon still invests in traditional media, and the secret to ads that run for 3–5 years without losing impact. We also discuss why right-brained storytelling works, the surprising insights about Gen Z, and how Amazon balances scale, agility, and creativity in the age of AI. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro01:21 - Learnings from going agency side to brand side04:18 - How much does Amazon spend on advertising each year?05:02 - Why Amazon still advertises using traditional media06:21 - Why is Amazon’s creative so effective?08:57 - Why Amazon’s advertising is so right brained10:33 - Why Amazon make ads to run for 3-5 years14:25 - Amazon re-airing the popular “Grannies” ad17:00 - Why the industry is obsessed with youth18:33 - The interesting numbers behind Gen Z and advertising21:00 - Japanese Granny Ad from Amazon23:07 - The only Cannes Lion Jon has ever won26:11 - Using production to discover new stories29:48 - Amazon’s CCO’s thoughts on AI and creativity32:56 - Is AI used in the creative process at Amazon?35:29 - How does such a big company stay so agile?36:24 - What one thing has made the biggest difference for Jo?

    41 min

  2. 6 DAYS AGO

    The secret to Duolingo's social success with Zaria Parvez - Semrush Spotlight

    Zaria Parvez was the creative mastermind behind Duolingo's social media success, having joined the company in 2020 fresh out of University. 5 years later, and after 8 billion impressions, she's left for her next challenge - taking on the social media for Doordash. We speak to Zaria to find out what the secret to the viral success is, and how she plans to replicate this at Doordash. This episode is brought to you by Semrush — your unfair advantage in digital brand visibility. From fast-growing teams to global enterprises, Semrush shows you where you stand, where you can win, and how to stay visible across AI Search and LLMs. With unrivaled data and real AI intelligence, Semrush helps you move faster, grow faster, and make sure your brand is the answer wherever customers ask. Timestamps00:00 - Start00:34 - Why Zaria left Duolingo01:32 - Why Zaria moved from Duolingo to Doordash02:44 - Coping with a rapid career trajectory04:58 - The big moments for Duolingo07:00 - Can you plan virality?08:30 - How important was it having Duo as a brand character11:02 - Why Duolingo killed duo13:23 - Sending Duo’s ashes to Dua Lipa14:05 - What are the conditions that make a successful social media campaign16:01 - How Zaria spots trends and turns them into content17:41 - Thinking long term through a social media lens19:39 - How to scale viral social media efforts21:36 - Why who your boss is matters so much22:52 - When things go wrong on social media24:47 - Why Zaria built a personal brand28:02 - What Zaria is hoping for in the future28:59 - How is AI changing social media?31:36 - Social media advice for podcasters32:20 - How to cope with the intensity of working in social media34:58 - The best marketers hate marketing36:25 - Why you need to embrace boredom

    38 min

  3. 3 DEC

    Unilever Brand Building Masterclass with Esi Eggleston Bracey, CMO

    Esi Eggleston Bracey is the Chief Marketing and Growth Officer of Unilever. Esi joined the company in 2018 and has served as President of Unilever USA and CEO of Personal Care in North America. Prior to this, she led their $5 billion Beauty & Personal Care portfolio for North America as EVP and Chief Operating Officer which included responsibility for brands such as Dove, TRESemmé, Suave, Vaseline, Degree, Axe and more. There's a reason why this is a brand building masterclass Esi has been recognised with many industry awards including being named as one of Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs, a Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO 50, Women’s Wear Daily Marketer of the Year, ADCOLOR Legend, Ad Age Vanguard Award and more. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro00:54 - From P&G to Unilever, Esi’s career journey03:09 - How important is breadth of experience as a marketer04:54 - How to increase your marketing budget07:45 - Why Esi has growth in her title and not just Chief Marketing Officer08:36 - The most surprising thing about running 400 brands10:37 - What skills do marketers need to be successful today?12:08 - Esi’s thoughts of AI in marketing17:14 - How to win the hearts of your consumer19:48 - Unilever’s SASSY framework for winning hearts and minds21:45 - Why we buy more when we feel more23:27 - The secret behind the groundbreaking Dove marketing26:45 - Why Uniliver are spending 50% of media on social and 20x spend on creators29:18 - How the Vaseline Verified campaign took off30:37 - Unilever’s framework for successful social media campaigns32:29 - Applying the SASSY Framework to innovation35:19 - Unilever’s collaboration with Crumbl Cookies37:42 - How Unilever uses AI39:45 - Which Unilever brand would Esi buy?41:46 - The power of consistency42:43 - How do you nurture the next $1b portfolio brand

    46 min

  4. 26 NOV

    How Diageo’s Joint Venture will transform Ciroc & Lobos 1707 - Nick Tran

    Nick Tran, is the CMO and President of First Round, leading Diageo’s new joint venture with Main Street Advisors to oversee two of the world’s most culturally driven spirits brands: Ciroc and Lobos 1707. Nick shares how he’s approaching brand reinvention vs continuation, why product innovation and cultural relevance are key, and what goes into long-term brand growth. We also touch on the future of social media, AI’s role in marketing, and what it takes to build a truly modern CMO career. 00:00 - Intro00:36 - How the Diageo and Main Street Advisors partnership happened?02:49 - The long term view for Ciroc and Lobos 170706:10 - The plan for Ciroc08:57 - Reinvention vs continuation when transforming a brand11:31 - Focusing on product innovation and serve for Ciroc and Lobos 170714:14 - Is alcohol drinking trending down?19:00 - How do you become culturally relevant?22:07 - Using the Liquid Death challenger mindset24:08 - The role of celebrities and influencers for drinks brands27:16 - Why Nick is investing in his personal brand31:53 - What does it take to become a successful CMO?37:04 - How Nick invests in other companies41:59 - Nick Tran’s thoughts on AI45:47 - Have we reached peak social media?50:39 - Bonus Question

    52 min

  5. 19 NOV

    Nils Leonard: Don’t Confuse S**t Ads For The Death Of Creativity

    Nils Leonard, Uncommon Studio's co-founder and Creative Director is back, and the mic is hotter than ever. We're tackling why Uncommon is pushing the boundaries of out of home, including the divisive BA "Reflections" campaign, what Nils thinks of the energy in the US vs the UK, and why we have a lot of work to do if we want creativity to thrive in this country. Timestamps 00:00 - Start00:52 - How did Uncensored CMO end up at Uncommon Studios02:33 - What just Jon want to happen as a result of this episode?04:45 - What does Nils want to happen as a result of this podcast?06:10 - Nils' advice to founders wanting to start an agency07:51 - Uncommon’s work with The Ordinary13:38 - Why Uncommon loves out of home15:31 - Uncommon’s out of home work with British Airways22:20 - Uncommon's B&Q out of home26:51 - Uncommon's Hiscox work29:55 - Uncommon’s EA work32:51 - Uncommon’s JD Sports work turning the lens on the community37:45 - British Airway’s safety video43:40 - The culture of creativity in the UK vs US46:40 - Why Campaign’s"Turkey of the Week" is a terrifying reflection on the UK48:52 - WPP and creativity51:28 - Who killed creativity?53:53 - What Brits can learn from Americans to bring creativity back

    1h 1m

  6. 12 NOV

    Gary Vee on the most undervalued and overvalued media

    Entrepreneur, investor, and VaynerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk joins us from Wine Library to share his unfiltered take on marketing in 2025. We cover everything from spotting consumer trends to staying authentic in the age of AI. Gary explains why generosity is his most powerful growth strategy, why the customer is always right, and which media channels are over or undervalued in 2025. Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:03 - Being back at Wine Library02:38 - Why the customer is always right according to Gary Vee07:17 - Why Gary Vee doesn’t believe in luck09:28 - How Gary Vee has managed to have so much reach13:14 - The power of generosity17:51 - Gary Vee’s advice on spotting trends19:31 - Why you need to pay attention to the consumer21:18 - What does good marketing look like according to Gary Vee22:01 - Why social media is better than all other media channels24:08 - Is TV advertising dead?28:26 - Undervalued or overvalued: media channel edition29:26 - Undervalued or overvalued: podcasts31:34 - Undervalued or overvalued: LinkedIn32:24 - Undervalued or overvalued: Email33:26 - Undervalued or overvalued: sms/text34:03 - Undervalued or overvalued: YouTube35:29 - Undervalued or overvalued: search38:39 - Undervalued or overvalued: TikTok40:16 - Undervalued or overvalued: Twitter/X42:29 - Undervalued or overvalued: New York Jets44:54 - How do we maintain authenticity in the age of AI49:00 - Gary Vee’s advice on how to execute on ideas

    54 min

  7. 5 NOV

    Unreasonable Marketing - lessons from the creator of the world’s #1 restaurant - Will Guidara

    Will Guidara is the author of Unreasonable Hospitality and co-founder of the world’s #1 restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. He joins us to share how lessons from hospitality can be a huge competitive advantage for your brand. We discuss the power of small but impactful gestures, intelligent naivety, the 95/5 rule and investing in the things that can’t be measured but make all the difference. Will also reflects on the mindset that took Eleven Madison Park to the top, what businesses can learn from restaurants, and how applying unreasonable hospitality can turn any customer experience into something truly extraordinary. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Start00:00:57 - Will’s experience writing his book00:02:11 - Getting 4 stars from The New York Times00:04:43 - What marketers can learn from Unreasonable Hospitality00:08:08 - Where did the term “unreasonable hospitality” come from?00:14:13 - Why Will is fine being “The Dining Room Guy”00:16:40 - Why Will added a beer sommelier - reverse benchmarking00:20:29 - Intelligent naivety and the advantages of youth00:23:30 - The power of small thoughtful gestures that make a lasting impact00:27:22 - The 95/5 rule - how to succeed with things that cannot be measured00:31:47 - Restaurant smart vs corporate smart00:36:50 - Why you sometimes need conflicting goals00:41:34 - Is the customer always right?00:45:55 - Turning pain points into highlights00:48:06 - How Will Guidara makes getting the bill a memorable experience00:51:38 - Why nothing in the world can replace persistence00:53:40 - Never waste a good crisis00:56:52 - What Will would do at Cannes with no budget00:59:56 - How Shake Shack kept 11 Madison Park going01:00:48 - Which fast food chains does Will admire01:03:51 - Hiring exceptional talent01:06:17 - Getting siloed teams to work together in harmony01:09:07 - What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail

    1h 13m

  8. 29 OCT

    From Tech founder to solving the social media addiction crisis - Jess Butcher

    Jess Butcher MBE has built a career at the intersection of technology and consumer behaviour. She co-founded AR pioneer Blippar and has since turned her attention to a growing issue: how AI and social media are shaping our brains, behaviour, and wellbeing. In this episode, Jess shares what she’s learned as a founder, why female entrepreneurs still struggle to access funding, and why she believes brands must take responsibility for the attention economy they help create. We discuss how “More Soul, Less Scroll” is encouraging healthier digital habits, and the practical steps companies can take to drive positive change. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro01:41 - Jess’ background as a female founder05:56 - How Jon used Jess’ QR code startup13:19 - Why Blippar ultimately failed17:34 - The lessons from Blippar’s failure21:30 - Why female founders struggle to get funding25:50 - The characteristics of successful founders31:15 - How AI is re-wiring our brains negatively34:05 - Why social media is ruining our lives40:09 - Why is this problem getting worse if we know about it?44:17 - What ScrollAware is trying to do about the problem48:38 - Which brands are taking responsibility for this problem best?54:46 - Less Scroll More Soul sleeping bags

    59 min
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Evans
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    226
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Uncensored CMO
  • Show Website
    Uncensored CMO

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