Frontier CMO Podcast by Think with Google

Presented by Think with Google
  • 4.8 (10)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Biweekly

In the AI era, marketing should be unstoppable, and its future is being written in real time. Frontier CMO talks to the leaders shaping it. Join Joshua Spanier, Google's VP of AI and Marketing Strategy, in his deep-dives with the leaders, marketers, technologists who are rewriting the playbook. Welcome to the Frontier. We’re asking the questions other won’t: How do marketing leaders prove ROI to executives? What does a modern marketing strategy look like when AI and analytics are reshaping the rules every day? Each episode of Frontier CMO explores the real-world playbooks leaders are using to navigate the AI-powered landscape. From marketing trends and branding breakthroughs to advancements in digital marketing, social media, content marketing, and B2B marketing, Frontier CMO breaks down what’s working and what’s not to help you navigate this new landscape. Subscribe to Frontier CMO on YouTube, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts to get alerted when the first episode drops in January.

  1. 6d ago

    Growth, CFO Alliances & Brand Power: Inside Estée Lauder's AI Makeover

    Jo Malone. MAC. La Mer. Tom Ford. Clinique. The Ordinary. These are just a few of the powerhouse brands behind The Estée Lauder Companies. For more than 80 years, the beauty giant has reinvented itself with every era – from the department store counter to the digital storefront. Now it’s making its biggest leap yet: AI.  In the season 3 premiere of Frontier CMO, host Josh Spanier sits down with Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Aude Gandon to explore how one of the world’s most iconic beauty companies is using AI to personalize consumer experiences, reimagine creativity, and build brands that endure.   ✨ What you’ll learn in this episode: How Estée Lauder overhauled its marketing operating model and consolidated global media to react at the speed of culture. Why your CFO is your most crucial ally and how to prove marketing is an investment, not a cost center. Navigating C-suite influence, knowing when to compromise, and leading with strategic courage. Why the AI era demands a return to fundamental brand differentiation and emotional connection. How Jo Malone and Google built a conversational Scent Finder to personalize fragrance discovery online. What AI revealed about why MAC’s Ruby Woo and NASA-inspired Crème de la Mer both became timeless icons. Why 90% hard work beats 10% talent ⏱️ Episode Chapters: 00:00 - Teaser: "Show Me the Money" & CFO Alliances 00:34 - Welcome to Frontier CMO Season 3 01:25 - Change Management & "Beauty Reimagined" at Estée Lauder 02:49 - Restructuring the Global Operating Model & Media Strategy 04:58 - Marketing as a Growth Engine: Getting Buy-In from Finance 07:08 - The CMO as Chief Diplomatic Officer 10:14 - Brand Building vs. Lower-Funnel Performance Marketing 11:42 - Conversational AI in Action: Jo Malone’s Scent Finder 13:43 - Luxury on Scaled Platforms: Short-form Video & Creators 16:23 - Breaking Brand Silos: Creating Global Marketing Communities 18:24 - Feeding 80 Years of Brand Data into AI: MAC vs. La Mer 22:28 - Career Advice: "Just 'Cause You Don't Fit Doesn't Mean You Don't Belong" 23:10 - Estée Lauder’s Legacy: The Pink Ribbon Campaign 24:48 - The 90/10 Rule of Career Success 25:53 - The CMO Download  29:57 - Josh Spanier’s 3 Key Takeaways 👤 About the Guest: Aude Gandon is the Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at The Estée Lauder Companies, leading global digital transformation, consumer intelligence, media, and marketing strategy across the company's prestigious portfolio of skincare, makeup, and fragrance brands. 🎙️ About Frontier CMO: Hosted by Josh Spanier (VP of Marketing and AI Strategy at Google), Frontier CMO features candid conversations with the world’s most forward-thinking marketing leaders who are navigating platform shifts, AI innovation, and modern brand building. 🔗 Explore more marketing insights, research, and tools: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com #FrontierCMO #EsteeLauder #MarketingStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #CMO #BrandBuilding #LuxuryMarketing #DigitalTransformation #JoshSpanier #AudeGandon

    Growth, CFO Alliances & Brand Power: Inside Estée Lauder's AI Makeover

  2. Aug 20

    Your Content Is Corrosive: Anda Gansca on the Future of Websites in the AI Era

    The future of content and websites isn't about chasing vanity impressions—it’s about driving true digital retention.  Recorded live at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, Knotch CEO and co-founder Anda Gansca joins Frontier CMO host Josh Spanier to unpack how the brand website is evolving in an AI-first world.  In this episode, we uncover the hidden trap of "corrosive content" driving 80% of web traffic to bounce instantly, and outline a strategic playbook for modern marketing leaders.  Because the website remains the definitive front door for customer discovery and high-stakes decision-making, mastering the next era of web content is more than just site refresh;it is a critical growth imperative for today’s CMO. 00:00 Why Most Brand Content Fails 02:00 Cutting Through the AI Hype 05:00 How Brands Can Win in the AI Era 08:00 Impressions vs. Real Relevance 10:00 Rethinking the Website Experience 12:00 What CMOs Need to Learn About AI 16:00 Building a Culture of AI Experimentation 19:00 Getting Your Data AI-Ready 21:00 AI Slop vs. Great Marketing 23:00 How AI Is Changing Agencies 25:00 AI, Jobs & the MarTech Stack 26:30 Signal or Noise + Final Takeaways

    Your Content Is Corrosive: Anda Gansca on the Future of Websites in the AI Era

  3. Aug 6

    Rishad Tobaccowala on Relevance and Reinvention in the Age of AI

    Marketing is moving fast, but are we moving in the right direction?  In this episode, legendary strategist Rishad Tobaccowala (former Chief Growth & Strategy Officer of Publicis Group) drops by to deliver some seriously spicy thinking on the state of the marketing industry. Spoiler alert: He thinks we’ve lost the plot. Instead of obsessing over technology and optimization, Rishad breaks down why the future actually belongs to talent, human insight, and deep curiosity. We dive into his blueprint for navigating "tectonic times," why you need to stop writing an "AI strategy," and how thinking like an underdog is the ultimate superpower for staying relevant. In this episode, you’ll discover: 6 keys to organizational change  Why true innovation happens when you step outside your category Rishad's daily routine: How he uses 66 different resources to learn and stay ahead The "Company of One" framework and how to articulate your unique craft vs. skill Rapid-fire "Signal or Noise" on remote work, side hustles, and the future of work

    Rishad Tobaccowala on Relevance and Reinvention in the Age of AI

  4. Jul 30

    Google’s CMO Lorraine Twohill on Leading the Frontier

    Few marketing leaders have navigated as much change as Google’s Chief Marketing Officer Lorraine Twohill. She’s one of the industry’s longest-tenured CMOs who’s led Google’s marketing through massive product and platform shifts, from Search and Chrome, to mobile, YouTube, and now AI.  Recorded at Cannes Lions 2026, Frontier CMO host Josh Spanier sits down with Lorraine to unpack how she’s built one of the world’s most influential marketing organizations, why marketers belong in the room with engineers, and why agility is the ultimate competitive advantage.  00:00 Intro 01:00 Google's Startup Days 03:45 Why Local Marketing Wins 05:45 Becoming Google's CMO 08:00 Marketing in a Product-First Company 09:30 The Chrome Growth Playbook 12:10 Human-Centered Brand Storytelling 13:00 What Creators Teach Marketers 14:20 Defining the Frontier CMO 16:15 Marketing Mistakes & Lessons Learned 18:10 Hiring Great Marketers 20:20 Career Advice for the AI Era 22:30 Google's AI Transformation 25:00 AI Productivity & NotebookLM 26:30 Leadership, Resilience & Cancer 29:20 Health, Sleep & Longevity 30:25 Signal or Noise? 32:20 Three Lessons for Every CMO

    Google’s CMO Lorraine Twohill on Leading the Frontier

  5. Jul 23

    Best of Frontier CMO: Colin and Samir on the CMO’s Guide to the New Creator Economy

    In today’s creator economy, the audience is in charge. Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry explain what this means for CMOs trying to build brands people actually chose to spend time with, not just marketing they scroll past. Back by popular demand, this Frontier CMO conversation unpacks the creator landscape and why attention without connection is a dead end. Whether you’re building a creator strategy for the first time or rethinking how your brand shows up online, this episode offers a practical playbook for building lasting creator partnerships, earning audience trust, and staying ahead of where marketing is going. 🔔 Subscribe for more insights from marketing's frontier: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNBdIP33wJ3qH-T0AZE7DJPq-x2ppu2Jq  💡 What you'll learn in this episode: Why brands must stop acting like "bad party guests" and start adding real value to creator narratives How to transition your brand from a background logo to an active "character" in a creator’s universe. How to look past superficial views and vanity metrics to measure genuine audience trust and brand ROI. Why modern creator content looks more like high-production television, community-building, and culture than traditional social media. 🔗 Resources & Links: Connect with Josh Spanier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-spanier-4576b5/  Subscribe to the Frontier CMO newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/frontier-cmo-7414735485358788608/  #FrontierCMO #CreatorEconomy #MarketingStrategy #ColinAndSamir #CMO

    Best of Frontier CMO: Colin and Samir on the CMO’s Guide to the New Creator Economy

  6. Jul 9

    Lightning in a Can: Liquid Death’s Killer Creative

    What does it take to “win the internet for a day”?  What happens when a billion-dollar beverage company throws out the traditional marketing playbook and rises to the top without a brand book, ad agencies or creative briefs?  Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Frontier CMO host Josh Spanier joins Liquid Death’s Chief Media & Digital Commerce Officer Benoit Vatere for a refreshing conversation on the ‘method behind the madness’ of one of the most talked-about brands in marketing.  From its outrageous creativity of “doing the unexpected” to its masterclass ability of turning awareness into sales, Benoit cracks open the can on how Liquid Death built a category-defining brand and why the company – less than a decade in, is only just getting started.  00:00 Liquid Death's Marketing Playbook 02:30 Why the Best Ideas Start Dumb 05:00 No Briefs. No Agencies. Just Comedy. 08:00 How Viral Campaigns Are Created 11:10 Winning the Internet vs. Driving Sales 15:10 Building a Billion-Dollar Challenger Brand 19:00 Why Liquid Death Has No Brand Guidelines 22:15 The Metrics That Actually Matter 27:00 Marketing Lessons Any Brand Can Use 28:15 Why AI Can't Replace Great Creativity 34:00 The Future of Digital Commerce 37:35 Three Takeaways for Every CMO

    Lightning in a Can: Liquid Death’s Killer Creative

  7. Jun 25

    In the Driver’s Seat: McLaren’s Race to the Top

    What do CMOs and Formula One champions have in common? They're expected to perform under pressure, make split-second decisions, and keep showing up when the odds aren't in their favor.  Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Frontier CMO host Josh Spanier sits down with McLaren Chief Marketing Officer Louise McEwen and Formula One World Champion Lando Norris to explore how they're winning on and off the racetrack.  In a world where most Formula One fans will never attend a race, they reveal how McLaren creates connections beyond race day and builds a brand that performs 365 days a year.  Buckle up. This is McLaren's race to the top. 00:00:00 — Introduction & The Elite World Champion Group 00:01:00 — F1 Meets Cannes: Why McLaren Focuses on Creativity 00:02:20 — The Quest to the Front: How Putting Fans First Saved McLaren 00:04:30 — Taking Creative Risks: The Story of the Gulf Livery 00:05:15 — The "Drive to Survive" Effect & Media Value 00:06:45 — Engaging the 99%: Live Fan Events from London to Miami 00:08:35 — Brand vs. Athlete: Balancing Team Identity with Star Drivers 00:09:35 — Marketing the Narrative When the Team Isn't Winning 00:11:45 — The Rise of Female Fandom & High-Fashion Collabs 00:13:00 — Choosing the Right Global Partners & Activating Tech 00:14:05 — Making History: Lou McEwen’s Podium Moment 00:15:35 — Lando Norris Joins the Show: Life as the Face of McLaren 00:16:35 — Sinking In: "I'm Freaking World Champion" 00:19:30 — Developing the Mental Resilience to Handle Tough Moments 00:21:10 — Naps & Twitch: Lando's Unconventional Pre-Race Routine 00:22:00 — Rapid Fire Game: Signal or Noise? 00:23:10 — Summary & Field Notes: 3 Takeaways for Frontier CMOs

    In the Driver’s Seat: McLaren’s Race to the Top

  8. Jun 18

    ‘Desire at Scale’ with Unilever’s CMO Leandro Barreto

    Chances are, one of the 400 household brands today’s guest oversees is sitting somewhere in your home right now. Maybe it’s Dove in the shower, Vaseline in the drawer, or Hellmann’s mayo in the fridge. Leandro Barreto is the Global Chief Marketing Officer of Unilever, a nearly 100-year-old company behind brands used by billions of people around the world.  From the award-winning “Vaseline Verified” campaign to creator-led marketing strategies and partnerships with Arsenal Football Club, this episode of Frontier CMO unpacks what it’s like to be a CMO leading through an AI transformation aimed at building “desire at scale.”  Want to know what the future of marketing actually looks like inside one of the biggest consumer brands in the world? This one’s for you. 00:00 Can AI Create Human Insight? 01:01 Meet Unilever’s Global CMO 03:00 The Power of Purpose-Led Brands 05:00 Why Creativity Is Still Human 07:00 The Vaseline Love Story 09:00 Marketing’s Evolution at Unilever 11:00 Dove and Cultural Relevance 13:00 How Unilever Tracks Culture 15:45 The Vaseline Verified Phenomenon 19:30 Social Commerce & New Growth 20:00 The Biggest Brand Mistake 22:00 AI and the Future of Marketing 26:00 Big Ideas + Content at Scale 27:45 Leading AI Transformation 29:00 Signal vs. Noise 31:30 Three Marketing Lessons to Remember

    ‘Desire at Scale’ with Unilever’s CMO Leandro Barreto
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In the AI era, marketing should be unstoppable, and its future is being written in real time. Frontier CMO talks to the leaders shaping it. Join Joshua Spanier, Google's VP of AI and Marketing Strategy, in his deep-dives with the leaders, marketers, technologists who are rewriting the playbook. Welcome to the Frontier. We’re asking the questions other won’t: How do marketing leaders prove ROI to executives? What does a modern marketing strategy look like when AI and analytics are reshaping the rules every day? Each episode of Frontier CMO explores the real-world playbooks leaders are using to navigate the AI-powered landscape. From marketing trends and branding breakthroughs to advancements in digital marketing, social media, content marketing, and B2B marketing, Frontier CMO breaks down what’s working and what’s not to help you navigate this new landscape. Subscribe to Frontier CMO on YouTube, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts to get alerted when the first episode drops in January.

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