Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart

Alan B. Hart
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  • Marketing
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Join Alan B. Hart as he dives into conversations with the world's leading chief marketing officers and business innovators. Tune in to get inspired by the stories and experiences of marketing visionaries—and stay ahead of the curve.

  1. 12h ago

    59: How to close the personalization gap: Insights from Deloitte Digital's 2026 personalization research

    There's a surprising 58-point gap between brands that say they deliver good or excellent personalization (87%) and consumers who agree (29%). Closing the gap takes more than customer data, new technology or a generic "happy birthday" email. In this special episode, Trinadha Kandi, personalization leader at Deloitte Digital, and Alan connect findings from the new Deloitte Digital 2026 personalization research with key insights from past conversations with leaders at Braze, GM, David Yurman, Herbalife, Medtronic and EA. Together, these perspectives and real-world examples work to unpack how organizations can elevate personalization.  Here's what today's consumers say they want most out of personalization:  67% want personalized service that resolves problems before they have to ask  61% want personalized offers that save them money  58% want loyalty rewards and membership benefits that feel personal  This means organizations have an opportunity to move beyond personalizing individual transactions and build relevant experiences across the customer journey. And there's a strong business case for doing so: On average, consumers spend 30% more with brands that personalize experiences, and 49% more with brands that personalize the full customer journey.  The episode also explores how AI can help brands create experiences at scale, but it's not an instant, catch-all solution. Effectiveness also depends on connected data, aligned teams and a focus on building lasting customer relationships.   If your brand's personalization efforts are not moving the needle despite having more customer data than ever, this episode of Marketing Beyond breaks down some ways for you to enhance your personalization stack and respond to customers.    In this episode, you'll hear:  Strategies to turn customer data into satisfying, memorable experiences  Ways to connect separate interactions and create one cohesive customer journey  Real-world insights from Braze, GM, David Yurman, Herbalife, Medtronic and EA    Key highlights:  [00:24] Introduction  [01:05] Alan introduces the personalization research  [01:52] Trinadha breaks down the 58-point "quality gap"  [03:19] Ed McDonnell, CRO, Braze  [04:25] Laura Thornton, Director of Marketing and Consumer Engagement, General Motors (GM)  [05:18] Neha Kovach, Global Head of CRM, Data, Customer Experience and Loyalty, David Yurman  [07:40] Hanan Wajih, CMO, Herbalife  [08:08] Trinadha on the business impact of genuine customer connections  [09:39] Naomi Rodiles, Senior Director of Global Integrated Communications and Neuromodulation, Medtronic  [10:40] Andrea Hopelain, SVP of Global Marketing, Electronic Arts  [11:20] Trinadha on mindset shifts that can separate high-maturity brands from their peers    Resources mentioned:    How AI is reshaping personalization and the customer journey    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify    Connect with Trinadha:  Trinadha on LinkedIn  Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

    59: How to close the personalization gap: Insights from Deloitte Digital's 2026 personalization research

  2. Oct 21

    58: Get personal: How one brand engages many mindsets: Insights from Intuit Credit Karma Head of Marketing Natasha Madan

    How can one brand voice effectively reach audiences across the financial spectrum—from getting started to building long-term wealth?   By not speaking to everyone in the same way. Brands build trust by adapting, personalizing and differentiating marketing campaigns to reach customers along their journey. In this episode, Natasha Madan, head of marketing at Intuit Credit Karma, shares strategies for adapting a brand's marketing approach to appeal to and maintain loyalty with a vast audience. It starts with understanding what customers care about—their concerns, aspirations and goals—and having the agility to reshape messages around each segment's distinct needs.   AI tools can help turn audience understanding into personalized campaigns by using past performance insights to improve future efforts and creating relevant content faster—but human judgment remains paramount.   "Nothing goes out without that judgment layer," Natasha says.  She shares an example of how AI helps her team synthesize psychographic data to identify nuanced audience segments in three-and-a-half weeks, a process that could typically take six months or longer. These insights help the team segment audiences based on factors such as mindset and age, reach them on preferred platforms, and tailor the message's emotional or functional tone:  Strivers: Younger customers who are just getting started receive information from social platforms and influencers designed to help them take the next leading action in their financial journey.  Planners: Customers focused on saving, increasing rewards and growing wealth receive functional, product-driven messaging that helps the brand stand out in a competitive market.  Natasha emphasizes that she sees the key to meeting more customers where they are is balancing a practical, data-driven strategy with emotional storytelling. For marketing leaders, this episode highlights the value of understanding what different audiences need, where they seek guidance, and ways to make them feel seen on their financial journey.    In this episode, you'll hear:  Strategies to tailor brand experiences to customers' changing goals and priorities  Paths to accelerate audience discovery and campaign learning with AI, guided by human judgment  How psychographic data can help brands reach customers with the right content and channels    Key highlights:  [00:26] Introduction  [02:04] Being a successful matchmaker  [03:27] Natasha's path to Intuit Credit Karma  [06:56] The scope of marketing at Intuit Credit Karma  [10:29] A new brand campaign  [15:49] Reaching Gen Z customers  [17:19] AI's role at Intuit Credit Karma  [22:40] The future of agentic finance  [27:10] Past experience that defines you: Embracing failure  [29:40] Advice to your younger self: Have more fun  [30:05] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Agentic AI  [30:28] Latest curiosities: How AI impacts education  [31:46] Largest potential opportunity: An open mindset    Resources mentioned:    Intuit Credit Karma    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Natasha and Intuit Credit Karma:  Natasha on LinkedIn  Intuit Credit Karma on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

    58: Get personal: How one brand engages many mindsets: Insights from Intuit Credit Karma Head of Marketing Natasha Madan

  3. Oct 7

    57: Business lessons from building music fandoms: Insights from Universal Music Group Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Partnerships Naomi McMahon

    How can brands build lasting value and relevance? As brands increasingly see fandoms not as surface-level add-ons but as part of a long-term strategy, many are building value and cultural relevance through authentic connection, thoughtful investment and meaningful engagement with fan communities. In today's episode, Naomi McMahon, EVP of global marketing and partnerships at Universal Music Group, explains strategies that can help brands move beyond one-off projects to build authentic, mutually beneficial relationships with fan communities—and use insights to make more informed decisions about where and how to show up. Drawing on her experience across music, technology, advertising and global organizations, Naomi explains that strong brand-artist collaborations can move beyond transactions to create meaningful, lasting connections. They can do this by: Understanding an artist's world, fan community and broader creative ecosystem before deciding how the brand should show up Giving artists enough creative freedom to use their authentic voice and perspective to shape the relationship Creating authentic experiences across content, live events and other touchpoints that invite participation, not just consumption   Music and fandom are deeply personal, and they can offer marketers a powerful way to understand where culture and communities are heading. Naomi explains how brands can combine cultural signals and audience data with instinct and judgment to identify meaningful opportunities, take calculated risks and show up in ways that feel authentic, instead of chasing every moment.   The episode offers a practical perspective on how brands can move artist collaborations beyond short-term attention to create lasting relationships with audiences and unlock brand value.   In this episode, you'll hear: Ways to build brand collaborations around shared value, instead of one-off exposure Why authenticity is important for long-term audience connections Strategies to use cultural signals and fan insights to make better marketing decisions   Key highlights  [00:00] Introduction ·         [00:00] Concert-going as a teen ·         [00:00] Naomi's path to Universal Music Group ·         [00:00] How UMG helps to shape culture ·         [00:00] Matching artists with the right brands ·         [00:00] Using music to connect brands with the culture at large ·         [00:00] Blending art and science ·         [00:00] Past experience that defines you: Living in Ireland and New York ·         [00:00] Advice to your younger self: Don't wait for permission ·         [00:00] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Longevity ·         [00:00] Latest curiosities: International music trends ·         [00:00] Largest potential opportunity: Leveraging culture on a smaller, local level ·         [00:00] Largest potential threat: Chasing attention instead of lasting relevance   Resources mentioned:   ·         Universal Music Group   Follow the podcast:   ●        Listen on Apple Podcasts   ●        Listen on Amazon Music  ●        Listen on Audible  ●        Listen on iHeart Radio ●        Listen on Spotify     Connect with Naomi and UMG: ·         Naomi on LinkedIn ·         UMG on LinkedIn   Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:    ●         Connect with Alan Hart on X ●         Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn  ●         Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn  ●         Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram  ●         Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube            Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

    57: Business lessons from building music fandoms: Insights from Universal Music Group Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Partnerships Naomi McMahon

  4. Sep 30

    56: Building a retail media network in reverse: Insights from Dollar General Senior Vice President and CMO Tony Rogers

    What happens when a retailer builds its omnichannel marketing and retail media strategy in reverse?   In this episode, Tony Rogers, SVP and CMO at Dollar General, shares how the company took an outside-in path to omnichannel growth—building its retail media network offsite and audience-first, before launching an e-commerce business.  Tony explains how an innovative approach that integrates marketing, digital commerce and retail media can help retailers better connect customer needs, advertiser investment and enterprise priorities around shared business goals. He notes how that thinking can also enable teams to respond more quickly to advertiser feedback and advance technology priorities.  He emphasizes that challenging conventional assumptions about how retail media networks should be built can drive incremental reach, business growth and customer loyalty. For marketing and retail leaders, this episode offers a practical case study in rethinking the usual playbook: starting with audience and purpose, organizing around the customer journey, and harnessing the powerful collaboration of marketing and retail media to enable channel growth and deepen loyalty.    In this episode, you'll hear: How uniting marketing, digital, and retail media can accelerate decisions and align teams around the customer  The value of an offsite-first marketing approach to capture incremental reach and strengthen customer loyalty  Strategies for integrating app, website and delivery experiences that can turn retail media into a growth engine    Key highlights:  [00:38] Introduction  [01:55] A recent golfing snafu  [03:05] Tony's path to Dollar General  [07:50] Dollar General's delivery launch  [10:55] Scaling e-commerce operations   [13:25] A different kind of retail media network  [16:45] Past experience that defines you: An impactful family funeral  [19:10] Advice to your younger self: Do less people-pleasing  [21:00] A topic you're trying to learn more about: AI-driven personalization  [24:11] Latest curiosities: Overcoming divisiveness  [26:33] Largest potential threat: Only focusing on marketing in the short-term  [28:30] What AI cannot do: Human empathy    Resources mentioned:    Dollar General    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Tony and Dollar General:  Tony on LinkedIn  Dollar General on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

    56: Building a retail media network in reverse: Insights from Dollar General Senior Vice President and CMO Tony Rogers

  5. Sep 23

    55: Curiosity as a creative advantage: Insights from Amazon Chief Creative Officer Jo Shoesmith

    What separates a good idea from good creative work?  For Jo Shoesmith, chief creative officer at Amazon, it's curiosity—the willingness to look again, to find the idea within the idea and recognize potential hiding in plain sight.  In this episode, Jo draws on her agency experience and her current role leading Amazon's creative organization to explain how leaders can operate as both builders and curators—building systems that can help a global brand move with speed and continuity, then applying judgment and taste to determine which ideas best represent the brand and which stories are worth telling. This balance can give teams room to experiment while preserving brand continuity.  Jo's instinct to look past the obvious and find what resonates comes through in her work on Amazon's iconic 2023 "Joy Ride" advertisement. Her team recognized genuine chemistry among its three stars and trusted their unscripted joy to carry a story with no spoken dialogue. The result was a simple, emotionally resonant portrayal of friendship and aging that connected with people far beyond its intended audience.  To help bring other great ideas to life, AI can help curious creatives remove friction, but acting on every idea isn't the goal. Human judgment and taste still determine which ideas to pursue, and which will resonate.  For creative and marketing leaders, Jo's lesson is clear: Curiosity is key to identifying an idea's potential, building systems that help it grow and knowing when it is right for the brand. As AI makes it possible to explore and execute more possibilities, those human capabilities become even more important.    In this episode, you'll hear:  How curiosity can help creative leaders recognize potential and build on areas others might overlook   Ways marketing teams can use AI to expand creative possibilities without replacing human judgment and taste  Strategies to build and curate brands that move fast, feel human and make a lasting emotional impact    Key highlights:  [00:20] Introduction  [01:50] Growing up in rural Australia  [03:00] Jo's path to Amazon  [06:30] The scope of the CCO role at Amazon  [07:35] Being both a builder and a curator  [09:25] Embracing AI as a creative  [12:50] Making Amazon's iconic 2023 "Joy Ride" ad  [15:35] Past experience that defines you: Growing up with a strong single mother  [16:50] Advice to your younger self: Become a builder  [18:05] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Role expansion to media and production  [18:40] Latest curiosities: Identifying small, simple ideas for new creations  [19:35] Largest potential opportunity: Everyone is a business owner  [20:50] What AI cannot replicate: Strong internal company culture    Resources mentioned:    Amazon    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Jo and Amazon:  Jo on LinkedIn  Amazon on LinkedIn   Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

    55: Curiosity as a creative advantage: Insights from Amazon Chief Creative Officer Jo Shoesmith

  6. Sep 16

    54: Protecting brand authenticity at scale: Insights from Canva CMO of B2B Meghan Gendelman

    How can brands preserve what sets them apart as AI transformation brings more speed and scale to marketing content production, The answer starts with smart parameters and guardrails that keep human insight and creativity at the center.  In this episode, Meghan Gendelman, chief marketing officer (CMO) of business-to-business (B2B) at Canva, explores how marketing teams can use AI while prioritizing and protecting what technology cannot create: authenticity. Human marketers bring a genuine understanding of what their customers know, feel and believe about a brand. Meghan emphasizes that by first establishing clear, human-led guardrails and parameters such as brand systems, kits and templates, teams can harness AI more effectively to deploy creative, engaging marketing content at scale.  Meghan further shares how Canva's B2B offerings help businesses put this authenticity-first approach into practice. By making it easier to adapt, localize and customize content at scale, Canva allows marketing teams more freedom to focus on customer relevance and brand expression. Meghan also discusses how leaders can help teams adapt as AI changes marketing work by:  Challenging existing processes and rethinking how work gets done  Testing new possibilities with a beginner's mindset  Turning innovative ideas into action with practical boundaries  By balancing freedom and discipline when using AI, your brand can stay authentic while meeting growing content demands.

    54: Protecting brand authenticity at scale: Insights from Canva CMO of B2B Meghan Gendelman

  7. Sep 9

    53: From Priceless to timeless: How brands endure: Insights from Mastercard Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing and Communications for the Americas Rustom Dastoor

    How can a brand stay distinctive globally, while earning relevance in each individual market it serves?  Consistency is only part of the challenge. Because local presence shapes global perception, brands should strive to understand local customers, respond to market conditions and provide value to communities.   In this episode, Mastercard's Rustom Dastoor, executive vice president and head of marketing and communications for the Americas, draws on his experiences marketing across four continents to explore what it takes to build and sustain a global brand.  He explains why the strongest global brands don't simply operate in local markets—they invest in them. By using local insight to inform decisions, collaborating with regional ecosystems and investing in talent, brands can contribute to communities, rather than extract from them, to demonstrate their distinct values.  Rustom also offers behind-the-scenes insights into what has kept Mastercard's "Priceless" campaign relevant worldwide for nearly 30 years: He believes in maintaining the universal insight—"there are some things in life money can't buy"—while adapting how it shows up across markets, cultures, channels and more. In other words, "Priceless" stays timeless by refusing to stand still.  For marketing leaders, this conversation offers a valuable perspective on earning local relevance and strengthening global distinction.     In this episode, you'll hear:  Strategies for deploying brand experiences that can flex across countries and cultures  How to keep a long-running campaign fresh without losing its core value  Ways marketing can turn customer understanding into better business choices, from offerings to pricing    Key highlights:  [00:30] Introduction  [01:30] A pit stop in Zurich  [02:30] Rustom's path to Mastercard  [04:00] Marketing on multiple continents  [06:00] Driving B2B2C excellence at Mastercard   [08:00] The evolution of global brands  [09:45] Mastercard's iconic "Priceless" campaign  [10:55] Strategies for successful localization  [14:50] Past experience that defines you: Living across multiple cultures  [16:20] Advice to your younger self: Release control  [17:20] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Squash and swimming  [18:05] Latest curiosities: Humanity's perseverance  [19:10] Largest potential opportunity: AI's impact on marketing  [20:40] What AI cannot do: The value and impact of people    Resources mentioned:    Mastercard    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Rustom and Mastercard:  Rustom on LinkedIn  Mastercard on LinkedIn    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Connect with Alan Hart on X  Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

    53: From Priceless to timeless: How brands endure: Insights from Mastercard Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing and Communications for the Americas Rustom Dastoor

  8. Sep 2

    Rerelease: Building billion-dollar brands with purpose: Insights from Mars Snacking North America & Global Ice Cream President Anton Vincent

    How can marketing leaders balance rapid change, emerging technology and brand purpose to drive lasting growth and loyalty across a portfolio of iconic brands? Anton Vincent, president of Mars Snacking North America & Global Ice Cream, shares what it looks like to lead with purpose across a suite of powerhouse brands spanning confections, pet care and food. He discusses how Mars balances ambitious growth with a real commitment to responsibility, ensuring that business success and positive societal impact go hand in hand. Anton also underscores the strategic value of developing talent and enabling people to move across different business areas to encourage agility and fresh thinking. He shares why creativity remains essential for brands—especially as technology and analytics redefine what's possible—and highlights the discipline required to uphold quality and brand integrity in a crowded, fast-moving marketplace. Throughout the conversation, Anton stresses that enduring relevance and brand loyalty come from continuous learning and a clear understanding of both consumers and culture.   In this episode, you'll learn:  Why centering business growth with real purpose can create a lasting impact at scale   How ideas supported by data and fueled by originality can capture and hold people's attention in today's crowded market   Ways to build agile teams and nurture authentic brands to stay relevant in a constantly changing world    Key highlights:  [00:00] Introduction  [01:30] Basketball talk  [04:30] Anton's path to Mars  [08:00] The scope of Mars  [10:20] Alan's love to Hubba Bubba  [12:20] Scale versus independence of brands  [14:05] The Mars talent strategy  [15:40] Navigating the evolving marketing ecosystem  [18:20] Marketing that adapts to change  [20:30] Notable recent work  [22:05] An experience that defines you: Top Secret Popcorn recall  [26:00] Advice to your younger self: Slow down  [28:30] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Connecting creativity with technology  [33:45] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Constant learning    Resources mentioned:    Mars Snacking  SNICKERS NFL Bedtime with Josh Allen    Follow the podcast:    Listen on Apple Podcasts    Listen on Amazon Music   Listen on Audible   Listen on iHeart Radio  Listen on Spotify      Connect with Anton Vincent and Mars Snacking: Anton Vincent on LinkedIn  Mars on LinkedIn  Mars on Instagram  Mars on YouTube    Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:     Alan Hart on X  Alan Hart on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn   Deloitte Digital on Instagram   Deloitte Digital on YouTube   Deloitte Digital on Threads

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Join Alan B. Hart as he dives into conversations with the world's leading chief marketing officers and business innovators. Tune in to get inspired by the stories and experiences of marketing visionaries—and stay ahead of the curve.

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