Genuin Connections

mattjpj
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Video conversations with our community of brand marketers, innovators, creators, media mavens, and commerce-minded thought leaders.

  1. May 18

    Genuin Connections: Episode 16 -- Ashan Khan (Uber Ads) & Scott Hendrickson (Firmly) at POSSIBLE 26

    Recorded live at POSSIBLE 2026 in the Genuin Suite at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, this special episode of Genuin Connections brings together two leaders at the center of where media, commerce, and AI are converging: Ashan Khan, Head of Global Agency Partnerships at Uber Advertising, and Scott Hendrickson, Chief Revenue Officer at Firmly. Host Matt Wurst, CMO of Genuin, leads a conversation titled "From Discovery to Decision: Collapsing the Distance Between Content and Commerce" — covering how the marketing funnel is evolving, what agentic commerce actually means today, and where revenue is being left on the table between attention and transaction. Ashan unpacks how Uber's two-sided data set — mobility and Uber Eats — gives CPG and QSR brands an unusually complete picture of consumer intent. Scott explains how Firmly is building the infrastructure that lets consumers check out with a merchant wherever they encounter the product — inside publisher content, LLMs, ad units, and vertical shopping assistants — and why merchant-of-record status is critical for lifetime value. Together, they explore the convergence of attention and convenience, the limits of agentic shopping, the walled gardens problem in retail media, and why data collaboration is the quiet flywheel that will determine which commerce bets actually pay off.

    26 min

  2. Apr 21 ·  Video

    Genuin Connections: Episode 15 -- Sean Atkins, CEO at Dhar Mann Studios

    What does it take to build a global storytelling brand from a YouTube channel? Sean Atkins, CEO of Dhar Mann Studios, has spent 20+ years following consumer behavior to its next destination — from cable to the early internet to streaming to the creator economy. Now he's running the largest scripted digital creator operation in the world, reaching 170 million followers and 300 million views every week. In this conversation, Sean and Genuin CMO (and podcast host) Matt Wurst get into the structural reasons brands need creators now, who really owns authenticity in a brand-creator partnership, and why the marketing value chain inside most Fortune 100 companies is completely broken for the creator era. Sean also reflects on what it means to scale a founder-led business without losing its soul, why the biggest constraint in any company is usually the founder themselves, and why a nonlinear career is a feature — not a liability. Honest, experienced, and genuinely useful for anyone building in the attention economy.

    46 min

  3. Mar 30 ·  Video

    Genuin Connections: Episode 14 -- Chad Hickey, Founder & CEO at Givsly

    What if advertising could actually do something good — and perform better because of it? Chad Hickey, CEO and Co-Founder of Givsly, spent nearly two decades building revenue teams at some of ad tech's most data-driven companies. Then he asked a question the industry tends to avoid: what if media dollars could reflect what people actually believe? That question became Givsly — a values-based advertising platform that connects brands with consumers through shared beliefs, and directs real dollars to nonprofit causes in the process. In this episode of Genuin Connections, Matt Wurst and Chad dig into why values are entering the consumer consideration set alongside price, quality, and convenience — and what that means for how brands build trust, drive performance, and show up consistently for the people they're trying to reach. What we cover: Why values-based advertising is a targeting strategy, not a cause marketing tactic How Givsly achieves 90%+ retention by running campaigns that outperform The difference between genuine purpose and performative purpose — and how consumers tell them apart Why human connection is becoming the defining scarcity of the next decade What the fastest-growing values-driven consumer segments actually look like (hint: it's not who you think) If you're a marketer trying to build something that lasts, this one's for you. 🎙️ Genuin Connections is hosted by Matt Wurst, CMO at Genuin — where we explore the convergence of community, content, creativity, commerce, and the future of media and marketing.

    38 min

  4. Mar 30

    Genuin Connections: Episode 14 -- Chad Hickey, Founder/CEO at Givsly

    What if advertising could actually do something good — and perform better because of it? Chad Hickey, CEO and Co-Founder of Givsly, spent nearly two decades building revenue teams at some of ad tech's most data-driven companies. Then he asked a question the industry tends to avoid: what if media dollars could reflect what people actually believe? That question became Givsly — a values-based advertising platform that connects brands with consumers through shared beliefs, and directs real dollars to nonprofit causes in the process. In this episode of Genuin Connections, Matt Wurst and Chad dig into why values are entering the consumer consideration set alongside price, quality, and convenience — and what that means for how brands build trust, drive performance, and show up consistently for the people they're trying to reach. What we cover: Why values-based advertising is a targeting strategy, not a cause marketing tactic How Givsly achieves 90%+ retention by running campaigns that outperform The difference between genuine purpose and performative purpose — and how consumers tell them apart Why human connection is becoming the defining scarcity of the next decade What the fastest-growing values-driven consumer segments actually look like (hint: it's not who you think) If you're a marketer trying to build something that lasts, this one's for you. 🎙️ Genuin Connections is hosted by Matt Wurst, CMO at Genuin — where we explore the convergence of community, content, creativity, commerce, and the future of media and marketing.

    38 min

  5. Mar 4

    Genuin Connections: Episode 13 -- Debra Aho Williamson, Founder at Sonata Insights

    How is AI reshaping the future of marketing, advertising, and consumer decision-making? And what happens when discovery, research, and purchase all happen in a single conversation? In this episode of Genuin Connections, host Matt Wurst (CMO, Genuin) sits down with Debra Aho Williamson, Founder and Chief Analyst at Sonata Insights and former eMarketer analyst of 20 years, to unpack the rapid rise of AI media and the AI advertising economy. Debra has spent decades helping marketers understand the biggest digital transformations—from the early ad-supported web to the rise of social media—and today she’s one of the leading voices analyzing how AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Copilot are transforming consumer behavior and marketing strategy. Together they explore how AI is collapsing the traditional marketing funnel, what Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) means for brands, and why trust, authority, and context are becoming the new performance signals in an AI-driven media ecosystem. They also discuss why the convergence of organic AI visibility and paid AI media is happening faster than the evolution of search or social media—and what marketers must do now to stay ahead. Topics Covered in This Episode: - Why AI is the fastest digital transformation marketers have ever faced - How consumers are using AI assistants to discover, evaluate, and buy products - The rise of AI media as a new advertising channel - Why AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and paid AI advertising must work together - How conversational AI is compressing the traditional marketing funnel - The role of trust, authority signals, and brand credibility in AI environments - How retailers and platforms like Amazon and Walmart are embedding AI into commerce experiences - What marketers should expect from AI advertising and measurement over the next 18 months Debra also shares her perspective on which companies may dominate the AI media landscape, why marketers must pay closer attention to consumer behavior shifts, and how brands can prepare for a world where answers—not clicks—drive outcomes. If you're a marketer, media executive, brand leader, or founder trying to understand how AI will reshape advertising, search, commerce, and content, this conversation is a must-listen.

    40 min

  6. Mar 4 ·  Video

    Genuin Connections: Episode 13 -- Debra Aho Williamson, Founder - Sonata Insights

    How is AI reshaping the future of marketing, advertising, and consumer decision-making? And what happens when discovery, research, and purchase all happen in a single conversation? In this episode of Genuin Connections, host Matt Wurst (CMO, Genuin) sits down with Debra Aho Williamson, Founder and Chief Analyst at Sonata Insights and former eMarketer analyst of 20 years, to unpack the rapid rise of AI media and the AI advertising economy. Debra has spent decades helping marketers understand the biggest digital transformations—from the early ad-supported web to the rise of social media—and today she’s one of the leading voices analyzing how AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Copilot are transforming consumer behavior and marketing strategy. Together they explore how AI is collapsing the traditional marketing funnel, what Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) means for brands, and why trust, authority, and context are becoming the new performance signals in an AI-driven media ecosystem. They also discuss why the convergence of organic AI visibility and paid AI media is happening faster than the evolution of search or social media—and what marketers must do now to stay ahead. Topics Covered in This Episode: Why AI is the fastest digital transformation marketers have ever faced How consumers are using AI assistants to discover, evaluate, and buy products The rise of AI media as a new advertising channel Why AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and paid AI advertising must work together How conversational AI is compressing the traditional marketing funnel The role of trust, authority signals, and brand credibility in AI environments How retailers and platforms like Amazon and Walmart are embedding AI into commerce experiences What marketers should expect from AI advertising and measurement over the next 18 months

    40 min

  7. Jan 21

    Genuin Connections: Episode 12 -- Andy Wilson, EVP Business Development and Commerce

    Recorded live at the Genuin-hosted Happy Hour during CES 2026 in Las Vegas, this Genuin Connections Q&A features Andy Wilson, EVP of Business Development and Commerce at McClatchy Media, in a candid conversation about the future of publishers, video, and community. Andy shares how McClatchy is rethinking engagement through vertical video, empowering editors to be front-facing, partnering with creators and influencers, and activating community around real cultural and passion points. He also explains how AI is being used across the organization to improve speed, safety, and decision-making without losing human judgment. This conversation explores how legacy media brands can embrace change, experiment boldly, and build deeper relationships with audiences and advertisers on the open web.

    11 min

  8. 12/21/2025 ·  Video

    Genuin Connections: Episode 11 -- Will Cohen, CEO of Downtime

    In this episode of Genuin Connections, host Matt Wurst sits down with Will Cohen, CEO and co-founder of Downtime. Will shares his journey from helping build Triad Retail Media into a retail media powerhouse to launching a startup focused on a simple but powerful idea: if consumers are going to engage with branded content, they should get something meaningful in return. The conversation explores what modern loyalty really looks like, why user experience is non-negotiable, and how rewarding engagement can outperform traditional ads in a world of banner blindness. Matt and Will also dig into personalization, first-party data, ethical uses of AI, and why brands need to reclaim ownership of their content and customer relationships outside of walled gardens. This episode is a must-listen for marketers, product leaders, retailers, and founders thinking about loyalty, retail media, video engagement, and the future of consumer-first monetization. 🎧 Topics include: • Loyalty beyond points and punch cards • Rewarded video and interactive content • Personalization without creeping people out • AI as a tool, not a crutch • Owning experiences inside brand-owned environments Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of media, commerce, and community.

    21 min
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About

Video conversations with our community of brand marketers, innovators, creators, media mavens, and commerce-minded thought leaders.

Information

  • Creator
    mattjpj
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Genuin Connections