Sex, Smoke, Seeds & Strategy

🎙️ Sex, Smoke, Seeds & Strategy: From Big Tobacco to Big Health with Charlene Lopez | Shoes of a CMO Ever wondered what condoms, garden centres, and brand ethics have in common? In this episode of Shoes of a CMO, we sit down with the brilliant Sharlene Lopez. HealthTech marketing leader, Google Startups advisor, and former Big Tobacco insider—who takes us on a wild and deeply insightful journey through the power (and pitfalls) of modern marketing. From creatively repackaging condoms to reach older Brits, to exposing the *chilling economic logic* of Big Tobacco, Charlene opens up about what it really means to do marketing that matters. 💡 *Spoiler*: it’s not just about clever campaigns. It’s about *conscious* ones. WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE: * 🚬 Why Charlene *walked away* from the tobacco industry * 🧠 How behavioural science shapes smarter, more ethical marketing * 🌱 The legendary condom-seed-packet campaign that made headlines * 👩‍💼 Balancing motherhood, leadership, and mission-driven work * 💥 The power of saying “no” when a brand doesn’t match your values * 🧭 The responsibility marketers carry when influencing behaviour * 🎯 How to future-proof your marketing career: strategy, not just software * 💬 “It’s not clever marketing. It’s deceptive marketing—and it damages trust.” GUEST SNAPSHOT: CHARLENE LOPEZ ✅ HealthTech brand & marketing leader ✅ Advisor to Google for Startups ✅ Mentor to NHS Innovation ✅ Former Big Pharma & Big Tobacco insider ✅ Ethics-first strategist & creative rebel ✅ Passionate about behavioural science & brand psychology