TOP CMO Podcast
1) Ferrari Went Electric. Doritos Went Viral. What’s Next?
In 2025, emotion is the business model.From Ferrari’s Apple-designed EV to Doritos’ cheese-pull spectacle — Ben Kaplan breaks down how outrage, nostalgia, and virality became strategy.
2) Inside the Attention Economy: MTV, Build-A-Bear & the Price of Feeling
MTV didn’t die — we killed it by scrolling. In this week’s episode of BRANDED Weekly, Ben Kaplan breaks down how nostalgia, dopamine, and brand emotion are reshaping business. From MTV’s collapse to B...Show More
3) Taylor & Travis, Putin’s Double, and Gen Z’s Cold Beer Crimes
Beer, Rings, and Body Doubles: The Internet’s Attention EconomyGen Z is putting ice in their beer. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement feels more like a dynasty merger than a romance, with bran...Show More
4) Why People Still Choose Lyft Over Uber
In this episode of Branded Leaders, host Ben Kaplan sits down with Brian Irving, Chief Marketing Officer at Lyft, to discuss how Lyft differentiates itself in a rideshare industry that often looks lik...Show More
5) Capitalism, Chaos, Creativity & Why Weirdos Win | Rory Sutherland
In this episode of Branded Leaders, host Ben Kaplan sits down with Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, to explore why safe, logical marketing often fails — and why embracing chaos, irrational...Show More
6) Did They PLAN the Backlash?
Distraction Marketing: Sex, Scandal, and Sydney SweeneyAmerican Eagle’s ad with Sydney Sweeney sent their stock flying, their mentions surging, and the internet into meltdown. But was the controversy ...Show More
7) Kiss Cam Scandal: CEO Caught Cheating—Career Over?
In this electrifying episode, we unpack three stories shaking the world right now: Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's explosive Kiss Cam scandal at a Coldplay concert—is his career truly over, or can scandal...Show More
8) Grok Meltdown, Nvidia Windfall, & Prime Day’s Identity Crisis
In this episode of BRANDED Weekly, we break down the brand moves (and misfires) dominating headlines:– Grok’s AI glitch: What happens when your chatbot forgets the filter?– Nvidia’s China play: Smart ...Show More
9) Amazon’s 4-Day Prime Day: Brilliant Move or Marketing Mistake?
The biggest brand moves – July 4–11, 2025Amazon expands Prime Day to four days, but do longer sales lose their punch? Sephora offers free Lyft rides to stores, Coca-Cola brings back “Share a Coke” wit...Show More
10) Dr. Squatch Bought for $1.5B?! Why Unilever Is Betting on Bros & Soap | Branded Weekly
Nike’s back to its roots. Unilever just paid $1.5B for a soap brand. Cloudflare declared war on AI. Oh, and Pamela Anderson is suddenly a branding icon again.This week, Ben Kaplan and Tom Cain unpack ...Show More