David Sandstrom has a really interesting way of thinking about brand. In terms of driving awareness and growth, he's clear about what he thinks brand can do—and what it can't do. In his talk with Jesse, David discusses how finding friction and identifying an enemy can help teams differentiate and deliver value in a space with lots of companies, but with very few true brands; why it's important to find creative ways to message your product so you don't bore your audience and add to the noise; why it's important, but sometimes really hard for marketing leaders to be customer driven, rather than CEO or boss driven; and the importance of discovering and acting on truth in marketing.

Guest Bio

David Sandstrom currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Klarna and is a member of the executive management team. Sandstrom joined Klarna in 2017 where he led the fintech company to an extensive brand transformation, from one of many financial institutions to a rethinking lifestyle brand. 

During his time at Klarna, he has overseen several pioneering marketing campaigns that have attracted great attention internationally, working with high profile celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Snoop Dogg. Sandstrom was behind Klarna's 2021 Super Bowl Advertisement starring Maya Rudolph that was an immediate hit with the public and garnered over 13 million views on YouTube. Prior to joining Klarna, Sandstrom was the CEO of one of Sweden's foremost advertising agencies. 

Helpful Links

klarna.com

David believes: ‘Virtual shopping’ can take over retail

David on The CMO Podcast

David on LinkedIn and Twitter