Episodios

  • Crashing Cannes #2: Ruth Mortimer, Global President at Advertising Week

    Crashing Cannes #2: Ruth Mortimer, Global President at Advertising Week
    Jun 29 2026
    Cannes isn't just about parties and awards—it’s about the people. In this minisode recorded live from Cannes Lions, Jason and Lindsay Harris chat with Advertising Week Global President Ruth Mortimer about ideas that make an impact, the real value of networking, and the leadership philosophy she brings back from Cannes every year. Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    7 m
  • Crashing Cannes #1: Jenny Rooney, Chief Brand & Community Officer at Adweek

    Crashing Cannes #1: Jenny Rooney, Chief Brand & Community Officer at Adweek
    Jun 29 2026
    Jenny Rooney has been coming to Cannes for 13 years, but she’s never seen it this intense. In this minisode live from Cannes Lions, Jason and Lindsay Harris catch up with Adweek Chief Brand and Community Officer Jenny Rooney to discuss the power of community building, the distinction between advertising and marketing, and the “work hard, play hard” ethos that has guided her since college. Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    17 m
  • #128: The Future of Customer Loyalty | Wendy Bergh, CMO at Rakuten Rewards

    #128: The Future of Customer Loyalty | Wendy Bergh, CMO at Rakuten Rewards
    Jun 22 2026
    How do you build customer loyalty when switching brands is easier than ever? This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris talks to Wendy Bergh, CMO of Rakuten Rewards, about the changing nature of customer loyalty and why today's marketing leaders need to think beyond campaigns and creative. With experience spanning marketing, operations, and merchandising at brands like Zoom and Walmart, Wendy brings a uniquely cross-functional perspective to brand building. Wendy shares how Rakuten navigates the needs of its shoppers as well as its merchant brands, how AI is reshaping everything from product experience to customer discovery, and why the best CMOs think like a general manager. Key Takeaways ✅ Trust is the foundation of a successful marketplace ✅ Emotional connection makes loyalty programs stand out ✅ AI use should prioritize business impact, not usage metrics ✅ AEO is the new SEO ✅ Modern CMOs need to think like GMs Memorable Moments 💡 “Data beats opinions.” 💡 “Marketing isn't just about creative and media anymore.” 💡 ​​“Every interaction is a moment of re-qualifying loyalty.” 💡 “It’s not about keywords anymore; it’s about prompts.” 💡 “Trust is the number one thing brands need with customers.” Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    38 m
  • #127: Soul & Science LIVE @ White Castle HQ | Born Again Brands

    #127: Soul & Science LIVE @ White Castle HQ | Born Again Brands
    Jun 15 2026
    How does a brand stay relevant for generations? In this special episode of Soul & Science recorded live at White Castle headquarters, Jason Harris sits down with White Castle CMO Jamie Richardson, Tripadvisor Head of Media Kristin Tormey, and Lands' End CMO Sarah Sylvester for a conversation about modernizing legacy brands without losing what you stand for. The panelists share how White Castle, Tripadvisor, and Lands’ End balance heritage with innovation, why authenticity matters more than ever, and how marketers can connect with younger generations without alienating loyal customers. They discuss the tension between performance marketing and brand building, the role of AI and emerging technologies in their work, and the importance of evolving without losing sight of who they are Key Takeaways ✅ Heritage is an asset when paired with innovation ✅ Just because it’s trending doesn’t mean it has sticking power ✅ Don’t be afraid to make mistakes ✅ Building community and connection within teams is essential ✅ Great marketing starts with listening to consumers Memorable Moments 💡 “People want experiences” 💡 “Keep it real, keep it relevant, and keep it resonant.” 💡 “The more honest brands are, the more trust there will be.” 💡 “If you always got it right, you’d never learn.” 💡 “There’s a great big world outside of your brand—get out there.” Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    1 h
  • #126: Klarna CMO David Sandstrom | Consistency in the Age of Over-Personalization

    #126: Klarna CMO David Sandstrom | Consistency in the Age of Over-Personalization
    Jun 8 2026
    Has marketing become too personalized? This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Klarna CMO David Sandstrom to discuss how one of the world’s fastest-growing fintech brands maintains a consistent narrative across a wide range of industries and audiences. With a background in consumer insights, agency leadership, and nearly a decade leading marketing at Klarna, David brings a nuanced understanding of consumer psychology and how brands earn attention, trust, and preference. David shares why Klarna has intentionally positioned itself as the alternative to male-coded fintech and credit card companies, how AI has unlocked new opportunities for creative production across dozens of markets, and why he believes hyper-personalization may actually weaken brands over time. They also discuss the importance of building shared brand experiences, the power of simple “zero-calorie ideas,” and why the seemingly minor details that don’t drive efficiency are actually the key to building consumer trust and humanizing your brand. Key Takeaways ✅ Relevancy is more important than personalization ✅ Strong brands are built through shared experiences ✅ AI should expand creative possibilities, not just improve efficiency ✅ Consistent storytelling matters more as organizations scale ✅ The smallest details often have the biggest impact on trust Memorable Moments 💡 “Personalization can only take you so far” 💡 “Super Bowl ads works because we’ve all seen the same thing.” 💡 “Quantity leads to quality.” 💡 “A lot of people don’t actually know what they want.” 💡 “I believe in zero-calorie ideas.” Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    39 m
  • #125: Mastercard EVP and Head of Marketing & Communications Rustom Dastoor | How to Make a Global Brand Feel Local

    #125: Mastercard EVP and Head of Marketing & Communications Rustom Dastoor | How to Make a Global Brand Feel Local
    Jun 1 2026
    How does a brand stay culturally relevant across 200 countries? This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris talks to Rustom Dastoor, EVP and Head of Marketing & Communications at Mastercard, about building a brand that resonates across cultures, markets, and generations. Born and raised in India amid the country’s surge towards consumerism, Rustom has lived and worked across four continents and brings a uniquely international perspective to branding, consumer behavior, and the evolving relationship between creativity and technology. Rustom shares how Mastercard balances global consistency with local relevance across hundreds of markets, the growing importance of regulation and data governance, and why the best brands integrate into local culture instead of simply extracting value from it. They also discuss the future of marketing, why successful marketing will increasingly need to put data at the center of strategy, and why AI and data are most powerful when they’re used to guide thinking—not replace it. Key Takeaways ✅ Global brands succeed when they integrate into local culture ✅ Data should inform decisions, not dictate them ✅ AI adds real value in data analysis, not automation ✅ Consistency builds trust, but relevance drives connection Memorable Moments 💡 “To gain something new, you have to give up something old.” 💡 “People are more similar than they are different.” 💡 “Use data for illumination, not support.” 💡 “If you’re comfortable, you’re stagnating.” 💡 “A global brand needs to be seen as a contributor, not an extractor.” Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    39 m
  • #124: Building Trust in Marketplace Marketing | Llibert Argerich, CMO of Thumbtack

    #124: Building Trust in Marketplace Marketing | Llibert Argerich, CMO of Thumbtack
    May 18 2026
    How do you make a digital marketplace feel human? This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris talks to Llibert Argerich, CMO of Thumbtack, about the unique challenges of marketplace marketing and why trust can’t just be built through brand—it has to be built into the platform itself. From Expedia to eBay, Llibert has spent his career building businesses that connect people through technology and studying both the supply and demand sides of the marketplace. Llibert shares how Thumbtack approaches marketing as a profit center tied directly to business growth, the challenge of scaling hyperlocal trust between homeowners and maintenance professionals to a national market, and how AI is improving the platform’s matching engine. They also discuss why differentiating “brand” and “performance” marketing is counterproductive, the critical role of data in successful outcomes, and why the strongest marketplace brands are built through consistent customer experience. Key Takeaways ✅ Build trust into the product—not just the brand ✅ Successful marketplace marketing considers both supply and demand ✅ Brand and performance marketing are intertwined ✅ CMOs must be able to speak the same language as CEOs & CFOs ✅ Hyperlocal marketplaces require hyperlocal thinking at scale Memorable Moments 💡 “Marketing is not a cost center, it’s a profit center.” 💡 “The brand is the product, and the product is the brand.” 💡 “Awareness is not a business metric.” 💡 “Every ad must both build the brand and drive performance.” 💡 “There’s no manual that comes with buying a home.” Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    38 m
  • #123: Twilio CMO Chris Koehler | Marketing in an AI World

    #123: Twilio CMO Chris Koehler | Marketing in an AI World
    May 11 2026
    Most marketers see AI as a tool. What if it’s also the audience? This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Chris Koehler, CMO of Twilio, to discuss B2B marketing and how AI is fundamentally changing the way brands communicate with consumers. From a 10-year stint at Adobe to navigating AI adoption at Box and now Twillo, Chris brings a deep understanding of how technology transforms both marketing strategy and customer behavior. Chris shares how Twilio is rethinking marketing from the inside out, from creating dedicated AI innovation roles to rebuilding workflows around speed, experimentation, and parallel collaboration. He explains how AI is changing discovery as consumers shift from search engines to AI agents—and why marketers now need to optimize for both humans and machines. They also discuss the increasing importance of brand awareness, the evolving roles of specialists and generalists, and why less is more in a market oversaturated with AI-generated content. Key Takeaways ✅ AI is both tool and a means of discovery ✅ Generalists work faster, but specialists are the gut-check ✅ Brands awareness is critical in an AI-driven world ✅ Adapting to AI means rethinking entire workflows ✅ The future of marketing is knowing how to say less Memorable Moments 💡 “B2B doesn’t have to suck.” 💡 “Everyone wants to feel like they’re building something.” 💡 “Content used to be the bottleneck; now it’s ubiquitous.” 💡 “How do you convince AI agents to recommend your brand to humans?” 💡 “The best teams are the ones brave enough to say less.” Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    40 m