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Uncensored CMO: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Jon Evans
The Uncensored CMO was created to explore the good, the bad and quite frankly downright ugly truth about marketing theory & practice.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 3 days ago37 min
How Pinterest grew to 640 million monthly users by doing the opposite of social media
Claudine Cheever, Pinterest’s Chief Marketing Officer, joins Jon Evans to explain the company’s counter-positioning, its growth to 640 million monthly active users, and why trust, design and user experience remain central to the product.Pinterest has built a very different kind of internet platform. Rather than competing for endless attention, it is designed around inspiration, intent and the things people want to do next.They discuss how Pinterest is approaching AI, creators and commerce, why the platform offers brands a distinctive route to consumers, and what Claudine learned from Amazon about leading marketing in a tech business.Sign up to one of our festive events here:https://info.uncensoredcmo.com/festive-events-interestTimestamps00:00 - Start00:51 - Claudine’s experience working at Amazon04:17 - Challenges at Amazon05:15 - Quick fire marketing hot takes11:11 - Why Claudine joined Pinterest11:41 - Pinterest’s intriguing counter-positioning16:17 - How important is design and user experience to Pinterest17:34 - Who actually uses Pinterest?18:56 - What are the trending things right now?20:57 - The role of the creator on Pinterest22:14 - How AI has been impacting Pinterest23:59 - Growing to 640 million Monthly Active Users25:43 - How Pinterest are driving growth (11 consecutive quarters)26:31 - How to establish trust in your brand?27:45 - How Pinterest fuels e-commerce30:17 - How CMOs should spend the first 90 days at a new brand31:36 - The secret to being a great tech CMO32:45 - 3 tips to educate your company on marketing34:46 - The best advice Claudine has ever been given Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:https://system1group.com/
- 1 weeks ago50 min
Creativity, Courage and Changing Fortunes - Sonos CMO, Colleen DeCourcy
Colleen DeCourcy is one of the most influential creative leaders in modern marketing. Now Chief Marketing Officer at Sonos, she joins Jon for a candid conversation about the relationship between creativity, commercial performance and leadership through change.They discuss why Colleen joined Sonos, what it takes to turn around a brand, and how to bring creativity back into an organisation when the pressure for short-term results is intense. From Nike’s changing fortunes to the limits of performance marketing, Colleen makes the case for brands that stand for something and leaders prepared to take difficult decisions when it matters.She also reflects on the hardest moment of her career, why great teams need more than talent, and how marketers should approach AI without losing the human judgement that makes creative work valuable.A masterclass in leading creatively when the business needs results.Sign up to one of our festive events here:https://info.uncensoredcmo.com/festive-events-interestTimestamps00:00 - Trailer01:42 - The hardest moment of Colleen’s career09:36 - Why we need more leaders taking a stand for what’s right10:42 - Colleen’s thoughts on Nike falling out of the S&P 50013:27 - Why Colleen joined Sonos17:41 - How Colleen is bringing creativity into Sonos21:47 - How to approach a brand turnaround27:27 - How to lead through a time of change31:17 - Why have we stopped valuing creativity?34:56 - Whats the best piece of advice Colleen has ever received?37:26 - Audience questions40:08 - Colleen’s thoughts on AI43:48 - How to make your team greatThanks to Émigré for being our official black t-shirt partner. Find your travel wear and accessories at:https://emigre.travel/ Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:https://system1group.com/
- 2 weeks ago53 min
Duolingo CMO on why playing it safe could be killing your brand
Duolingo has built one of the most distinctive brands in modern marketing, not by playing it safe, but by creating the conditions for its team to move quickly, take risks and occasionally embrace a little chaos.Manu Orssaud, Duolingo’s Chief Marketing Officer, joins Jon Evans to unpack the strategy behind the brand’s biggest moments: from the apparent death of Duo and its rapid-response iPhone content to a Bad Bunny campaign built at the speed of culture.But this is not simply a conversation about being funny on social media. Manu explains the culture of trust required to take creative risks, how to sell bolder work into the business, and how Duolingo measures whether marketing is actually working.They also discuss behavioural science, the limits of brand safety, handling the AI backlash, and why the next phase of Duolingo marketing may involve a little less chaos.A masterclass in building a culturally relevant brand without losing commercial discipline.Timestamps00:00 - Trailer01:03 - How do you pronounce Hermes?02:55 - Duolingo’s iPhone Duo response04:42 - The culture of trust that enables Duolingo to move fast05:56 - Has Duolingo ever crossed the line with their social content?07:55 - The benefits of taking risks10:31 - The impact of the death of Duo14:11 - Duolingo’s Bad Bunny campaign - moving at the speed of culture16:28 - The origin story of the Duo brand mascot23:05 - How Duolingo uses humour24:12 - Emigre Sponsor24:50 - How Duolingo tracks marketing performance26:15 - Selling risky campaigns into the business27:06 - The next phase of Duolingo marketing - less chaos30:37 - How Duolingo is managing this transition32:56 - Behavioural science insights that have grown Duolingo34:37 - Duolingo’s AI backlash38:09 - Going against what your shareholders want43:46 - What makes Manu a successful CMO47:47 - The power of constraint48:46 - Duolingo’s 5 second Super Bowl ad50:27 - The best advice Manu has ever been givenThanks to Émigré for being our official black t-shirt partner. Find your travel wear and accessories at:https://emigre.travel/ Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:https://system1group.com/
- 3 weeks ago32 min
LinkedIn Growth Masterclass with LinkedIn CMO, Jessica Jensen
Jessica Jensen, Chief Marketing Officer at LinkedIn, joins Jon Evans for a practical masterclass on what actually works on the platform now. Beginning with a review of Jon’s own profile, they cover the route to becoming a Top Voice, the changing role of B2B creators and how brands can work with them credibly.They also explore the formats that are earning attention, whether collaborator posts genuinely work, and how buyers use LinkedIn to validate the people and companies they choose to work with.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:35 - Jon’s LinkedIn review11:34 - How do you get a LinkedIn Top Voice13:23 - The evolution of B2B content creators14:34 - How brands can work best with creators16:53 - How LinkedIn are battling AI slop19:07 - Do collaborator posts on LinkedIn work?20:02 - What formats work best on LinkedIn in 202622:16 - How are B2B buyers making buying decisions on LinkedIn25:08 - Why LinkedIn is so important for LLMs25:49 - What jobs is AI creating29:27 - The best advice Jessica has ever recieved Thank you to System1 for sponsoring Uncensored CMO. Find out more about Test Your Ad Screen here:https://system1group.com/
- Oct 7, 202643 min
How Spotify makes B2B marketing worth listening to - Bridget Evans
Spotify has become one of the world’s most distinctive brands, but what can marketers learn from the way it uses sound, culture and creativity to build emotional connection?Bridget Evans, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Business Marketing, joins Jon Evans to explain why audio remains an underused marketing opportunity, and how brands can build an audio strategy people do more than simply hear: they remember it.They discuss the return of the jingle, why taste may become an even more important differentiator in the age of AI, and whether younger audiences really have shorter attention spans, or simply higher standards for what deserves their attention. Bridget also shares how Spotify markets to Gen Z, the enduring impact of Spotify Wrapped, and why the company invests so heavily in Cannes Lions.Timestamps00:00 - Start01:22 - Some things people might not know about Spotify02:42 - Is audio the most underrated channel?05:15 - Do people trust audio more?06:58 - Why taste will become the differentiator in the age of AI07:44 - How audio branding helps emotion09:11 - How to get your audio strategy right10:09 - Why we need to bring back more jingles12:44 - How Spotify markets to Gen Z15:59 - Do younger generations actually have shorter attention spans?17:46 - The opportunity for marketers in audio and podcasting20:00 - How do we make B2B marketing not boring26:24 - The impact of Spotify Wrapped30:53 - Why Spotify invest so much in Cannes Lions34:37 - How Spotify judge the success of their Cannes36:49 - 3 things to make B2B marketing better39:42 - Whats the best advice Bridget has ever been given ---This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here:https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook
- Sep 30, 202659 min
Why marketers are wasting their media budgets - Evan Shapiro
The media landscape has changed faster than most marketing plans have. Evan Shapiro, known as the Media Cartographer for his widely used maps of the media ecosystem, joins Uncensored CMO to explain where attention is really going, which channels marketers are overvaluing, and where the best opportunities may now lie.They assess the relative value of TV, YouTube, podcasts, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and creators, asking a deceptively simple question: are marketers spending in line with how people actually consume media?Evan also explores the shift of power towards consumers, why employee-generated content could become a major force, and where job losses are likely to hit the media industry next. They discuss the rise of founder-led media, the opaque problem of ad fraud, and what Evan has learned from building his own podcast.Timestamps00:00 - Start00:42 - Intro to Evan Shapiro01:43 - Evan’s path into media03:38 - How to entertain people with keynote speeches06:37 - The biggest changes in the media universe: the shift to the consumer10:44 - Where is attention being placed in 2026?14:20 - The data on attention17:22 - Overvalued vs Undervalued media17:57 - TV: Undervalued or Overvalued?22:29 - YouTube: Undervalued or Overvalued?25:35 - Why Employee Generated Content is going to be huge27:53 - Creators: Undervalued or Overvalued?30:06 - Podcasts: Undervalued or Overvalued?31:30 - TikTok: Undervalued or Overvalued?31:57 - Instagram: Undervalued or Overvalued?32:37 - Facebook: Undervalued or Overvalued?33:51 - LinkedIn: Undervalued or Overvalued?35:43 - How will the media landscape change in the next 12 months39:53 - Where are job losses being felt in media43:33 - The rise of founders46:17 - Ad fraud in the media ecosystem50:30 - Evan’s lessons from running his podcast56:57 - The best advice Evan has ever been given ---Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpotDownload System1's creator effectiveness report here:https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbookFind about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo
- Sep 23, 202654 min
Marketing leadership masterclass with ex WPP President, Karen Blackett CBE
Karen Blackett is one of the most respected leaders in marketing and media. As the former UK President of WPP and former CEO of GroupM UK, she has led through industry change, crisis and growth at the highest level.In this marketing leadership masterclass, Karen shares the principles that have shaped her career: why great teams need diverse perspectives and healthy tension; why leaders must say what they really think; and how to make better decisions without mistaking consensus for alignment.She reflects on leading GroupM UK through COVID, how she approaches recruitment, and the small meeting habit that helps ensure the most important conversations actually happen. Karen also discusses the evolving client-agency relationship, what the future holds for the creative industry, and the challenge of rebranding Barbados.Timestamps00:00 - Start00:51 - Karen’s new leadership podcast02:03 - The surprising thing about leadership05:25 - Why we need to change our view of leadership05:58 - The standout leaders from Karen’s career11:20 - Karen’s leadership lessons from running WPP15:55 - The importance of diverse perspectives17:34 - The importance of saying what you really think20:28 - How to approach decision making22:53 - How to approach recruitment25:34 - Why you need healthy tension in a team28:46 - Should we banish the voice note?30:32 - Karen’s big covid turnaround story34:57 - Why Karen never does “AOB” at the end of meetings37:25 - The positive side of COVID for Jon40:06 - How to foster a strong client agency relationship44:59 - The future of the creative industry48:42 - Rebranding Barbados50:51 - What is the freedom of the city51:48 - The best advice Karen has ever received ---Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpotDownload System1's creator effectiveness report here:https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbookFind about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo
- Sep 16, 202649 min
How to build a disruptive brand and win over the CFO - Vineet Mehra, Chime
What happens when a CMO brings the discipline of P&G, private equity and fintech together?Vineet Mehra, CMO of Chime, joins Jon to explain how the challenger bank has disrupted one of the most established industries in the world - and why modern marketing leaders need to become more fluent in the language of commercial value.Vineet shares what marketers can learn from private equity, how to position investment with a CFO, and the financial metrics he watches most closely. He also unpacks the constant balancing act between long-term brand building and short-term performance: not treating them as opposing forces, but connecting both to sustainable growth. They also discuss where AI is genuinely creating return, how marketers can avoid becoming commoditised, and the skills CMOs will need as AI reshapes the profession.Timestamps00:00 - Start01:21 - Vineet’s background at P&G04:51 - What marketers can learn from working in Private Equity07:50 - What is Chime Bank?09:02 - The strategies that Chime used to disrupt the banking industry13:46 - Advice on how to position marketing to the CFO17:00 - What financial metrics is Vineet most focused on?19:40 - How Vineet combines long term and short term marketing23:59 - Are we in a golden age for marketing?26:59 - How Vineet is getting the biggest return on his AI investment31:13 - How to stop AI commoditising marketers36:09 - What skills will a CMO need in an AI-first future38:58 - How to see AI as an opportunity not a threat40:13 - Why Vineet is on the Effie’s board42:15 - Why Vineet spends time building his personal brand on LinkedIn46:00 - What’s the bst advice Vineet has ever received? ---Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpotDownload System1's creator effectiveness report here:https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbookFind about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo
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