The Big Impression

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Episodes

149

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

The Big Impression returns for another season of insights and inspiration from leaders at the world’s most influential brands. Editors and co-hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing will look to uncover candid stories on game-changing campaigns from some of the world's biggest brands — including wins, losses, and lessons. New episodes are released every Wednesday.

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60 recent

June 11, 202624 min

Hisense CMO Sarah Larsen on turning the FIFA World Cup into a brand-building moment

As FIFA World Cup fever takes hold across North America, Hisense USA CMO Sarah Larsen joins the podcast to discuss the brand's role as an official tournament partner, the strategy behind its "Out Host with Hisense" campaign, and how the company is using one of the world's biggest sporting events to drive awareness, cultural relevance, and business growth in the competitive consumer electronics market. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

June 3, 202620 min

The Weather Company's Dani Feore on how the elements can be a predictor of consumer behavior

The Weather Company's Dani Feore joins The Big Impression to discuss the neuroscience behind weather-driven marketing, why consumer mindsets shift with changing conditions and how brands are using those insights to boost performance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 27, 202626 min

Dick’s Sporting Goods’ David Young on balancing performance with customer experience

As retailers look to turn shopper relationships into media businesses, Dick’s Sporting Goods is focused on building a retail media strategy that feels less like advertising, and more like service. David Young, VP of Retail Media at Dick’s Sporting Goods, joins The Big Impression podcast to discuss how the company is approaching retail media at a time when the space is becoming increasingly crowded, competitive and performance-driven. For Young, the differentiator comes down to experience, trust and understanding intent in moments that matter to consumers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 20, 202624 min

Ace Hardware’s Molly Hjelm on bringing the retail back into retail media

For years, retail media networks have raced to prove they could operate like media companies — scaling ad platforms, expanding measurement capabilities and building full-funnel offerings for brands. That’s all well and good, but Ace Hardware wants to make sure it doesn’t lose sight of its core and unique offering. On this episode of The Big Impression, Molly Hjelm, corporate VP and head of retail media at Ace Hardware, explains why embracing the unique advantages retailers already have — merchant relationships, localized inventory, customer trust and real-world shopping behavior — helps propel the media side of the business. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 13, 202622 min

E.W. Scripps’ Seth Walters on making premium sports more accessible

As sports rights grow more fragmented and expensive, E.W. Scripps is making a different bet: free access, broader reach and a bigger role for ad-supported television. As Seth Walters, head of CTV sales at E.W. Scripps, says, “Our superpower is distribution.” Walters joins The Big Impression podcast to explain why Scripps is leaning into free over-the-air and streaming sports at a moment when so much premium live programming sits behind paywalls. Through Scripps Sports, the company is building a portfolio around women’s leagues, local teams and underserved audiences — while giving advertisers a rare combination of scale and live attention. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 6, 202622 min

Best Buy Ads’ Lisa Valentino on retail media’s next chapter: commerce media

Best Buy has long been synonymous with consumer electronics, but today it’s making an equally aggressive play to become a major force in media and marketing. In this episode of The Big Impression, Best Buy Ads President Lisa Valentino joins hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing to discuss how the retailer is turning stores, media and data into one connected commerce platform. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 29, 202628 min

Oura’s Doug Sweeny on turning data into daily wellness

Oura may be best known for its sleek smart ring, but its bigger ambition is changing how people think about health. In this episode of The Big Impression, CMO Doug Sweeny joins hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing to unpack how a wearable brand is translating complex data into something people actually use and act on. The timing is global. As the official wearable of the Winter Olympics, Oura stepped into one of the world’s biggest stages. But instead of leaning into peak performance alone, the brand took a different angle: focusing on everyday habits like sleep, recovery and stress that shape long-term health. That approach comes from how Oura sees itself. Under the hood, it’s as much a health care company as a tech brand, built on medical research and biometric data. But on the surface, it’s something far more human: a tool that helps people understand their bodies in real time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 22, 202626 min

Land O’Lakes’ Heather Malenshek on reshaping rural America’s story

Land O’Lakes may be best known for dairy, but its latest effort has little to do with selling butter. In this episode of The Big Impression, CMO Heather Malenshek joins hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing to talk about a campaign that’s aiming for something bigger: changing how rural America shows up in culture. Called the Modern Rural Collective, the initiative skips traditional ads entirely. Instead, it partners with filmmakers, writers and platforms like Imagine Entertainment and Getty Images to tell more accurate, nuanced stories about rural life. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 15, 202625 min

Stanley Steemer’s Andrew Schneider on owning the spring clean

Stanley Steemer is one of those brands people recognize instantly — if not by name, then by that jingle. But recognition isn’t the same as relevance. In a world of robot vacuums, DIY hacks and endless shortcuts, the question is: Do people still think they need a brand like this? In this episode of The Big Impression, hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing talk with CMO Andrew Schneider about how a legacy brand earns its place again, starting with a moment everyone knows: spring cleaning. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

February 24, 20260 min

Introducing The Big Impression Podcast

Editors and co-hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing uncover insights and inspiration from leaders at the world's most influential brands. New episodes drop every Wednesday on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.