Uncensored CMO

Hosted by Jon Evans

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282

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Aug 2026

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About the show

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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60 recent

August 19, 2026Episode 28355 min

Why AI should drive growth, not just efficiency – Najoh Tita-Reid

Najoh Tita-Reid, former Chief Growth Officer at Mars Petcare, joins us to discuss why she made the unusual decision to step away from one of the biggest roles in marketing to embark on a self-described "learning safari", immersing herself in the world of AI and exploring what it means for the future of business. In this conversation, Najoh shares why she believes too many organisations are using AI purely to drive efficiency, when its greatest opportunity lies in unlocking growth. We explore how AI is changing creativity, leadership and the role of the CMO, why marketers risk becoming tacticians instead of strategic business leaders, and what today's CEOs really expect from marketing. Timestamps 00:00 - Start 00:57 - Why Najoh left Mars 02:18 - Why F1 is the perfect metaphor for AI in 2026 05:18 - Using AI for growth vs efficiency 08:01 - The impact AI is having on creativity 09:17 - Why AI is the colonisation of inefficiency 16:21 - Are we at risk of becoming tacticians and not strategy leaders? 18:52 - Does the CEO understand your role? 22:40 - Can AI actually delivery higher efficiency? 25:00 - What’s the secret to delivering growth 28:24 - What having a different job title gives you permission to do 33:11 - They key leadership skills for a great CMO 34:02 - Why great CMOs are accountable for making change 36:06 - Lessons from Najoh’s biggest failure 40:01 - The difference between culture in the UK and USA 44:09 - What Najoh has learnt on her learning safari 49:47 - The best advice Najoh has ever been given --- Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot Download System1's creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here: https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

August 12, 2026Episode 28254 min

How creativity transformed Australia’s No.1 Telecom’s brand - Brent Smart

Brent Smart is one of the most respected marketers in the world. After spending more than 20 years in advertising, he made the rare move from agency life to become CMO of NRMA Insurance. Brent's most recent role as CMO of Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company, he helped transform the brand through bold, distinctive and highly effective marketing. In this episode, Brent shares the principles behind his approach to creativity, from selling big ideas inside large organisations and drawing on academic marketing frameworks to building a culture where great work can thrive. We discuss the campaigns that defined his career, including Telstra's viral "Better on a Better Network" campaign, why humour and surprise remain powerful competitive advantages, and the unique agency model that helped Telstra consistently produce standout work. Timestamps 00:00 - Start 01:03 - Why Brent left Telstra 02:31 - Why Brent moved in house after 20 years agency side 05:41 - How to sell a creative idea into a big organisation 11:01 - The academic frameworks to create great marketing 12:16 - Why you should look at your brands heritage 14:02 - The most successful campaign Brent did for NRMA 17:33 - How Brent won a Grand Effie 21:13 - How Brent transformed Telstra’s brand marketing 26:08 - The Telstra Walk - the viral campaign 32:39 - Using humour to cut through 35:00 - The power of surprise and consistency 37:41 - The unique agency model that helped Telstra create cuthrough work 40:02 - Why craft is so important in 2026 42:44 - How to build a creative culture 47:11 - How to be a great CMO --- Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot Download System1's creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here: https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

August 5, 2026Episode 28148 min

Why your brand can't afford to be boring - Rebecca Darley, Vodafone Australia

Bec Darley, CMO of Vodafone Australia, joins us to discuss what it really takes to grow a challenger brand in one of the world's toughest telecoms markets. From competing against an entrenched duopoly to building distinctive campaigns with Ali Wong, Bec shares how Vodafone has embraced its challenger mindset rather than trying to imitate the market leaders. We explore why marketers need to understand far more than advertising, from unit economics and legal to customer experience and organisational change, and why the best marketing leaders are, ultimately, business leaders. Timestamps 00:00 - Start 00:54 - Who is Bec Darley? 03:31 - Taking on roles beyond marketing to make you a better marketer 05:38 - Why the history of duopolies in Australia makes being a challenger tough 08:53 - How does Vodafone take on the giants as a challenger 12:55 - Leaning into your disadvantage 16:01 - Vodafone’s commercials with Ali Wong 18:37 - The importance of legal for marketing 21:08 - When taking risks backfires - getting banned 24:19 - Focusing on mental availability 26:40 - Are we losing the ability to be creative while hunting efficiency 29:28 - Understanding the unit economics of the business 34:28 - How to manage a portfolio of brands 36:18 - Why you need to be customer first 38:51 - The best marketers move beyond marketing 40:24 - How to make change in a company 43:46 - Embracing discomfort and failing fast 46:23 - Bec’s advice to all young marketers --- Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot Download System1's creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here: https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo

July 29, 2026Episode 2801 hr 3 min

20 years of challenger brand lessons with Auto & General CMO, Jonathan Kerr

Jonathan Kerr, CMO of Auto & General, joins us to explore how one of Australia's most successful challenger brands has built sustained growth by combining strong marketing fundamentals with relentless execution. From creating a role for himself at Auto & General to helping Budget Direct become one of the country's fastest-growing insurance brands, Jonathan shares why product should always come before growth, how marketers can take greater ownership of the 4 Ps, and what insurance consistently gets right about creativity. We also discuss the power of distinctive brand characters, audio branding, in-house creative teams and a media strategy designed to maximise long-term effectiveness. Useful links This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here: https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo Timestamps 00:00:00 - Start 00:01:41 - How Jonathan found out about Auto and General 00:03:31 - How Jonathan created a new role for himself 00:06:58 - How to balance low price with great product 00:10:36 - Market share growth for Budget Direct 00:12:06 - Focusing on product over growth 00:13:59 - How to control more of the P’s 00:16:51 - Why does insurance produce such creative work? 00:20:52 - The power of compounding work in insurance 00:24:21 - Developing brand characters, and when to kill them off 00:30:08 - The power of audio and jingles 00:34:16 - What’s too silly to be said can be sung 00:36:13 - Why they do so much work in house 00:40:34 - Budget Direct’s unique approach to media buying 00:42:43 - How Jonathan uses AI 00:48:04 - The key challenger brand principles Jonathan has followed 00:50:59 - What makes a successful CMO? 00:52:55 - Do we need to re-educate ourselves on marketing theory? 01:00:27 - The best advice you’ve ever recieved

July 22, 2026Episode 27948 min

How YouTube built the creator economy and how brands are still missing out - Pedro Pina, YouTube

Pedro Pina, VP of YouTube for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, joins us to explore how YouTube helped create the creator economy and why so many brands are still failing to take full advantage of it. From the rise of full-time creators to the changing role of YouTube in the media landscape, Pedro explains what makes the platform unique, the metrics that actually matter, and why great content continues to outperform everything else. We also discuss the balance between long-form and Shorts, the "YouTube Confidence Gap" among CMOs, and how brands can build authentic partnerships with creators that drive real business results. If you're wondering where marketing is heading next, this is a masterclass from one of the people shaping it. Get the YouTube Confidence Gap Report from Little Dot Studios: https://info.littledotstudios.com/little-dot-studios-the-youtube-confidence-gap-report This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 01:35 - Why YouTube made a creator space in Cannes 03:06 - How Cannes has changed over the past 20 years 06:12 - How many people are paid to be YouTubers 09:39 - The secret of YouTube 11:08 - Who are the biggest creators on YouTube 12:36 - What are the most important metrics on YouTube 14:42 - Why content will always be king on YouTube 15:57 - What makes a succesful YouTuber 19:48 - Is YouTube a broadcaster, streaming platform or social network? 22:36 - How important is short form for creators in 2026 27:24 - The YouTube Confidence Gap 28:56 - What CMOs think about YouTube 29:54 - How to get more confidence in your YouTube strategy 32:53 - The biggest barriers for companies being successful on YouTube 35:00 - How can brands work successfully with creators 39:31 - How can brands be authentic when they work with creators 42:46 - What Pedro wishes CMOs understood better about YouTube 44:14 - The best advice Pedro has ever recieved

July 20, 2026Episode 27849 min

The creative revolution inside the worlds most dull category - Novartis CMO, Gail Horwood

Novartis CMO Gail Horwood joins Janet Balis, Managing Director & Senior Partner at BCG, to explore how one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies is redefining healthcare marketing. Fresh from winning two Cannes Lions, Gail shares how Novartis is proving that creativity can thrive even in one of the most heavily regulated industries. From partnering with the NFL for a Super Bowl campaign to convincing stakeholders to embrace bolder ideas, we discuss what it takes to create work that stands out while navigating complex regulations. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping both creativity and business transformation, where marketers should focus their efforts, and why the biggest opportunity for AI isn't just efficiency, but unlocking growth. This episode has been produced in partnership with BCG. Browse their CMO Report here: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/making-the-agentic-marketing-transformation-a-reality Timestamps 00:00 - Start 00:49 - Jon’s full circle moment with Norvatis 01:39 - Novartis’ journey to two Cannes Lions 02:54 - Why more people need to walk the work 04:05 - Creating surprising advertising in a heavily regulated category 09:03 - Partnering with the NFL for a Super Bowl campaign 10:24 - How to get your company to embrace risky work 16:01 - How to get stakeholders outside of marketing onboard 19:35 - The reaction to the ads after Super Bowl 21:56 - How AI is being used in the service of creativity 27:04 - How Novartis are using AI for creativity 30:27 - How Novartis are rethinking their marketing with AI 32:46 - Where AI is going to be used outside of marketing 35:03 - AI for efficiency vs growth 37:16 - How to deliver leadership change in the age of AI 40:22 - The boring things AI will solve 42:53 - What makes Gail such a good CMO 44:25 - The worst way to evaluate your career success 45:57 - The best advice Gail has ever received

July 15, 2026Episode 27741 min

Why creativity matters more than ever in the age of AI - Adobe CMO, Lara Balazs

Lara Balazs, CMO of Adobe, joins us to discuss what it takes to lead one of the world's most influential creative brands through a period of enormous change. From Adobe's presence at Cannes to the rapid rise of AI, Lara shares her vision for the company and why she believes technology should be used in service of creativity, rather than simply to drive efficiency. We explore why creativity matters more than ever in the age of AI, the skills Adobe looks for in marketers, and the traits that separate the most successful CMOs. Lara also shares the practical leadership principles she uses to run her team, from creating a company plan on a page and harnessing the power of repetition to prioritising progress over perfection and using the “two-way door” approach to make faster decisions. This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook Timestamps 00:00 - Start 01:23 - The most surprising thing about Lara 03:11 - How Adobe have stood out at Cannes 05:50 - What makes an influential CMO? 06:59 - How to manage a business through change 09:54 - Lara’s vision for Adobe 13:33 - Finding inspiration from a brand’s history 15:13 - Where AI has been used in service of creativity 18:03 - AI to enhance creativity vs increasing efficiency 20:42 - Why creativity still matters in the AI age 23:41 - What skillsets does Adobe hire for in marketing? 25:22 - The traits of the most successful CMOs 28:55 - The company plan on a page 30:49 - The power of repitition 32:05 - Progress over perfection at Adobe 33:14 - The two way door approach 37:19 - The best advice Lara has ever recieved

July 13, 2026Episode 27441 min

OpenAI on what every CMO needs to know about AI with BCG

In this episode, Mark Abraham, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG, joins Elke Karskens, Head of International Marketing at OpenAI to explore how AI is already transforming marketing and what's coming next. We discuss OpenAI's remarkable growth, the launch of its first advertising campaign, and how marketers can prepare for a future where AI is embedded across every function. The conversation covers how brands can increase their visibility in ChatGPT, the opportunities created by tools like Codex, the skills tomorrow's CMOs will need, and why the real value of AI isn't just efficiency, it's effectiveness. This episode has been produced in partnership with BCG. Browse their CMO Report here: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/making-the-agentic-marketing-transformation-a-reality Timestamps 00:00 - Start 01:16 - Open AI’s meteoric rise 02:07 - Breakthrough moments for OpenAI 03:04 - How have Open AI scaled so quickly 04:49 - What will be led by humans and what will be led by AI in 5 years 06:09 - Open AI’s impressive first ad campaign 08:32 - Launch of the Open AI advertising platform 13:01 - How brands can rank in ChatGPT 14:44 - How brands can use Codex 17:44 - How do CMOs feel about AI 19:34 - How do you deliver transformation with AI 20:55 - What skillsets are going to be in demand for the future CMO 23:29 - Which brands are using AI well today 24:52 - What can we do with AI in a year from now we can’t do today? 29:45 - Why BCG and Open AI work together 30:53 - What don’t people understand about AI? 35:11 - Efficiency and cost savings vs effectiveness in AI 38:15 - Best advice you’ve ever been given

July 8, 2026Episode 2761 hr 26 min

Byron Sharp vs Mark Ritson - 5 big marketing truths we agree on

For years, Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp have been two of the most influential and most opinionated voices in marketing. They've challenged each other's ideas, debated strategy, and helped shape how an entire generation of marketers thinks. Now, for the first time in more than a decade, at Cannes Lions, they sit down together to answer a simple question: what do they actually agree on? From How Brands Grow and the 95:5 rule to distinctiveness, the 4 Ps, mass marketing, luxury brands, purpose and AI, this conversation explores the fundamental marketing principles they both believe every marketer should understand. There are still plenty of disagreements (and more than a few jokes at each other's expense), but this is a rare opportunity to hear two of the industry's biggest thinkers build a shared foundation for modern marketing. This episode is brought to you by System1. Download their creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook Timestamps 00:00:00 - Start 00:00:40 - Teaser 00:02:08 - Mark Ritson on Champagne 00:03:42 - When did Mark and Byron meet 00:05:36 - Why Byron and Mark are coming together after a decade 00:07:25 - When Jon met Byron 00:08:57 - Is AI more brand centric than humans? 00:11:08 - Mark and Byron’s criticism on their Cannes talk 00:12:49 - The problem with academia 00:13:45 - What do marketers still not understand about How Brands Grow 00:18:06 - You are not the customer 00:20:56 - Distinctiveness vs relative differentiation 00:28:45 - Why we need to control all 4 Ps 00:33:10 - The 95:5 rule 00:39:20 - Why Byron doesn’t like the term “Long Term” 00:42:41 - The role of mass marketing 00:46:40 - How to do mass marketing as a challenger brand 00:53:45 - How long does it take to build a proper brand 00:56:10 - What does Byron think of P&G 00:58:47 - The power of distinctive brand assets 01:03:42 - Why brand anniversaries are pointless 01:04:40 - How luxury brands grow 01:09:16 - The role of purpose 01:16:58 - The dark lord of penetration 01:18:17 - What pet name does Byron have for Mark 01:23:17 - Closing remarks

July 6, 2026Episode 27546 min

The Google approach to marketing in the age of AI (with Google and BCG)

In this episode, Josh Spanier from Google and Lauren Wiener from BCG join us to discuss how AI is transforming marketing, organisations, and the role of the CMO. From navigating the AI hype cycle to building the right culture for change, they share practical advice for leaders trying to turn AI from a buzzword into a genuine competitive advantage. We also explore the future skills marketers will need, the changing role of agencies, why marketing should lead AI transformation, and where the industry is likely to be just 12 months from now. This episode has been produced in partnership with BCG. Browse their CMO Report here: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/making-the-agentic-marketing-transformation-a-reality Timestamps 00:00 - Start 01:52 - Where are we in the AI hype cycle 04:48 - How are Google seeing AI impact businesses 06:50 - The difference between the CMOs who are getting it right and wrong 09:05 - The future of marketing in the age of AI 10:48 - The skills of the future CMO 16:41 - Why marketing needs to drive the change 19:18 - Positive examples of AI 24:01 - How do organisations make the change 27:02 - When AI campaigns don’t go so well 29:11 - How AI data will transform marketing 30:13 - Dealing with higher expectations but less resource 35:25 - The culture to enable successful AI transformation 36:55 - The role of agencies in an AI world 38:50 - AI predictions in 12 months 40:23 - The best advice you’ve ever been given 41:52 - Where will marketing be in 12 months