Global or local? Hub or spoke? This old debate is asking the wrong question.

Global and local marketing teams are supposed to be on the same side. Instead, they’re playing tug of war with multimillion dollar budgets. We’re all pursuing the same goal — so why are we competing?  We tend to see problems either top down (re: competing priorities and KPIs) or

Dear CMO: What If You Had a Blank Page?

Recently, we heard a CMO say that “times of economic pressure are when we see the greatest creativity and solutions.” You know what they say: “Pressure makes diamonds.”  But what if we could set ourselves up for creative breakthroughs without pressure?  What if we could draw inspiration not from outside

Planning in a World of Constant Change: Build for Agility, not Certainty

By: Maureen Link Kendra Siebert Death, taxes and annual planning: the only certainties in life.  The traditional approach to annual planning—rigid roadmaps and fixed milestones—doesn’t hold up in a world where market dynamics, customer needs, and technology are rapidly evolving.  So what’s the solution? In a

Is efficiency even the goal? Finding the metrics that matter.

Efficiency has become the gold standard. The default objective. The thing we’re all supposed to chase. But should it be? A recent interview with Ben Collins, CEO of the Onion, points to inefficiency as one of the reasons they are so good at what they do. And in government,

"I want efficiency toward an end."

That was Ezra Klein’s mandate as he questions the premise (or lack thereof) behind the Department of Government Efficiency. His central question, which went viral on TikTok last month, landed like a punch to the gut: “Efficiency in service of what?” This hits uncomfortably close to home for marketers.

Not another recap: what worked, what didn't, and our hot takes of Cannes 2025.

What worked, what didn't, and what can be improved post Cannes 2025.

Can't Miss Cannes Panels (2025 Edition)

Here are the hot topics and conversations you can’t miss at Cannes Lions 2025.

The Black Glass Guide to Retention

What's the key to keeping top talent? Giving your people the best work of their lives.

A Case for a New Kind of Swag

A challenge to the swag of today - and three tips to make it more meaningful in the future.

What can our teams learn from Kendrick and Drake?

Teams don’t just need a vision; they need a fight worth fighting.

The Myth of Cost Savings

What if we told you the biggest cost savings opportunity in marketing isn't in your media budget? When clients ask us to help find cost savings, they usually point us toward the usual suspects: media spend, martech stack, agency fees. But after years of helping marketing organizations transform,

Navigating Tension with Empathy Maps

How to use empathy maps to foster an inclusive, respectful, and compassionate work environment.