The Art of Making Fintech Cool with Catherine Ferdon of Coinbase

Summary

Podcast Summary: Marketing Vanguard — The Art of Making Fintech Cool with Catherine Ferdon of Coinbase

Date: April 9, 2026
Host: Jenny Rooney (Adweek)
Guest: Catherine "Kat" Ferdon, Chief Marketing Officer, Coinbase

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Kat Ferdon, CMO of Coinbase, about her journey in fintech marketing, the unique challenges of making intangible products engaging, Coinbase’s bold creative strategies (including major campaigns at the Super Bowl and Oscars), and her vision for the future of fintech brand-building. The episode offers rich insights into leading creative teams, balancing risk with brand integrity, and using cultural moments to drive mass adoption.

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Kat Ferdon's Career Journey and Mindset

Background and Entry into Fintech

• Kat has worked in fintech for nearly 15 years, previously serving as the first CMO of Cash App and working across Square and Afterpay (01:19).
• Initially studied economics at UCLA, but graduated with a double major in cultural anthropology and history—her curiosity about people and community narratives shaped her approach to marketing (02:00).

On Curiosity and Brand-Building

• “I think the best marketers tend to be curious.” (02:09, Kat Ferdon)
• Kat is motivated by the challenge of giving voice and texture to inherently intangible or “sterile” tech products (02:49).
• Describes her career as “giving a voice to the intangible” and serving as the “on-ramp” for users to engage with fintech brands (04:35).

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The Unique Challenge of Marketing Intangibles & Crypto Education

Making Complex Tech Feel Tangible

• Tech and finance can be intimidating and dull; marketing’s role is to humanize, tell stories, and create excitement (02:49, 04:52).
• Notable quote: “When it comes with a story and a vision and a voice and breakthrough creativity, more people will...be excited to engage with it.” (04:52, Kat Ferdon)

Educating Around Crypto's Value

• Marketing crypto requires overcoming the “what is it?” barrier—unlike insurance or payments, the industry is still new to mass audiences (05:38).
• Coinbase is positioned as the “adult in the room”—a responsible, mature player in a space with many fly-by-night competitors (05:42).
• Building for the next decade: balancing rigorous compliance with creativity and broadening crypto’s appeal beyond “natives” (06:57, 10:10).

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Coinbase's Brand Strategy and Major Campaigns

Tapping into Major Cultural Moments

Super Bowl 2026: “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” Karaoke

• Coinbase aimed for “breakthrough creativity” and deliberately took risks to disrupt the crowded media landscape (10:52).

• The 2026 Super Bowl ad: a karaoke-style spot using The Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” intended to foster togetherness and memorability (13:04, 15:01).

  • “Some people hated it, a lot of people loved it and everybody talked about it.” (15:01, Kat Ferdon)
  • The ad became the most talked-about spot on social media post-game, which the team viewed as a “huge success.”

• Comparison to GoDaddy: The hosts discuss historic Super Bowl ads for intangible products, emphasizing boldness as a way to drive recall even with polarizing reactions (16:31).

  • “There’s quite a few schools of thought that…you sometimes need to alienate half the audience or more.” (16:31, Kat Ferdon)
  • Executive buy-in and risk tolerance are key—Ferdon credits Coinbase’s CEO Brian Armstrong for encouraging bold, authentic work: “He demands of the marketing team that we push ourselves to the max, that we go bold, be louder, go bigger.” (17:55)

Oscars 2026: “Your Way Out” Film

• The Oscars ad is a cinematic piece featuring a man breaking free from a video-game NPC existence—a metaphor for gaining control over one’s financial life via Coinbase (19:44).
  • “It’s really an emotionally resonant film that tells our story through metaphor...if you don’t control your money, you don’t control your life.” (20:12, Kat Ferdon)
• The spot is seen as more durable and emotionally resonant, serving as an ongoing campaign platform for Coinbase’s new suite of financial products (21:14-22:56).
• The creative was originally considered for the Super Bowl but deemed better suited for the Oscars’ storytelling context (20:10-22:56).

Creative Partnerships and Philosophy

• Coinbase works closely with agency Isle of Any, embracing deep craft, creative risk-taking, and genuine partnership (23:39).
  • “They bring strong opinions, softly held, and they combine deeply unconventional thinking with deep, deep craft skills.” (23:39, Kat Ferdon)

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Building and Leading the Coinbase Marketing Team

Team Culture and Structure

• Kat discusses inheriting a “talent bar...out of this world” and the drive to make fintech and crypto marketing “cool” (25:10).
• Focus on participatory campaigns, not just brand monologues—creating experiences that invite audience engagement (25:10).
• Leadership style centers on truth-seeking, risk-taking, and constant reassessment: “Fortune favors the bold and that’s largely been true in the world of crypto.” (26:57)
• Value for honesty: “I especially appreciate it when people can come to me and tell me that I’m wrong.” (27:50)

Recent Hires (“Dream Team”)

• Hired industry luminaries Joe Staples (VP Creative), Gareth Kate (VP Brand), and Patrick Marzullo (Head of Production) to build a hybrid of veterans and newcomers (28:17).
  • “We are all hell bent on making crypto and crypto marketing cool. So overall, this new team structure really signals like a new creative and strategic direction for Coinbase’s brand narrative.” (28:17, Kat Ferdon)

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Perspective on AI in Marketing

• Coinbase embraces AI to drive efficient execution and speed up creative outcomes—but human creativity remains critical (30:03).
  • “AI can be a really powerful tool to get us to creative outcomes faster. But AI is not creative…you need really solid people wielding that tool to achieve the best results.” (30:03, Kat Ferdon)
• AI as an amplifier of human innovation, not a replacement for marketing teams: “Anyone who thinks they can use AI instead of their marketing team may in fact end up voiceless from where I’m sitting.” (30:03)

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Inspirations and Who’s Next

When asked for industry inspirations and future guests:

• Jen Bucci at Anduril, for humanizing a defense technology brand (31:19).
• Ana Angelic, an “excellent and prolific brand builder” (31:19).
• Kate Rao and Michael Tab to Buy, for their formative work at Coinbase and now at OpenAI (31:19).

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “I think the best marketers tend to be curious.” – Kat Ferdon (02:09)
• “I love giving a voice to the intangible.” – Kat Ferdon (02:49)
• “Being the adults in the room doesn’t necessarily mean being boring... It means being responsible enough to build the future of finance on Coinbase and creative enough to make people want to be a part of it.” – Kat Ferdon (05:42)
• “Some people hated it, a lot of people loved it and everybody talked about it. And so we considered it a super valuable thing to be a part of and truly powerful in its ability to stick the Coinbase brand in people’s minds and a huge success.” – Kat Ferdon (15:01)
• “Fortune favors the bold and you should not be afraid to fail.” – Kat Ferdon (17:55)
• “If you don’t control your money, you don’t control your life.” – Kat Ferdon on Oscars campaign (20:12)
• “AI can be a really powerful tool to get us to creative outcomes faster. But AI is not creative. Right?” – Kat Ferdon (30:03)

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Key Takeaways / Lessons

• Bold Creativity and Risk: Breakthrough marketing—especially for intangible and complex industries—requires taking risks, being “unconventional,” and not watering down brand voice.
• Leadership and Culture: Building a creative team is about hiring for both soft skills (curiosity, willingness to challenge assumptions) and creative excellence.
• Participatory Marketing: Invite consumers into the brand experience rather than talking at them, especially in categories where education and trust are hurdles.
• AI is an Amplifier, Not a Replacement: Lean into technological tools, but don’t lose the human creativity that drives authentic engagement.
• Leverage Big Cultural Moments: To drive mass adoption and brand recall for intangible brands, be bold enough to use major cultural platforms—even at the risk of polarization.

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For listeners seeking inspiration on leading in marketing, especially in emerging or intangible spaces, Kat Ferdon’s bold, creative, and people-centered approach offers valuable wisdom and actionable takeaways.

Transcript

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[Kat Ferdin]

AI can be a really powerful tool to get us to creative outcomes faster. But AI is not creative. Right? So you need really solid people wielding that tool to achieve the best results.

[Jenny Rooney]

Hi, everyone, and welcome to the Marketing Vanguard Podcast. I'm Jenny Rooney with adweek and I'm thrilled today to be joined by Kat Ferdin. She's the CMO of Coinbase. Kat, welcome.

[Kat Ferdin]

Hi. Thank you so much for having me. Jenny, I'm thrilled to be here. Longtime fan of the pod.

[LinkedIn Advertiser]

Oh, I'm so glad.

[Jenny Rooney]

Well, then, if you're a listener, you know that I love to start by just asking my guests to share a little bit about themselves. I mean, obviously the biggest sort of brand narratives are their own and you know, CMOs have incredible origin stories and so I'd love for you to share a little bit about your past, your career history and what brought you to this place.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yeah, that sounds great. And thank you again for having me. I'm so thrilled to be here. I just started at Coinbase about six months ago, so I'm still kind of into my career, early stint at the company, but I'm absolutely loving it. Hit the ground running. And prior to that, I was the first CMO of Cash App. So I spent, gosh, now nearly like 15 years in the fintech world and I've worked on a number of different products, including Square Cash app, afterpay, all of those ecosystems. And now I'm hitting the ground running at Coinbase and very, very excited to be here.

[Jenny Rooney]

Okay, I have to ask, what did you study in college or any graduate school? I mean, what kind of educational background do you have because it's such a unique specialty of marketing?

[Kat Ferdin]

I initially started studying econ at UCLA and then I ended up graduating with a double major in basically like cultural anthropology studies and history. I've always just kind of been interested in, like, what people have done in the past and like, the stories that surround them and what brings communities together. And so I think that kind of set me up for a very kind of Curious entree into marketing. And I think the best marketers tend to be curious.

[Jenny Rooney]

I love that. Yeah. I mean, you have a unique specialty. Right. And I have CMOs on who are with CPGs, automotive travel, and everything in between. I mean, what you focused on in fintech is so specialized and not everybody could do it, I would imagine. What is it about the category that gets you excited? Assuming it does, because you've chosen jobs that have kept you in that space.

[Kat Ferdin]

Totally. I mean, when it comes to me, I really love brand building. And I think what's interesting is that tech by itself can be inherently like quite sterile and boring. And I'm like, sort of obsessed with giving it a voice and some texture. Right. So I'll ask, what is the product trying to say? Who is it speaking to? And how can we more effectively reach the people who will be pumped to learn about it or at the very least might remember us when they need to solve a problem. Right. So I think, like one thing that really keeps me ticking is I love giving a voice to the intangible. People kind of sit in a room and write software and crank out programs that can do unbelievable things. Right. But that software doesn't speak for itself. And I've really made my career giving a voice to products and using that to speak with the people who are pumped to engage the brand. And I'm super excited that I've had the opportunity to do that in fintech, which was a pretty new field when I started.

[Jenny Rooney]

Oh, yeah. I mean, there's so many places to go with that because it's fascinating. I love the idea of marketing in intangible. Right. I mean, that's essentially what you're doing. And there are, listen, there are plenty of examples of that. Obviously, you know, big payment systems have been doing that for a long time. Credit cards, you know, that credit card's a physical object, but the payment, you know, the systems behind that, insurance. Right. And arguably that's another category that historically, as I think about it, has had so much marketing spend and so much marketing investment and obviously the rise of mascots in the insurance space has been huge. Right. So it's fine because now, as I'm thinking about, and even companies like in Adobe or you know, in, in the B2B space where you're marketing software services, platforms, all the above. I don't know if I've ever really thought about it in those terms that you almost have to over index. Right. In the creativity piece.

[Kat Ferdin]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. That's the thing that'll stand out. And I think in my experience, I've been really, really lucky to work with products that are a phenomenal utility and by itself are incredible and do a lot of great things for a lot of people. But my team, I kind of view my team as the one that gives it a story.

[Jenny Rooney]

Right.

[Kat Ferdin]

And we're the true on ramp to help people engage with it. Right. So coming from the tech world myself, software can be just like, inherently hard to get excited about. But when it comes with a story and a vision and a voice and breakthrough creativity, more people will therein be excited to engage with it.

[Jenny Rooney]

So I want to push on the fact that it's one thing to market an intangible, and I love the idea of giving a story and a voice. Most people understand what insurance is. Right. Fewer people understand what crypto is. And so, like, you've also had the added layer of, I would imagine there's an educational component that you don't have in some of those other gifts categories of intangibles. Talk a little bit about that and how you have to intentionally break through

[Kat Ferdin]

the what is it?

[Jenny Rooney]

Barrier reaching your consumers.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yeah, well, what's interesting too is that Coinbase is sort of like an old player in the game, right, at this point. Right. We built the tech for a decade, and my mandate is really to market for that next decade of adoption. And what's particularly interesting about Coinbase is that we are easily one of crypto's biggest brands, right. Like Coinbase is the leader in our industry, and there's been a long line of companies that have come and gone over the years that have had a bit of like a flash in the pan syndrome. Right. And Coinbase, I think, really brings that unique maturity as the adults in the room. Right. There's been just like a number of players that, it's not obvious to me, are very serious companies. But Coinbase is completely counter to a lot of that noise. And I think that's because we're really building the future of financial services in public and we're doing it responsibly. And I think what's also interesting there is that being the adults in the room doesn't necessarily mean being boring. It means being responsible enough to build the future of finance on Coinbase and creative enough to make people want to be a part of it. Right. And so I think we're really quite focused on translating the complex into the useful and meeting customers where they are. And that's something that I've been really, really excited to do, even just when I started in September to now.

[Jenny Rooney]

Yeah, no, I love that. How much technical knowledge do you personally have to have to be effective to be able to market it?

[Kat Ferdin]

Well, I think I definitely was not a normie when I entered into the space because at my last job, I did a lot of bitcoin marketing, dating as back as far as like 2016. And I think in the crypto landscape that's like, you know, you're kind of old hat at that point. But I'd say that, like, it's actually pretty hard what we do, because we're sitting at the nexus of two industries that don't exactly give people the warm and fuzzies. Right. Like essentially big tech and finance. Right. And I think, like, my last 15 years have really been spent giving a voice to a utility that straddles those two industries, but comes with a lot of baggage. Right. Like, there's constant regulatory scrutiny. It's an ever evolving landscape and it's evolving in different ways across hundreds of geographies. And so when you have that situation on the field, the first instinct is really to generate like a very sterile brand. But I've gone a different way in my portfolio. Right. I've tried to really champion these products that in some ways are like, very intimidating, complex in a more like playful and maybe sometimes even provocative way that makes feel a little more real than some of the campaigns that I've maybe said no to. And I won't get into it, but there's like a lot of things that we've passed on because they're just, frankly, they're too beige. Right. And there's really strong gravitational pull towards being beige where I'm sitting. And I think when you can really break through, fortune favors the bold, frankly.

[Jenny Rooney]

Okay, so I want to come back to the strategies you've employed, and we're going to talk about those in a minute. Just for anybody else, you know, just remind me, the Coinbase specifically, the company store, you said it's been in market for 10 years, but just how did it originate? You know, what is the journey it's been on? And by the way, has marketing always had a seat within the organization?

[Kat Ferdin]

Yeah, very interesting. So Coinbase was founded, I believe in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ursum, our two co founders. Brian is still in seat as the founding CEO and Fred actually has a seat on our board. And I'd say a lot has changed in crypto over the last period that it's been in market. Right. So the industry of 2026 really isn't the same one that Coinbase was born into. Right. Like, crypto today is now a highly regulated industry, but we also believe that those constraints really sharpen creativity. So we kind of take that challenge and we accept it as, like, maybe a new sort of, like, notch in the brief that we can respond to, to kind of top ourselves on how creative we can be. And I think as a company, Coinbase has spent 10 years on infrastructure, but now it's really about intelligent growth and taking it to the masses. So there's a lot of new players in the crypto space. I mean, that even includes big banks. And everyone's kind of like, dogpiling onto crypto, something we've really always wanted. Like, that's exciting. We want mainstream adoption. So what we're really focused on now, I'd say in this era and with the team that I'm leading at Coinbase, we're super focused on making fintech and crypto marketing cool, making it more exciting, more like something with a little more teeth.

[Jenny Rooney]

Right.

[Kat Ferdin]

And meeting people where they're at in a super participatory way. Right. So I think just having, like, that understanding is super motivating to me.

[Jenny Rooney]

Who's your target customer?

[Kat Ferdin]

We're trying to reach a lot more folks. Like, there's basically been sort of like, what you might call the crypto natives who are, you know, deeply steeped in crypto, maybe, like, hang out on the deep, dark corners of the Internet. And then there's a lot more people who are sort of, like, poking their head out and want to make the jump into this industry. So the real target here is just broadening consumer adoption, especially in America. But we have a global team, so we're interested in reaching the rest of the world, too.

[Jenny Rooney]

Okay, so now let's get into strategy. Tell me about your strategy around picking some of the biggest media events still on television. By that I mean Super Bowl Oscars. Talk a little bit about the strategy there, the media strategy, and then, of course, the creative strategy and the why behind those.

[Kat Ferdin]

Totally. So I'd say one of our biggest strategies is really to achieve breakthrough creativity. And that includes, like, a ton of risk taking. Right. Like, that means constantly looking ahead and reinventing the way that we do that. It means questioning the playbook and never following suit. And I think that we really try new things and new mediums because we want to be willing to place a bet and then steer into the things that look like they're working. Right. So that means you have to be really willing to be bold. And I Think I'm really lucky to work for a founder, CEO and Brian Armstrong who truly values that sort of risk taking and authenticity and really demands that we mean what we say, right? So we don't water it down, we don't get bashful in the face of a controversy because this stuff is really important and it's what we believe in. And at the crux of it, it's really what crypto stands for, right? Like a truly decentralized global economy. And I think there's sort of like a latent version of the financial system that we all really believe in. And my job is to help the company in this next era and this product and this brand champion that story. Right? And Coinbase's mission statement is really to increase economic freedom in the world. And I think we can do that with really unconventional marketing that breaks through and captures the attention of the masses.

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[Jenny Rooney]

attention, doesn't have to necessarily be liked, but can be talked about, right? Cause I mean, you know, your super bowl ad this year, it was met with two schools of thought. I mean, I think some people loved it and some people didn't think it really hit the mark. And by that I mean the karaoke ad featuring the Backstreet Boys song. So talk a little bit about that. Like, how do you then as a company, you had to have known going in that it was controversial, it's kind of edgy. It's creating that voice that you were talking about can come through things that maybe are not always warm and fuzzy or totally tied up in a bow. And like, tell me about the conversations that you have internally and then how you respond to things that are going to push the needle in that way and get that response.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yes. And I'm glad you saw it. I think the super bowl is obviously one of the most exciting events of the year. And we all know that the world of football is certainly on the edge of their seats watching and waiting to see what will happen. And the world of marketing is seated right behind them, just as, if not more so excited about what's going to happen that night. Right. And I think being able to participate in that event and is truly an incredible experience. And as you might recall, Coinbase has actually participated in the super bowl before, and that was well before my time here. But in 2022, they took the airwaves by storm with an unconventional but buzzworthy road. Right. Like, it kind of captured everyone's attention. And I think what we were doing with our second foray into this media market was that we came back this year and we really wanted to do something totally different and totally unique, but still hold onto that truly quirky vibe with an ability to break through.

[Jenny Rooney]

And by the way, it went viral as far as the conversation around it. So it's like not everybody has to like it because it might be unconventional, but the conversation value that comes from it and the fact that people are actually, to your point, paying attention, that counts as a win. Totally.

[Kat Ferdin]

Like, I think our goal with the super bowl was really to make sure that people remember our ad and make sure people talk about it. Right. So, yeah, honestly, some people hated it, a lot of people loved it and everybody talked about it. And so we considered it a super valuable thing to be a part of and truly powerful in its ability to stick the Coinbase brand in people's minds and a huge success.

[Jenny Rooney]

Okay, I'm going to give shout out to another brand and this dates me a little bit, but there is a precursor to this in GoDaddy. I'm just put that out there. And this is going back maybe 10 years where here again was an intangible. Nobody knew what this was and they did something that was so out of the box and completely not conventional to market a website developing company. Right. So I think they're vastly different. Creative, of course, but like this concept of breaking through because you're spending an awful lot of money and you have to sort of leave people remembering things. That's a unique skill in and of itself. But again, I do think there have been, or would you agree that perhaps there have been examples like that? I'm curious how you personally regard things that have happened historically that you look to as points of reference. Right. Like in the journey that super bowl ads in general have been on, but also sort of these unique intangible companies have done to sort of get that attention where they might otherwise never be known. Does that make sense?

[Kat Ferdin]

Totally. And honestly, we were contemplating all of this going into the super bowl, right, that like, there's actually, there's quite a few schools of thought that really, in order to sort of like capture attention and break through at the super bowl, you sometimes need to alienate half the audience or more. Right. And I think that there were roughly a hundred ads and ours was the most talked about ad on social media in the days following the super bowl, which was massive for us. Right. And I think the fact that people merely even remembered it and then engaged with it on social, even took to their phones to say, this is how I feel about the ad. I think that it just shows it had an incredible amount of power and an incredible amount of breakthrough to really stick the Coinbase brand in people's minds. And so from my point of view, it was a great campaign, right. Our team crushed it by taking a bold bet here and painting outside the normal lines. And I think that, yeah, that bold behavior can get rewarded in a super crowded media market like the Super Bowl.

[Jenny Rooney]

A hundred percent. You have to have buy in though, obviously you need to have your, I mean, you would hope that you would have CEO alignment with. Because to your point, it's unconventional, it's unexpected, it's very provocative. Personally, who doesn't love a good Backstreet Boys, everybody karaoke moment? I love it. But you know, if you have to then go back and your internal team isn't aligned, that can make for perhaps a challenging conversation. But it sounds like to your point, you've got everybody behind you in your creative decision making and your strategic marketing choices.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yes, definitely. We had showed a number of concepts to our CEO and again, I feel just like very lucky to work with someone who is truly very, very like forward thinking and really values authenticity. And he kind of demands of the marketing team that we push ourselves to the max, that we go bold, be louder, go bigger. That is sort of the challenge that he's posed to us. And he continues to convey that message. Right? So he saw the ad and he stood by it. And I think it really goes back to sort of the fact that like fortune favors the bold and you should not be afraid to fail. Right. Like you should try things and some of them aren't going to land. And obviously things that don't land are never fun to explain in an internal meeting, but nobody outside cares as much. Right. And so I think if you're going to make decisions basically minimizing the downside risk and be held captive by your own fear that you might be embarrassed in a retrospect, then you probably won't get in a whole lot of trouble, but you definitely won't do anything interesting. Right. So I think a lot of us have been in that meeting where somebody who's never worked in marketing but knows way more about marketing than the whole of the marketing team says, why the f did we do this? And it's not a fun meeting to be a part of, especially if the piece didn't land. But once you get in that room, you probably don't have a real penchant for wanting to go back. But the more time you spend avoiding that room, the less time you spend doing really excellent and exciting things.

[Jenny Rooney]

So. Well said. Let's now talk about the Oscars, because this is another major media moment where you've got a huge audience. You're also doing some awesome creative, and I think we'll talk about that now. By the time this airs, we will be post Oscars. So we don't yet have the benefit of the response from that, but we can talk about the creative going in and sort of what the rationale is for it. Cause it's a departure from your super bowl ad.

[Kat Ferdin]

Absolutely. But it's interesting because this concept was actually one that was in the running for Super Bowl. Right. It was one of the concepts that we actually went through. And I'm very proud of that most recent piece of work. It's really a live action film that's set in a video game world, and it essentially follows a man escaping his sort of, like, mindless existence as an NPC and breaking into the real world where he's finally in control of his own fate and his financial life.

[Jenny Rooney]

It's really compelling.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm a huge fan of it. And I think it really tells a completely different story than I think the super bowl ad, as you can tell. Right. It's a different altitude. And, you know, it's funny because I think the reason why we decoupled the two and why Brian, our CEO, is a champion of the work is because he was able to immediately identify the fact that as good as this piece of content is, it may not have the same ability to break through in a sea of ads at the Super Bowl. Right. We think that the Oscar moment is a great media moment for this. It'll debut on March 15th and then what we're calling your way out is something we're really excited about because it's really an emotionally resonant film that tells our story through metaphor. Right. And the story boils down to if you don't control your money and you don't control your life. Right. And that control and that ownership and freedom starts on Coinbase. And so the metaphor is that oftentimes life can feel like a video game, and very, very powerful forces are in control until one character, and all it takes is one character for the very first time, finds freedom.

[Jenny Rooney]

No, it's very interesting. It's very compelling. And it's interesting because my take, at least, is it does maintain that voice that you were talking about at the start of our conversation. Like, you still get a sense of, like, I'm going to say who Coinbase is as opposed to what Coinbase is. Like, it's a vibe, right?

[Kat Ferdin]

Yeah.

[Jenny Rooney]

Very different than the super bowl one, but there's still something that is very. Edgy is probably not the best word, but, like, that is the feeling, but you very much the emotional element that comes through on this one is very striking. It's a very human truth. Right. Nobody wants to feel boxed into anything. Right?

[Kat Ferdin]

Absolutely. Yeah. I'm glad you called that out, because I think what's really interesting about the super bowl ad that we ran, you know, everybody, Coinbase. It's almost as if that ad only works in the super bowl environment.

[Jenny Rooney]

Oh, totally, totally.

[Kat Ferdin]

It is designed for a mass audience, and, like, one of our goals of the super bowl was really to try to create a sense of togetherness. We know that 60% of Americans who watch the super bowl watch it together. And very, very few ads are actually designed, purpose built for that. And so we did that with a karaoke ad. Let's get everyone to sing along. Let's create some unity. Right? And I think what's interesting about your way out, that's, like, in some ways, a bit more durable. And that's why that campaign will serve as our ongoing campaign platform this year. And it really is meant to just sort of, like, highlight how today's financial system really remains slow and expensive and controlled by gatekeepers. And it's also quite durable in that as we roll out our new suite of financial products all throughout the year, and the fact that we're expanding well beyond just buying and selling crypto, we have a lot to offer. And something that's more fundamental than even that is just a path to greater economic freedom.

[Jenny Rooney]

Yeah, No, I think you were very Smart in. They're both very fit for purpose or fit for environment. And you're absolutely right. That super bowl ad couldn't have been done anywhere but the super bowl, which is very lean in and Oscars is a little more lean back. And you know, you're already focused on storytelling when you're watching the Oscars, so contextually it totally makes sense. And I can see the durability of the Oscars won. And that's exciting, right? That's exciting for you to have that platform because it's very stirring, it's very

[Kat Ferdin]

cool and honestly, it's very different. And I think that's part of the new team that we're building at Coinbase. We want people to know we're not a one trick pony. So you're never going to be able to guess what it is that we put out next.

[Jenny Rooney]

So. Cool. Okay. So did you work with outside agencies for this?

[Kat Ferdin]

We did work with outside agencies for this. We absolutely love partnering with Isle of Any. They are incredible. We've worked with them on a number of projects and we actually kind of consider ourselves a founding client for Isle of Any. They only spun up, I believe, just in the beginning of 2025, maybe end of 2024. And we were their very first partners. We teamed up and did some ads earlier in Q1 of 25 and we continue to work with them. And honestly, I feel like they're the perfect partner for Coinbase. They just, they bring strong opinions, softly held, and they combine deeply unconventional thinking with deep, deep craft skills. They're kind of like refiling the bankrupt term partnership with real meaning and value. And they make us better and we really hope to bring out the best in them too.

[Jenny Rooney]

I love that and I would love to get to know them in an intro to them because that's a whole nother conversation, right? Agency partnerships and how you're regarding those and what works and what doesn't. So that's very fascinating. I love the idea of being a founding partner. So now let's talk a little bit about your internal capabilities and how you lead your team. You know, what kind of skills and capabilities do you have in house? We just talked about your agency partner, but, you know, what are you trying to do? You've only been there for a few months, as you said. Six months.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yes, yes. Maybe coming up on seven. Does that help?

[Jenny Rooney]

This is still your early days. So what have you had to do sort of internally to engage the team? Do a talent assessment, frankly, and an org structure assessment and make sure you're equipped with the right resources that you need to win.

[Kat Ferdin]

You know, the first six months has been really, really interesting. I've loved getting to know the whole team and I have to say, like, the talent bar at Coinbase is absolutely out of this world. So I inherited so many talented creatives and marketers and communications professionals. And it's something that I've just loved getting to know everyone and really try to understand what, what the business looks like from the inside. Since I've just been an admirer of Coinbase from the outside for such a long time, I think one thing that I've really been trying to do is kind of the strategic shift on making fintech and crypto marketing cool. Right. So I've been here for about six months and I think the big picture is that Coinbase has this clear mission to increase economic freedom in the world. And I'm inspired. Like, it gets me out of bed in the morning thinking about that, literally. And I think that also comes with supremely high expectations of the standard of work along with a real, real openness for change. So I think like, that focus that I'm imbuing on the team on making fintech and crypto marketing cool, it's very exciting. And I think it also leans into really continuing to make marketing that meets people where they are kind of offering them like participatory ways and has the ability to just kind of like break through what could otherwise be a sea of sameness in finance. Right. And even before I started, the Coinbase philosophy in marketing has really been to create experiences that invite the audience to participate rather than just a brand talking at you. And I think that's something that I've loved getting up to speed on because it just aligns with my own sort of like personal philosophies too and just like meeting audiences where they are in a really tech forward way. So that to me has been really, really awesome. I think also for like my personal sort of like leadership style, I really want the team to push the boundaries. Like, I like to encourage everyone to basically take risks where you can. Fortune favors the bold and that's largely been true in the world of crypto. So whenever we can use creativity to problem solve, like literally no matter the issue, I like to start from that place intellectually. It's really incredible how well embedded that spirit is across the Coinbase culture writ large. Right? We have a team that's like constantly asking, yo, what's the line and where can we push? Like, if is it functional, is this legal? How can we bend things without decimating the regulatory frameworks? And I think that that's something that team has done time and again. Another thing that I really appreciate about this team is that I'm someone who is always willing to revisit my priors. I'll critically reassess and update my assumptions in light of new evidence or information. And I think being that I'm new on the job, I find myself doing that often at Coinbase. And I especially appreciate it when people that I work with and people on my team can come to me and tell me that I'm wrong. So, you know, in fact, I. I appreciate it because we need to be constantly growing and in 2026, more than ever, like, the world that we're marketing in is marked by rapid change. Right. So whatever might have worked in 2016 or 2024, it's likely to not work right now. And so I think the more truth seeking exercises, the better.

[Jenny Rooney]

So following on the conversation around, like, internal talent, your capabilities and the skills you have, I know you've had some pretty extraordinary hires recently. Talk and sort of what gets you excited about that as you move the team forward.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yeah, absolutely. So I started in September and in November we hired really some incredible people. And the rationale behind this was really just to get, like a full, stacked team. So we hired Joe Staples as our new VP of Creative. He's an absolute legend in the ad industry and one of the most prolific creatives in the game, as far as I can tell, as is Gareth Kate, our VP of Brand, who's actually been working with Coinbase in a strategic capacity, advising for the better part of, gosh, the last three years. And he's remarkable, he's a delight to work with. And we're also kind of bringing that all together under our fantastic head of production, Patrick Marzullo. And basically what we've done is we've kind of constructed a mix of several veterans and some newbies to make up the Coinbase Creative studio. And we are all hell bent on making crypto and crypto marketing cool. So overall, this new team structure really signals like a new creative and strategic direction for Coinbase's brand narrative. And that really is the fact that the future of finance is on Coinbase Dream Team.

[Jenny Rooney]

That's so cool. Okay, well, you started our conversation talking about your origin story and your growth story. I mean, curiosity was something that defines you. And everything you just said about your team, I mean, those are soft skills, those are largely, like, hard to find, but when you find them, it's so powerful, but that's a lot of soft skills and nurturing. That is something that I think is so valuable, obviously for what you're doing. I do have to ask the tech and AI question and how you're thinking about that. Right. I mean, especially as we're entering this or have been in this era where there are opportunities to automate in new ways and sort of leverage the technologies that are at our disposal. How are you thinking about the whole.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yeah, I mean, we definitely embrace AI at Coinbase. Like, everyone on the team is well versed in AI. Coinbase has a lot of AI initiatives company wide and we use it for efficient execution. And I think AI can be a really powerful tool to get us to creative outcomes faster. But AI is not creative. Right. So you need really solid people wielding that tool to achieve the best results. But anyone who thinks that they can use AI instead of their marketing team may in fact end up voiceless from where I'm sitting. Right. So I see the role of AI in marketing as excellent. Right. Like there are areas for us to use and we are using AI in marketing today and it's an exciting technology and as a company like Coinbase is definitely doubling down on that, but I think it's really kind of a way to amplify human creativity and innovation and not diminish it. Right. It's meant to sort of like extend our potential and not replace it. Love that.

[Jenny Rooney]

Kat, we're come to my last question, which you're a fan of the podcast. You know what I'm going to ask, I think, which is who's somebody you admire? Who's next? Who should I invite on the podcast? Who's somebody who you know well, or it can be somebody you've never met, but you admire them from afar and you think the work they're doing is just extraordinary or the decision making they're doing is inspiring to you.

[Kat Ferdin]

Totally. I draw inspiration from a lot of different places and they don't really follow a pattern. It's kind of scattershot. So I guess, like, I don't know if you're familiar with Anduril, it's an American defense technology company founded by Palmer Luckey and Jen Bucci, I believe is the head of design there. I've never met her, I don't know her well, but I feel like she's really raising the bar on design and taste and coolness and vibes and truly pushing the boundaries as an unequivocally non traditional brand. Right. It's in defense and it really feels like she and her team are doing just a great job of humanizing something that doesn't feel necessarily human. Right. And doing so with, like, a lot of authenticity. So I think her team and just like their level of aesthetics is incredible for the brand that they're building. Someone I have met before and have worked with a bit is Ana Angelic, who's like a prolific brand builder. I've always really admired her just because of the breadth of brands that she works on. So I've been drawing inspiration from her many, many years back into my Cash app days. I think she's excellent and if you haven't had her on, you absolutely should. And of course, a more obvious one I think would be obviously Kate Rao and Michael Tab to Buy, who are sort of the team that preceded me here at Coinbase. They built something absolutely incredible and now they're totally raising and re raising the bar at OpenAI. And I've admired them both for a long time and I love what they're building now.

[Jenny Rooney]

Awesome. Kat, thank you so much for joining me. This has been educational, inspiring. I've learned so much from you and I hope our listener have as well. Super excited to continue our conversation the next time we're together. In the meantime, thank you so much.

[Kat Ferdin]

Amazing. Thank you for this. It was really, really fun. I'm so glad I got to meet you and I'm glad my microphone didn't break. Thank you.

[Jenny Rooney]

Tech worked.

[Kat Ferdin]

Yeah.

[Jenny Rooney]

Thanks.

[Marketing Vanguard Podcast Outro]

Thank you for listening to Marketing Vanguard, part of the Ad Week Podcast Network and Acast Creator Network. You can listen and subscribe to all of Adweek's podcasts by visiting adweek.com podcast. Stay updated on all things Ad Week Podcast Network by following us on Twitter @AdWeekpodcast. And if you have a question or suggestion for the show, send us an [e-mail] thanks for listening.

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