Podcast
On Scope: The Marketing Podcast
Hosted by Host, Mike Berberich and Producer, Ryan Dinger · EN
On Scope is the official podcast of the ANA, an association serving the marketing needs of more than 50,000 brands that collectively invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually. The show is the most authoritative and thought-provoking podcast available on marketing. You’ll hear candid conversations with some of marketing’s smartest and most influential leaders, on topics that matter most to you.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What Beyoncé Can Teach You About Marketing with Dr. Marcus Collins
4w ago00:58:43Tap to summarizeDr. Marcus Collins, an author and clinical professor of marketing at the University of Michigan, is an expert on culture and how it influences human behavior. As both an academic and a practitioner, his strategies and creative contributions have led to hugely successful activations for clients like McDonald’s, Google, and even pop superstar Beyoncé. On this episode of On Scope, Marcus joins host Mike Berberich to unpack why brands so often misinterpret culture and how marketers can move from chasing popularity to facilitating meaningful connection with consumers. Together, Mike and Marcus explore why understanding brand purpose — or brand conviction, as Marcus prefers to call it — is so crucial to successfully engaging in culture, why treating culture as a monolith flattens nuance and strips marketing of authenticity, the biggest lessons Marcus learned while spearheading Beyoncé’s digital strategy, and how employees lower down on the corporate ladder can positively affect their own company’s internal culture. On “News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss a report from ADWEEK that Spotify is debuting carousel ads and branded playlist takeovers on its app. This news from Spotify, plus pricing trends on platforms like Netflix, has Mike and Ryan wondering if we’re witnessing the death of premium content, with consumers seemingly being nudged toward ad-supported experiences. The pair highlight some potential concerns for advertisers in this new reality — including how audiences entering ad tiers may be resentful, more sensitive to interruption, and less tolerant of lazy or repetitive creative — and offer some thoughts on how brands might engage these spaces without incurring consumer ire. As you’ll learn during this episode, culture moves quickly, and the cost of getting it wrong is real. The best marketers build stronger cultural instincts by learning from people who are doing the work at the highest level. ANA National Industry Conferences put marketers in the room with CMOs and senior leaders shaping what’s next, with practical takeaways and connections that carry beyond the event. Check out the full lineup of upcoming conferences by visiting www.ana.net/conferences.Have a topic idea or guest suggestion for On Scope? Let us know by emailing onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →You're Overthinking Your Media Strategy with Infolinks Media’s Bob Regular
Apr 1600:56:49Tap to summarizeBob Regular, CEO at Infolinks Media, has been in ad tech long enough to see every hype cycle come and go. With all that experience, Bob now maintains that the marketing industry is stuck chasing the wrong things, arguing that smarter media buy paths — rather than shorter ones — are the key to unlocking efficiency, performance, and trust in programmatic media.On this episode of On Scope, Bob joins host Mike Berberich to break down why proprietary inventory and context signals are rewriting the rules for programmatic and why advertisers who optimize for outcomes instead of shortcuts will be the ones who win in the long run. Together, Bob and Mike explore where the industry has gone wrong in its quest for programmatic efficiency, the engagement signals that indicate high-performing ad placements that all marketers need to know, and Bob’s tips for how marketers can get beyond the jargon and begin to apply common sense to achieve optimized, transparent media buys.In a special segment, Matthew Schwartz, editor of ANA magazine, provides an on-the-ground report of PepsiCo’s in-house content agency, the Content Studio, and an in-depth look at broader trends within the in-house agency space. Matthew sits down with Lou Arbetter, head of the Content Studio, Jayne Amrosini, head of strategy at the Content Studio, and representatives from BBDO and Vaynermedia to learn how in-house and external agencies are collaborating to power stronger business results and what the future of in-house agencies looks like.If this episode has made you realize you need to rethink your entire approach to media, the ANA Media Practice has the tools and insights to help. From CTV and retail media to influencer and programmatic transparency, this is the hub for smarter media, cleaner supply chains, and billions in efficiency gains. Check out all the resources available by visiting www.ana.net/media. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to see on a future episode, let them know by emailing onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →It's Time Marketers Slay Their Strategic Enemies with Laura Ries
Apr 900:45:47Tap to summarizeLaura Ries is a globally recognized branding strategist and bestselling author of the book, The Strategic Enemy: How to Build and Position a Brand Worth Fighting For. Since 2022, Laura has continued her father’s legacy, serving as the chairwoman of RIES, a consultancy that aims to lead brands to clarity and focus by using proven positioning strategies that help them stand out in the minds of consumers.On this episode of On Scope, Laura sits down with host Mike Berberich for a compelling conversation on visual hammers, brand anchors, and strategic enemies. Together the duo covers what most marketers get wrong about brand positioning, what a strategic enemy is and how it can actually be a force multiplier for branding, and the most common missteps brands take when with their positioning as they expand the business.On “This Week in ANA Magazine,” Matthew Schwartz, editor of the magazine, joins the show to spotlight a new article on the great B2B marketing reset and how AI is upending search. Matthew outlines the ways in which B2B brands will have to adapt to this new reality, including a need to lean into more human activations like live events to build meaningful relationships with buyers.Your brand strategy can only go as far as your execution allows. And right now, AI is changing what great execution looks like. The ANA Generative AI Essentials for Marketers Certificate Program gives you exactly what you need to keep up. In just ninety minutes, our six focused courses will provide real practitioner experience you can apply directly to your work. Get certified by visiting us at www.ana.net/AICert26. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →Mastering Culture in Every Dimension
Apr 201:00:36Tap to summarizeKellie Pean and Alyssa Convertini Lindquist are the co-founders of Brand New: A Collective, a bicoastal and award-winning marketing agency with disciplines across creative, strategy, experiential production, and talent partnerships. The agency is guided by a penchant for cultural mastery, using its team’s deep understanding of culture to craft stellar campaigns and activations that drive meaningful business results.On this episode of On Scope, the women behind Brand New join host Mike Berberich to share their founders’ story and explain how company culture is the ultimate catalyst for producing great work. Together, the trio covers the realities of being a female entrepreneur in a patriarchal society, the silent killers Kellie and Alyssa believe pull down company culture, how smaller brands can participate in and own culture without needing a massive media budget, and how brands of all sizes can engage in culture without coming off as cringe.On “News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss a story from ANA Magazine covering key takeaways from the ANA’s latest report, “The Continued Acceleration of Principal Media.” The report shows that marketers are leveraging principal media more, despite their growing concerns. Mike and Ryan discuss why this contradiction might be occurring, highlight how marketers are still dropping the ball when it comes to media governance, and point out how misguided, top-down organizational pressure might be forcing marketers to invest in media buys that they don’t have the utmost confidence in.As you’ll learn during this episode, culture moves quickly, and the cost of getting it wrong is real. The best marketers build stronger cultural instincts by learning from people who are doing the work at the highest level. ANA National Industry Conferences put marketers in the room with CMOs and senior leaders shaping what’s next, with practical takeaways and connections that carry beyond the event. Check out the full lineup of upcoming conferences by visiting www.ana.net/conferences. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →Tapping Into the Power of Neurodiversity in Business Performance
Mar 2600:38:04Tap to summarizeRita Ramakrishnan is an executive coach with more than 15 years’ experience leading people strategy and helping neurodivergent executives turn their cognitive differences into competitive advantages. Through the years, she has developed a keen understanding of how team structures can be designed to maximize the strengths of all individuals, but especially those who are neurodivergent.On this episode of On Scope, Rita, who is the founder and CEO at Iksana Consulting, joins host Mike Berberich to discuss what brands and business leaders can do to tap into the superpowers of their neurodivergent workforce, an increasingly critical business imperative, as more than half of gen Z now identify as neurodivergent. Together, Mike and Rita discuss the specific advantages of creating a work environment where neurodivergent employees can thrive, what steps companies can take to create this type of environment, and how those lower down on the corporate ladder can convince leadership that making accommodations for neurodivergent individuals is not about entitlement but rather about maximizing the potential of the entire team.On “News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss an article from ADWEEK on the persistent gender wage gap in advertising, with a new study showing women working at ad agencies still earn 5 percent less than their male counterparts, despite ongoing efforts to achieve pay equity. Mike and Ryan acknowledge that this issue probably exists on the brand side, as well, before hypothesizing on why the industry continues to struggle to make progress, highlighting the culture they both experienced when working at agencies and speculating about the need to rethink leadership models in business.If the conversation with Rita has you wondering how to get the most out of your own team, then you’ll want to check out the ANA’s Marketing Training and Development Center, which helps build capabilities through open workshops, both online and in-person, and certification programs. Learn more by visiting us at www.ana.net/mtdc. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →Is Playing It Safe The Biggest Risk Your Brand Can Take?
Mar 1900:59:12Tap to summarizeGravity Research’s Joanna Piacenza has a knack for driving enterprise growth through research-backed thought leadership and integrated marketing strategy. As VP of thought leadership and marketing, she excels at translating proprietary research into executive-ready narratives and strategic communications.On this episode of On Scope, Joanna joins host Mike Berberich to share recent research from her organization indicating that 2026 looks to be a year of playing it safe for marketers and explain why that just may be the riskiest move a brand can make.Together, Joanna and Mike cover the role AI has played in marketers opting to play it safer this year, what Joanna is hearing from Fortune 500 executives about their concerns for 2026 that hasn’t shown up in public discourse yet, and her advice for how marketers can take risks without upsetting brand stakeholders.On “This Week in ANA Magazine,” Matthew Schwartz, editor of the publication, joins Mike to spotlight an article on the proliferation of creator partnerships in marketing. Together, the pair underscore some of the best practices needed to make these activations succeed and highlight some of the KPIs marketers should consider.If your business wants real connection, then it’s time to partner with the ANA. Become an official ANA sponsor and you will connect with the brands shaping the future of our industry, from Google and Amazon to Meta and TikTok. You can learn more about the fantastic opportunities available to you by visiting www.ana.net/sponsorship. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →Everything You Need to Know About Maximizing NIL Partnership Value
Mar 1200:54:13Tap to summarizeSince 2021, when the Supreme Court rejected an NCAA appeal of its antitrust lawsuit, student athletes have been able to receive compensation for licensing their name, image, and likeness (NIL) in business partnerships. This watershed moment not only changed the college sports landscape, but also opened up the door to a new and exciting opportunity for brand advertisers increasingly under pressure to connect with consumers. Now, just five years after that landmark court decision, NIL partnerships are big business, with the total investment in these deals exceeding $2.5 billion in 2025 alone. However, the space is still nascent, with many marketers stumbling to figure out how to best maximize these new partnerships.Ahead of March Madness, Solly Fulp and Grant Jones, both of Learfield — a media, data, and technology services company with an unparalleled footprint in college sports — join the On Scope team to break down everything marketers need to know about the current state and future of NIL partnerships.With host Mike Berberich running point, Solly and Grant cover some of the less obvious characteristics brands should be looking for in student athlete partners, how brands might maintain stability with NIL partners during transfer portal chaos, and their one piece of advice on what every brand marketer needs to be doing to maximize the ROI of their NIL agreements.On “News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss a Zappi report that found that an alarming number of women think brands aren’t investing in ads that genuinely reflect them, with many calling the efforts “performative.” The pair speculates about where brands are going wrong on this front and offers some insight into how they might get back on track.NIL changed college sports marketing fast. The brands that will win now are the ones who understand the landscape, set smart standards, and move early. That’s the point of ANA Practices. Members come together to raise the bar in AI, Brand, Media, Measurement, B2B, and more, so teams can lead change instead of chasing it. Check out the resources from the ANA Practices and get involved by visiting www.ana.net/leadership. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →Digital Fixation Is Leading Brands Astray with Dr. Mara Einstein
Feb 2600:49:49Tap to summarizeWith more than 20 years of experience working as an executive at NBC, MTV Networks, and major advertising agencies with accounts such as Miller Lite, Uncle Ben’s, and Dole Foods, Dr. Mara Einstein knows a thing or two about media and marketing. Now working as a self-proclaimed marketing critic, Dr. Einstein, who authored the book, HOODWINKED: How Marketers Use The Same Tactics As Cults, believes marketers have become way too focused on the digitally driven attention economy, often to the detriment of their own brands.On this episode of On Scope, Dr. Einstein joins host Mike Berberich to outline exactly why it is that she thinks attention at all costs is a net negative for the marketing practice. She covers why thinking about digital as a strategy instead of a tactic is misguided, how marketers might convince executives that harder-to-measure analog channels viewed more favorably by consumers might be worth a larger investment, and shares the fascinating story of a cosmetic brand that moved off social media entirely and saw a huge surge in business as a result.On “News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss a new GetResponse survey of more than 2,400 consumers indicating that they think new customers get all the love from brands, despite most brands reporting a 50/50 split on spending on new customers versus retaining existing ones. The pair hypothesize about what brands are doing to enhance existing relationships with consumers and express skepticism that the tactics are truly about building the relationship rather than just trying to upsell. They also note a huge disconnect in the number of consumers who are interested in high-end luxury programs and the number of brands that offer them.Dr. Mara Einstein feels strongly that digital fixation is pulling brands off course. If you agree with that assessment, it’s time to rethink your team’s approach. The ANA Talent and Marketing Operations Practice helps you develop sharper skills, build stronger teams, and identify smarter ways of working, while still delivering stellar business results. Explore the resources and start getting smarter by visiting www.ana.net/talent. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →How Marketers Can Take Back Marketing with Accenture Song’s Arun Kumar
Feb 1900:54:25Tap to summarizeArun Kumar is an accomplished global data and marketing leader with a proven track record of setting strategies and developing products that stimulate business growth while reducing costs. He’s an accomplished public speaker, an advisory board member, and the author of The Data Deluge: Making Marketing Work Better for Brands and People.On this episode of On Scope, the Global Head of Data and AI at Accenture Song joins the show to discuss how marketers can reclaim their data and digital destiny and take back marketing. Along with host Mike Berberich, the conversation begins by an examining an emerging marketing conundrum: Why the industry has ceded virtually all control of its channels to tech giants. From there, the duo discusses how the industry found itself in this unfortunate position and how it might work its way out, why an ongoing lack of coordination between customer service and marketing departments leaves consumers with less-than-ideal brand experiences, and why marketers need to rethink their approach to leveraging data and aim to find a happy medium between broadcast messaging and hyper personalization efforts that often leave consumers feeling — well — a bit creeped out.On “News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss an article from Fast Company on the “zombie internet” and a new social media platform developed exclusively for agentic AI bots. They explain why they’re incredulous at the idea that a social media platform built exclusively for chatbots would have any long-term appeal for humans and speculate about the consequences such a thing would have on the advertising ecosystem.Speaking of the zombie internet, it sure is a confusing time for marketers trying to wrap their head around emerging technology, especially when evaluating what is worth their time and what isn’t. You can cut through the noise and better understand where your time and money is best spent with tools from the ANA’s Technology Practice. Check out the practical frameworks, real-world case studies, and peer guidance available to help you make smarter tech choices by visiting www.ana.net/technology. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.
Transcribe →Lessons from This Year's Super Bowl Ads with Zappi CMO Nataly Kelly
Feb 1200:55:49Tap to summarizeEvery year at the conclusion of the Super Bowl, Zappi conducts a real-time analysis of the ads, generating a robust report on which commercials performed well, which missed the mark, and the lessons marketers can learn from both.Zappi CMO Nataly Kelly joined the On Scope team in ANA Studios to breakdown this year’s analysis, covering all the key takeaways from Super Bowl LX’s slate of ads. Along with host Mike Berberich, Nataly covers which commercials were the best performing across key categories, what this year’s batch of winning ads all have in common, and what brand marketers can learn from another, lesser known tentpole marketing moment that is historically much more effective at connecting with consumers.On “This Week in ANA Magazine,” Mike and ANA Magazine editor Matthew Schwartz discuss a new article on emerging trends within brand-celebrity partnerships. The duo outlines how the traditional model of celebrity endorsements has been completely upended, what the new model looks like, and how brand marketers of all kinds can apply these lessons to their own efforts.We all love a great Super Bowl spot. But on Monday morning, the question is simple: How does this build the brand? The ANA Brand Practice helps you turn creative moments into measurable brand growth, with practical tools, research, and brand leaders who’ve been there. Explore all the resources available to you by visiting www.ana.net/brand. The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.
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