Stellantis’ CMO Raj Register on knowing your brand’s true north

Summary

The Current Podcast: Episode Summary

Episode Title: Stellantis’ CMO Raj Register on Knowing Your Brand’s True North
Release Date: April 9, 2025
Hosts: Damian Fowler and Ilise Loeffring
Guest: Raj Register, Senior Vice President and CMO for North America at Stellantis

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In this engaging episode of The Current Podcast, hosts Damian Fowler and Ilise Loeffring delve into a comprehensive conversation with Raj Register, the Chief Marketing Officer of Stellantis North America. Raj provides an insider's perspective on Stellantis' strategic approach to branding, particularly focusing on their recent high-profile Super Bowl advertisements featuring renowned actors Glen Powell and Harrison Ford.

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2. Securing Super Bowl Ads

Timestamps: [00:51] - [02:14]

Raj Register begins by explaining the intricate process behind securing Stellantis' Super Bowl advertisements. He introduces the concept of a "jump ball," where multiple advertising agencies are invited to pitch their ideas. Stellantis evaluated over 35 agencies, ultimately selecting two to represent their brands Ram and Jeep.

Notable Quote:

"We allow them to pitch. And based on the pitch, how we brief them, and whoever comes up with the best idea pretty much wins the business."
— Raj Register [00:55]

Raj emphasizes the dual focus on creative excellence and business performance, ensuring that the ads not only captivate audiences but also align with Stellantis' long-term goals.

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3. Talent Acquisition: Glen Powell and Harrison Ford

Timestamps: [02:14] - [05:48]

The discussion shifts to the challenges and triumphs of securing top-tier talent for their Super Bowl spots. Glen Powell was a natural fit for Ram, continuing an established relationship and bringing authenticity to the campaign.

In contrast, securing Harrison Ford for the Jeep commercial presented a significant challenge. Initially declining the offer, Raj and his team persisted, refining the script and collaborating with director James Mangold to align the vision. The result was an exceptional commercial that resonated deeply with audiences.

Notable Quotes:

"Harrison was amazing. But that one was definitely like a day by day, you know, how are we going to get this done?"
— Raj Register [05:27]

"It took a while for us to get to where we need it to be. We shot our Super Bowl at three."
— Raj Register [05:23]

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4. Campaign Strategy: Power of Choice and Freedom of Choice

Timestamps: [05:54] - [07:43]

Raj elaborates on the thematic elements of Stellantis' Super Bowl campaigns. The Ram ad centered on the "Power of Choice," while the Jeep commercial focused on the "Freedom of Choice." These themes encapsulate Stellantis' commitment to offering diverse vehicle options—ranging from traditional internal combustion engines to hybrids and all-electric models.

Notable Quote:

"Making a choice should be fun... you have the freedom or power to choose the vehicle that's best for you."
— Raj Register [06:08]

By aligning these themes with American values of freedom and personal choice, Stellantis aims to connect deeply with consumers’ aspirations and preferences.

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5. Digital Strategy and Tubi Streaming

Timestamps: [07:43] - [09:48]

A standout aspect of this year's campaign was the integration of digital platforms, particularly the unexpected streaming of the Super Bowl ads on Tubi, Fox's free streaming service. Raj discusses the importance of a holistic digital strategy that complements traditional TV advertising, ensuring that the campaign reaches audiences across various viewing environments—whether at home, in a stadium, or on mobile devices.

Notable Quote:

"Leveraging all opportunities from TV to streaming to social, to tell a complete story."
— Raj Register [08:03]

The partnership with Tubi was a serendipitous discovery for Stellantis, providing a novel avenue to amplify their campaign's reach and engagement.

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6. Campaign Results and Metrics

Timestamps: [09:48] - [12:42]

Raj shares impressive metrics that underscore the campaign's success. The Ram ad garnered over 200 million views, while the Jeep spot achieved 106 million views across social channels. Social sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, with Jeep receiving a 99% positive sentiment and Ram at 98%.

Notable Quote:

"Everything that we've seen so far has been overwhelmingly positive."
— Raj Register [10:04]

Additionally, Stellantis implemented a 90-day usage rights strategy, extending the campaign's impact beyond the Super Bowl day and enabling localized messaging and continuous consumer engagement.

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7. Balancing Multiple Brand Identities

Timestamps: [12:42] - [15:54]

Stellantis manages a diverse portfolio of iconic brands, each with its distinct identity—from Jeep's rugged capability to Ram's robust power. Raj emphasizes the importance of respecting each brand's DNA while ensuring cohesive overarching strategies.

Notable Quote:

"Each brand has its own DNA... that's how I see the brands."
— Raj Register [13:05]

He underscores the necessity of maintaining clear delineations between brands to preserve their unique market positions and customer perceptions.

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8. Omnichannel Marketing and the Role of AI

Timestamps: [15:54] - [18:19]

In today's omnichannel landscape, Raj highlights the critical role of integrating various marketing channels to create a seamless consumer experience. He acknowledges AI's complementary role in enhancing marketing agility, targeting precision, and data-driven decision-making.

Notable Quote:

"AI allows us to do things faster, more agile, more targeted, more regional, focused."
— Raj Register [16:12]

By leveraging AI for content creation, data analysis, and campaign optimization, Stellantis aims to deliver personalized and effective marketing initiatives across all touchpoints.

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9. Differentiating from Competitors

Timestamps: [18:19] - [20:06]

Differentiation in a saturated market is achieved by steadfastly adhering to each brand's DNA. Raj explains that understanding and honoring their unique brand identities allows Stellantis to stand out without mimicking competitors like GM, Ford, or Tesla.

Notable Quote:

"When you have that as your true north, it's very easy to really understand who you are and where you show up."
— Raj Register [18:43]

This clarity enables Stellantis to cultivate strong, authentic brand perceptions that resonate with their target audiences.

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10. Staying Focused Amid Macro Changes

Timestamps: [20:06] - [22:08]

Raj discusses the importance of maintaining focus amidst macroeconomic fluctuations and industry disruptions. By concentrating on controllable elements and establishing consistent, long-term strategies, Stellantis navigates external uncertainties effectively.

Notable Quote:

"Having consistency and sticking to a plan now, you need to have some agility in there to account for things that are more major."
— Raj Register [20:35]

This balanced approach ensures that Stellantis remains resilient and adaptable in a rapidly evolving market landscape.

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11. The Balance of Art and Science in Marketing

Timestamps: [22:08] - [24:20]

Raj passionately advocates for the harmonious blend of art and science in marketing. With an engineering background, he values data-driven strategies while recognizing the irreplaceable role of creativity and emotional resonance.

Notable Quote:

"When you bridge the two together and you know how to yin and yang the two, it works... that's where the magic happens."
— Raj Register [22:13]

This duality ensures that marketing efforts are both analytically sound and artistically compelling.

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12. Future Obsessions and Marketing Dreams

Timestamps: [24:20] - [25:49]

Raj shares his fascination with modernizing marketing through disruptive technologies and innovative solutions. He is particularly intrigued by the potential of AI to recreate authentic human elements, such as voiceovers, while maintaining the brand's integrity.

Regarding his marketing dream with an unlimited budget, Raj envisions creating highly personalized, one-to-one communications tailored to diverse consumer segments. His aspiration is to accurately correlate marketing actions with tangible business outcomes, such as sales conversions.

Notable Quote:

"Being able to create bespoke one to one communications... and truly correlate a marketing action with a true business like sale impact."
— Raj Register [24:26]

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13. Hosts' Reflections and Conclusion

Timestamps: [25:49] - [27:39]

Hosts Ilise Loeffring and Damian Fowler reflect on Raj's insights, highlighting key takeaways such as the importance of brand consistency, understanding each brand's DNA, and balancing data with creative intuition. They commend Raj's emphasis on strategic clarity and the effective execution of omnichannel campaigns.

Notable Host Insights:

• Consistency in branding enhances customer trust and recognition.
• Understanding and leveraging each brand's unique DNA simplifies marketing strategies.
• The balance between art and science is crucial for impactful marketing.

Closing Quote:

"When you have that and it's rooted in everything you do, we don't have to worry about looking or sounding like someone else, because we know who we are."
— Raj Register [27:26]

Raj leaves listeners with a powerful reminder of the foundational role that brand identity plays in successful marketing.

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a deep dive into Stellantis' innovative marketing strategies, emphasizing the significance of brand authenticity, strategic consistency, and the integration of modern technologies. Raj Register's insights provide valuable lessons for marketers aiming to navigate complex brand portfolios and dynamic market conditions effectively.

Transcript

[Ilise Loeffring]

Damien.

[Damien Fowler]

I'm Damien Fowler.

[Ilise Loeffring]

And I'm Ilise Loeffring.

[Damien Fowler]

And welcome to this edition of the Current podcast.

[Ilise Loeffring]

This week, we're delighted to talk with Raj Register, the senior vice president and CMO for North America at Stellantis, one of the biggest names in the global auto industry.

[Damien Fowler]

That's right. Stellantis is the powerhouse behind iconic brands like Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, and so many more.

[Ilise Loeffring]

And as our North American fans may be well aware, Stellantis just ran not one, but two high profile spots at the super bowl in February, both featuring major celebs.

[Damien Fowler]

Glen Powell as Goldilocks in the Rams super bowl commercial, and Harrison Ford, who rarely appears in ads, starring in the Jeep commercial.

[Ilise Loeffring]

Let's get started.

[Damien Fowler]

The first thing I want to ask you, Raj, is how did it all come together?

[Raj Register]

Yeah, that's a great question and not the most straightforward way that many would think. So at Stellantis, we have something called a jump ball. And jump ball basically means that we curate several agencies and we allow them to pitch. And based on, you know, the pitch, how we brief them, and whoever comes up with the best idea pretty much wins the business. So for this past super bowl, we spoke to around 35 plus agencies. We were able to round them out to the best two. One for Ram, one for Jeep. So we go through several rounds of creative. We determine, you know, what's the best story, how does it really relate to our business. And from my perspective, it was what's the best creative? Outside of that, then what's the best thing that will help give us more Runway, you know, past the Super Bowl? So outside of the creative, it's the business aspect and how are we going to perform and make sure that it delivers upon all of our goals.

[Damien Fowler]

Now everyone knows, I guess, at this point that the super bowl ad spot is one of the most coveted in the world and one of the most pricey, I suppose. But I wanted to ask you, why was it important for Stellantis? I mean, you're the only automaker, as I understand it, to have a spot during the game this year. Why was it important for you?

[Raj Register]

There's a lot of dialogue around why were we the only one? I saw it as an incredible opportunity for us to be auto exclusive. When do you get to do that? During super bowl, it was really important for us to show up, not only to show that we're here, not only are we American born and, you know, we're proud of our brands, but when we think of everything we have to offer to our consumers, we wanted to leverage this as an opportunity to tell that story and give them an indication of who we are. And it was almost like a reintroduction back to America, as well as supporting our UAW workers, supporting our dealers, supporting our employees. So I think it was a rally cry for us to just let everybody, everyone know that we're here and we're here to stay.

[Ilise Loeffring]

That's awesome. And, you know, such terrific actors in both of the commercials, Glenn Powell and Harrison Ford. And I feel like they speak to, you know, definitely different generations, obviously, of fans and types of moviegoers, potentially. What were the main challenges of securing the talent?

[Raj Register]

Gosh. So Glenn Powell. So we already have an established relationship with him for Ram. He did a really nice job with us for our integration that we had with Twisters. And so for him, it was more of a natural fit. He has this serious nature, but he's also very funny. And so when we came up with the idea of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and using that old American fairy tale to help bring to life something really cool and unique, Glenn, I mean, it was like a no brainer, like, let's extend this, you know, relationship because he's easy to work with. But then also he brings a lot to the table to help us with bringing things to life. So he was very involved with, you know, making sure that our script and how things showed up were authentic to him. But then also because he knows us as a brand, he knew, you know, certain things to lean into. So he was a really good partner in that way. Harrison Ford was a lot more difficult for us to secure. So quite frankly, and if you've looked at any of the behind the scenes that were done, you know, Harrison talked about, his first answer was no, Olivier. And a group of us went back and he started with a different script, one that paid homage to Harrison, but then also relate it to us as a brand and the freedom of America. And so once we were able to align on the idea and have a script that Harrison actually reacted to in a positive way? He actually reviewed it with his wife and she said, now that's good. So then it was a matter of, okay, well, who's the director? Who could work with him and make sure that this comes to life in a way that he's proud of as well as us? We tapped James Mangold and that was incredible. So they already have a really good relationship. Mango did Ford versus Ferrari. So he has this really extensive background in movies, but for commercials, this was, I believe it was his first one. And so just balancing the star power of Harrison, Mangold and Olivier, you know, it was like the trifecta of greatness, I would say. But it took a while for us to get to where we need it to be. We shot our super bowl at three.

[Ilise Loeffring]

Weeks before, which that is a tight turnaround.

[Raj Register]

There's a lot of pressure, but being on set and getting everything together, Harrison was amazing. But that one was definitely like a day by day, you know, how are we going to get this done? And just making sure that he felt comfortable with the commercial. And it came out better than I could have expected. But that one definitely was a challenge, but in a good way.

[Damien Fowler]

And it's interesting to note that Harrison rarely does commercials, so it was an amazing coup for you to get him.

[Ilise Loeffring]

Totally. And, yeah, it's great that it came together, but it's also a great example of the brand campaign overall, because it's the power of choice. And why was this the right message for the moment?

[Raj Register]

Yeah. So just to clarify, so Power of Choice was our RAM ad, and Freedom of Choice was our Jeep ad. And so the reason why we chose those bookends of, you know, power and freedom, one is it's the breath and the quilt of America, like, being able to have, you know, to make a choice and be happy and stand up for whatever it is that you want or whatever you believe in. The other part was, is, you know, as we think about the way the automotive business is changing, there's a lot of, you know, energy around what type of vehicle should you choose? And, you know, our stance at Stellantis is, one, we want you to love our brands and our vehicles first, and then you make a choice as far as what platform or what energy you want. So in both commercials, we were able to highlight our ICE vehicles, which is our gas, hybrid and all electric. And so with that being said, it's, hey, making a choice should be fun. There's a lot of negative feedback around Bev versus not, or should you have a gas vehicle versus not. And for us, it's, you have the freedom or power to choose the vehicle that's best for you. And we want to make sure that you make a choice with us. And giving customers, you know, the education of, we are a company for a person like you, and we just want you to choose with us. And so that was the premise of it. And we were able to do it on one end very humorously and the other was more around, like, the freedom and pride of, you know, being American and being able to make you Know, a decision for yourself.

[Damien Fowler]

Now, one of the most interesting things about the super bowl this year was that it was also streamed on Tubi, which is Fox's fast channel. And I wanted to get into this, you know, in terms of the campaign, how did you think about and come up with a digital strategy around that that goes beyond the second quarter ad?

[Raj Register]

Yeah. So I'll just say, even for like, the day of, it was interesting because being at Super Bowl, I got a chance to see what was happening, you know, on the Tubi app and really being able to just see the integration and, you know, being able to not only see our ad live, but also our halftime show. So that was incredible to see live TV while you're, you know, on the spot, because it's a different experience. What consumers see at home is not the same as what you see in the stadium. The important thing for us was leveraging, you know, all opportunities from TV to streaming to social, to tell a complete story. And we want it to be just, okay, here's the TV spot, and move on. How can we leverage other avenues to make sure that our story is getting out there and then continuing the story, you know, with our consumers or those that are interested in learning more? Yeah, there's a group that are watching on TV or they're, you know, in an environment where they're in a sports bar or something like that, but you also have these other, you know, group of customers that are watching on their phones. And so that's why it was important for us to leverage, you know, all avenues and all media channels to make sure that our collective 360 story was getting out there.

[Ilise Loeffring]

Totally. Did you know that it was going to be streamed on Tubi when you first made the buy?

[Raj Register]

No, we didn't. And so I learned when I was in the suite with Fox Sports, and so they came and said, raj, you know, you can see everything live, and, you know, here's how everything works. And so I had everything set up, and it was just. It was really nice to see. So I was trying to balance, like, be here in the moment. But then I was enthralled by Tubi. And so, you know, throughout breaks and things like that, I was very much so engaged. So it was a surprise and delight for me and something that I'll definitely continue to leverage, you know, as we look at our media buying practices in.

[Ilise Loeffring]

The future, totally makes sense. Curious about how those overall numbers added to the results of the super bowl spots. And on that note, let's get into those results with the Overall takeaway. First off, what was the reaction to the campaign overall?

[Raj Register]

That one we did something a little bit different than we typically do. So what we have normally done is super bowl is the coveted day. We don't do teasers as a company. You know, it's. Everyone sees it at the same time and it's under lock and key. And we tried something a bit different this year. So for Ram, we created some teasers. And so we went live with our teasers a week before super bowl. And then on the Wednesday before, we had an opportunity with the Today show to show the entire commercial and, and really start some of the excitement and engagement before Super Bowl. From a press standpoint, the world knew or people knew that we would have a Jeep spot. And we kept up with our previous practice of everything's under embargo. So no one knew that one. We had Harrison Ford or we had a two minute spot. And so it was a complete, really surprise to most people. And so to have that go live during the super bowl itself, I mean, that just took off. From a social sentiment standpoint, Me being a former Ford employee, I got so many text messages because the last line where Harrison talks about loving his Jeep even though his name is Ford, that was quite the zinger. And so everything that we've seen so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Positive sentiment for Jeep was 99% and for Ram it was 98%. From a global PR standpoint, over 10 billion. For Ram, we had over 200 million views. For Jeep, over 106 million views on social channels. So many like recognition and rewards. Ad blitz was one where we were number one spot for Jeep. And so they just keep coming in. And so those are the things that, you know, you did the right thing.

[Ilise Loeffring]

Yeah, those are fantastic numbers.

[Raj Register]

Amazing.

[Damien Fowler]

I guess it's fair to say you hit your metrics for success.

[Raj Register]

Yeah, for, for game day and right after. So another thing that we did differently this time is that we have usage rights for 90 days after Super Bowl. So it wasn't just a day of and done. We're leveraging the content for some localized messaging. We leveraged our websites CRM and really doing a complete 360 after the fact. So we'll have a postmortem, you know, after the 90 days, you know, of our campaign, which is something very different, you know, for us and having cut downs and really being able to support more product and storytelling. Key why by messaging. And it's something that I think will be pivotal for us as a company and really set the stage for how we do things in the future.

[Damien Fowler]

I'd love to zoom out a little bit. You have many iconic brands on your watch, you know, not just Jeep and Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, and also, you know, European brands too. I wanted to ask you though, how do you balance, you know, your marketing across so many different brand identities while also sort of keeping in house that cohesive idea of, you know, strategy for the whole company?

[Raj Register]

At a company like Stellantis, where you have essentially a house of brands, you have the very, you know, all American Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, G brands and then Alfa Romeo and Fiat, each brand has its own DNA. And that's how I see it is the DNA is what sets the stage for the fabric of how that vehicle or how that brand should show up. And we need to be tried and true to that. Many times we get ideas and an agency may pitch us and it may be a great idea and say, for example, they pitch us for Chrysler and it comes across as Dodge. I say that's a great idea. But it's very Dodge, it's very, you know, brotherhood, you know, badass, you know, speed, power, you know, for Chrysler, you know, more of the family, you know, with Pacifica and you know, capability and off road with Jeep and, you know, Ram also having capability is the only brand that has in basically in the world that only does pickup trucks. Right? And so when you think of all those things, each brand has its own identity and so you don't have to mix and match things. As individuals, we have our own personalities and as families, we have our own DNA. That's how I see the brands. And so that part to me is fairly easy, you know, to, to really just understand and make sure that there's clear lines of delineation. When I think of marketing though, there's best practices and there's things as a company that we know to be true when we think about. So for me, I have things that are considered either above the line or below. And just really understanding what investment, what media channels, what optimization, what tactics are necessary for us to be successful with a particular nameplate or launch, and ensuring that I have a complete cohesive plan and really establishing what are my KPIs and goals and things that I need to make sure that I'm accomplishing if there's something that needs to be communicated and it falls below the line, where we have maybe digital only or we're doing only experiential, really understanding what are my priorities, what am I trying to deliver upon and then holding true to that. So as A company having marketing rigor and expertise around what it is that we really need to establish as far as a North Star. And then also working with our brand heads on, does this meet the brand DNA? Does it meet our customer, you know, goals? Does it meet, you know, our key why buys? And then you move forward. And so a lot of things we do are collaboratively. So it's not the marketing team on our own just driving things and, you know, bringing things out the door. It's, you know, how are we establishing what's necessary for us to be successful. And at the end of the day, it's about sales and share and making sure that we have a positive sentiment, you know, in the market and people are shopping us.

[Ilise Loeffring]

Speaking about shopping and digital, you know, today's consumers are really omnichannel in their approach to shopping. How has that shift really impacted marketing in the auto sector? Is AI and automation having an impact on that approach?

[Raj Register]

So I would say I don't know if AI necessarily has an impact as a compliment. And so what AI does. And when you think of Omni Channel, it allows us to do things faster, more agile, more targeted, more regional, focused. And so when I think of how customers consume things, many times it takes them seeing something in many different places and how are we collectively telling a story and really understanding what part of the funnel are we leveraging what channel for? And ensuring that we're doing it in the most authentic way that is not overbearing to someone that's receiving it. But to me, I see it as like, how are we taking them down the funnel? So if on tv, I'm leveraging a brand campaign for excitement and engagement, but then when a customer sees a similar ad or a version of it at the digital level, where they're now as a call to action, where we're saying, hey, learn more, there's a call to action for either build in price or learning more about our features and options. And then when you get to the dealer level, allowing them to be the closer of the play. And so all of these things should be, as I said, in complement with one another. Whenever we create something, we leverage AI to help us with, you know, not only creating faster content, you know, in a way that gives us that agility, but then we also use it for our data and our forecasting, for our modeling and, you know, how are we leveraging our media channels and then also how are things performing and then helping set the stage for. Well, you did this component very well. How do you go deeper in a particular audience or market to help establish what success really looks like. And so I think AI is very complimentary in a positive way, to really help establish, not only from a content perspective, but when you think about performance, it definitely helps guide, you know, from a forecast standpoint, what we should expect or how we should leverage certain investments, certainly.

[Ilise Loeffring]

And, you know, it's hard enough, obviously, to differentiate the brands from each other and keep true to their own brand guidelines, but as a marketer, you have to also differentiate your brands from competitors like GM and Ford and Tesla. What shapes basically your approach to that?

[Raj Register]

The brand DNA. When you have that and it's rooted in everything you do, we don't have to worry about looking or sounding like someone else because we know who we are. And that when you have that as your true north, it's very easy to really understand who you are and where you show up. Now, when I think of brand health and brand sentiment and things that we need to listen to customers on. So, for example, if we have feedback, that's saying our brand is beloved, but customers don't understand our features and technology, or they don't understand capability, or they don't understand certain components, we use that as data to help us with our storytelling, especially at the tier 2 and retail level, to really start, like, leaning into things that maybe we're missing the boat on, especially if it's something that we believe is a key factor as to a why buy. But when I think of a Tesla or a Ford or a gm, they have their own brand identities as well. And so trying to chase or be them is not the answer. Many of our brands have been in place for decades. I mean, Chrysler will be coming up on his 100th anniversary. At this point, we know who we are. And holding true to that, I think, is the most important thing you can ever do as a brand and as a marketer.

[Damien Fowler]

I love that answer. You know, when you know who you are, that's what you lean on. And I think that goes for individuals too.

[Raj Register]

Right.

[Damien Fowler]

In lots of ways. You know, not to get too psychological about this, but it is a true.

[Raj Register]

It's true.

[Damien Fowler]

Yeah, it's true. And, you know, I know that there's a question here about, you know, and maybe that's the answer to this next question. But when things are changing, big picture, macro conditions, global economy, which has a big impact on the auto industry, how do you as a marketer stay focused?

[Raj Register]

Yeah, and that's an interesting question because when you think of macroeconomic factors, it can be competitive actions. It could Be things like tariffs. There's all these things that you need to take into consideration. And so the things that we can control, the controllables, I always make sure I understand what those things are. The things that I can't control are the things that I consider noise, meaning there's disruption. And people don't like Stellantis because of X, Y and Z or this decision was made, we had a lot of leadership changeover. Like we can't digest all of that. And so what I try to do is make sure that whatever plan is done soundly, it's inclusive of any key stakeholders that are necessary to help us make whatever decision it is that we're going to market with. And then also having consistency. And so yes, there's external things that we need to have into consideration. But if we run our business and change day by day, fly by fly will be a weather report we won't be able to really hold true. So for me, having consistency and sticking to a plan now, you need to have some agility in there to, you know, account for things that are more major. But when I think of major versus minor, I try to keep the minors at bay, plan for the majors as much as I can, but then hold true. The more you're consistent, the more and the more you have a plan that you stick to, the better success you have.

[Ilise Loeffring]

So it said marketing is a balance between art and science. Do you agree?

[Raj Register]

1,000%. 1,000%. So when I think of art and science, one, that's my background. So I have an engineering background, very much science, data driven. And then when you have the marketing piece, you know, there is science there, but there's a lot of art. And when you bridge the two together and you know how to yin and yang the two, it works. While I love data, I love to make sure that, you know, things are technically sound. I also recognize that there's art in here that you can never discount. And so I think it's an important balance to respect both parts of it. And when you're able to marry the two together, that's where I think the magic happens.

[Damien Fowler]

What are you obsessed with figuring out right now?

[Raj Register]

I'm obsessed with figuring out modernization of marketing. And when I say that it's what are the disruptive things that are not necessarily on the map? So we have a voiceover talent that we use for G and this is a recognizable voice and we've used the same individual for over a decade. He got into a car accident and his vocal cords were damaged and we had A decision to make. It's going to be a different voice that we maybe don't want to necessarily use. This wasn't the decision. Or could we leverage technology using AI to recreate his voice, get him, you know, into an agreement? We're still going to compensate and all of those things, but how do we continue with ensuring that there's a human part of this? We use the technology, but we were able to still move ourselves forward. And so that's an example for me of I'm obsessed with how do you create opportunities. And again, it goes to the art and science to create things that may be a challenge that you can fix quickly. Or are there things that I'm not thinking about that are very different and disruptive that I can start grounding myself on today because it's going to be even more relevant in five years.

[Ilise Loeffring]

What if you had an unlimited budget? What would be your marketing dream? What would you do?

[Raj Register]

If I had an unlimited budget, really being able to establish a true footprint that gave true indication of what things are necessary for all consumers, whether they're African American, Hispanic women, millennials, whoever it is, being able to create very bespoke one to one communications for them at the stage and at the channel that they need to make a decision. I think being able to create something like that and really understanding what's necessary, what drives someone and then being able to truly correlate a marketing action with a true business like sale impact, whatever the call to action is, I think it would be huge. Right now we guess we say, okay, there's all these things. They clicked on an ad, they did X, Y and Z. But we don't always know, especially for a big purchase. Yeah, for online things that's easier to track. But when I think of true decision making, what are the things that really triggers individuals to make a choice? And being able to correlate it to business results, I think is something that I have not yet seen done. And if I were to be able to crack that code, I'd be winning. So I think that's, that's limitless.

[Damien Fowler]

So Eile, what were your kind of thoughts off the back of it?

[Ilise Loeffring]

Yeah, you know, I really liked how she talked about consistency, especially being a brand that is so prevalent in today's culture. She said the more you're consistent, the better for customers because customers can see if you're not. Basically she said if we change every day, we're just going to be like a weather report.

[Damien Fowler]

Yeah, that was very grounding. And I think when you talk about omnichannel campaigns, and you think about the consistency of the brand across all of those channels, that's got to be a huge factor. The thing that resonates with me about that, too, is the fact that she talked about the DNA of each brand in her portfolio, you know, whether it be Ram or Jeep. And just knowing that, that was kind of a revelation to me. You can lean back on that idea. And I thought that kind of idea of when you know who you are, things are easier, marketing is easier. So that was something that really stuck with me. And then there was one other thing she said, that clarity of thought when she said, you know, it's what now? So what now what? And I just thought that was a really nice way of kind of structuring the way a marketing campaign might be planned and how it might roll out.

[Ilise Loeffring]

I also liked how she talked about the balance between art and science, whether data only tells us so much. But you gotta lean into things with your heart as well.

[Damien Fowler]

Hearts and minds, right?

[Ilise Loeffring]

That's the old adage, that is. That's it for this edition of the current podcast.

[Damien Fowler]

This series is produced by Molten Heart. The current podcast theme is produced by Loving Caliber. And the current team includes Kat Vessi and Sydney Cairns.

[Raj Register]

And remember the brand DNA. When you have that and it's rooted in everything you do, we don't have to worry about looking or sounding like someone else, because we know who we are.

[Ilise Loeffring]

I'm Ilece.

[Damien Fowler]

I'm Damian. And we'll see you next time.