The Digiday Podcast: A Deep Dive into a Cookie-Less Future with Mars' Chief Brand Officer Rankin Carroll

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Digiday Podcast
• Host/Author: Digiday
• Description: A weekly show addressing significant stories and issues that impact brands, agencies, and publishers as they navigate the digital era.
• Episode: If Google's cookie phase-out ever comes, here's what a cookie-less future looks like for Mars' chief brand officer Rankin Carroll
• Release Date: February 11, 2025

1. Introduction and Super Bowl Recap

Hosts: Tim Peterson and Kamika McCoy kick off the episode by discussing the aftermath of Super Bowl weekend, focusing on the advertising landscape.

• Kamika McCoy [00:22]: "We're coming off of Super Bowl weekend, which I can imagine every marketer and advertiser in America is suffering either a commercial induced hangover or a regular hangover right now, or both."

They touch upon the effectiveness of various Super Bowl ads, noting memorable campaigns and critiquing others for over-reliance on celebrity nostalgia.

• Kamika McCoy [03:04]: "ChatGPT had their first ad in the Big Game. I sat through that 30 seconds, and I still didn't know what we were talking about."

2. Guest Introduction: Rankin Carroll of Mars

The focus shifts to the episode's guest, Rankin Carroll, Chief Brand Officer at Mars, who provides insights into Mars' innovative advertising strategies and data-driven approaches.

• Kamika McCoy [17:25]: "We are so glad to be joined by Rankin Carroll, Chief Brand Officer of Mars. Hi, Rankin, how are you today?"

3. Super Bowl Advertising: Traditional vs. Second Screen

Rankin Carroll explains Mars' strategic decision to bypass traditional Super Bowl advertising in favor of a second-screen approach, leveraging Mars' own channels and social media platforms.

• Rankin Carroll [20:24]: "We are not on the big game. But we are aiming to get part of the Super Bowl traction, be part of the hype, be part of the conversation, and most importantly, give our consumers what we think is a pretty fun and enjoyable experience."

This strategy reflects the evolving media consumption habits, where consumers engage with multiple screens simultaneously.

• Rankin Carroll [22:08]: "It's really what's the right mix for the right engagement with the right consumer based on what we know about their behavior and what they want to share and how they want to share."

4. Live Streaming Success with Tubi

Tim Peterson shares his positive experience watching the Super Bowl on Tubi, highlighting the platform's seamless live streaming capabilities.

• Tim Peterson [07:42]: "I was able to check in on the game intermittently on my phone because Fox, who had the rights to the Super Bowl this year, also owns Tubi, which is a free ad-supported streaming TV platform and they simulcast the game on Tubi."

This segment underscores the growing importance of alternative streaming platforms in delivering major live events without the glitches often associated with such services.

5. Platform Earnings and the Role of AI

Kamika and Tim analyze recent earnings reports from platforms like Pinterest, Snap, and Meta, attributing their growth to strategic investments in artificial intelligence for personalized advertising.

• Kamika McCoy [10:10]: "Pinterest and Snap specifically, they're seeing growth. And it almost seems like their bet on artificial intelligence is paying off here."

However, concerns are raised about the sustainability of this growth amid increasing competition and evolving data privacy regulations.

6. The Shift to Video Podcasts: YouTube vs. Spotify

The discussion moves to the dynamics between video and audio podcasts, with YouTube maintaining a stronger foothold compared to Spotify's emerging efforts.

• Tim Peterson [13:35]: "Sarah Guaglioni... talked about how they're really orienting their video podcast strategies around YouTube right now, whereas Spotify is still a bit unproven for them."

This highlights the challenges Spotify faces in repositioning itself from an audio-centric platform to a viable destination for video podcasts.

7. In-Depth Interview with Rankin Carroll

a. Brand vs. Performance Marketing

Rankin emphasizes Mars' commitment to brand building while balancing performance-driven strategies to ensure both long-term brand health and immediate ROI.

• Rankin Carroll [24:36]: "Brands with meaning, brands with in many cases purpose... will always, in my view, be a critical part of what we do."
• Rankin Carroll [27:35]: "But we know that our brands are beloved. Our brands have value, our brands have meaning for people and we always want to keep that in balance."

b. Navigating a Cookie-Less Future

Addressing Google's phase-out of third-party cookies, Rankin discusses Mars' proactive strategies to harness first-party data and artificial intelligence for enhanced consumer insights and personalized marketing.

• Rankin Carroll [28:25]: "We're focused on innovating in that context... leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning."

He outlines three key areas:

1. AI and Machine Learning: Utilizing alternative data points to gain deeper consumer insights.
2. Enriching First-Party Data: Combining first-party data with second and third-party sources for a comprehensive consumer view.
3. Enhanced Category Insight: Using data to understand consumer demand and tailor marketing efforts accordingly.

• Rankin Carroll [34:38]: "We are working relentless in our mission to figure it out... it's a time of learning, it's a time of revelation, and it's a time of what can we take out of."

c. Mars’ AI Integration and Creative Automation

Rankin delves into how Mars is embedding AI across various facets of its operations, from media allocation to creative processes, enhancing both efficiency and creativity.

• Rankin Carroll [37:27]: "AI is not new to Mars. We've been investing it for a number of years... in marketing, integrated 360 spending allocations are really getting to next best dollar."

He shares examples like "Snickers AI," which employs AI to create engaging consumer experiences, and emphasizes the importance of governance and safety in AI applications.

• Rankin Carroll [43:53]: "AI has moved from being something foreign, a little bit scary, to something that I think we are working hard to be safe and govern properly."

d. Acquisition of Kalanova

When queried about Mars' acquisition of Kalanova, Rankin provides a measured response, highlighting the complementary nature of the acquisition and its potential to enhance Mars' brand portfolio and market strategies.

• Rankin Carroll [44:26]: "Portfolio is incredibly exciting. It's got some of the best brands in the world... It's very complementary from both a category perspective, but also from a route to market perspective."

8. Conclusion and Future Outlook

The episode wraps up with Kamika expressing enthusiasm for the insightful discussion with Rankin, emphasizing the significance of Mars' strategies in an evolving digital landscape.

• Kamika McCoy [45:51]: "Thank you so much for letting us pick your brain and get to know the Mars brand."

Hosts encourage listeners to share the episode and engage with the podcast through ratings and comments.

Key Takeaways:

1. Second-Screen Advertising: As traditional media consumption patterns shift, Mars is innovating by engaging consumers through second-screen strategies during major events like the Super Bowl.

2. AI-Driven Personalization: Mars leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance data-driven marketing, ensuring personalized and effective consumer engagement in a cookie-less future.

3. Balancing Brand and Performance: Mars maintains a dual focus on building meaningful brands while optimizing for performance metrics, ensuring long-term brand health and immediate ROI.

4. Strategic Acquisitions: The potential acquisition of Kalanova signifies Mars' commitment to expanding and enhancing its brand portfolio, with an emphasis on complementary market strategies.

5. Innovation in Data Use: By enriching first-party data and integrating various data sources, Mars is poised to gain deeper consumer insights, driving more effective and tailored marketing efforts.

6. Creative Automation with AI: Mars is at the forefront of integrating AI into creative processes, freeing up resources for more innovative and engaging brand experiences.

This episode offers a comprehensive look into how a legacy brand like Mars is navigating the complex digital landscape, balancing tradition with innovation to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.