Dr. 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.

Bob 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.

Laura 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.