Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart

What separates a good idea from good creative work? 

For Jo Shoesmith, chief creative officer at Amazon, it's curiosity—the willingness to look again, to find the idea within the idea and recognize potential hiding in plain sight. 

In this episode, Jo draws on her agency experience and her current role leading Amazon's creative organization to explain how leaders can operate as both builders and curators—building systems that can help a global brand move with speed and continuity, then applying judgment and taste to determine which ideas best represent the brand and which stories are worth telling. This balance can give teams room to experiment while preserving brand continuity. 

Jo's instinct to look past the obvious and find what resonates comes through in her work on Amazon's iconic 2023 "Joy Ride" advertisement. Her team recognized genuine chemistry among its three stars and trusted their unscripted joy to carry a story with no spoken dialogue. The result was a simple, emotionally resonant portrayal of friendship and aging that connected with people far beyond its intended audience. 

To help bring other great ideas to life, AI can help curious creatives remove friction, but acting on every idea isn't the goal. Human judgment and taste still determine which ideas to pursue, and which will resonate. 

For creative and marketing leaders, Jo's lesson is clear: Curiosity is key to identifying an idea's potential, building systems that help it grow and knowing when it is right for the brand. As AI makes it possible to explore and execute more possibilities, those human capabilities become even more important. 
 
In this episode, you'll hear: 
How curiosity can help creative leaders recognize potential and build on areas others might overlook  

Ways marketing teams can use AI to expand creative possibilities without replacing human judgment and taste 

Strategies to build and curate brands that move fast, feel human and make a lasting emotional impact 

 
Key highlights: 

[00:20] Introduction 

[01:50] Growing up in rural Australia 

[03:00] Jo's path to Amazon 

[06:30] The scope of the CCO role at Amazon 

[07:35] Being both a builder and a curator 

[09:25] Embracing AI as a creative 

[12:50] Making Amazon's iconic 2023 "Joy Ride" ad 

[15:35] Past experience that defines you: Growing up with a strong single mother 

[16:50] Advice to your younger self: Become a builder 

[18:05] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Role expansion to media and production 


[18:40] Latest curiosities: Identifying small, simple ideas for new creations 

[19:35] Largest potential opportunity: Everyone is a business owner 

[20:50] What AI cannot replicate: Strong internal company culture 
 
Resources mentioned:   

Amazon 

 

Follow the podcast:   

Listen on Apple Podcasts   

Listen on Amazon Music  

Listen on Audible  

Listen on iHeart Radio 

Listen on Spotify   

 
Connect with Jo and Amazon: 

Jo on LinkedIn 

Amazon on LinkedIn
 
Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:    

Connect with Alan Hart on X 

Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram  


Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

How can brands preserve what sets them apart as AI transformation brings more speed and scale to marketing content production, The answer starts with smart parameters and guardrails that keep human insight and creativity at the center. 

In this episode, Meghan Gendelman, chief marketing officer (CMO) of business-to-business (B2B) at Canva, explores how marketing teams can use AI while prioritizing and protecting what technology cannot create: authenticity. Human marketers bring a genuine understanding of what their customers know, feel and believe about a brand. Meghan emphasizes that by first establishing clear, human-led guardrails and parameters such as brand systems, kits and templates, teams can harness AI more effectively to deploy creative, engaging marketing content at scale. 

Meghan further shares how Canva's B2B offerings help businesses put this authenticity-first approach into practice. By making it easier to adapt, localize and customize content at scale, Canva allows marketing teams more freedom to focus on customer relevance and brand expression. Meghan also discusses how leaders can help teams adapt as AI changes marketing work by: 

Challenging existing processes and rethinking how work gets done 


Testing new possibilities with a beginner's mindset 


Turning innovative ideas into action with practical boundaries 


By balancing freedom and discipline when using AI, your brand can stay authentic while meeting growing content demands.

How can a brand stay distinctive globally, while earning relevance in each individual market it serves? 

Consistency is only part of the challenge. Because local presence shapes global perception, brands should strive to understand local customers, respond to market conditions and provide value to communities.  

In this episode, Mastercard's Rustom Dastoor, executive vice president and head of marketing and communications for the Americas, draws on his experiences marketing across four continents to explore what it takes to build and sustain a global brand. 

He explains why the strongest global brands don't simply operate in local markets—they invest in them. By using local insight to inform decisions, collaborating with regional ecosystems and investing in talent, brands can contribute to communities, rather than extract from them, to demonstrate their distinct values. 

Rustom also offers behind-the-scenes insights into what has kept Mastercard's "Priceless" campaign relevant worldwide for nearly 30 years: He believes in maintaining the universal insight—"there are some things in life money can't buy"—while adapting how it shows up across markets, cultures, channels and more. In other words, "Priceless" stays timeless by refusing to stand still. 

For marketing leaders, this conversation offers a valuable perspective on earning local relevance and strengthening global distinction.  

 
In this episode, you'll hear: 
Strategies for deploying brand experiences that can flex across countries and cultures 

How to keep a long-running campaign fresh without losing its core value 

Ways marketing can turn customer understanding into better business choices, from offerings to pricing 
 
Key highlights: 

[00:30] Introduction 

[01:30] A pit stop in Zurich 

[02:30] Rustom's path to Mastercard 

[04:00] Marketing on multiple continents 


[06:00] Driving B2B2C excellence at Mastercard  

[08:00] The evolution of global brands 

[09:45] Mastercard's iconic "Priceless" campaign 

[10:55] Strategies for successful localization 

[14:50] Past experience that defines you: Living across multiple cultures 

[16:20] Advice to your younger self: Release control 

[17:20] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Squash and swimming 

[18:05] Latest curiosities: Humanity's perseverance 

[19:10] Largest potential opportunity: AI's impact on marketing 

[20:40] What AI cannot do: The value and impact of people 

 
Resources mentioned:   

Mastercard 

 

Follow the podcast:   

Listen on Apple Podcasts   

Listen on Amazon Music  

Listen on Audible  

Listen on iHeart Radio 

Listen on Spotify   

 
Connect with Rustom and Mastercard: 


Rustom on LinkedIn 

Mastercard on LinkedIn 

 
Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:    

Connect with Alan Hart on X 

Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

How can marketing leaders balance rapid change, emerging technology and brand purpose to drive lasting growth and loyalty across a portfolio of iconic brands?

Anton Vincent, president of Mars Snacking North America & Global Ice Cream, shares what it looks like to lead with purpose across a suite of powerhouse brands spanning confections, pet care and food. He discusses how Mars balances ambitious growth with a real commitment to responsibility, ensuring that business success and positive societal impact go hand in hand. Anton also underscores the strategic value of developing talent and enabling people to move across different business areas to encourage agility and fresh thinking.

He shares why creativity remains essential for brands—especially as technology and analytics redefine what's possible—and highlights the discipline required to uphold quality and brand integrity in a crowded, fast-moving marketplace. Throughout the conversation, Anton stresses that enduring relevance and brand loyalty come from continuous learning and a clear understanding of both consumers and culture.
 
In this episode, you'll learn: 
Why centering business growth with real purpose can create a lasting impact at scale  

How ideas supported by data and fueled by originality can capture and hold people's attention in today's crowded market  

Ways to build agile teams and nurture authentic brands to stay relevant in a constantly changing world 
 
Key highlights: 

[00:00] Introduction 

[01:30] Basketball talk 

[04:30] Anton's path to Mars 

[08:00] The scope of Mars 

[10:20] Alan's love to Hubba Bubba 

[12:20] Scale versus independence of brands 


[14:05] The Mars talent strategy 

[15:40] Navigating the evolving marketing ecosystem 

[18:20] Marketing that adapts to change 

[20:30] Notable recent work 

[22:05] An experience that defines you: Top Secret Popcorn recall 

[26:00] Advice to your younger self: Slow down 

[28:30] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Connecting creativity with technology 

[33:45] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Constant learning 

 
Resources mentioned:   

Mars Snacking 

SNICKERS NFL Bedtime with Josh Allen 

 

Follow the podcast:   

Listen on Apple Podcasts   

Listen on Amazon Music  

Listen on Audible  

Listen on iHeart Radio 

Listen on Spotify   

 
Connect with Anton Vincent and Mars Snacking:

Anton Vincent on LinkedIn 


Mars on LinkedIn 

Mars on Instagram 

Mars on YouTube 

 
Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:    

Alan Hart on X 

Alan Hart on LinkedIn  

Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn  

Deloitte Digital on Instagram  

Deloitte Digital on YouTube  

Deloitte Digital on Threads

How can a well-known B2B brand move beyond what customers think they already know? 

In this episode, Kimberly Storin, CMO of Zoom, explains how marketing teams can shift brand perceptions and influence B2B buyer journeys by bringing together brand marketing, demand generation, content, and customer advocacy.  

Brand perception takes shape differently today. As more buyers begin their brand research using AI tools and zero-click search, buyers often form preferences and decisions before they ever engage with a brand directly. Marketers today may see only a small portion of the buyer journey and not know when they're under consideration.  

For Kimberly, this means brands need to do more than generate awareness and demand: They need to shape how buyers understand the brand, what it offers and where it can create value. As she puts it, "brand equals demand." 

Marketers can accomplish this by building trust, showing up in the right places, and answering buyers' questions in the less visible stages of decision-making through efforts such as answer engine optimization (AEO). Kimberly further explores how AI-driven discovery creates distinct purchasing paths for human buyers and AI agents—paths that require different content and experiences designed for each.  

This episode offers a practical perspective on how marketers can reshape perception, stay relevant across an increasingly fragmented journey, and connect brand building to business growth—even when buyers form opinions before the brand knows they are in the market. 
 
In this episode, you'll hear: 
Strategies to connect brand building with demand generation, so marketing efforts shifts perception and drive action 

Why answering buyer questions before sales teams enter the conversation is now a core B2B journey expectation 

Ways to widen marketing's view of the buyer journey and shift investment towards what works better 
 
Key highlights: 

[00:00] Introduction 

[01:05] Growing up with chief financial officer (CFO) and designer parents 

[02:15] Kim's path to Zoom 

[03:35] Bringing marketing and communications together 

[06:40] Keeping up with an evolving buyer journey 


[07:30] Why brand equals demand 

[10:10] Zoom Ahead's campaign strategy 

[13:10] Past experience that defines you: Powerful mentorship 

[15:35] Advice to your younger self: Prioritize sleep for health 

[16:00] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Pilates 

[16:45] Latest curiosities: Balancing AI and human connection 

[18:40] Largest potential threat: Inability to pivot as search habits change 

 
Resources mentioned:   

Zoom 

 

Follow the podcast:   

Listen on Apple Podcasts   

Listen on Amazon Music  

Listen on Audible  

Listen on iHeart Radio 

Listen on Spotify   

 
Connect with Kimberly and Zoom: 

Kimberly on LinkedIn 

Zoom on LinkedIn 

 
Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:    


Connect with Alan Hart on X 

Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube  

Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads