Adspeak

What if your brand could become a lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth in crisis?

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, we turn the mic over to Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project. A nationally recognized LGBTQ+ advocate and nonprofit leader, Jaymes oversees the organization’s crisis intervention, research, education, advocacy, and peer support programs serving LGBTQ+ young people across the United States.

Jaymes shares how brands can become powerful allies in suicide prevention by moving beyond sponsorships and embracing meaningful partnerships. They explore why LGBTQ+ youth mental health should be treated as a universal human issue, how authentic storytelling and celebrity engagement can amplify impact, and why visibility matters during moments of crisis.

From mobilizing corporate resources to building long-term trust, Jaymes offers a compelling look at how creativity, compassion, and collaboration can help create lifesaving outcomes for young people who need support the most.

How to reframe corporate engagement from transactional to transformational
Why depoliticizing LGBTQ+ youth mental health positions your brand as a defender of universal human values
The "Field Catalyst" framework for scaling impact
How to mobilize celebrity partnerships and authentic storytelling
Why brand presence functions as a lifeline for at-risk youth
How to move from judgment to partnership with brands navigating fear and uncertainty

About the Guest:
Jaymes Black is CEO of The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. With more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning the nonprofit, technology, and finance sectors. She has led teams at organizations including Family Equality, Charles Schwab, Sabre Corporation, and Northrop Grumman. Jaymes made history as The Trevor Project’s first Black and first nonbinary CEO and has been recognized by TIME, Out Magazine, and numerous advocacy organizations for their leadership and impact.

Host and Guest Resources:
Jaymes Black on LinkedIn
Jaymes Black on Instagram
The Trevor Project Website
ADWEEK Website

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In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Jamie Warner sits down with Trent Thacker, Senior Director of Market and Customer Research at Cox Automotive Inc. and currently Senior Director of Industry Intelligence, to explore how iconic brands like AutoTrader and Kelley Blue Book consistently produce high-performing creative in an increasingly competitive media landscape. Trent shares Cox Automotive's research-first approach to campaign development, revealing how consumer tracking, competitive intelligence, and multi-stage testing help reduce risk while improving results.

The conversation dives into why automotive advertising demands a different playbook, with consumers spending up to 100 days researching vehicles and relying heavily on informative content. Trent also explains how Cox Automotive is embracing AI, from generating animatics for rapid testing to creating AI-powered consumer personas, without losing the human judgment required to protect brand equity.

What You'll Learn:
How to structure a creative development process that mitigates risk
Why the Information Score matters more than you think in automotive advertising
How to use AI to accelerate creative iterations without sacrificing quality
The strategic value of AI-powered generational personas for script refinement
How to protect brand equity while staying competitive
Why cross-brand integration amplifies performance

About the Guest:
Trent Thacker is the Senior Director of Market and Customer Research at Cox Automotive Inc. and currently Senior Director of Industry Intelligence at Cox Automotive, where he leads research and market intelligence initiatives for major consumer-facing brands including AutoTrader and Kelley Blue Book. With over a decade of experience at Cox Automotive and previous roles at Phillips and AT&T, Thacker has developed deep expertise in campaign development, consumer research methodologies, and creative testing across competitive markets.

Jamie Warner is a highly motivated sales leader with a proven track record of exceeding goals and building lasting client relationships. As Enterprise Account Executive of Brand Partnerships at iSpot, Jamie brings extensive experience in business development, revenue generation, and account management. Known for a solution-oriented approach, Jamie excels at identifying client pain points and creating mutually beneficial outcomes. A positive leader, strong motivator, and effective communicator, Jamie is passionate about helping brands achieve measurable success through strategic partnerships.

Host and Guest Resources:
Trent Thacker on LinkedIn
Cox Automotive Inc. Website
Jamie Warner on LinkedIn
iSpot Website
ADWEEK Website

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How do you maintain brand momentum when tariffs spike, supply chains collapse, and private equity demands quick returns?

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Audrey Kemp sits down with John Solomon, Ex CMO at Therabody and currently CMO at Mozilla, to explore how bold marketing decisions can drive growth during periods of uncertainty. Drawing on his experience leading marketing at Therabody, John shares why brands shouldn't automatically cut marketing spend during economic pressure and how strategic investments can create long-term momentum.

He explains the shift from thinking about brand versus performance marketing to demand creation versus demand capture, offering a framework that resonates with investors and leadership teams. John also discusses building specialist agency partnerships, developing an agile in-house creative studio, leveraging celebrity collaborations authentically, and measuring both hard and soft marketing metrics.

From navigating tariffs and supply chain disruptions to making asymmetric bets on innovation, this conversation offers practical lessons for ambitious marketers leading through change.

What You'll Learn:
How to reframe marketing budgets to private equity stakeholders by shifting language from "brand marketing vs. performance marketing" to "demand creation vs. demand capture"
Why cutting performance marketing spend instead of brand spend is the counterintuitive move that allows retailers to thrive
The asymmetric bet framework for pitching bold creative ideas
How to build a specialist agency model instead of relying on an all-knowing AOR
The in-house creative studio strategy for content velocity
How to use science-backed differentiation as a moat in crowded categories
Why measuring soft metrics alongside hard KPIs matters for stakeholder confidence

About the Guest:
John Solomon is the ex-Chief Marketing Officer at Therabody and currently CMO at Mozilla. He brings over 15 years of experience in navigating complex market challenges, from supply chain disruptions and tariff pressures to private equity dynamics. John has established himself as a strategic marketer who refuses to compromise brand investment during crises. Previously at Beats by Dre, he brings deep expertise in building cultural relevance and driving growth through innovative creative partnerships and omnichannel expansion.

Host and Guest Resources:
John Solomon on LinkedIn
Therabody Website
Mozilla Website
Audrey Kemp on LinkedIn
Courier Website
ADWEEK Website

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What if your biggest competitive advantage wasn't outspending your CPG rivals, but out-weirding them?

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Rebecca Stewart sits down with Jen Zeszut, CEO and founder of Goodles, to explore how a bootstrapped startup transformed one of the most established categories in grocery retail. Jen shares why taste, not health claims, became the foundation of the brand, how bold creativity helped Goodles compete against industry giants, and why taking calculated risks often delivers bigger rewards than playing it safe.

The conversation covers building a mission-driven culture, creating marketing that sparks attention and conversation, and scaling a business without relying on traditional agency support. Jen also reveals the unconventional tactics that helped Goodles win retail distribution, grow rapidly, and turn mac and cheese into a cultural phenomenon while staying focused on joy, purpose, and innovation.

What You'll Learn:
How to identify billion-dollar opportunities in "sleepy" categories
The "Lead with Yum" principle for health-forward products
Why you must out-weird competitors when you can't out-spend them
How to build a category-growth motion, not just share-stealing
The operational mandate for scaling creative culture
How to navigate retail without industry connections

About the Guest:
Jen Zeszut is the Founder and CEO of Goodles, the fast-growing CPG brand reinventing the mac and cheese category through bold branding, nutritional innovation, and unconventional marketing. A seasoned business leader and product marketer, she has more than 15 years of experience driving brand growth, launching products, and leading high-performing teams. Having founded four companies across software and consumer goods, Jen combines creative thinking with strategic execution to build mission-driven brands that challenge convention and deliver extraordinary results.

Guest Resources:
Jen Zeszut on LinkedIn
Goodles Website
ADWEEK Website

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In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Brittaney Kiefer sits down with Roy Fleeman to explore how Vacation transformed sunscreen from a functional necessity into an immersive lifestyle brand. Roy shares how the team uses nostalgia, sensory design, and meticulous attention to detail to create products that feel joyful and collectible. They discuss why brands should be informed by trends without being defined by them, how packaging can become a powerful storytelling tool, and why designing every customer touchpoint matters.

From fragrances and campaign concepts to shipping experiences and social content, Roy reveals how Vacation builds cultural relevance by creating moments that customers want to share, remember, and revisit long after their vacation-inspired purchase.

What You'll Learn:
How to reposition a commodity category by identifying emotional gaps
The "This Not That" design framework for authentic brand differentiation
Why broad nostalgia outperforms decade-specific retro aesthetics
How to weaponize packaging inconsistency as a collectibility strategy
The power of hyper-specific moment marketing to drive product narrative
How to design every touchpoint as an immersive brand experience

About the Guest:
Roy Fleeman is VP of Design at Vacation, the leisure-enhancing sunscreen brand that's revolutionizing how consumers think about sun protection. With a background in advertising and brand design, Roy has spearheaded Vacation's distinctive visual identity, transforming sunscreen from a clinical necessity into a coveted lifestyle product through meticulously crafted packaging, nostalgic aesthetics, and immersive brand experiences.

Guest Resources:
Roy Fleeman on LinkedIn
Vacation Inc Website
ADWEEK Website

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