A Different Take with Linda Boff

A Different Take is the marketing case study podcast that unpacks the biggest brand, product, and advertising launches of our time. Each season spotlights one iconic company or breakthrough innovation, seen from every angle—strategy, creative, timing, risk, cultural resonance, and the lessons that shaped the outcome. Season Two goes inside the remarkable transformation of New Balance—from the quintessential “dad shoe” to one of the hottest brands in sports and culture. We unpack the strategy behind the reinvention: how New Balance embraced its heritage instead of running from it, built credibility through athletes and collaborators, and found a way to become culturally relevant without compromising their values. If you want to understand why campaigns succeed—not just that they do—this is your insider’s playbook. Big launches. Bold bets. Real lessons. Linda Boff is one of the marketing industry’s most influential leaders. After a distinguished 20-year career at GE, including a decade as Global CMO, she now serves as President of the Forbes CMO Network and CEO of Said Differently, an award-winning agency recognized for its innovative, scalable approach to creative and digital marketing. Throughout her career, Linda has led global marketing, communications, culture, learning, and philanthropy initiatives, played a key role in GE’s transformation into three publicly traded companies, and earned some of the industry’s highest honors, including induction into the AAF Hall of Fame, the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame, and Adweek’s B2B Innovation Lifetime Achievement Award.