The Big Impression

The Big Impression

The Big Impression returns for another season of insights and inspiration from leaders at the world’s most influential brands. Editors and co-hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing will look to uncover candid stories on game-changing campaigns from some of the world's biggest brands — including wins, losses, and lessons. New episodes are released every Wednesday.

Episodes

September 10, 2025 27 mins

Cookies are out, context is in. People Inc.’s Jonathan Roberts joins The Big Impression to talk about how America’s biggest publisher is using AI to reinvent contextual advertising with real-time intent.

From Game of Thrones maps to the open web, Roberts believes content is king in the AI economy.

 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.

Damian Fowler (00:00):

I'm...

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Spotify’s Brian Berner joins The Big Impression to talk about how brands are looking for speed, flexibility and smarter ways to connect with audiences. 

 

 

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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship was still only a fresh rumor in 2023, when State Farm brought together Travis’ mother, Donna Kelce, and Jake from State Farm at an NFL game.

On a new episode of The Big Impression, State Farm’s Patty Morris dives into how the company quickly capitalized on the opportunity despite being risk-averse. 

 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared...

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In this episode of The Big Impression, Kelly breaks down how Diageo is turning tequila into a global cultural force. One standout example: a six-city collaboration with DJ and fashion icon Peggy Gou that combined out-of-home, merch drops, pop-up events and hyperlocal storytelling.

 

From a Hong Kong hot pot party to a Milan piazza activation, every detail was designed to blur the line between brand and experience. 

 

Episode Transcript

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In this episode of The Big Impression, we’re joined by James Rothwell, managing director of brand marketing at Kinective Media. Rothwell walks us through what’s changed since launch — from major brand partnerships and custom content integrations to a headline-making alliance with JetBlue. With over 110 million traveler profiles and 63 million MileagePlus members, Kinective is fast becoming one of the most compelling new players in ...

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This week, we’re talking to Ryu Yokoi, chief media and marketing capabilities officer for North America at Unilever, about Dove’s “Hot Seats” campaign — a bold, culture-hacking activation that shows up where the sweat is real and the stakes are surprisingly high. 

 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.

Damian Fowler (00:00):

I'm Damian Fowler, and welcome to th...

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B2B marketing has long been stuck with a somewhat boring reputation: rational, buttoned-up and forgettable. Tim Hoppin is on a mission to change that. As chief brand and creative officer at SAP, he’s helping one of the world’s largest software companies embrace big creative swings — and prove that business buyers are humans too.

 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episod...

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With websites covering topics like entertainment (ScreenRant), gaming (Polygon) and automotive (CarBuzz), Valnet caters to users across a wide array of interests.

But according to Ji Heon Kim, Valnet’s head of monetization, Valnet realized it could create more value for its users by encouraging them to subscribe or authenticate themselves.

Maybe a “mass scale” of users wouldn’t sign up for their websites, but perhaps 10% would. And, ...

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In this episode of The Current Podcast, hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing sit down with Amy Lund, VP of integrated marketing and corporate communications at E. & J. Gallo Winery, to talk about Barefoot’s bold move to become the official wine sponsor of the NFL.

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In this episode of The Current Podcast, we’re joined by Rob Bradley, SVP of digital revenue, strategy and operations at CNN International Commercial. He shares how CNN has evolved far beyond its broadcast roots — and how it’s now helping brands tell more impactful stories across everything from connected TV (CTV) and free ad-supported television (FAST) channels to TikTok and LinkedIn.

 

Episode Transcript

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Chuck E. Cheese's Melissa McLeanas joins hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing on The Current Podcast to discuss how Chuck E. Cheese is leveraging its iconic IP for the streaming era, what advertisers are excited about and more.

 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.

Damian Fowler (00:00):

I'm Damian Fowler

Ilyse Liffreing (00:01):

And I'm Ilyse Liffreing,

Damia...

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Jenna Griffith, VP of global ad operations at PayPal, shares how the fintech giant is using shopper insights to power a new kind of media network.

 

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One year into her role as global CMO at Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), Sarah Crockett is reimagining how the legacy retailer shows up for today’s consumer — across 500 stores, an upgraded e-commerce experience and a newly expanded digital media mix.

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Milk is back in the cultural conversation. Miranda Abney,  MilkPEP’s VP of marketing joined The Current Podcast to explain how a marathon for women helped boost milk’s messaging.

 

 

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Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s CMO says connected TV has made it easier to reach its sports-loving customers.

 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.

Damian (00:01):

I'm Damian Fowler.

Ilyse (00:02):

And I'm Ilyse Liffreing.

Damian (00:03):

This week we're really excited to talk with Dustin Hinz, the Chief marketing officer of Firestone Walker Brewing the craft ...

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Dow Jones CMO Sherry Weiss reveals the marketing strategy behind growing subscription businesses for publications like The Wall Street Journal. 

 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.

 

Damian Fowler (00:00):

I'm Damian Fowler.

Ilyse Liffreing (00:01):

And I'm Ilyse Liffreing

Damian Fowler (00:02):

And welcome to this edition of The Current Podcast.

Ilyse Liffreing (...

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Stellantis’ CMO Raj Register talks about building consistent storytelling across channels, what she’s learning from AI and why she’s obsessed with connecting marketing action to tangible business outcomes. 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.

Damian Fowler (00:00):

I'm Damian Fowler.

Ilyse Liffreing (00:01):

And I'm Ilyse Liffreing.

Damian Fowler (00:02):

And wel...

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At SXSW, The Current Podcast partnered with The Female Quotient to spotlight trailblazing women in media and marketing to mark International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.

In this episode, we sit down with Andrea Gilman, chief marketing officer at Early Warning, owner of digital payments services Paze and Zelle, to discuss how she’s driving innovation in digital payments. 

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At SXSW, The Current Podcast partnered with The Female Quotient to spotlight trailblazing women in media and marketing to mark International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.

In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Giordano, chief client officer at CMI Media Group, to discuss how AI, data, and personalized messaging are reshaping healthcare marketing.

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Rebecca Dye Yonushonis, CMO of New Belgium Brewing, discusses the brand’s bold strategy to connect with Gen Z consumers through its new launch, Lightstrike.

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