WFA's Better Marketing Pod with David Wheldon

Half the health information people see on social media is incomplete or wrong, and the result is bigger than a fact-checking problem. It’s a confidence problem. When four out of five people don’t feel comfortable making self-care choices, treatable issues get ignored and brands lose the chance to help. David speaks with Alberto Hernandez, Chief Growth Officer at Opella, about what consumer healthcare marketing should do next: guide people towards clearer, safer decisions while still ear...

Fifty episodes in, one lesson keeps getting louder: marketing is still a person-to-person craft, even when the world feels dominated by platforms, dashboards, and AI. Recording from Stockholm during Global Marketer Week, in this episode David Wheldon reflects on what he has learned from CMOs and top marketing thinkers and why the energy of human contact makes ideas sharper, braver, and more useful. We dig into leadership under pressure, starting with a principle that sounds simple and turns ...

Real people do not move neatly from awareness to consideration to purchase, they jump between searching, streaming, scrolling and shopping, sometimes all at once. That messy middle is where brands win or disappear, and it is exactly where AI-powered advertising and modern measurement start to matter according to the next guest on the WFA Better Marketing Podcast Dan Taylor, VP of Global Ads at Google. On this episode Dan speaks to David Wheldon to unpack what has changed over two decades of ...

In this episode David Wheldon talks with Judy Smith, crisis management expert and former White House advisor, about what protects reputation when risk is everywhere and scrutiny is constant. We come back to one hard rule for leaders and brands: be who you say you are, even when the story is moving faster than your playbook. In this episode David and Judy cover: • Being who you say you are as the foundation of trust, values and reputation • Managing brand reputation as both technology an...

When everything shifts at once, composure becomes a strategy. David Wheldon talks with HP’s Antonio Lucio to explore how leaders stay steady through geopolitics, macro pressure, generative AI, and an unexpected CEO transition—while keeping teams focused, customers centred, and growth on track. Antonio cuts through the AI hype with three pragmatic plays: scale asset optimisation for faster NPI readiness, use identity-led media to guide IT decision makers across their buying journey, and autom...

Growth doesn’t start with an ad. It starts where your product decisions meet real people. We sit down with Cheryl, newly named Global Marketer of the Year, to unpack how Grab scaled across Southeast Asia by turning marketing into a true commercial engine—where product, pricing, algorithms, and culture work in sync to earn trust and drive results. We chart the journey from a scrappy airport-ride promo to a system of problem-space teams that cross swim lanes by design. Cheryl explains why imme...

In this episode we review a year of conversations with Unicef's Frederique Covington Corbett, culture guru Marcus Collins, Cathay Pacific's Ed Bell, Meta's Nicola Mendelsohn, Marcel Marcondes from AB InBev and Global Marketer of the Year, marketing expert Seth Godin, Leyal Eskin Yilmaz from the Magnum Ice Cream Company, and Ogilvy's Rory Sutherland. These conversations led to one clear truth: the best marketing is still about people. We pull together the sharpest lessons for CMOs and brand le...

The biggest wins in marketing rarely fit into neat dashboards. Rory Sutherland joins us to unpack why creativity is “fat-tailed,” how a few outlier ideas create the lion’s share of value, and why short-term incentives push teams to optimise what’s easy to count rather than what actually compounds. From “member since” on a card to names on Coke bottles, we dig into billion-dollar ideas that cost little to make but transform loyalty, fame, and lifetime value. David and Rory get honest about me...

In this episode of the Better Marketing Podcast with David Wheldon, Leyal Eskin Yilmaz, CMO of Europe, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand for the Magnum Ice Cream Company, shares insights on building a new marketing organisation as the business separates from Unilever. Key points covered: Creating a new company while running the business is like "building a new house while living in it".Each geographic market shaped Leyal's leadership approach differently - Turkey (agility), US (scale), ...

What happens when one of marketing's most influential thinkers shares his unfiltered wisdom about the state of our industry? Seth Godin joins the WFA Better Marketing Podcast to deliver profound insights that challenge conventional thinking about what makes marketing truly effective. Seth dismantles common misconceptions about marketing's purpose: "Marketing is about how we're going to tell a story that other people want to hear," he explains, emphasizing that great storytelling isn't an inn...

The marketing landscape is undergoing profound shifts, requiring marketers to rethink traditional approaches. At the forefront of this evolution stands Marcel Macondes, AB InBev's Global CMO and winner of the 2024 WFA Global Marketer of the Year award. His philosophy brings a refreshing clarity to how marketing should function today: as a bridge between consumers and business. Throughout this compelling conversation, Marcel talks about how AB InBev now owns eight of the world's ten most valu...

In this episode of the Better Marketing Podcast, Nicola Mendelsohn, Meta's Head of Global Business Group, shares insights on how Meta is transforming from a teenage platform to a mature business partner for advertisers with innovative tools, AI implementation and a renewed focus on effectiveness. From her early agency days to her pivotal role at Meta over the past 12 years, Mendelsohn brings a unique perspective that bridges creative thinking with technological innovation. Between Ray-Ban M...

What does it take to rebuild an airline brand after the devastating impact of a global pandemic? Ed Bell, General Manager Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications at Cathay Pacific, takes us behind the scenes of one of aviation's most remarkable recovery stories. Bell's journey from agency dynamo during China's economic boom to airline marketing leader offers a masterclass in resilience and strategic thinking. Having worked on iconic launches like the Motorola Razr and Beijing Olympics w...

What makes a brand truly meaningful in people's lives? In this captivating conversation with Dr. Marcus Collins - professor, agency strategist, and cultural marketing expert - we explore how the most powerful brands transcend their product categories to become vessels of meaning in culture. Marcus reveals why brands aren't something we construct but rather what others think of them. Through examples like Patagonia, Nike, and Beyoncé, he illustrates how brands that stand for something beyond ...

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Podcast in partnership with Meta, David Wheldon speaks with Dr Frederique Covington Corbett who is in the private sector division of UNICEF as Chief of Global Brand & Marketing. David and Frederique discuss the biggest mistake marketers make, whether Gen Alpha is getting the leadership they need, why CEOs need to become Chief Energy Officers, the hushing trend sweeping across companies and what Chief Marketing Officers may be surprised about...

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Podcast, David Wheldon speaks to marketing guru, Mark Ritson, and his AI-generated alter ego, the Ritbot. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Podcast, David Wheldon speaks to Primark's Chief Customer Officer, Michelle McEttrick, about pivoting from a 'no marketing' approach to brand building to redefine customer proposition and grow in new markets. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In episode 34 of the Better Marketing Pod, David Wheldon speaks to AXA Group Head of Communication, Brand and Sustainability, and a member of the AXA Management Committee, Ulrike Decoene. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of the Better Marketing Pod, David Wheldon speaks to Allyson Witherspoon, Global CMO of Nissan Motor Corporation about the electric vehicle race, why marketers should always put brand before product and how a YouTube music channel can help sell cars. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In episode 32 of the Better Marketing Pod, David Wheldon speaks to L'Oréal's CMO, Marketer of 2023 and Global Marketer Week speaker, Asmita Dubey. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

Creative Salon’s Claire Beale and Sonoo Singh on why clients should champion creativity, how to attract young talent and the future of the profession in a technology-driven world. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

This year we talked again to some of the brightest minds in the industry for our WFA podcast, bringing you tips and insights for better global marketing. As the year draws to a close, host David Wheldon gives his 2023 podcast highlights. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

Understanding people, great (female) leadership and why diversity brings diversity of thought: in episode 30 of the Better Marketing Pod, host David Wheldon speaks with Jane Wakely, Chief Consumer & Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer, International Foods, at PepsiCo - and PepsiCo's first global CMO. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

David speaks with the most recent WFA Global Marketer of the Year, Cristina Diezhandino, Chief Marketing Officer at Diageo, about the importance of creative precision, the role of emerging markets and Diageo's brand purpose. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

David speaks with Alberto Levy, Global CMO at Grupo Bimbo, about brand purpose, company responsibilities and sustainability. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

David speaks with Sir Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta, about the importance of brand safety at Meta and the positive impact generative AI can have on society when properly harnessed. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host David Wheldon speaks with Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Mastercard and WFA's President, about the importance of WFA and Global Marketer Week in building communities within the industry and how his roles at Mastercard and WFA interconnect. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host David Wheldon speaks with Rob Cameron, Global Head of Public Affairs at Nestlé, about the role of marketing in driving companies sustainability agenda and the role of business in achieving the SDGs. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host David Wheldon speaks with Gordon Crovitz, co-founder and CEO at NewsGuard, about balancing brand safety concerns with funding quality journalism. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host, David Wheldon, speaks with Rudy Khaw, Chief Brand Officer at AirAsia, about marketing in postpandemic times and the process of turning an airline into a travel super-app. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

The Economist’s Deputy Editor Tom Standage on tech people’s Messiah complex, upcoming regulation and his three reasons for being optimistic about 2023. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

David speaks with Roel de Vries, Group Chief Operating Officer at the City Football Group, about the ins and outs of the football business, and the similarities and differences between Tokyo and Manchester. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host, David Wheldon, speaks with Susan Akkad, Senior Vice President, Local and Cultural Platforms, Corporate Innovation at The Estée Lauder Companies, about the importance for brands to listen and cater to diverse audiences to stay relevant. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host, David Wheldon, speaks with David Droga about his journey from the mailroom in Australia to the highest seat in Accenture Song – and where the agency’s name came from. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this Cannes Lions special of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David Wheldon speaks with Rupen Desai, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Dole about what marketers need to change to face the climate crisis and his leadership role in APAC. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this Cannes Lions special of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David Wheldon speaks with Matt Brittin, EMEA President at Google Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host, David Wheldon, speaks with Professor Byron Sharp, Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, about brand loyalty, double jeopardy, and consumer experience and satisfaction. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host, David Wheldon, speaks with Peter Field, CEO of Peter Field Consulting, and Karen Nelson-Field, CEO of Amplified Intelligence, about what marketers need to know about effectiveness and the attention economy. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

WFA podcast host, David Wheldon, speaks with David Porter, former Unilever VP of Global Media, about the lessons he learnt after a decade of business in Asia. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with ad legend Sir John Hegarty about the value of creativity, building iconic brands and the secret to making the perfect marmalade Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with SFolake Ani-Mumuney, Global Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at First Bank of Nigeria, on why brands need to start focusing more on the African continent. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with Sonia Thimmiah, Head of Sustainable Brands & Customer Partnerships at Reckitt, on how brands can play a decisive role in shaping the sustainable future the world needs. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with the "The Ad Contrarian" author, Bob Hoffman, about his past as an adman and how the internet changed the industry forever. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with the inimitable marketing professor and industry commentator, Mark Ritson, on the perils of purpose, the fundamentals of marketing and how brands should be more like Tom Hollander and less like Orlando Bloom. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with Lisa McKnight, SVP and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls at Mattel, Inc., on the strategy fueling Barbie's reinvention and growth and the company's new toy line challenging stereotypes. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with Conny Braams, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at Unilever, about sustainability, courageous marketing and ‘purposeful creativity’. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with Ivan Pollard, Senior VP and Global Chief Marketing Officer at General Mills, about coming to America, the importance of humour, why marketing can’t be replaced by machines and catching the ‘F-train.’ Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with Lubomira Rochet, L'Oréal's Chief Digital Officer, about digital transformation, how her diverse background feeds into her leadership role, the rise of e-commerce and TikTok, and service-based marketing in a ‘cookie-less world’. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with Raja Rajamannar, WFA President and Mastercard's Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, about Raja's early days in marketing in India, what Covid has changed, the global marketing agenda and his new book on next-generation marketing. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In this episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with Sir Martin Sorrell about what Covid has changed, his advice for marketers, DEI, Brexit and some regrets on not managing the work-life balance. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit.ly/41ZwqkF.

In the second episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with Jon Wilkins, Chairman of Karmarama, and Paul Kemp-Robertson, Co-founder of Contagious, on how brands have responded to the pandemic, highlighting the best (and worst) advertising campaigns and brand actions this year. The trio also discuss how Covid has given pause for reflection and allowed global society to consider in greater depth racism and inequality. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred pl...

In the first episode of WFA's Better Marketing Pod, David speaks with WFA’s Global Diversity Ambassadors, Belinda Smith and Jerry Daykin, on how brands and the industry have responded to amplified issues of racism in the US and globally. The trio also discuss the WFA’s D&I Taskforce, the internal and external facets of diversity and inclusion, as well as issues regarding representation and stereotyping. Subscribe to the WFA #BetterMarketing podcast on your preferred platform: https://bit....