CMO Room

#March #Madness: Game On for Advertisers The buzz around NCAA tournaments is electric, and so are the ad #trends: -- Men's tournament: Full house; CBS and TNT Sports U.S. report a sellout -- #Women's March Madness: A stunning 200% YoY surge in #ad #sales -- #Brands like #CokeZero and #Powerade are dunking on multi-platform campaigns -- #Digital #activations are the MVP, leveraging fight songs and student-athlete influencers #MarchMadness2025 #SportsMarketing #AdTrends #NCAA #SportsAdvertising

Today, I’m excited to share PepsiCo has agreed to acquire poppi, the fast-growing prebiotic soda brand. We’ve been evolving our food and beverage portfolio over many years at PepsiCo – whether we’re innovating with our iconic brands or making strategic acquisitions like Siete Family Foods and Sabra Dipping Company, we’re making sure we have even more positive choices for consumers. poppi will be a great complement to our portfolio as we continue to provide consumers with convenient and great-tasting options that fit their lifestyles and growing interest in health and wellness. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

#Quantum #Computing Takes Center Stage at #SXSW 2025 At SXSW 2025 in Austin last week, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna boldly declared: "It's going to surprise you before this decade is up... we're going to see surprising things about quantum in the next four years." IonQ’s Chief Revenue Officer Rima Alameddine?urged businesses at SXSW: "If you don’t invest in quantum now... you're going to miss out." Quantum computing will soon revolutionize logistics optimization, hyper-targeted #marketing campaigns, drug discovery processes—and even personalized #media experiences. Explore comprehensive highlights from SXSW 2025 #QuantumComputing #SXSW2025 #IBM #DWAVE #IonQ #Innovation #Marketing #MediaInnovation #BusinessStrategy

Justin, Brad, and I are back with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank this Friday for a really BIG update! BeatBox Shark Tank ABC

What an incredible time at our first-ever?CMO Room #SXSW #Brand #Brunch?in Austin! All thanks to YOU! Whether you stopped by before a session, came straight from the airport, or made room for us in your busy SXSW activation schedule, your presence made this event so special. It was amazing to connect with so many talented folks from awesome #brands and #agencies— not just from Austin, but from all over the world. The conversations, the laughs, and the real friendships that started over brunch reminded us why this community is so unique. We didn’t just network—we made real connections (and maybe even a few inside jokes along the way). Thank you for showing up, sharing your ideas, and bringing your energy. This was our first time in Austin, and you made it one to remember. Here’s to more connections, more ideas, and more good times ahead. And a big thank you to Andy Cotten and AdMedia for making this all possible! Until next time! ?? #CMORoom #SXSW2025 #BrandBrunch #MarketingCommunity #Gratitude #Austin

SXSW 2025 Activation Highlights This year’s #SXSW brings the world to #Austin, showcasing #innovation, #culture, and #creativity. From?Casa S?o Paolo?(#Brazil) highlighting business and innovation to?Redbreast Irish Whiskey?celebrating centuries of craftsmanship, the festival bridges #tradition and the #future. SeedAI House?explores the transformative potential of #AI, bringing together #leaders to shape what’s next. Meanwhile, #Texas pride shines at?Whataburger’s #WMOA Gallery, where #art meets iconic #brand storytelling. Don’t miss?UK/BME House?for #networking,?Costa Rica House?for pure energy, or?Australia House,?German Haus, and?Ireland House?for #global insights. #SXSW2025 #Innovation #Culture

#SXSW 2025 is just around the corner, and we’ve got your guide to the must-see #activations – Part 1! From immersive #brand experiences to cutting-edge #innovation, SXSW 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting festivals yet. For #marketers and #advertisers, it’s the ultimate opportunity to explore the future of storytelling, technology, and brand-building. And join us for the?CMO Room Brand Brunch at Moonshine?on Monday! It’s the perfect way to connect with fellow marketers, share insights, and kick off your SXSW experience in style. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our guide, and make SXSW 2025 the most unforgettable year yet! Vox Media Podcast Stage presented by Smartsheet JBL Professional’s Austin-inspired corner store experience Rivian’s Electric Roadhouse IBM’s AI-powered future of business MIONETTO S.P.A.’s Italian Orange Soul DUBAI FUTURE FOUNDATION’s Museum of the Future Paramount+’s The Lodge Billboard’s The Stage at SXSW #Tennessee #House’s hub for startups and innovation Epidemic Sound’s world-class music and sound tools #SXSW2025 #BrandMarketing #Innovation #CMORoom #MarketingTrends #FutureOfMedia #AI #Creativity #SXSW #advertising #media #digital

#RIPDuo ?? ??? With #Duo's apparent demise following #KendrickLamar's Super Bowl #HalftimeShow jab at #Drake's OVO owl, the avian world is taking quite a hit in #PopCulture this week.? Duolingo declared Duo "dead," and the announcement sparked a #Viral reaction, with fans and #Brands alike stunned and confused.? The beloved, brazen bird, orchestrated by Zaria Parvez, Duolingo's Senior Global Social Media Manager, showcases the company's #Mastery of a social-first #Strategy. Duolingo's unhinged #Owl has sparked conversations and user-generated content across platforms and continents.? Now, the mystery surrounding Duo's fate has gripped #Audiences #Globally, leaving everyone wondering: what's next for the delightfully diabolical Duo?? Join us at the #CMORoom Brunch during #SXSW2025 to discuss the latest in #MarketingTrends, #BrandEngagement, and #DigitalMarketing.? #SocialMediaMarketing #ViralMarketing #Advertising #MarketingStrategy #BrandStrategy #ContentMarketing #TikTokMarketing #AdTech #MediaBuying #ProgrammaticAdvertising #OTTAdvertising #MarketingLeadership #CMOInsights #BrandBuilding #MarketingInnovation #AdvertisingExecutives #AustinEvents #SXSWBrunch #NetworkingEvent #MarketingCommunity??

#RIPDuo ?? ???? With #Duo's apparent demise following #KendrickLamar's Super Bowl #HalftimeShow jab at #Drake's OVO owl, the avian world is taking quite a hit in #PopCulture this week.? Duolingo declared Duo "dead," and the announcement sparked a #Viral reaction, with fans and #Brands alike stunned and confused.? The beloved, brazen bird, orchestrated by Zaria Parvez, Duolingo's Senior Global Social Media Manager, showcases the company's #Mastery of a social-first #Strategy. Duolingo's unhinged #Owl has sparked conversations and user-generated content across platforms and continents.? Now, the mystery surrounding Duo's fate has gripped #Audiences #Globally, leaving everyone wondering: what's next for the delightfully diabolical Duo?? Join me at the CMO Room Brand Brunch during #SXSW2025 to discuss the latest in #MarketingTrends, #BrandEngagement, and #DigitalMarketing.? #SocialMediaMarketing #ViralMarketing #Advertising #MarketingStrategy #BrandStrategy #ContentMarketing #TikTokMarketing #AdTech #MediaBuying #ProgrammaticAdvertising #OTTAdvertising #MarketingLeadership #CMOInsights #BrandBuilding #MarketingInnovation #AdvertisingExecutives #AustinEvents #SXSWBrunch #NetworkingEvent #MarketingCommunity??

The OLIPOP PBC marketing team should be truly ashamed of themselves. This is disgusting behavior. If you haven't seen it, their competitor poppi sent out custom vending machines as an influencer marketing play. Pretty standard stuff, tbh. Interestingly, though, there's been a ton of backlash, mainly suggesting Poppi shouldn't have used influencers, but instead given Poppi machines to fans or everyday workers. There are manyyy viral TikToks right now ripping Poppi to shreds over it (all of which seem silly to me, but hey, the people have spoken). Here's the thing: OLIPOP PBC is quite literally spreading misinformation about Poppi across TikTok comments. They’re dropping totally false accusations into TikTok comments to disparage their competitor. The worst: "also for the record, those machines cost $25k each, lol" That's straight up not true. A custom vending machine doesn't cost more than a damn car. And even if, there's no way Olipop could know that, and it's absolutelyyyy libel that they'd intentionally try to defame a competitor by publicly making a false statement about how Poppi spends their money. (I really don't want to be the cops constantly on my LinkedIn, but good god, this is grotesque and I refuse to let our industry champion what's both ethically wrong and totally illegal behavior because ~we want smoke~). Pouring a little salt in the wound when competitors are down? Sure! Go for it. It's not my cup of tea, and not a strategy I'd ever advise to any of my clients (the potential for backlash is too great). But to make up facts to disparage your competitor? To quite literally spread lies, for the sole intention of hurting your competitor? That's just a straight up false accusation made by a community manager. That's wayyyy too far, and it's veryyyy not legal, and it's doing tonsss of publicity damage to their competitors, when it's not true and has been confirmed not true by Poppi. I need our industry to stop loving controversy so much that we encourage awful behavior.