What 19 Top Marketers Think You Should Read, Watch and Listen To

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One of the best parts of writing Marketer Must Read has been seeing the global community connect each week to talk about different marketing leaders’ perspectives on what’s happening in the industry. Since launching in August, Marketer Must Read has featured CMOs and top marketers at FORTUNE 500 titans like Walmart, American Express, and Clorox and scene-stealing brands like TikTok, Peloton and DoorDash. The insights shared by these marketers have started robust conversations on topics like brand responsibility, “capturing” attention and the challenges of balancing brand and performance marketing. If you're interested in catching up on any of the issues you missed, head to the full library here and be sure to check out the comments, which provide a wealth of knowledge themselves.  

So in honor of the New Year, here’s a compilation of each marketer’s answer to the question, “What’s your must read, watch or listen for all marketers?” (Note that answers have been condensed, but you can read each person’s Marketer Must Read by clicking the link on their name.)

I hope it leads you to something new or inspiring. Perhaps a marketing book to read, a newsletter to subscribe to, a good show to binge or a new podcast to follow. I’m so grateful to you for being part of this community.

Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, Vice President of Marketing at DoorDash: Anything that provides a profound, unusual, or beautiful lens on people, humanity or culture. This year, I’ve loved “Heavy” by Kiese Laymon, “Unorthodox” on Netflix, and this incredible story by the New York Times, “The Jungle King of Delhi.” None of these are marketing “texts” per se, but they’re all beautiful studies of the human condition. And in each of them, I feel like I get to inhabit these people’s lives, thoughts, and feelings - which is fundamental to great marketing - and I get to be inspired by extraordinary storytelling. 

Elizabeth Rutledge, CMO of American Express: Listen to The Moth – it’s a celebration of storytelling, such an essential part of the marketer’s craft. It’s all about the ability of the speaker to capture the audience’s attention within a few short minutes with both the power of words and the pauses in between. 

Kevin Marasco, CMO of Zenefits: Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Jack Trout and Al Ries. It's relevant to product positioning, brand building and category creation. I think that's something that everyone in sales and marketing can learn from. One of my recent favorites is The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. I think it's valuable to everyone, particularly marketers, because you can't just rest on your laurels. How do we turn adversity into opportunity and advantage?

Deirdre Findlay, CMO of Condé Nast: There are several podcasts that I listen to. First, “How I Built This with Guy Raz.” I enjoy learning from successful business leaders and hearing their stories of how they built their businesses, the lessons they learned along the way and what they wish they had done differently.

Second, “CMO Moves” podcast from Adweek. Nadine Dietz and her team do an amazing job of interviewing the top CMOs across a number of different industries. It’s a great way for me to get the inside scoop on what other marketers are facing, what challenges they’re grappling with and the secrets to their success. I recently recorded a “CMO Moves Duos” podcast with Lara Balazs, CMO of Intuit and a good friend.

Lastly, I also love “Pivot” from Kara Swisher and professor Scott Galloway. I rarely miss a week! It keeps me close to my tech roots and they take on the meaty topics while holding big business accountable. Plus, their chemistry makes for a very entertaining as well as informative listen.

Mayur Gupta, CMO of Gannett: I've been reading Satya Nadella's Hit Refresh, not directly marketing, but I think every marketer needs to understand business and transformation because marketing is a function that's on the forefront of that internal transformation.

I am a Nichiren Buddhist, so I read a lot of books related to it. It’s a philosophy that teaches you courage and compassion and the ability to create hope when it’s not easy to find it. So a lot of books and literature that I read is written by my mentor Daisaku Ikida. There's a book on the strategy of The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, which I love and challenge myself to live by every single day. 

Dara Treseder, SVP | Head of Global Marketing & Communications at Peloton: I am actually really enjoying the Pivot podcast with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway. I think that there is a nice combination of business, tech, and culture. And as a mom of two young children, I can listen to podcast episodes while I juggle my other responsibilities. As a marketer, especially as you become more senior and people look to you to make decisions, you need to have judgment and discernment. And you can’t do that in a vacuum. You have to swim in information. Podcasts with rich dialogue, like Pivot, are a good way to get unfiltered perspectives. 

Harris Beber, CMO at Vimeo: Linchpin, by Seth Godin. He perfectly captures the notion that brilliance exists in every person. The ability to do what others won’t, to see what others can’t and to become indispensable by overcoming the things that hold you back from leaning into your individual gifts.

Jackson Jeyanayagam, VP, GM of Clorox: Right now I’m reading “Range,” a book that was highly recommended by Kobe Bryant when he was asked about his favorite books. I just finished “Extreme Ownership,” recommended to me by my current manager, which is a fantastic book by two Navy Seals on accountability. I’d also recommend Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” – a definite oldie but goodie because it’s still very relevant today. I’ve read it three times over the course of my career and each time I take away different things. John Maxwell’s “Five Levels of Leadership,” Jack Welch’s “Winning,” and “Team of Rivals,” a book on how Abraham Lincoln continuously was able to influence and create alignment from both sides of the political parties to achieve united, common goals.

Eric Edge, SVP, Marketing and Communications at Postmates: My must read is The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. The book dives into the importance of compassion for others and understanding the complexities of everyday life while finding and creating joy in all that you do. As marketers we have the opportunity to be a positive force in people’s lives and help create that joy and this book gives real context as to why and how.

Lisa Kolodny Johnson, VP of Marketing at Ro: One book that truly changed my perspective on how marketers, creators and executives really impact societal norms (in both good and bad ways) was 90’s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality by Allison Yarrow. For a daily marketing read, I really love the Daily Carnage newsletter and their community is a wealth of information. Cultural Intelligence agency Sparks and Honey puts out Intelligence Reports and holds live cultural briefings on LinkedIn -- these are incredible tools for understanding and making sense of both macro and micro cultural signals

Andréa Mallard, CMO of Pinterest: I recommend Unleashed, by Dr. Frances Frei and Anne Morris. You need to be the CEO of a complex marketing organization as much as you need to be the CMO of the actual company. So being able to get the most out of the talent and passion of your team is job one. This book opened my eyes to the true characteristics of 21st century leadership, and the importance of building a team and culture that continues to excel even after you leave it.

Matt Kerbel, VP of Marketing at Homie: Three books I find myself going back to time and time again are “Good To Great” by Jim Collins, “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott, and “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek. One email I love is TheFutureParty daily on business, entertainment and culture.  

Kate Trumbull, Vice President of Advertising & Hispanic Marketing at Domino’s: Each morning I read theSkimm, listen to the Robinhood Snacks podcast, and quick scroll LinkedIn and Twitter.

Cynthia Kleinbaum, VP of Marketing, Walmart+, Mobile and Online Pickup & Delivery at Walmart: I’m currently reading “A Curious Mind” by Brian Grazer, and I’m a big fan of the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard. 

Nick Tran, Head of Marketing at TikTok: This is going to sound self-serving but TikTok is today's book, show, or podcast all in one. I have learned more about cooking, personal finance, science, and marketing from TikTok than I have in any single book or series.

Naomi Walkland, Director, EMEA Marketing at Bumble: One of my favourite books is Grit by Angela Duckworth. It's a fantastic book about the power of determination and the importance of building resilience. For me personally, I believe that perseverance, passion, and determination are important assets to success.  Currently, I am reading 'Truth, Lies, and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning' by Jon Steel as part of an online marketing book club. I’m only halfway through but I’m really enjoying it and it's been a great reminder to focus on the outcome, not the output in marketing. 

Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta (formerly Head of Diversity and Cross Cultural Marketing at Unilever): Anything and everything involving Scott Galloway.

Leela Srinivasan, CMO of SurveyMonkey: In pandemic times I’ve been tuning in regularly to The New York Times’ ‘The Daily’ podcast and reading Axios’ AM newsletter. Marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. From a marketing perspective, there are so many great podcasts out there! I’ve been enjoying Dave Gerhardt’s B2B Marketing Leaders podcast, and I recently had a great conversation with John Farkas and Mark Whitlock on Studio CMO. And, since we all need a laugh with an embedded tug at the heartstrings, I would recommend you watch Cobra Kai and Ted Lasso, just because.

Martin Renaud, EVP & CMO of Mondelēz International: I'm a believer of How Brands Grow and the Laws of Growth from Byron Sharp. I think it's a foundational piece.

 Thanks for being part of the Marketer Must Read community! Feel free to reach out to me with your thoughts on marketing or if you have suggestions for who should be featured here. And don’t forget to hit subscribe above or below to be notified when the next issue comes out.