The Secret Marketing Playbook Behind Burger King, Popeyes, & Tim Hortons

Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomMIn this episode, Daniel Blumer, CMO of Restaurant Brands International (EMEA), breaks down how Burger King’s parent company keeps four iconic brands fresh in a noisy quick-service world. From ditching 1,000-slide reports to tapping local culture first, Daniel shares the practical framework that powers 7,000+ restaurants across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.One key takeaway: Stop averaging—start individualizing. Daniel explains how looking at every store’s micro-market unleashed hidden growth, and why “emotional first, functional later” has become the new rulebook for launching Popeyes or Tim Hortons in new countries. If you lead marketing for a multi-brand, multi-market business, this conversation is your cheat sheet.Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/ws_GuCGOAlQ          📚 Chapters:(00:00:00) - Intro 🎙️(00:04:00) - Favorite challenger brand 🏆(00:05:48) - Overview of RBI(00:12:25) - Building Cultural Relevance 📊(00:18:56) - Sales, budget & market-share framework 💵(00:28:00) - Boutique agency network strategy 🤝(00:33:12) - Lightning Round ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:Liquid deathScratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, joined this episode by Daniel Blumer of Restaurant Brands International.Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com, LinkedInFind Eric on LinkedInFind Daniel on LinkedIn.Say hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

This week, it's a Scratch special. Fresh off The Croissette at Cannes 2025, Baby Eric and Baby Jenna join us to share their key takeaways from the most talked-about event in all of marketing and advertising. As yes, we said Baby Eric and Baby Jenna. All courtesy of AI of course.But do expect serious, insightful, sometimes rogue insight and opinions as usual from the Rival team all about what CMOs need to know from Cannes this year. What better way to discuss a major marketing event than in the shape of little babies, and we are emptying our diapers on the following: The death of the big 6AI reshaping the industry… or is it?How Gen Z all hate their phones, and experiential is the new digitalAnd much much more. In the words of Baby-Eric: Burp your CMO and let’s talk takeaways because baby, we’ve got thoughts!  Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

Watch out documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomMIn this live-recorded episode, Phoebe Corcoran, Brand & Communications Lead at Peanut, tells us how a two-person marketing team fuels the world’s fastest-growing social network for women across fertility, pregnancy, motherhood, and menopause. We discuss how they used real-time user insights to create headline-grabbing ideas - from the #FourSmiles statue takeover that spotlighted post-partum depression to the raw, viral power of #InvisibleMothers, a campaign that generated 100 million+ impressions and global press.Throughout the conversation, Phoebe shares the art-and-science balance that lets Peanut punch above its weight: mining community data for emotional hooks, knowing when to deploy “hero” creative versus hard-working performance assets, and orchestrating guerrilla-style out-of-home activations that cost peanuts yet earn national coverage. If you want to learn how to scale your business on startup budgets while resonating with millions, then this episode is for you.Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: 📚 Chapters:00:22:20 – What you need to do differently ⚡(00:00:00) – Intro 🎙️(00:01:57) – Phoebe’s favourite challenger brands 🏆(00:02:55) – What is Peanut? 📲(00:07:30) – Invisible mothers campaign 😊(00:14:25) – Choosing the best ideas  👀(00:17:21) – Art & Science balance ⚖️(00:22:20) – What you need to do differently ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:Peanut appMaternal Mental Health Alliance#InvisibleMothers campaignHere We FloScratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Phoebe Corcoran of Peanut in this episode.Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com & LinkedInFind Eric on LinkedIn.Find Phoebe on LinkedInSay hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomMIn this episode of Scratch, Eric sits down with Molly Landman, the first Chief Marketing Officer of PetSafe, the 30-year-old pet-tech pioneer behind invisible fences, automatic litter boxes, GPS collars, and more. Molly explains how she inherited “the biggest pet brand no one knows,” why an early push into broad awareness failed to lift sales, and how a tighter focus on consumer jobs-to-be-done now guides everything from R&D roadmaps to TikTok creative. She details the work of collapsing siloed teams into a single insights-to-activation engine, riding rivals’ top-of-funnel spend instead of out-spending them, and finding pockets of growth even as the overall pet-durables market turns negative. If you’re looking for lessons on brand refresh, gross-margin optimisation, or balancing performance with brand, this conversation delivers a practical, P&L-driven playbook.Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/vIdrjkKh49A📚 Chapters:(00:00:00) – Intro 🎙️(00:02:42) – Favorite Challenger-brand(00:04:36) – PetSafe overview 🐾(00:11:00) – Molly’s journey at Petsafe 📈(00:31:36) – Growing with less in a shrinking category 💡(00:38:25) – Taking the CMO role(00:40:26) – Lightning Round ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:Halo (dog collar) Bob Moesta episode - Scratch Jobs to be done theoryScratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Molly Landman of Petsafe in this episodeFind Rival online at www.wearerival.com & LinkedInFind Eric on LinkedInFind Molly on LinkedIn.Say hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomMThis week, we sit down with Nicole Parlapiano, CMO of Tubi, the leading free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) with the largest content library on the planet - 275 K+ movies and TV episodes. Nicole unpacks how she’s rewriting the rules of entertainment marketing: brand-first positioning, bottom-up cultural relevance, and creative swings that punch way above their media weight.One of the key takeaways from this episode is Nicole’s conviction that the monoculture is DEAD - growth now comes from igniting micro-communities at scale. We also dive into how commercial acumen (private-equity roots, P&L obsession) makes a modern CMO indispensable at board level, why most brands misuse social media, and the power of constraints to unlock breakthrough creativity. If you’re building a challenger brand - or simply fighting for standout work - this episode is for you!Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube ▶️: https://youtu.be/cBuq9amnM9c 📚 Chapters:(00:00:00) - Intro 🎙️(00:03:29) - Nicole’s background(00:14:30) - Favourite challenger brand 🌶️(00:17:03) - Challenging Convention 🌐(00:26:02) - Rethinking social 📱(00:33:55) - Creativity, risk & Super Bowl lessons 🎨(00:38:32) - Lightning Round ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:JC penny Chilis Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Nicole Parlapiano of TUBI in this episode.Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com & LinkedIn.Find Eric on LinkedIn.Find Nicole on LinkedIn.Say hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomMOn this week’s episode of Scratch, Jake Karls, the energetic co-founder and Chief Rainmaker of Midday Squares, joins Eric to unpack the reality-show marketing strategy that’s rocketing their functional chocolate bars onto shelves across North America. From filming therapy sessions to smashing Costco road-show records, Jake explains why attention is today’s most valuable currency and how being unapologetically authentic turns casual shoppers into lifelong fans.If you want a front-row seat to a modern challenger playbook - complete with community gamification, LinkedIn power moves, and a sneak peek at the next growth phase - this episode is for you!Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/3I86AGZQRvY          📚 Chapters:(00:00:00) - Intro 🎙️(00:04:18) - Jake’s favorite challenger brand: Liquid Death 💧(00:08:50) - What is Midday Squares? 🍫(00:10:45) - The reality-show marketing playbook 🎥(00:19:00) - Breaking Costco’s sales record & community gamification 🏬(00:24:30) - Scaling a media-first model 📈(00:30:30) - LinkedIn: the underrated channel 🔗(00:33:45) - Data vs. creativity in marketing 📊(00:41:00) - Lightning Round ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:Liquid DeathPatagonia – “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaignNike storytelling modelWhoop wearableScratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Jake Karls of Midday Squares in this episode.Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com, LinkedIn, Twitter. Find Eric on LinkedIn.Find Jake on LinkedIn.Say hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link 📺:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBKelmQomMIn this episode, Eric sits down with Åsa Borg, the Chief Marketing & Commercial Operations Officer at Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand that's challenging the automotive industry. Since launching in 2017, Polestar has rapidly expanded to 27 markets globally with their lineup of electric vehicles. Åsa brings her wealth of experience from 20 years at Volvo Cars to this challenger brand, offering unique insights on the difference between marketing for an established brand versus building one from scratch.One of the key takeaways from this conversation is how Polestar approached sustainability—making it core to their brand identity rather than just a marketing message. Åsa shares that transparency is a fundamental value for Polestar, especially in an industry that has historically hidden its environmental impact. We also dive into their decision to bring creative and media capabilities in-house, which has allowed for greater consistency, speed, and control over their brand expression across all 27 markets. Another fascinating aspect of our discussion explores how AI is being integrated into their marketing operations, from improving translation to maintaining brand tonality across markets. If you're interested in automotive marketing, sustainability branding, or building in-house creative capabilities, this episode is packed with valuable insights!Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/fSEW2Vl2Sf8  📚 Chapters:(00:00:00) - Intro 🎙️(00:03:02) - Åsa’s view on challenger brands in the EV space 🏆(00:04:29) - What is Polestar?(00:09:20) - Sustainability as a core brand value 📊(00:13:08) - Creative campaigns and testing approach 🎬(00:27:09) - Employer branding 🖨️(00:34:50) - Åsa’s commercial responsibilities 💼(00:37:03) - Lightning Round ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:Polestar’s Own CampaignArctic Circle cars campaignScratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he's joined by Åsa Borg of Polestar in this episode.Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com & LinkedInFind Eric on LinkedInFind Åsa on LinkedIn.Say hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

In this episode, we sit down with Khalid El Khatib, the Chief Marketing Officer of Consumer Reports, one of America’s most trusted and oldest consumer advocacy organizations. Khalid unpacks how he’s transitioning Conaumer Reports from a “publisher” mindset to a platform strategy that emphasizes product-led growth, user-centric advocacy, and yes, the iconic lab testing (including a cat-hair-laden robotic vacuum test).One of the key takeaways here is how community can be a company’s competitive moat, and how bringing in fresh digital tactics doesn’t have to mean losing an 88-year legacy of credibility. Another recurring theme is the intergenerational aspect of CR’s brand story - how do you engage a loyal but aging membership and a new crop of digitally native consumers at the same time? If you’ve ever wondered how to future-proof an institution while staying true to its roots, then this conversation is for you!Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/K-OrSj6ioiA          📚 Chapters:(00:00:00) – Intro 🎙️(00:03:00) – Khalid’s favorite challenger brand 🏆(00:06:45) – Overview of Consumer Reports 📋(00:16:31) – Approaching community 🚀(00:28:11) – Succeeding in a SaaS environment 🤝(00:35:28) – What makes a good CMO ⚙️(00:41:05) – Lightning Round ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:New York Magazine Duolingo Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Khalid El Khatib of Consumer Reports in this episode.Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com, LinkedIn.Find Eric on LinkedIn.Find Khalid on LinkedIn.Say hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

We’re excited to sit down with Gastón Tourn, the Chief Growth Officer of Oddbox, a subscription service rescuing produce that would otherwise go to waste. In this conversation, Gastón dives into the importance of genuine storytelling, the fascinating psychology behind “Veg Haters,” and why focusing on customer insight (rather than competitors) unlocks true growth potential.One of the key takeaways from this episode is Gastón’s belief that marketers should read fiction writers—like Hemingway—to understand storytelling frameworks that connect on a deeper human level. Another recurring theme is his approach to balancing long-term brand-building with short-term performance—a common challenge for any marketer who needs to do “more with less.” If you’ve ever wondered how to turn customer complaints into an engaging campaign, or if you simply love the idea of “ugly” fruits and veggies saving the world, then this episode is for you!Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/DWQzGdyFj-U    📚 Chapters:00:00:00 – Intro 🎙️00:03:02 – What is Oddbox? 🥕00:08:40 – Gastón’s favorite challenger brand 🏆00:11:16 – Storytelling that matters – the Hemingway hack ✍️00:23:10 – Focusing on customers, not competitors 🤝00:34:03 – How to Approach ROI with the Board 🦟00:40:25 – Lightning Round ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:The Long and the Short of it: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Gastón Tourn of Oddbox in this episode.Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com, LinkedIn, Twitter. Find Eric on LinkedIn.Find Gastón on LinkedIn.Say hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

Check out our new podcast ‘Ripples’ on Microcultures from the links 🔗 below 👇🎙️ Listen on Apple podcasts here🎧 Listen on Spotify hereIn this episode, we sit down with Fabio Tambosi, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at ESL FACEIT Group (EFG)—the world’s largest esports and gaming ecosystem. Fabio shares his journey from a near-pro soccer career to marketing roles at Nike, Adidas, and Saucony before stepping into the high-velocity realm of esports.One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is Fabio’s approach to “unlearning” old habits. Drawing on his experience managing iconic sports brands, Fabio explains why empowering teams, trusting the community, and staying humble are critical for success in an always-evolving digital landscape. With more than 3.2B gamers globally, Fabio believes co-creation and community-led content represent the future of modern marketing—both in esports and beyond.Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/xEKUBtePN3E 📚 Chapters:(00:00:00) – Intro 🎙️(00:04:20) – Fabio’s Challenger Brand(00:06:56) – Overview of ESL FACEIT Group 🕹️(00:09:20) – From Soccer Dream to Accidental Marketer ⚽(00:18:43) – Unlearning & Asking ‘Simple’ Questions 🤔(00:19:49) – Trusting the Team & Creative Process 💡(00:24:21) – Why you need to empower your team 👥(00:38:00) – Where Brands go Wrong 🏗️(00:40:50) – Lightning Round ⚡🖊️Mentioned in the show:Red BullNike’s 'Dream Crazy' CampaignCall of DutyScratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Fabio Tambosi of ESL FACEIT Group in this episode.Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com, LinkedIn, Twitter. Find Eric on LinkedIn and tweet him @efulwiler. Find Fabio on LinkedIn.Say hi at [email protected], we’d love to hear from you. Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗  https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024