Ep 63: Isobell Roberts - BrandComms.AI: Co‑Founder & Chief AI Officer

Is Brand Dead? BrandComms.ai's Isobel Roberts on AI, Speed, and the Future of AdvertisingRecorded live at SXSW 2026 from La Condesa in Austin, Matt Wurst sits down with Isobell Roberts — co-founder and Chief AI Officer at BrandComms.ai — to dig into one of the most provocative questions in marketing right now: Is brand actually dead?Isobel brings a grounded, science-backed perspective to the AI hype cycle. BrandComms.ai is built on 30 years of marketing science research from Forethought, and their agentic AI platform helps brands create effective advertising 75% faster and 80% cheaper — with a pre-market effectiveness guarantee. No joke.They get into: what agentic AI actually means in practice, why brand codes and category codes are the real moat in an AI-saturated world, how synthetic consumer screening works before a dollar hits media, and why bad AI-generated creative isn't a new problem — it's just bad creative with a new face.Plus: the SNL framework for content, Terry Black's BBQ, and a shoutout to Romania.

What makes a great leader today? And how do we avoid becoming the bad boss everyone complains about?In this episode of the Snarketing Podcast, host Matt Wurst sits down with Mita Mallick — corporate changemaker, marketing executive, and bestselling author of Reimagine Inclusion and The Devil Emails at Midnight.Mita has spent decades inside some of the world’s biggest companies including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Unilever, and now advises leaders and organizations on how to build better workplaces, stronger cultures, and more inclusive brands.This conversation goes far beyond marketing tactics. Matt and Mita explore the real human challenges shaping today’s workplace: leadership pressure, burnout, representation in marketing, AI’s impact on work, and the uncomfortable truth that sometimes the biggest leadership problem… might be us.They discuss:- Why inclusion is not charity — it’s smart business- The real reason bad bosses are made, not born- How leaders accidentally cap the potential of their teams- Why midnight emails quietly reinforce burnout culture- The promotion trap: why companies reward top performers with leadership roles they’re not trained for- How AI could free leaders to coach, mentor, and develop teams- Why human storytelling matters more than ever in the age of AI contentAlong the way, Mita shares candid reflections on her own leadership mistakes, the lessons behind her latest book, and why self-awareness may be the most important leadership skill of all.If you’re a marketer, manager, founder, or anyone trying to build better teams in a fast-changing world, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership.

Kristin Wozniak (Chief Growth and Data Officer at Cosmo5) has a hot take for 2026: she’s over our obsession with data. Not data itself. The way we use it. In Episode 61 of the Snarketing Podcast, Kristin challenges one of corporate culture’s biggest myths: that emotions don’t belong at work. From asking “Are you an asshole?” in a job interview to reframing data as just one voice at the table, this conversation explores what modern leadership really looks like.We dive into:- Data-informed vs data-based decision making- Gut instinct vs analytics- Why AI shouldn’t solve every problem- The danger of $500 solutions to $5 problems- Burnout and the myth of emotionless performance- Cosmo5’s “Five Intelligences”: artificial, operational, strategic, emotional, and ethicalIf you care about marketing leadership, AI strategy, workplace culture, or building businesses that are both intelligent and human, this episode is for you.Because maybe the future of marketing isn’t colder. Maybe it’s more human.

Trust is the invisible line between momentum and stagnation. Cross it, and teams move faster. Miss it, and nothing works the way it should.In this episode of the Snarketing Podcast, hosts Matt Wurst and Valerie Vespa welcome back their first-ever repeat guest, Jeanniey Walden, for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about trust, leadership, attention, and growth in an AI-shaped world.Jeanniey introduces her new book, The Trust Threshold: Crossing the Line Between Stuck and Unstoppable, and breaks down how her AIR Method (Authenticity, Inspiration, Relatability) applies far beyond business strategy. The discussion spans everything from why attention has collapsed to a three-second window, to how leaders unintentionally create “checklist workers,” to why relatability is a revenue and survival skill, not a soft one.The episode also explores how AI can be used as a thinking partner rather than a shortcut, the danger of performative leadership, and why trust signals show up long before revenue drops. With real-world stories from Fortune 250 brands, startups, and personal leadership moments, this conversation blends practical insight with humor and honesty.If you lead people, build brands, or feel like effort isn’t producing the results it should, this episode will reframe how you think about trust and what it takes to become truly unstoppable.

Season 4 of Snarketing kicks off with a big one: Jason Acker, Vice President of Media & Digital for North America at Diageo, joins Matt Wurst and Valerie Vespa for a wide-ranging conversation on how modern media leaders actually drive growth at scale.Jason breaks down how Diageo uses AI to improve productivity, content, and decision-making, why cultural relevance must be earned over time, and how measurement has become a true competitive advantage. The conversation covers everything from last-minute marketing wins and long-range planning to building resilient teams and preparing the next generation of media leaders.If you care about AI without hype, culture that drives business, and leadership in a fast-moving marketing world, this episode delivers.

We made it through 2025. Barely. 😅 In the Season 3 finale of The Snarketing Podcast, co-hosts Matt Wurst and Valerie Vespa close out the year with a wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation on what actually mattered in marketing, media, tech, and culture and what’s coming next in 2026.This episode is part recap, part therapy session, part prediction engine.Matt and Valerie unpack the biggest themes shaping the industry right now, including why the marketing funnel is officially dead, how discovery and conversion have collapsed into a single moment, and why everyone suddenly wants to be a “network.” They debate AI’s rapid acceleration, the growing risks around security and job displacement, and the uncomfortable power dynamics forming at the top of the tech ecosystem.The conversation also digs into creators, influencers, and DTC realities, what the Kardashians got right, why social media struggles to drive real loyalty, and which platforms may emerge as the next true media powerhouses by 2026.The episode ends on a more grounded note. Less noise. More signal. Better judgment, better context, and healthier boundaries as the industry heads into another high-pressure year.If 2025 felt heavy, chaotic, or both, you’re not alone.This is Snarketing at its most honest, reflective, and forward-looking. And without the burden of guests.

Uber is one of the most used consumer apps on the planet. But behind the scenes, a fast-growing advertising business is reshaping how brands reach people in motion.In this episode of The Snarketing Podcast, Matt Wurst and Valerie Vespa sit down with Megan Ramm, Global Head of Sales at Uber Advertising, to unpack how a “startup inside Uber” has scaled across 70 countries and 10,000 cities.Megan shares how Uber Advertising drives outcomes across rides and delivery, why attention in motion converts differently, and how creative, commerce, and context now collide in a single moment. The conversation covers Uber’s Creative Studio, Gen Uber research, evolving ad formats, attention-based measurement, and what’s next as Uber expands far beyond rides and food.It’s a candid look at growth, innovation, and what happens when media meets real life.

In this Thanksgiving edition of The Snarketing Podcast, Matt and Valerie sit down with Anjali Virmani, Global Head of Creative Solutions at Time Out Media, for a fast, funny, and wildly thoughtful conversation about culture, creativity, community, and the messy state of modern media.Anjali shares her journey from Manchester to Maryland to Manhattan, how being raised in a South Asian immigrant household shaped her voice, and why empathy and lived experience still fuel the best creative work. She breaks down Time Out’s evolution from a print listings guide to a global cultural brand spanning 300 plus cities, food markets, festivals, and digital storytelling.They dive into why AI is killing originality, how to build trust with audiences, why advertisers need to earn their moments—not force them—and what she’d fix if she could rebuild the media industry from scratch. Plus: espresso martinis, parenting twins, the value of wandering alone in a new city, and what “taking time out” really looks like.A warm, sharp, honest conversation to close out the year—and one of our most inspiring episodes yet.

From Meta to MoonPay to Acorns... It's The Modern Creator Playbook Episode with JJ: In this episode, Matt Wurst and Valerie Vespa sit down with Justin Johnson, former Head of Market Development at Acorns and a leading voice at the intersection of creators, culture, and commerce.Justin shares his journey from Meta to MoonPay to Acorns, unpacking what each chapter taught him about building authentic creator partnerships, driving brand relevance, and turning culture into conversion.You’ll hear stories from working with MrBeast, Michelle Obama, Theo Von, and more, plus insights on:• The rise of the creator economy and where it’s heading• How authenticity beats algorithms every time• Why AI and community are reshaping brand discoveryWhether you’re a marketer, creator, or just curious how influence becomes impact, this episode is your courtside seat to the next playbook in modern marketing.

Recorded live at the ANA Masters of Marketing in Orlando, this episode of The Snarketing Podcast features Lucy Markowitz, SVP and GM of U.S. Marketplace at Vistar Media — one of the most influential voices in out-of-home and data-driven advertising.Lucy joins Matt Wurst and Valerie Vespa to talk about the evolution of out-of-home (OOH) and in-real-life media, the growing power of data through T-Mobile’s acquisition of Vistar, and how AI, creativity, and leadership are reshaping marketing from the ground up.From AI-assisted car manufacturing and ad creation to retailers reclaiming their data and brands like Netflix buying their own billboards, Lucy breaks down what’s next for marketers navigating change, scale, and measurement in a fast-moving industry.🎙️ Topics include:- The T-Mobile x Vistar data advantage- Why OOH is becoming “IRL media”- Retailers taking back data ownership- AI’s real impact on creativity and production- Leadership lessons from 12 years in adtechWhether you’re a marketer, media exec, or tech innovator, this episode delivers sharp insights with a healthy dose of snark.