Intelligent Beauty: How Ulta Beauty uses AI personalization to power loyalty and relevance at scale

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, recorded live at CES in Las Vegas, Matt Britton sits down with Michael Lacorazza, Chief Marketing Officer at U.S. Bank. Michael shares how U.S. Bank is operationalizing AI across synthetic audiences, personalization, CRM intelligence, and product bundling to drive measurable growth. The conversation explores balancing innovation with risk, building cross-functional buy-in, the cultural power of sports, and why understanding the P&L is the ultimate unlock for modern marketing leaders.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Michael Lacorazza on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, recorded live at CES in Las Vegas, Matt Britton sits down with Natasha Madan, Head of Marketing at Intuit Credit Karma. Natasha shares how Credit Karma is evolving from a credit score provider into a personalized financial assistant powered by AI and 70,000+ data points. The conversation explores democratized creativity in the AI era, financial literacy in the age of “FinTok,” Gen Z acquisition strategy, and how trust, personalization, and human intelligence will define the next phase of financial services.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Natasha Madan on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, recorded live at CES in Las Vegas, Matt Britton sits down with Diana Marshall, EVP and Chief Experience Officer at Sam’s Club. Diana shares how Sam’s Club is building a human-led, tech-powered membership model, why experience is now the primary differentiator in retail, and how closed-loop data and AI-driven personalization are reshaping acquisition, loyalty, and retail media. The conversation explores the shift from frictionless to effortless retail, the power of associate experience, and what the future of buying looks like in an AI-enabled world.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Diana Marshall on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Matt Britton sits down with Kelly Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer at Ulta Beauty, live from CES 2026 in Las Vegas. In this interview, Kelly unpacks how Ulta Beauty’s loyalty program and personalization engine drive nearly all sales. They also discuss why motivation-based marketing segmentation has replaced traditional demographics, and how AI-powered personalization in beauty and wellness retail shapes everything from recommendations to creative execution. The conversation further explores Ulta Beauty’s omnichannel customer journey, its evolving beauty and wellness retail strategy, and how Adobe CDP and Adobe Firefly creative automation support marketing at scale.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Kelly Mahoney on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Milo Speranzo, Chief Marketing Officer for Lenovo North America, live from CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Milo breaks down what it took to deliver Lenovo’s sold-out Sphere showcase, the product story behind AI PCs, servers, wearables, and Motorola, and why edge computing AI privacy now shapes a new hardware refresh cycle. The conversation also explores the Lenovo FIFA World Cup partnership, FootballAI analytics, and Milo’s leadership mantra for 2026: learn, iterate, and be a goldfish.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Milo Speranzo on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Matt Britton speaks with Rachael Zaluzec, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Customer Experience and Brand Marketing at Volkswagen of America. Rachael explains how the Volkswagen ‘Drivers Wanted’ campaign returns as a cultural statement about independence and identity. The conversation explores 2026 Automotive marketing trends, the role of AI in automotive customer experience, and how Volkswagen is blending heritage with modern technology while preparing for the future of autonomous driving Volkswagen strategy.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Rachael Zaluzec on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Matt Britton sits down with Jennifer Wilson, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Lowe’s, to examine how one of America’s largest retailers is executing a modern marketing strategy rooted in culture, experience, and long-term relevance. Jennifer breaks down Lowe’s brand transformation, from expanding beyond traditional home improvement into lifestyle and community, to using AI in home improvement retail, scaling creator partnerships, and building a powerful retail media network. The conversation offers a clear look at how brands evolve without losing trust, and what it takes to stay relevant as consumer behavior, technology, and culture continue to shift.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Jennifer Wilson on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Melissa Harrison, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), live from CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Melissa breaks down how CES grew from a gadget showcase into a cross-industry business hub where enterprise innovation, media, creators, and global partnerships collide. They explore what it takes to build a 13-venue event at this scale, how CTA markets a two-sided marketplace of attendees and exhibitors, the rise of the creator economy at CES, and why AI at CES 2026 marks a turning point from theory to real-world application.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Melissa Harrison on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Tom Donaldson, Senior Vice President and Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group, live from CES 2026 in Las Vegas.  Tom introduces LEGO SmartPlay at CES 2026, a new platform powered by LEGO SMART Brick technology that allows LEGO creations to respond to how they are played with, all through interactive LEGO play without screens. The conversation explores LEGO System in Play innovation, long-cycle R&D product development, and how creativity and AI leadership shape the future of play.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Tom Donaldson on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Matt Britton sits with Selina Sykes, VP and Global Head of Digital Marketing and Social-First, Unilever, Beauty & Wellbeing, for a deep look at the company’s marketing transformation. Selina breaks down how Brand DNAI, AI in content creation, digital twins, creators, and cultural insight come together to build “desire at scale.” She also explains how AI agents and agentic shopping will rewrite the future consumer journey, and why authenticity and community matter more than ever in global beauty.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Selina Sykes on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.