The B2B boys Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg return to the podcast for a third time, this time wearing their new distinctive assets. They go hard on Professor Scott Galloway, disagreeing with his "brand is dead" statement, suggesting that not only is brand not dead, it's alive, thriving and you need it for your brand to survive. They also give us an update on their synthetic research company, Evidenza, and what the future of brands look like in the age of AI.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
02:07 - How is Evidenza going?
03:36 - Why Evidenza have embraced distinctive assets
08:29 - Why Jon and Peter disagree with Scott Galloway on brand
17:20 - The future of brand in the age of AI
21:21 - The 95:5 rule reinvented
27:48 - Why brand efforts compound
30:00 - Why brand matters more in B2B than B2C
38:49 - The Evidenza jingle
41:03 - What marketing questions can now be answered with AI
55:17 - What is the future of AI for research

I speak to Airbnb's CMO, Hiroki Asai, fresh off their 2025 Summer Release, where they announced their brand new "Services" and "Experiences" addition to the platform. This now positions Airbnb as the perfect alternative to a hotel when travelling. Hiroki touches on how they have launched this massive new innovation, why they do all their creative work in-house and rounds off with some poignant advice to marketers.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:42 - Joining Airbnb at the start of COVID
• 02:44 - Why Airbnb turned off performance marketing but invested in brand
• 04:01 - Airbnb’s origin story as told by their CMO, Hiroki Asai
• 06:31 - The importance of design for Airbnb
• 07:37 - Why all branding and advertising is done in house
• 17:36 - How the new launch helps Airbnb hosts
• 18:33 - What went into such a big launch
• 20:36 - Some of the notable Airbnb experiences
• 21:28 - The big redesign of the Airbnb app
• 23:59 - How Hiroki leads the marketing organisation
• 27:29 - How to launch a big product update
• 29:37 - Revamping the Airbnb host experience
• 31:45 - Hiroki’s advice for aspiring CMOs

Since Elon Musk acquired X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, the platform has undergone dramatic changes; slashing headcount, losing major advertisers, and redefining its identity. Now, under CEO Linda Yaccarino and marketing lead Angela Zepeda (formerly of Hyundai), X is staging a comeback. Angela joins Jon to discuss her leap from automotive to tech, rebuilding advertiser trust, and the bold vision of turning X into “the everything app.”

They cover the platform's role in breaking news, championing free speech, and why brands are flocking back.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:39 - From Hyundai to X: Angela’s leap
03:46 - Leading marketing when everyone has an opinion
05:56 - Free speech and platform identity
07:45 - Why news breaks on X
13:11 - X as a place to think differently
15:58 - The rise of sports on X
19:35 - Helping brands join the conversation
26:16 - Winning back advertisers
34:25 - What advertisers gain from returning
36:06 - How X markets itself
39:58 - The “everything app” vision
42:54 - Integrating Grok AI
47:20 - How advertisers can win on X