In a world where CMOs are expected to do more with less—drive revenue, prove impact, and keep pace with accelerating change—The Brand Builder’s Playbook is your guide to what actually works. In partnership with the team at BERA.ai, Jim Stengel, along with co-host Ryan Barker (Founder of BERA.ai), will explore how today’s top marketers are building resilient, revenue-driving brands—and how they’re reimagining the playbook in an era of AI, shifting consumer expectations, and constant disruption.
This 8-part series features co-host appearances from Lindsey Wehking (Nonfiction Research) and Cait Lamberton (Wharton School), as well as unfiltered conversations with senior marketing leaders behind some of the world’s most iconic brands. So if you’re tired of vague advice and want to know how great brands are actually built in 2025 and beyond—this is your playbook.
Brought to you by BERA.ai and vYve Productions.
Every CMO faces the same question: how do you balance long-term brand equity with short-term performance marketing?
In the fifth episode of The Brand Builder’s Playbook, hosts Jim Stengel and Ryan Barker, along with guest co-host Lindsey Wehking, tackle one of the most heated debates in modern marketing: brand versus performance. Is short-term activation enough, or does long-term brand building ultimately win?
This week’s guest is Andrea Brimmer, Chief Marketing and PR Officer at Ally, who has spent nearly two decades transforming Ally from a regional bank into one of America’s most admired challenger brands. Andrea shares the inside story of launching the Ally brand, driving growth through bold, customer-centric marketing, and proving that financial services can stand for transparency and trust. The conversation explores how to build brands people truly love, balance creativity with measurable results, and use brand purpose as a competitive advantage.
“We have to stop calling it brand versus performance. It’s demand generation and demand capture. And you can’t have one without the other.” — Andrea Brimmer
If you’ve ever wondered how to build a brand that punches above its weight, Andrea’s playbook is one you won’t want to miss.
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Download this week’s worksheet: https://bit.ly/4hFTZ7W
Read about upcoming episode topics and guests here: https://bera.ai/podcast/
