CULTURAL EFFECTIVENESS COUNCIL PODCAST SERIES

 

Topics covered include:

• How Americans define their identities in the 21st Century
• The role and value of music in reaching and persuading diverse audiences
• How to increase engagement with communities of color on healthcare campaigns
• The importance of representation in advertising creative
• The language(s) of the 21st Century US consumer.

These sessions are currently available:

October 30, 2024 — Episode #31 CULTURECONNECT: INNOVATING WITH INCLUSIVE MEDIA

In today’s marketing world, it’s no longer enough to simply reach audiences; we also need to authentically resonate with them. One way to do that is through storytelling. When it’s done well, this process not only shapes how we see ourselves and others, but also shapes how we see the future. In this episode of CultureConnect, we explore the impact of and operations behind inclusive storytelling and get some valuable insights on cultural intelligence that can influence messaging, content, and approaches. Hosted by Janelle A. James, SVP, Ipsos.

Guests:
Kamala Avila-Salmon, The Founder & Ceo, Kas Kas Productions
Natasha Alford, SVP, The Grio, Political Commentator, Author of “American Negra.”

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September 26, 2024 — Episode #30 CULTURECONNECT: THE POWER OF RESPONSIBLE AI

The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and its potential are putting pressure on businesses to adopt the technology, sometimes before they’re fully ready. In the absence of regulation, business leaders have to figure out how to deal with AI bias and act responsibly without the guidelines they often need. In our 30th episode of CultureConnect, we’re diving into the critical topic of responsible AI as a catalyst for innovation. Hosted by Janelle A. James, SVP, Ipsos.

Guests:
April Jeffries, Global President Of Ethnography & Immersive Research, Ipsos
Kalinda Ukanwa, Assistant Professor Of Marketing (Modeling And Analytics), University California, Irvine

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September 9, 2024 — Episode #29 AI IN CUSTOMER JOURNEYS

Cutting-edge artificial intelligence applications are not only enhancing the customer journey, they’re also upskilling marketing, media, and product teams in the process. As the technology and options advance, AI is proving to be game changing for both brands and people as they navigate everyday tasks. On this episode of CultureConnect, we’ll discuss the challenges, impact and risks of AI implementation. Hosted by Janelle A. James, SVP Ipsos UU.

Guests:
Cecilia Dones, Founder, 3 Standard Deviations & Adjunct Professor, Columbia Business School
Peta-Gaye Lysius. AI Product Leader, BNY Mellon
Lori Mazor, Founder & CEO, Synthetivity

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August 14, 2024 — Episode #28 Humans In The Lead, Not Just In The Loop

Artificial intelligence is having a profound impact on all aspects of business including market research. AI is revolutionizing how we gather, analyze, and interpret data, providing unprecedented new capabilities and driving innovation in how brands connect with audiences. On this episode of CultureConnect, we’ll discuss the challenges, opportunities, and ethical considerations of integrating AI into research methodologies. Hosted by Janelle A. James, SVP Ipsos UU.

Guests:
Romani Patel, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft
Jamin Brazil, Chief Revenue Officer, Voxpopme
Morgan Gregory, Founder & Ceo, Alltold

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June 21, 2024 — Episode #27 CAREERS IN INSIGHTS

Insight specialists help organizations understand their customers, so they can improve products, communications, strategies and marketing. On this episode of CultureConnect, we’re exploring careers in insights with a panel of experts from top brands, who have helped bring important perspectives and innovations to market, while amplifying diverse voices and experiences. Hosted by Janelle A. James, SVP Ipsos UU.

Guests:
Kathy Dini James, Global Brand Strategy Insights Lead, Netflix
Kyle Ranally, Strategic Initiatives Insights Lead, NBA
Charitie Dantis-Gayo, Corporate Vice President, Center For Consumer Insights, New York Life Insurance
Yasmine Laasraoui, Director Trends & Foresight, North America Consumer Insights, Estee Lauder Companies

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May 29, 2024 — Episode #26 INSIDE CAREERS IN MEDIA

Media organizations persistently lack diversity in its workforce, particularly at the top. At the same time, the industry is aware that representation can bring with it great numbers of consumers and more financial gains. On this episode of CultureConnect, a dynamic panel of executives discuss the paths they traveled to build their careers in media and advice for those who want to succeed in this ever-changing field. Hosted by Janelle A. James, SVP Ipsos UU.

Guests:
Mary Kate Callen, VP Audience Impact & Intelligence, Paramount Advertising
Ivan Land Jr, Business Strategy Director, Hero Collective
Jennifer Rivera Vega, Head of Multicultural Advertising, TikTok

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April 26, 2024 — Episode #25 CAREERS IN TECH

The U.S. technology industry has grown at a steady if not rapid pace, yet it lags when it comes to diversity in its workforce. The majority of its workers are white and/or male. On this episode of CultureConnect, we’re taking a look at careers in tech with a panel of experts who are doing their part to diversify this STEM field. Hosted by Janelle A. James, SVP Ipsos UU.

Guests:
Nicole Isaac, VP, Global Public Policy, Cisco
Jason Shah, Tech Investor & Operator
Kanchanna Patlola, Technical Solutions Manager, Google

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March 28, 2024 — Episode #24 WOMEN IN ADVERTISING

In honor of women’s history month, CultureConnect is taking a deep dive into the advertising ecosystem and talking to some of the contemporary influential women on the front line of this creative and ever evolving field. From conceptualizing and developing some of the most memorable advertising campaigns to championing DEI, we’ll discuss what it takes to make it as a woman in advertising and break barriers in a male-dominated and often male-led industry. Hosted by Janelle A. James, SVP Ipsos UU.

Guests:
Karen Vega, Vice President, Inclusive Solutions, Paramount
Kerri Soukup, Executive Creative Director & Executive Vice President, Leo Burnett
Adrienne Lucas, Global Head of DEI & Strategic Partnerships, The One Club For Creativity

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February 26, 2024 — Episode #23 Celebrating Black Creative Excellence

In honor of black history month, CultureConnect is celebrating black creatives in advertising. So much of their experiences include paving the way, creating spaces and conveying messages for those who have largely lacked representation in media and advertising. In this episode, a group of creative directors share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs as black professionals in the media and advertising industries.

Guests:
Janelle A. James, SVP, Ipsos UU
Husani Barnwell, Group Art Supervisor, DDB, & Creative Director, Husani Barnwell Creative Consulting LLC
Kassandra Pollard, Associate Creative Director, McCann New York
Courtney Richardson, Creative Director At Droga5 & Founder, Museum of Nail Art
Shakira Seabrooks, former Creative Director, BET

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January 31, 2024 — Episode #22 Reimagining Inclusion in Advertising with Mita Mallick, a conversation with Janelle A. James, SVP IUU, and Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact, Carta and author, “Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths To Transform Your Workplace”

Corporations recognize the opportunity inclusive advertising offers to connect with all types of consumers and expand market reach. Yet many hit stumbling blocks along the way, including misperceptions or mistakes in marketing. We discuss these issues and how to avoid them with Mita Mallick, author of “Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths To Transform Your Workplace.”

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December 18, 2023 — Episode #21 2023 in Review, a conversation with Janelle A. James, SVP, Ipsos UU, Tarya Weedon, Cultural Insights Strategist and Moderator, Horowitz Research and Veronica Hernandez, Product Manager, Nielsen.

Over 2023, CultureConnect has covered many areas surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion, and the ways in which they are driving growth in businesses and marketing. As the year draws to a close, we wanted to look back at some of the interesting topics we’ve explored and celebrate the second year of our podcast.

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November 22, 2023 — Episode #20: Update on the Future of Qual, a conversation with, Tony D’Andrea, Multicultural Marketing Manager at General Mills, Danielle Hemsley, Director Of Research Strategy at Cassandra, Tristan Marra, VP Research, GLAAD, Kendra Clarke, Former Senior Director, Head of Experience Research and Design Core technologies, Twitter.

The landscape for qualitative research has undergone significant transformations in recent years. “Qual” is evolving and overcoming pitfalls related to diversity and cultural understanding. We discuss these issues and best practices in qual for organizations moving forward.

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October 26, 2023 — Episode #19: DEI Backlash? A conversation with, Koen Pauwels, Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Jane Etheridge, Strategy Director, Hunter Design and Carla Eboli, EVP, Multicultural Market, D,E & I Lead, Energy BBDO.

Over the years, organizations saw making progress in diversity, equity and inclusion as good for business. However, after a period of reinvigorated commitment to DEI, there’s now concern that may be diminishing. This episode examines how the current environment is changing the state of DEI in media, marketing and advertising, and how to navigate it.

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September 29, 2023 — Episode #18: Breaking Barriers & Building Businesses in Sports, a conversation with Janelle A. James, SVP, IUU, Ipsos, Anya Dawkins Johnson, Vice President of NBA Marketing and Commercial Strategy, Warner Brothers Discovery, Katlyn Gao, Ceo and Co-Founder At League One Volleyball (LOVB) and Katie O’Mealia, Vice President of Programming, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports.

Women’s sports has been growing in popularity and on the business side. Viewership of women’s soccer, tennis and basketball, among many other sports is increasing. Yet female athletes still have to fight to get equal pay and media coverage as male their male counterparts. It’s a challenge, but getting help from brands, media, and fans could be a game changer. On this episode we discuss breaking barriers and building businesses in women’s sports.

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September 5, 2023 — Episode #17: From Ads to Allies – Part 2, a conversation with Janelle A, James, Senior Vice President, IUU – Ipsos, Rachel Rogers, Senior Vice President Of Creative Excellence, Ipsos, Meghan Bartley, Director of Agencies Brands And Engagement, GLAAD, Anna Wilgan, Vice President of Product Marketing, Kantar and Latha Sarathy Chief Research Officer, Association of National Advertisers and EVP, Insights & Analytics & Measurement, SEEHER.

Inclusive advertising is an opportunity to reflect society and promote social change while expanding market reach. In our last episode of CultureConnect, we looked at the ongoing efforts of agencies and brands to navigate the complexities of DEI in advertising. In this episode, we continue that conversation with new research from two prominent organizations at the forefront of promoting inclusion in advertising.

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July 27, 2023 — Episode #16: From Ads to Allies, a conversation with Janelle A. James, SVP, Ipsos IUU, Angel Bellon, Senior Director Of Insights & Cultural Intelligence, Paramount , Victoria Ekwenuke, Marketing Inclusion Lead, Meta.

More and more marketing professionals see DEI in advertising presents an opportunity to expand market reach and increase brand relevance in addition to promoting social change. So how are agencies and brands doing when it comes to navigating the complexities of inclusive advertising? We discuss the ways in which marketers can find success in the future by embracing and influencing changes in society and culture.

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June 29, 2023 — Episode #15: From Beats to Belonging, a conversation with Janelle A. James, SVP, Ipsos IUU, Natalya Davis, COO, the Shalizi Group, Gerren Keith Gaynor, White House Correspondent and Managing Editor of Politics, TheGrio and Julie Duhen, Marketing Executive, Vevo.

Music has always been a powerful instrument for connection and cultural advancement. It’s a tool for self-expression and self-determination. Music plays a big role in June celebrations of Pride Month, Juneteenth, Caribbean Heritage Month, and Black Music Month. On this episode, we discuss how music shares culture, challenges stereotypes, and advances different communities.

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May 25, 2023 — Episode #14: Immigrant Portrayals in Media / Asian Heritage Month, a conversation with Erum Chaudhry, VP, Marketing, Parfums, Christian Dior, Patricia Ratulangi, VP, Global Communications, Diversity, & Inclusion/Corporate Social Responsibility, Nielsen and Adriana Waterston, Executive VP, Horowitz Research, part of M/A/R/C.

Immigration is a significant part of the American story, shaping our country’s history and cultural identity. However, immigrant portrayals in the media haven’t always been fair, kind or accurate. This episode focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the media when it comes to immigrants, with a focus on the Asian-American experience.

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May 3, 2023 — Episode #13: Contending with Algorithmic Bias Part 3, a conversation with Adam Buhler, Head of Creative Technology at Digitas North America , Greg Kahn, CEO of GK Digital Ventures & CEO of Emerging Technology Exchange and Kalinda Ukanwa, Assistant Professor of Marketing at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

You may have heard about ChatGPT. It’s the fastest growing AI powered technology with over 100 million monthly active users. It’s disrupting the workplace and the marketplace. But as new applications for artificial intelligence continue to materialize, we’ll discuss how it’s helpful and/or hurtful to our society. This is CultureConnect’s third episode looking at how we contend with algorithmic bias.

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March 30, 2023 — Episode #12: Women & Intersectionality, a conversation with Brandi Rand, VP Group Account Director for Digitas North America and Amber Coleman-Mortley, Senior Director of Community and Culture at The Female Quotient.

Marketers often look to target customers, though few people fit into just one category. For example, women are multifaceted, and womanhood is complex. Race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, nationality, age, and even ability impact how women navigate life, work, and society at large. On this Women’s History Month episode of CultureConnect, we explore womanhood and intersectionality.

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March 1, 2023 — Episode #11: Health Equity, a conversation with Peter Rodney, VP of Nursing and Patient Care Services at Langone Orthopedic Hospital at NYU Langone Health and Miriam Browning Nance, VP at Horizon Media.

The CDC defines health equity as the state in which “every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.” Yet disparities in our healthcare system persist. In this episode, we discuss how diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives can impact and improve health equity. As well as what all brands should know about wellness in minority communities.

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January 30, 2023 — Episode #10: Making DEI Efforts Stick, a conversation with Nyasia Sarfo, Global Diversity and Inclusion Program Lead at Microsoft and Singleton Beato, Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer at McCann Worldgroup

Over the years, organizations have increasingly engaged in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. But efforts only go so far unless there’s a long-term commitment and continuing efforts to make DEI stick. We discuss insights and strategies for organizations to continually improve operational inclusion.

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December 21, 2022 — Episode #9: Year in Review, a conversation with, Barbara Leflein Founder of Leflein Associates and Cochair Of the Cultural Effectiveness Council, Dana Sparber, Vice President of Insights and Research at NBC Universal and Kiko Restrepo, Lead of Inclusive Ad Sales Strategy at Warner Brothers Discovery.

Over the last year, CultureConnect has addressed how diversity, equity and inclusion are driving growth in businesses and marketing companies. These discussions have sometimes led us down surprising paths and given us food for thought. As 2022 draws to a close, some members of the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council join moderator Janelle James, Co-Chair of the CEC and Senior Vice President at Ipsos UU, to reflect on and celebrate our podcast.

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November 18, 2022 — Episode #8: Leading with Inclusive Insights, a conversation with Isaac Mizrahi, CEO of Alma, Aneessa Steilen, VP of Media And Distribution At Vevo, and Kimberley Mcarthur, Brand Experience Manager, Multicultural, At General Mills.

Whether you’re building a company or sustaining the power of a legacy brand, understanding demographic shifts is vital. Moderator Janelle James, Co-Chair of the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council and Senior Vice President at Ipsos UU, leads a discussion on ways brands have gained an edge by focusing their insights and subsequent marketing on what perhaps used to be considered niche markets.

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October 28, 2022 — Episode #7: Using More Inclusive Terminology in Research, a conversation with Adriana Waterston, Chief Revenue Officer and the Strategy and Insights Lead at Horowitz Research and Bryan Miller, a Senior Director of Product and Content at The Collage Group.

As media and brands seek to learn more about their audiences, the language that members of those audiences use to identify themselves needs to be reflected in research questionnaires. Moderator Janelle James, Co-Chair of the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council and Senior Vice President at Ipsos UU, leads a discussion on the challenges of inclusive identity terminology with experts in multicultural market research.

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September 29, 2022 — Episode #6: The Future of Qual, a conversation with Alexa Blechman, Senior Director of Cultural Insights at A&E Networks, Tony D’andrea, Multicultural Marketing Manager at General Mills, Danielle Hemsley, Director Of Research Strategy at Cassandra.

Qualitative research alone or with other forms of research has proven valuable to marketers and businesses who want to better understand their customers and target audience. The Cultural Effectiveness Council has been working on original research on today and tomorrow’s qualitative approaches. Moderator Janelle James, Co-Chair of the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council and Senior Vice President at Ipsos UU, speaks to her council colleagues on this initiative.

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June 17, 2022 — Episode #5: Contending with Algorithmic Bias pt 2 , A conversation with Kalinda Ukanwa, an Assistant Professor of Marketing at USC’s Marshall School of Business. Amanda Bower, a machine learning researcher at Twitter.

Technology is an essential part of our everyday life. We rely on it to help us navigate our finance, employment, housing, health care and purchases, among other things. But, perhaps unknowingly, we may be impacted by algorithmic bias, in which systematic repeatable errors in AI treat members of some groups differently than others. In part two of our look at algorithmic bias, we delve further into what consumers and companies can do about it.

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May 5, 2022 — Episode #4: Contending with Algorithmic Bias, a conversation with Janelle James, SVP, Ipsos IUU (Council Co-Chair), Kalinda Ukanwa, Assistant Professor of Marketing at USC’s Marshall School of Business. Amanda Bower, Machine Learning Researcher at Twitter. Hui Wang, VP/Director of Global Data Intelligence – Analytics Service, at Publicis Media. Kathy Sheehan, Senior Vice President at Cassandra. Ilinca Barsan, Data Science Director at Wunderman Thompson.

We’re increasingly dependent on algorithms in a variety of areas. This has led to problems with algorithmic bias, in which statistical and econometric models or a programmed set of instructions systematically treats members of some groups differently than others. This can be due to the unconscious biases of engineers who build the models, biases in the data they are trained on, biases inherent in the models themselves or algorithms’ treatment of human attributes as single, isolated components rather than intersectional identities. We look at the ways in which models, programs, and algorithms in the media, marketing, and advertising industries can unintentionally favor majority populations and ignore or even discriminate against minority segments and how to overcome this problem.

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April 4, 2022 — Episode #3: The Great Resignation, a conversation with Janelle James, SVP, Ipsos IUU (Council Co-Chair), Pepper Miller, Founder & President of Hunter Miller Group, Joanna Lara, US Multicultural Brand Partner & Strategy Lead at Google and Co-Founder of Latinos in Tech, and Carla Ebola, EVP, DEI Lead at Energy BBDO.

The ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council Co-Chair’s Janelle James led an examination of the media, marketing, and research industry’s effort to face capacity issues due to record departures, and how many Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies (DEI) are likely to shift as a result. This dynamic discussion ultimately highlighted the industry’s opportunity to implement inclusive hiring practices by bringing in a more diverse talent pool in response to a once in a generation shake up in the world of work.

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March 7, 2022 — Episode #2: Deconstructing Diversity Today with NBCU Magna and Identity, a conversation with Dana Sparber, Vice President of Insights and Research at NBC Universal, Kara Manatt, Senior Vice President of Intelligence Solutions at Magna. and Oscar Allain, Senior Vice President of Cultural Research at Identity and head of International Research at UM.

We’re living in a time when the way people identify themselves is constantly evolving. Not only do Americans live in a multicultural society, but many embrace communities that go beyond their own heritage. So, if marketers want to connect with consumers and stand out from the competition, they need to reflect this cultural reality. This episode features a discussion surrounding a recent study by NBCU and two ad agencies (Magna and Identity) which identifies steps marketers can take to reach a polycultural society, including having a culture first mindset.

Guests: A conversation with Dana Sparber, Vice President of Insights and Research at NBC Universal, Kara Manatt, Senior Vice President of Intelligence Solutions at Magna. and Oscar Allain, Senior Vice President of Cultural Research at Identity and head of International Research at UM. Hosted by, Barbara Leflein of Leflein Associates (Co-Chair, Cultural Council) and Moderated by Janelle James, SVP, IUU Ipsos (Co-Chair, Cultural Council)

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February 11, 2022 — Episode #1: How Brands Can Leverage the Cultural Relevance of Music Videos, a conversation with Laura Vanison, Director of Consumer & Artist Insights and Robert Velez, Senior Director of Multicultural Ad Sales at Vevo.

If you’ve watched music videos from artists like the Weeknd, Shakira, Justin Bieber or Olivia Rodrigo, chances are you watched it on Vevo, the world’s leading music video network. Vevo reaches over one billion daily viewers globally, and 150 million US viewers monthly. Music videos represent a unique form of premium content. More than entertainment, they’re very much the soundtrack to our lives. This episode looks at how Vevo provides opportunities for brands to connect with hard-to-reach, diverse groups in authentic ways and how corporate engagement can go beyond ads.

Guests: A conversation with Laura Vanison, Director of Consumer & Artist Insights and Robert Velez, Senior Director of Multicultural Ad Sales at Vevo. Hosted by, Barbara Leflein of Leflein Associates (Co-Chair, Cultural Council) and Moderated by Janelle James, SVP, IUU Ipsos (Co-Chair, Cultural Council)