Show Notes
New Balance has gone from “dad shoe” to global cultural force. But how do you stay authentic once you've made it?
In this episode of A Different Take, host Linda Boff looks at New Balance's next challenge with Complex Associate Editor Matt Welty, Klutch Athletic CEO & Founder Rich Paul, New Balance CMO & Brand President Chris Davis, five-time Olympic medalist Gabby Thomas, and Kith Founder, CEO & Creative Director Ronnie Fieg.
From athlete partnerships and cultural relevance to growth, product, and the power of staying fiercely independent, they unpack what it takes to get bigger without becoming something you're not.
0:00 Introduction
0:59 The Competitive Landscape Has Changed
2:07 The Athlete Is Also Changing
5:25 The Biggest Risk: New Balance Itself
8:25 What Success Actually Means Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from A Different Take with Linda Boff
What if staying private is one of New Balance’s biggest competitive advantages?
What makes an athlete choose one brand over another?
A Different Take — Season 2 launches with the story of New Balance’s remarkable transformation from “dad shoe” to one of the hottest brands in sports and culture.
Episode 2: Was Coca-Cola's campaign a defining test case for whether AI can serve as a creative collaborator rather than a replacement for human talent? Secret Level founder Jason Zada explores how one of the world’s most iconic brands balanced innovation with consumer expectations, what it means to introduce AI at scale, and how creative leadership evaluates when emerging technology enhances—not diminishes—the craft of storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 4: Did Coca-Cola’s AI campaign herald a new golden age of marketing? We talk with Silverside founder PJ Periera about how brands can use AI to reimagine iconic assets and blend nostalgia with new forms of storytelling, while navigating the risks that come with touching deeply familiar cultural symbols. The conversation explores whether this marks a true turning point for marketing, how AI is redefining creative excellence, and what separates meaningful brand reinvention from content that is merely faster and cheaper to produce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices