How to stand out in the attention economy: Samsung US CMO takes 3 Pressing Questions
Behind the Business with Michelle TohShow Notes
What do you do when 97% of consumers already know your brand?
Our latest guest is Samsung Electronics America CMO Allison Stransky, who takes 3 pressing questions about winning attention in an increasingly fragmented online world, the future of marketing and where AI fits in.
In this conversation, we dive into:
00:00: Introduction 01:18: How Allison found her path in marketing 02:45: Lessons from L’Oréal, Google and YouTube 04:50: How Allison landed her role 06:37: The career lesson that changed how Allison reaches audiences 07:54: Competing for attention in an algorithmic market 10:20: Which brands are winning 11:27: Building an influencer and creator strategy 14:54: How Samsung allocates its marketing budget 15:43: Why Samsung skipped the Super Bowl this year 17:13: Ad 18:14: Common generative AI marketing mistakes 19:55: AI skepticism, product bugs and getting it right 21:35: Are we in an AI bubble? 23:03: Inside Samsung’s “Solve for Tomorrow” program — AI fluency for the next generation 26:12: Ad 27:37: How Samsung markets its AI ecosystem 30:03: Daily routine, priorities, and work-life balance 32:16: Building a global marketing strategy37:18: Lessons about data and decision-making 39:02: Rapid-fire round
🚀 Season 2 of Behind the Business is here, featuring the leaders of brands including Airbnb, Rivian, NYSE, Canva, Samsung, Poppi, Peloton, Revolve, Lucid Motors, PHLUR, The Points Guy and Away. New episodes Thursdays.
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🎙️ About Behind the Business
Behind the Business is a Webby Award-winning, thoughtfully produced video podcast grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal. This is not a fawning interview show. We pair deep research with thorough interviews — asking the real questions and avoiding fluff, while keeping it fun! What’s the toughest day you’ve ever had at work? How did you get started when you practically had no money? Or how do you mentally prep for a big event? In each episode, guests get into it all — and also connects guests with young founders who send in a question. New episodes Thursdays.
About Michelle Toh Michelle is an award-winning international journalist, most recently a longtime reporter at CNN. She's covered top stories in global business, including the chip and trade wars, world-leading IPOs, the corporate response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's energy crisis and China's property crunch. Previously, she was with FORTUNE. She has reported for The New York Times, TIME and South China Morning Post.
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