In this episode, Eric sits down with Åsa Borg, the Chief Marketing & Commercial Operations Officer at Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand that's challenging the automotive industry. Since launching in 2017, Polestar has rapidly expanded to 27 markets globally with their lineup of electric vehicles. Åsa brings her wealth of experience from 20 years at Volvo Cars to this challenger brand, offering unique insights on the difference between marketing for an established brand versus building one from scratch.

One of the key takeaways from this conversation is how Polestar approached sustainability—making it core to their brand identity rather than just a marketing message. Åsa shares that transparency is a fundamental value for Polestar, especially in an industry that has historically hidden its environmental impact. We also dive into their decision to bring creative and media capabilities in-house, which has allowed for greater consistency, speed, and control over their brand expression across all 27 markets. Another fascinating aspect of our discussion explores how AI is being integrated into their marketing operations, from improving translation to maintaining brand tonality across markets. If you're interested in automotive marketing, sustainability branding, or building in-house creative capabilities, this episode is packed with valuable insights!

Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/fSEW2Vl2Sf8

📚 Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Intro 🎙️
• (00:03:02) - Åsa’s view on challenger brands in the EV space 🏆
• (00:04:29) - What is Polestar?
• (00:09:20) - Sustainability as a core brand value 📊
• (00:13:08) - Creative campaigns and testing approach 🎬
• (00:27:09) - Employer branding 🖨️
• (00:34:50) - Åsa’s commercial responsibilities 💼
• (00:37:03) - Lightning Round ⚡

🖊️Mentioned in the show:

• Polestar’s Own Campaign
• Arctic Circle cars campaign

Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he's joined by Åsa Borg of Polestar in this episode.

Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com & LinkedIn

Find Eric on LinkedIn

Find Åsa on LinkedIn.

Say hi at media@wearerival.com, we’d love to hear from you.

Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.

If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗 https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

In this episode, we sit down with Khalid El Khatib, the Chief Marketing Officer of Consumer Reports, one of America’s most trusted and oldest consumer advocacy organizations. Khalid unpacks how he’s transitioning Conaumer Reports from a “publisher” mindset to a platform strategy that emphasizes product-led growth, user-centric advocacy, and yes, the iconic lab testing (including a cat-hair-laden robotic vacuum test).

One of the key takeaways here is how community can be a company’s competitive moat, and how bringing in fresh digital tactics doesn’t have to mean losing an 88-year legacy of credibility. Another recurring theme is the intergenerational aspect of CR’s brand story - how do you engage a loyal but aging membership and a new crop of digitally native consumers at the same time? If you’ve ever wondered how to future-proof an institution while staying true to its roots, then this conversation is for you!

Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/K-OrSj6ioiA

📚 Chapters:

• (00:00:00) – Intro 🎙️
• (00:03:00) – Khalid’s favorite challenger brand 🏆
• (00:06:45) – Overview of Consumer Reports 📋
• (00:16:31) – Approaching community 🚀
• (00:28:11) – Succeeding in a SaaS environment 🤝
• (00:35:28) – What makes a good CMO ⚙️
• (00:41:05) – Lightning Round ⚡

🖊️Mentioned in the show:

• New York Magazine
• Duolingo

Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Khalid El Khatib of Consumer Reports in this episode.

Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com, LinkedIn.

Find Eric on LinkedIn.

Find Khalid on LinkedIn.

Say hi at media@wearerival.com, we’d love to hear from you.

Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.

If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗 https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024

We’re excited to sit down with Gastón Tourn, the Chief Growth Officer of Oddbox, a subscription service rescuing produce that would otherwise go to waste. In this conversation, Gastón dives into the importance of genuine storytelling, the fascinating psychology behind “Veg Haters,” and why focusing on customer insight (rather than competitors) unlocks true growth potential.

One of the key takeaways from this episode is Gastón’s belief that marketers should read fiction writers—like Hemingway—to understand storytelling frameworks that connect on a deeper human level. Another recurring theme is his approach to balancing long-term brand-building with short-term performance—a common challenge for any marketer who needs to do “more with less.” If you’ve ever wondered how to turn customer complaints into an engaging campaign, or if you simply love the idea of “ugly” fruits and veggies saving the world, then this episode is for you!

Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/DWQzGdyFj-U

📚 Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Intro 🎙️
• 00:03:02 – What is Oddbox? 🥕
• 00:08:40 – Gastón’s favorite challenger brand 🏆
• 00:11:16 – Storytelling that matters – the Hemingway hack ✍️
• 00:23:10 – Focusing on customers, not competitors 🤝
• 00:34:03 – How to Approach ROI with the Board 🦟
• 00:40:25 – Lightning Round ⚡

🖊️Mentioned in the show:

• The Long and the Short of it: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies

Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he’s joined by Gastón Tourn of Oddbox in this episode.

Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com, LinkedIn, Twitter.

Find Eric on LinkedIn.

Find Gastón on LinkedIn.

Say hi at media@wearerival.com, we’d love to hear from you.

Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.

If you’re interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here 🔗 https://www.wearerival.com/content-hub-articles/cmo-podcasts-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-in-2024