In today's dynamic marketing landscape, the ability to adapt and stay ahead of the curve is paramount. At Vistar Media, we take pride in our proactive approach to understanding the latest advertising trends and marketing innovations so that we can better support the marketers we partner with.
In two recent conversations—one with Derek Yarbrough, former CMO of J.Crew and Madewell, and another with Jesse Kirshbaum, CEO of NUE Agency—we uncovered valuable insights into navigating change, building strong partnerships and staying relevant in a constantly shifting world. These discussions offer valuable takeaways not only for brands and agencies, but also for strategic partners like us who strive to empower them.
Embracing change to unlock new opportunities
Derek and Jesse, two individuals with distinct career paths, have both skillfully adapted to substantial shifts in their respective fields.
Jesse's trajectory exemplifies the dynamic nature of the entertainment industry and the profound impact of cultural shifts. He started his career by discovering, developing and representing influential artists like Wale, Logic and Mike Posner. Having focused his career on the epicenter of entertainment, technology and brand marketing, he positioned NUE as a trailblazer—evolving the creative music agency to sit at the intersection of these forces. Today, he brings together artists and the world’s leading brands, leveraging the pulse of culture to drive impactful experiences for artists, brands and consumers alike.
Derek's career began during the rise of e-commerce, playing a crucial role in building the online presence of major retail brands. He was instrumental in shaping Walmart’s early e-commerce strategy, helping establish and expand Walmart.com, which was considered a startup at the time. This journey led him to J.Crew and Madewell, where made history as the first CMO to oversee both brands. His expertise in building Madewell's online presence from the ground up, along with his experience navigating the intricacies of a heritage brand like J.Crew, makes him a true visionary in reaching customers through new media, all while keeping creativity, data, design and storytelling at the forefront.
These leaders shared invaluable wisdom on navigating change, building relationships and staying relevant. Here’s what they taught us.
The value of strong agency-client relationships
Both leaders emphasized the importance of building strong relationships and how marketers can tap into the power of these connections to drive success, highlighting the value of the brand-agency relationship, specialized expertise, open communication and shared success.
“The pace of change is only accelerating, making it increasingly challenging for marketing teams to excel across all channels and innovations,” said Derek. “While it's crucial to recognize your team's strengths, it's equally important to maintain a network of agencies or third-party partners to tap into for expertise and support in areas where your team may need additional resources or insights.”
Derek went on to add, “I always appreciated when my agency partners operated as strategic collaborators rather than vendors. They would encourage us to test more innovative tactics, make optimizations based on performance and show us what was next.”
Jesse echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of finding your niche. “The market has shifted; brands now prefer niche agencies and specialists because they recognize that one single agency may not meet all their needs. Working with different agency partners, each with their unique strengths, allows them to be more nimble and maintain a focus on the bigger picture when launching a campaign,” he said.
Beyond specialization, Jesse also spoke to the importance of personal connections, community building and face-to-face interactions in a world increasingly reliant on digital communication. “In an agency, relationships are crucial—and that means building genuine, in-person connections. Sure, decks have their place, but you’re never going to close a deal that way. You need to show up. Whether it’s meeting for drinks, sharing a meal or getting creative and organizing an activity that your client enjoys, those personal interactions are what’s going to help you stand out and foster real relationships.”
The power of POV and authenticity
Both Jesse and Derek emphasized the importance of having a strong point of view (POV) and doing everything with authenticity.
As Jesse put it, “Relevance is so important in this day and age–and having a strong POV is the highest point of leverage. What do you stand for? What do you care about? Authenticity is the highest frequency.” In other words, knowing what is important to you and remaining true to these values is the first step to establishing and amplifying your brand.
To create the best possible brand experience, Derek encouraged marketers to put themselves in their customers’ shoes. “Marketing at the end of the day is about knowing who your customer is, what problems that they face and how the product or service you offer can help solve their problems or meet their needs.”
The evolving role of the CMO
Derek pointed out the evolving role of the CMO, emphasizing the need for marketers to be agile and adaptive. He aptly described today’s CMO as a "growth engineer," responsible for connecting the dots across all functions within an organization. This holistic view extends beyond traditional marketing functions to encompass customer experience, product development and financial performance.
"The role of marketing changes every two to three years; it's the one function that's never constant,” he said. “Successful marketers today plan full funnel. Everything is brand and everything is performance. However, it all ties back to one crucial element: creating a cohesive experience for your audience across all brand touchpoints. When all teams are aligned, we can come together and unlock some very valuable insights.”
Staying ahead of the curve
To maintain your relevance and influence in your field, Jesse encouraged thought leaders to be more forward thinking when tracking trends. “You need to understand what's happening, but also see the things that aren't obvious yet," he noted. To give a practical example, Jesse shared how he engages with a multitude of articles weekly when writing his Beats + Bytes newsletter. “I’ll see a thousand articles, read a hundred and choose ten that are most relevant for my audience each week. By doing this consistently, you’ll start to see patterns and better predict what’s coming.”
In addition to this tactic, Jesse left us with some final insights on how to stay ahead of the curve and maintain your relevance in a rapidly changing world:
- Time block: To stay ahead of the curve, you need to make a commitment to reading articles, the trades and relevant newsletters. Try to block a couple of hours in the early morning, before you start your day, to get up to speed.
- Leverage LinkedIn: LinkedIn is not only a great place to follow interesting voices and find relevant articles, but to also amplify your brand through your own posts and newsletters.
- Follow music trends: As the universal connector, you can leverage music trends to anticipate shifts in consumer behavior and create impactful strategies that resonate with your audience.
- Show up: Go to that industry dinner, that conference or industry event! Engaging with industry leaders and peers can open doors to unexpected opportunities and help keep your personal brand front and center.
As Vistar Media supports our clients in navigating the dynamic advertising landscape, the insights shared by Derek and Jesse serve as a guiding light. Their emphasis on agility, finding your niche and embracing change resonates deeply with Vistar’s commitment to advancing the out-of-home advertising industry and empowering marketers to unlock new opportunities.
