Ron Amram, Global Head of Media at Mars and former Heineken media leader, joins Jeremy Bloom (Marketecture Media co-founder, OhHello.ai founder) and Josh Palau (Media and AdTech executive and America’s favorite plus-one) to unpack what brand building looks like heading into 2026. Ron explains how marketing has become more complex due to fragmentation and disconnected measurement, and why winning now requires starting from category and audience behavior rather than brand-first planning.
Takeaways
- Agents are changing how people plan their vacations.
- People are increasingly relying on search engines for travel planning.
- AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT are curating travel activities.
- The recommendation sources are shifting from traditional platforms to AI.
- Consumer behavior is being significantly affected by these changes.
- CPG companies will also feel the impact of these trends.
- Travel planning is becoming more personalized through AI.
- The role of traditional travel agencies is evolving.
- AI is blocking traditional behaviors in travel planning.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for businesses.
Chapters
00:01 Welcome and Ron’s background
01:42 Biggest brand-building challenges now vs. 10–15 years ago
03:58 Portfolio strategy through category and audience lenses
06:29 Favorite brands and what makes them great
10:08 The overlooked power of audio signatures
12:17 How Ron brings partners into planning
15:03 Walled gardens, measurement, and budget reality
17:32 Future-shaping trends: retail media and AI
22:02 Start, bench, cut: channel, audience, creative
24:23 Practical AI uses for marketers today
26:42 Career path from biology to media leadership
29:02 Proof marketing works: American Idol sponsorship
