In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Laura Desmond, CEO of Smartly, to explore how advertising is being reshaped by AI and why the next decade won’t be about producing more ads, but creating intelligent creative that adapts in real time. From her leadership philosophy to Smartly’s industry forum “Advance,” Laura shares why leading at algorithm speed requires fearless execution, a strong mission, and the courage to get things done.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Victoria Lozano, Chief Marketing Officer at Crayola, to unpack why creativity is a life skill that prepares people for whatever lies ahead. Victoria shares how Crayola has expanded beyond crayons into products, experiences, and content, why more than half of purchases now come from households without kids, and how the Campaign for Creativity is reframing creative expression as a cultural movement.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Aleco Azqueta, Global VP of Marketing at Grey Goose Vodka, to explore how a brand rooted in French luxury has built cultural currency at the US Open, created enduring consumer rituals, and reframed time itself as modern luxury. Aleco explains why brand fit matters more than fame, how experiential activations beat passive impressions, and why young marketers need to stop “chopping wood” and start “sharpening the axe.”