A Different Take with Linda Boff

About A Different Take with Linda Boff

A Different Take is the marketing case study podcast that unpacks the biggest brand, product, and advertising launches of our time. Each season spotlights one iconic company or breakthrough innovation, seen from every angle—strategy, creative, timing, risk, cultural resonance, and the lessons that shaped the outcome. Season Two goes inside the remarkable transformation of New Balance—from the quintessential “dad shoe” to one of the hottest brands in sports and culture. We unpack the strategy behind the reinvention: how New Balance embraced its heritage instead of running from it, built credibility through athletes and collaborators, and found a way to become culturally relevant without compromising their values. If you want to understand why campaigns succeed—not just that they do—this is your insider’s playbook. Big launches. Bold bets. Real lessons. Linda Boff is one of the marketing industry’s most influential leaders. After a distinguished 20-year career at GE, including a decade as Global CMO, she now serves as President of the Forbes CMO Network and CEO of Said Differently, an award-winning agency recognized for its innovative, scalable approach to creative and digital marketing. Throughout her career, Linda has led global marketing, communications, culture, learning, and philanthropy initiatives, played a key role in GE’s transformation into three publicly traded companies, and earned some of the industry’s highest honors, including induction into the AAF Hall of Fame, the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame, and Adweek’s B2B Innovation Lifetime Achievement Award.

Publisher

Forbes

Category

business · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Jun 2026

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

4 of 9 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   New Balance Became Cool. Now What?

   Host Linda Boff interviews Complex Associate Editor Matt Welty, Klutch Athletic CEO & Founder Rich Paul, New Balance CMO & Brand President Chris Davis, Gabby Thomas, and Kith Founder Ronnie Fieg about maintaining authenticity and growth after achieving cultural relevance.

2. 

   23 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Why Being Private Is New Balance’s Secret Weapon

   Host Linda Boff interviews New Balance CMO Chris Davis and collaborator Ronnie Fieg about how private ownership fuels the brand's long-term strategy and cultural impact.

3. 

   16 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Why Are The World's Biggest Athletes Choosing New Balance?

   What makes an athlete choose one brand over another? In Episode 2, Linda Boff goes inside New Balance’s approach to athlete partnerships with Rich Paul, Chris Davis, Gabby Thomas, and a leading sneaker journalist. From moving beyond traditional endorsements to building long-term relationships and authentic athlete stories, we explore why New Balance chose to play the game differently—and why athletes noticed. Because today, the biggest partnership might not be about the biggest paycheck. 0:00 Introduction 0:54 Endorsement vs. Partnership 4:46 The Big First Example: Darius Bazley 7:36 Not A Numbers Game 11:36 Why It Works Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4. 

   9 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   How New Balance Went From Dad Shoes To Cultural Icon

   A Different Take — Season 2 launches with the story of New Balance’s remarkable transformation from “dad shoe” to one of the hottest brands in sports and culture. Hosted by Linda Boff, this episode goes behind the strategy that changed how the world saw New Balance. Chris Davis, Chief Marketing Officer & Brand President of New Balance, and Matt Welty, Complex Associate Editor and longtime sneaker journalist, unpack the pivotal moments—from limited-edition collaborations and the rise of sneaker culture to New Balance’s decision to embrace its heritage rather than imitate its competitors. How do you make an “uncool” brand cool without losing what made it authentic in the first place? Welcome to Season 2 of A Different Take. 0:00 Intro & Background 2:56 The Reputation 6:17 The Turning Point 7:45 What Actually Changed? 12:58 Surprise: They Didn't Hide The Dad Shoe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5. 

   15 Jun 2026

   AI, Ads, and Outrage: Coca-Cola’s Holiday Backlash

   Episode 2: Was Coca-Cola's campaign a defining test case for whether AI can serve as a creative collaborator rather than a replacement for human talent?  Secret Level founder Jason Zada explores how one of the world’s most iconic brands balanced innovation with consumer expectations, what it means to introduce AI at scale, and how creative leadership evaluates when emerging technology enhances—not diminishes—the craft of storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6. 

   15 Jun 2026

   Marketing, Rewritten: Life After the First AI Holiday Campaigns

   Episode 4: Did Coca-Cola’s AI campaign herald a new golden age of marketing?  We talk with Silverside founder PJ Periera about how brands can use AI to reimagine iconic assets and blend nostalgia with new forms of storytelling, while navigating the risks that come with touching deeply familiar cultural symbols. The conversation explores whether this marks a true turning point for marketing, how AI is redefining creative excellence, and what separates meaningful brand reinvention from content that is merely faster and cheaper to produce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7. 

   15 Jun 2026

   Santa Meets Silicon: The Story Behind Coca-Cola’s AI Campaign

   Episode 2: Coca-Cola's holiday advertising has long-signaled the unofficial start of the season so their seminal use of AI caught a great deal of attention.  But this wasn’t an overnight experiment rather the result of years of exploration, raising questions about how legacy brands can thoughtfully adopt emerging technology while navigating public skepticism. The conversation with Coca-Cola CMO Manolo Arroyo examines whether audience reactions were driven by the technology itself or its execution, when AI genuinely unlocks creatively, and how brands and creators can balance innovation, cultural relevance, and concerns about the future of creative work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8. 

   15 Jun 2026

   AI Ads & Audience Trust: The Coca-Cola Test Case

   Episode 3: Veteran storyhunter and filmmaker Josh Davis helps unpack a broader shift in marketing, where AI is making high-quality storytelling faster, more accessible, and increasingly scalable for brands of all sizes. Questions explored are whether society is moving from skepticism to acceptance of AI, how audiences define authenticity, and what marketers can learn as technology evolves faster than cultural norms and expectations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9. 

   12 Jun 2026

   Introducing a A Different Take

   “A Different Take” is the marketing case study podcast that unpacks the biggest brand, product, and advertising launches of our time. Each season spotlights one iconic company or breakthrough innovation, seen from every angle—strategy, creative, timing, risk, cultural resonance, and the lessons that shaped the outcome. Season One goes deep on Coca-Cola and the evolving role of AI in advertising—revealing how one of the world’s most recognizable brands balances legacy with reinvention. From daring creative experiments to tech-fueled storytelling, we break down what soared, what stumbled, and what marketers can learn. If you want to understand why campaigns succeed—not just that they do—this is your insider’s playbook. Big launches. Bold bets. Real lessons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside a recent episode

New Balance Became Cool. Now What?

Published 30 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] You see brands like Salomon, Awn, obviously New Balance, Asics, etc. Definitely all kind of sharing the piece of the pie at this point. So I think that from their early boom in the late 2010s to early 2000s, they were kind of like, The only horse running the race to some extent, maybe ASICs a little bit. […]

Who has been a guest on A Different Take with Linda Boff

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Matt Welty
• Rich Paul
• Chris Davis
• Gabby Thomas
• Ronnie Fieg

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Contact A Different Take with Linda Boff

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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