What does it take to build a brand that stands out without getting caught in a race to the bottom? In this guest-only episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Paulie Dery, CMO at AG1, and Victoria Lozano, CMO at Crayola, share how brands can move beyond product benefits to create deeper consumer connections and lasting cultural relevance.
Recorded live at BrandWeek, the conversation explores how to protect premium positioning against cheaper alternatives by giving consumers something meaningful to believe in. Paulie and Victoria discuss building authentic communities, embedding products into existing routines to encourage daily habits, and reframing competition around broader battles for time, attention, and lifestyle choices. They also examine how marketers can balance immediate revenue goals with long-term brand investment, align growth targets with executive priorities, and approach AI in ways that strengthen consumer creativity and trust.
From AG1's challenger mindset to Crayola's enduring creative legacy, this episode offers practical lessons on turning brand purpose into everyday behavior, sustainable growth, and deeper consumer loyalty.
What You Will Learn:
- How to escape the "race to the bottom" by moving beyond feature-vs-feature comparisons
- Why giving consumers something to believe in matters more than listing product specs
- The "follow the tracks, don't create them" approach to building authentic community advocacy
- How to build daily consumer habits by embedding your product into routines people already have, rather than adding new to-dos
- The "magic number" framework for aligning growth targets with C-suite buy-in to fund brand investment
- Why marketers should pick bigger competitive battles—reframing rivals as time, attention, or lifestyle competitors rather than category copycats
- How to evaluate AI's role in your brand strategy by focusing on whether it enables consumer creativity and trust rather than replacing it
About the Guests:
Victoria Lozano is the Chief Marketing Officer at Crayola, a position she has held for over 16 years, where she has evolved the company from a product-focused manufacturer into a diversified creative ecosystem spanning products, experiences, and content. With deep expertise in brand building, category expansion, and consumer behavior, she has successfully elevated Crayola beyond functional product competition by redefining the brand's role in enabling daily creative habits across both children and adults.
Paulie Dery is the Chief Marketing Officer at AG1, where he leads marketing strategy for a category-defining greens and multivitamin brand. With previous experience building iconic brands at Yeti and Uber, he brings expertise in elevating products beyond functional competition and building authentic community-driven ecosystems.
Host and Guest Resources:
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