As anyone in marketing knows, change is constant.

From print to digital—and now AI-generated ads—the methods and madness behind campaigns are constantly evolving. For healthcare marketers like Paul Matsen, chief marketing and communications officer at the Cleveland Clinic, the last few years have been about keeping up with industry trends while also navigating marketing in the pandemic.

“Over the last three years, everybody’s world changed in healthcare,” Matsen told Marketing Brew. “Our team has had to be extremely nimble and responsive to the changing landscape.”

Matsen has weathered the transformation across both marketing and healthcare while overseeing some of the health system’s largest projects to date, including its centennial campaign in 2021. He said the key has been to “embrace the change.”

In his role, Matsen oversees an international team of 250 people spread out across Cleveland Clinic’s 22 hospitals in Ohio, Florida, Nevada, Canada, London, and Abu Dhabi. Since his team is so spread out, Matsen said one of his primary responsibilities is fostering a sense of connection.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic in 2006, Matsen spent 12 years as CMO of Delta Airlines, a role he said prepared him to lead the health systems’ marketing team because the airline industry was early on the push toward digital.

While there are some similarities between both industries, there are also plenty of notable differences. Read more about Matsen’s approach to marketing here.—KH, MA

Bud Light unveiled a new ad as part of its “Easy to Summer” campaign, its first big marketing push since the brand’s partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney sparked a right-wing backlash earlier this year.

The 60-second spot, which features the song “Good Times” by Chic, showcases scenes where people navigate “trials and tribulations” associated with summertime, like sunburn or walking barefoot on hot pavement. To recover from the heat, they—you guessed it—drink cans of Bud Light.

The spot is part of a major marketing push from the beer brand that represents its largest media spend to date. The campaign will include the Bud Light Backyard Tour, a national summer concert tour featuring country artists like Tyler Braden and Kane Brown. It will also include weekly $10,000 giveaways to consumers, rebates on beer over the July 4th weekend, and ads featuring NFL athletes like Travis Kelce and Dak Prescott that will debut later this summer.

Parent company Anheuser-Busch did not respond to Marketing Brew’s request for comment.

Turning the page? The “Easy to Summer” ad and accompanying campaign come after a difficult spring for the brand. Conservatives called for a boycott of Bud Light after Mulvaney posted a photo of a custom Bud Light can that the brand sent her. In the ensuing backlash, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a statement saying the brand “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people,” which did little to placate conservatives, while also angering members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community. By May, sales of the beer had plunged.

To mitigate the fallout, Bud Light has taken several other steps, including giving its distributors free beer and putting two executives on leave, including Alissa Heinerscheid, its marketing VP and the first woman in the role, who had once pledged to modernize the brand.—JS

Each week, we spotlight Marketing Brew readers in our Coworking series. If you’d like to be featured, introduce yourself here.

Maggie Malek is North America president at Crispin Porter + Bogusky. She was previously CEO of MMI Agency, which recently combined with Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? I have so many favorites. I love work that has a real thread, is intimately tied to the brand, and can be multigenerational and diverse. That goes back to the idea that we are here to understand how our brands can show up in people’s lives—that’s the business problem we are really trying to solve.

Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign is one that does that. It ties back to brand values for Nike, so it can come to life in so many spaces and places. From that one simple line, Nike can create iconic work that speaks to anyone who plays, regardless of sex, shape, size, or location.

Another campaign I love is from Heineken. This one actually is really sticking with me. As a gamer, I can attest to the insight that many gamers are highly social, and games create community to rally around with their loved ones and friends. This is often misunderstood, and gamers can be categorized as being loners. The recent Heineken ad, “Just Another Night Out,” both ties to the beer brand’s value of being there for a night out while also challenging convention around gamers being isolated.

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile? I love gaming, live music, my dog, and the great outdoors.

What marketing trend are you most optimistic about? Least? Gaming and gaming. I feel like everyone is talking about the metaverse when we don’t even understand content in games. Let’s solve that first. So, gaming is what I am most and least optimistic about.

What’s one marketing-related podcast, social account, or series you’d recommend? James Whatley of Diva Agency has the best newsletter. The best.

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

Affili affili: Why some DTC brands are leaning into affiliate marketing.

Little birdy: Get up to speed on Meta’s forthcoming Twitter competitor, which is slated to debut sometime next month.

AI on the prize: A marketing exec weighed in on how to embrace AI in a digital marketing strategy.

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Mergers and acquisitions, company partnerships, and more.

• Taco Bell partnered with Paris Hilton to promote the return of its cult-favorite Volcano Menu, which was discontinued in 2013.
• Amazon plans to partner with local businesses in 23 states to help with last-mile deliveries to consumers, per Axios.
• X Games and Amtrak are collaborating on an initiative to bring fans to the three-day sporting event by rail.