Dos Equis is a brand primarily known for its advertising, notably “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign, featuring the fantastic exploits of a sophisticated older gentleman and a catchphrase—”Stay thirsty, my friends”—that spread through internet meme culture like wildfire.

But according to Heineken USA CMO Jonnie Cahill, being an advertising-led brand wasn’t enough. “That's a beautiful place to be, and we continue to deliver strong advertising into the market,” he told Chief Marketer. “But we also realized we needed to show up more at passion points for people, in the things and the places that matter to them throughout the year, so that they could also experience the brand.”

Enter the Dos Equis College Football Tailgate Throwdown campaign from this past fall, comprised of multiple on-the-ground activations, limited-edition products, university collabs, a broadcast partnership with FOX, and a contest in which fans dreamt up their ideal tailgate experiences. We spoke with Cahill about the campaign’s marketing goals and KPIs met; the strategic thinking behind targeting consumers in the Sun Belt region; the brand’s evolving marketing mix; and planned investments for 2024.

At a recent Axios Communicators event, United Airlines EVP of Communications and Advertising, Josh Earnest, shared details about the brand’s integrated communications playbook. He outlined several benefits and insights the company has learned by giving public relations executives a seat at the table. Explore three takeaways that hit home for both marketing and PR folks.

Lastly, now that we’re a year into the generative AI craze, Uberflip SVP of Product Jason Dea considers where marketing really stands—and how it’s going to look in the future. Here’s his take on B2B marketing predictions for the coming year.

Happy New Year, folks! See you in 2024.

Kaylee Hultgren
Content Director
Chief Marketer

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