On the heels of its best-ever August for U.S. sales, Mazda launched a new brand platform this fall—dubbed “Move and Be Moved”—to reflect its human-centric approach and a new focus on experiences, products and marketing.

It’s more of a “brand aspiration” than a tagline, according to Chief Marketing Officer Brad Audet. “You have the mobility of the product, but it's also about moving forward in life with intentionality, and then the strong emotional response that you have from being moved. All of those moments accumulate to a life well-lived,” he says.

The brand restructuring follows Mazda’s expansion of its product portfolio and heavy investment in revamping the design and experience of its retail stores—which now account for 89% of the brand’s sales. “The customer satisfaction in those environments is extremely strong,” Audet says. “We have great product, we have great retail experiences, so now is about continuing to build strong desirability and distinctiveness for the Mazda brand.”

Here's our conversation with Audet about the new brand platform and restructuring; Mazda’s Japanese philosophy and roots; the importance of customer-focused retail experiences; and remaining competitive in the rigorous automotive space.

Due to higher engagement costs, many performance marketers are questioning whether they can afford to spend on direct-response campaigns to grow or maintain revenue, according to CM columnist, Playbook Media’s Bryan Karas. But rather than considering whether to spend or cut, it’s a question of allocation—and embracing the full-funnel possibilities of achieving both scale and efficiency. To gain traction with a more integrated funnel approach, consider these seven steps.

Lastly, marketers who are not yet familiar with generative AI and large language models are likely falling behind their peers. Harnessing these tools can make the creative process for marketers more efficient and, in many cases, improve their final product. Here are six uses of AI that can be applied in marketing today.

Until next week,