Welcome to another special episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny connects with Melody Lee, CMO of Mercedes Benz USA, where she oversees brand positioning, marketing strategy, and execution to ensure long-term growth and profitability for the Mercedes-Benz brand in the United States. Melody recounts her journey from growing up in Texas with immigrant parents to her diverse career across various industries before joining Mercedes Benz. She highlights the emotional connection people have with cars and Mercedes Benz's strategy to remain aspirational for all consumers. Melody discusses the importance of brand relevance, balancing short-term and long-term goals, and her approach to leadership, likening it to protecting and enabling her team. She also reflects on the risks she took during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and admires Wen Zhou’s commitment to equity. If you like what you heard from today’s episode, the brains behind the Marketing Vanguard podcast, Adweek, will be appearing at this year’s Brandweek event in Phoenix, Arizona. Click this link to find out more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.