No Office? No Problem, Says Netflix

As we forge ahead into 2021’s uncharted territory, many of us have gotten comfortable with life without an office. Netflix, it seems, feels similarly—though in the latter case it’s the TV series The Office, which left the streamer in 2021 to head over to rival Peacock. But like pajama-clad remote workers, Netflix has adapted, with period drama series Bridgerton and Spy Kids spinoff film We Can Be Heroes contributing to a viewing surge the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

By the numbers: Things are looking up for Netflix—but there’s a caveat or two.

Also in TV & Streaming: A surge in Covid-19 cases in California means the Grammy Awards have been postponed, along with TV and film production in L.A., which is halted until at least mid-January.

2021 Could Usher in a Golden Age of Cannabis Marketing

2020 was a year of meteoric growth for the cannabis industry, with Americans spending $18 billion on legal weed—a 67% year-over-year leap. Now, industry leaders say the category is primed for a golden age of marketing, and it may take some tips from the CPG space—with a weed-centric twist, of course.

Lighting it up: Learn how the largest cannabis companies in the country plan to tout their wares to a waiting public.

3 Most Interesting Disruptors We Must Keep Watching in 2021

While many companies struggled in 2020, three in particular made the most of a difficult year. SpaceX’s 26 successful missions aside, Elon Musk’s Tesla continues to forge ahead with Tesla, which is proving to shine in the automotive industry. Meanwhile, Peloton reinvented itself with a priority on a holistic brand experience, offering customers powerful community, technology, design, apparel and more.

But we bet you won’t be able to guess the third disruptive company on this list.

Insights and Tips from 8 Top CMOs

During the 150th episode of CMO Moves with Nadine Dietz, 8 of the world’s top CMOs shared their most profound insights and takeaways on leadership, the marketing industry, career development and more. Read rich Q&As with each of them below, or watch the full episode on demand here.

• SAP’s Alicia Tillman talked about the journey to discovering brand value: 2020 “has been about your purpose, your authenticity, the articulation of your value that is relevant during periods of crisis and when customers need you most.”
• Antonio Lucio, who recently retired after a prestigious 40-year career, discussed leading from the front, back and middle: “Leading by influencing is what’s going to determine your success as a business leader in the longterm.”
• Lowe’s Marisa Thalberg addressed humility in leadership and more: “You have to have this combination of the confidence in your expertise and the humility to know you have so much to learn.”
• Walgreens Boots Alliance’s Vineet Mehra explained how to retain and foster “unicorn” talent: “those folks in an organization that can take the entire customer journey… all the way to the top and tell brilliant editorial stories about your brand.”
• Mastercard’s Raja Rajamannar explained risk maps and “quantum marketing,” which will be defined by “a slew of technologies from artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, the internet of things.”
• Peloton’s Dara Treseder said leaders and marketers must prioritize relationships: “Connecting with folks gave me different insights that complemented what I was learning as I was studying our consumer insights and strategy reports.” 
• GE’s Linda Boff discussed sustainability, storytelling and cross-functionality—”rising to the challenge of building a world that works.