For Bozoma “Boz” Saint John, one of the most exciting careers in contemporary marketing has been built on a simple foundation: a deep and lifelong curiosity about people and culture. As the co-host and Chief Marketing Officer on NBC’s new competition series, “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon,” Saint John is now sharing that driving force with a new generation of creatives. She says her success stems from an obsessive interest in understanding how people think, communicate, and connect with the world around them.
This curiosity is not just a personal trait but a professional strategy that has guided her through landmark roles at Apple, Uber, Endeavor, and Netflix. On the new show, she uses this same approach to mentor contestants as they create real campaigns for major brands, proving that the most powerful marketing is always rooted in a genuine understanding of human nature.
The Real Engine of a Landmark Career
Bozoma Saint John’s approach to branding is centered on culture rather than corporate formulas. She has a remarkable ability to read the patterns that influence human behavior, and this awareness has become her professional superpower.
“Everything I’ve done centers on a deep curiosity and obsession with pop culture,” Saint John has frequently stated.
For her, pop culture is a living representation of human nature, not just entertainment. She studies it to understand what motivates people, what builds loyalty, and how emotion converts into brand love. This cultural knowledge has driven multibillion-dollar campaigns throughout her career. On “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon,” she encourages contestants to create advertisements that evoke strong feelings, not just ones that sound smart, because she understands that cultural connection is what turns strategies into movements.
From Corporate Boardrooms to Primetime Television
The new NBC show, which premiered on Tuesday, September 30, marks a natural progression in Saint John’s career. It blends her 25 years of corporate marketing expertise with her recent foray into reality television as a cast member of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
“It was the perfect marriage between my 25-year career as a chief marketing officer and my turn as a ‘Real Housewife,’” Saint John told WWD. “I’m able to match up my ability to think strategically about marketing and also have fast responses in situations where I am asked to react, on camera.”
On the show, Saint John serves as both a judge and a mentor. She draws from her real-world experiences to provide feedback to the contestants.
“I’m able to see creative and know how to make it better, and I’m also able to discern when someone doesn’t have the chops,” she said.
Her role is an extension of the work she has done throughout her career, now focused on encouraging a new wave of marketers to find their own unique voices instead of copying others.
A Mentor Encouraging Others to Find Their Voice
Saint John’s mentorship on the show goes beyond marketing tactics. Her true lesson is about building self-assurance and the courage to combine ambition with authenticity. This is a theme she has spoken about throughout her career, especially regarding women in business.
In a past interview, she offered practical advice for anyone who feels shy about speaking up: “I started forcing myself to say at least just one thing in the meeting — and it didn’t matter what I said… I started finding, after I did that for some time, it would give me enough energy and power to then be able to say the next thing. So for all of us, practice makes perfect. Finding your voice means practicing your voice.”
Her criticism on “On Brand” is known for blending honesty with compassion, providing practical guidance on taking risks and overcoming setbacks. She embodies a modern form of leadership, proving that reinventing oneself is a strength and that passion, when paired with purpose, can redefine influence.
The Show’s Format and Early Challenges
“On Brand with Jimmy Fallon” airs twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays on NBC, and features ten contestants from diverse backgrounds competing in marketing challenges for high-profile companies like Dunkin’, Southwest Airlines, and Captain Morgan. The winner receives $100,000, a feature in Adweek, and the title of Innovator of the Year.
The early episodes have already shown the high-stakes nature of the competition. In the second episode, the contestants were tasked with creating a campaign for Southwest Airlines to highlight new cabin upgrades, which culminated in the elimination of the first competitor, BT Hale. Fallon and Saint John informed him that, despite being well-liked personally, he hadn’t kept up with the others during the pitches.
Saint John hopes the series will do for marketing what ‘The Voice’ did for music, pulling back the curtain on how creative ideas are born and brought to life. She aims to be a translator for the industry.
“I plan to be a translator for what has traditionally been insider knowledge into something to help people understand the basics of marketing and creative ideas,” she said. Her key lesson for contestants and viewers alike is that “good branding always has a strategy — that good ideas are not just good ideas.”
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