Ep.38 / Josh Line, CMO Yahoo
Reinventing an Internet Icon:
Josh Line, CMO of Yahoo, started his career as an account person on the agency side. In fact, I knew him while he worked at both K&B and then at Anomaly working on Avec Eric, an IP venture with chef Eric Ripert. From there he went to Droga5, then client-side to Viacom, where he went on to lead marketing for Comedy Central and help launch Paramount+.
A little over a year ago he took on one of the most recognizable brands on the internet. In this episode, Josh talks about making the leap from agency to client side, why he thrives on a big goal with a clear timeline, how a 31-year-old brand with an exclamation point in its logo is finding its voice for a new generation, and why trust is the most important thing a tech brand can offer in the age of AI.
Key Themes
Agency skills are client-side superpowers. The basic account-person skills of follow-through, organization and building trust with stakeholders carried Josh through big organizations. Having seen both sides, he tries to be the client he'd want to work with: "Good clients are smart and they're kind."
Rally people around a big goal and a timeline. At Yahoo, the goal is clear: get the brand back into culture for the next generation. "If we can accomplish this one thing this year, that'll set the stage for the big thing that we do next year.
Humor is rocket fuel on the internet. Yahoo has always been fun and irreverent, so every celebrity in its campaigns, Cardi B included, yodels instead of delivering a tagline. When a comedian joked about his wife's Yahoo email address, the brand fired back, "We've been taking care of your wife for longer than you have," and got more than a million likes.
A trusted guide through the digital wilderness. Yahoo's 30-year-old mission matters more than ever in the age of AI. Its new answer engine, Yahoo Scout, shows clear sources and links back to publishers, "the essence of the social contract of the internet." For Josh, the brand is the moat, and the metric he cares about most is people feeling proud to use Yahoo again.
Strategic patience, and don't stay in your lane. Josh's first client-side role felt like it was going nowhere for almost four years. In fact, it was preparing him to "sprint through the door" when it opened. The worst advice he ever got was to stay in his lane: "The best stuff comes out of the intersections."
Who Is Josh Professionally Jealous Of?
The owners of Perries, a wine shop on Cape Cod he calls "the most charming place on earth." Maybe one day he'll open his own, with a killer social handle and tastings every afternoon at 4pm. "I'm not sure we would make any money at this wine shop."
Check out https: www.yahoo.com
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