Zach Kitschke is the CMO of Canva, the online visual communication and collaboration platform. In his comprehensive role as CMO, Zach oversees the international brand and drives growth initiatives. He closely collaborates with teams responsible for product marketing, PR and communications, affiliates and performance, content, SEO, brand development, creative innovation, advertising, and product growth. Zach joined Canva in 2013, the year it launched. Since then, with a mission to empower the whole world to design, it has grown to over 130 million users each month in over 190 countries around the world, with more than 13 billion designs created.

In this episode, Zach and I discuss how visual content fits into our world today, Canva’s approach to marketing complexity, and the inspiration behind their newest “What will you design today?” campaign. Additionally, Zach provided insights from the recent Visual Economy Report, sharing noteworthy findings from a survey of 1,600 global business leaders. These insights revealed how visual content is being leveraged to foster stronger audience engagement. The business landscape has shifted towards a widespread need for employees to communicate visually and adopt creative roles, even if they don’t specialize in design. Zach highlighted the role of technology in fueling the creator economy and offered valuable tips on how to stand out in a sea of visual content.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Insights from the Visual Economy Report
  • How visual content fits into our world today and how to stand out
  • How Canva approaches its own marketing

Key Highlights:

  • [02:10] #GirlDads rock
  • [02:55] Zack’s path to Canva
  • [08:00] The Comprehensive CMO
  • [09:00] Visual Economy Report
  • [12:00] The creator economy
  • [13:30] How to stand out in a sea of visual content
  • [15:30] A living, breathing brand book?
  • [16:30] Who do you sell to when everyone is your customer?
  • [18:00] Harnessing complexity
  • [20:10] The marketing elements Canva focuses on
  • [22:15] Intrigue points are the on-ramp.
  • [24:10] Canva Community
  • [27:20] “What will you design today?”
  • [29:00] The impact of having immigrant grandparents
  • [31:50] It takes as long as it takes.
  • [33:50] Leaning into AI
  • [34:40] Brands to watch
  • [36:00] AMA on NPS

Resources Mentioned:

Follow the podcast:

 Connect with the Guest:

 Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:

Post-Production Credits:

Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.