Natalie Levine has spent nearly 25 years building brands that listen. From Gillette and Intel to Stonyfield Organic Yogurt and Foxit PDF, she has worked both sides of the brand equation, carrying a consistent belief that the best marketing starts with genuine empathy for the audience.
Now Head of Brand Marketing at AMD, Levine oversees how one of the world’s most recognized technology brands shows up globally — with consistency, clarity, and impact across every touchpoint.
Named to our Marketers to Watch list, Levine shared her insights on the enduring power of corporate brand building, why listening is the most powerful skill in marketing, and why taste remains the one thing AI will never own.
What book or podcast do you recommend to marketing leaders?
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller is a must-read for any marketing leader. It’s a powerful reminder that the customer is the hero of the story — not the brand. Too often, marketers fall into the trap of making the brand the centerpiece, when our real job is to help customers see themselves succeeding because of us. Miller’s framework reinforces the principles I live by every day: listen first, lead with empathy, and communicate with clarity. Whether you’re building a new brand or transforming an established one, this book sharpens how you think about messaging and connection.
How are you and your team currently using AI?
AI has become an essential creative and operational partner for our team. We use it to accelerate ideation, draft and refine messaging, analyze customer insights at scale, and streamline workflows — so we can spend more time on the strategic and human side of brand building. AI helps us move faster, but it never replaces the listening, empathy, and judgment that make a brand truly resonate. We treat it as a thought partner — one that sharpens our thinking and frees us up to focus on what machines still can’t do: apply taste.
AI can process data and generate options, but it cannot yet feel the difference between what’s technically correct and what’s culturally right. It doesn’t know when something lands — when a line of copy carries weight, or when a creative direction feels true to a brand’s soul. That discernment, that editorial instinct, is still deeply human. The brands that will win are the ones that pair AI’s efficiency with human taste, insight, and storytelling — and that’s the balance we’re working hard to strike.
What’s a prediction you have for marketing over the next few years?
Brand will matter more than ever. In a world flooded with AI-generated content, consumers will gravitate toward brands that feel authentically human — brands that listen, stand for something, and consistently show up with a clear voice and point of view. The brands that win won’t be the loudest; they’ll be the ones that build genuine trust through every interaction.
I also believe we’ll see a renewed appreciation for long-term brand building versus short-term performance metrics. Companies that invest in their corporate brand — not just their products — will see compounding returns in valuation, loyalty, and talent attraction. Brand is the connective tissue that turns transactions into relationships, and that will only become more valuable.
What’s the most innovative or exciting project you’ve worked on recently?
Leading the transformation of AMD’s corporate brand has been the most exciting work of my career. For years, AMD prioritized its product brands while the corporate brand took a back seat. In 2022, we set out to change that by evolving our logo, tagline, brand voice, and overall look and feel to reflect the leadership company AMD had become. It wasn’t just a visual refresh; it was a strategic shift in how we showed up in the world.
The results have been incredible. AMD’s brand valuation grew 75% from 2024 to 2025, according to Brand Finance, and we earned a place among Kantar BrandZ’s Top 50 Most Valuable Global Brands. It’s proof that investing in your corporate brand pays off, and that consistency, clarity, and a strong point of view can transform how the world sees your company.
What’s the most pressing business challenge you’ve faced in the last year and what have you done to solve it?
One of the biggest challenges has been driving brand consistency at a global scale while a company is rapidly growing and evolving. With new products, acquisitions, and audiences constantly entering the picture, it’s easy for a brand to become fragmented. To solve this, we’ve doubled down on brand governance by building clearer guidelines, stronger cross-functional partnerships, and scalable tools that empower teams across the organization to bring the brand to life consistently.
We’ve also focused on storytelling that ladders up to a single, unified brand narrative, so every campaign, region, and product reinforces the same leadership message. The result is a more cohesive brand experience that builds trust with customers and strengthens our position in the market. Consistency isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the most powerful drivers of long-term brand equity.
What leadership muscle is most important for marketers to exercise?
Listening. It sounds simple, but it’s the muscle most marketers underuse — and the foundation of what separates truly great leaders from the rest.
Listening to your customers, your team, your partners, and the market is what separates good marketing from great marketing. But the real power comes when you listen with empathy — not just hearing what people say, but genuinely understanding what they feel, what they need, and what they’re afraid to say out loud. That’s when you stop collecting data and start uncovering truth — the kind that leads to messaging that resonates, campaigns that convert, and brands that build lasting trust.
Empathy also makes you a better leader. You notice when someone is struggling before they ask for help. You create space for people to feel seen and do their best work. In a world that rewards speed and noise, the leaders who lead with empathy create the deepest, most lasting impact.
What’s the most game-changing piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
“Put yourself in their shoes.” Early in my career, a mentor reminded me that great marketing isn’t about what you want to say — it’s about what your audience feels. That single piece of advice has shaped every campaign, every message, and every brand decision I’ve made since. It forces you out of your own perspective and into the world of the customer, where the real insights live. When you genuinely understand what someone is feeling, hoping for, or struggling with, you can create work that connects on a human level. And that changes everything.
What gives you energy and inspiration outside of work?
Spending time with my family is what fills my cup. They keep me grounded and remind me what truly matters. I also find inspiration in travel and experiencing different cultures. There’s something powerful about seeing how people around the world connect, communicate, and find meaning. Those observations often find their way back into how I think about brand and storytelling.
I’m also energized by everyday conversations with people from all walks of life. You’d be surprised how much inspiration comes from simply listening to someone share their story. Curiosity, in any form, is what keeps me creative.
Marketers to Watch is a recognition series to spotlight highly innovative and forward-thinking marketing leaders in the community. If you have someone you’d like to nominate for the series, apply here.
