Chris Wallner

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With a track record of major wins in the financial industry, accomplished product management, development and e-commerce executive Chris Wallner is now dispensing executive-level marketing insights as a member of Chief Outsiders. Wallner has previously notched C-level marketing roles for banking titans Wells Fargo and Bank of America, and for internet startup iOwn.com. Most recently, Chris led product management, strategic partnerships and digital channels at Rabobank, a specialty, California-based agricultural bank with $15 billion in deposits. Under his command, Rabobank recorded J.D. Power benchmarks in customer satisfaction for five consecutive years.
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Recent Posts

The Contrarian Brand Play: Why Right Now Is the Best Time to Invest in Brand

The Contrarian Brand Play: Why Right Now Is the Best Time to Invest in Brand

Fri, Sep 18, 2026 | Posted by Doug Bell

 

Executive Takeaways

  • Most companies are cutting brand spend to fund rising paid acquisition costs. That is the wrong response.
  • Brand awareness now drives AI citations, and AI citations drive Day One shortlist inclusion.
  • Google's redesign of Search makes brand recognition more important; AI systems favor brands users already know.
  • The companies investing in brand while competitors pull back are building advantages at lower cost.

Part 4 of our four-part series on the evolving AI search landscape and what B2B leaders need to know to stay competitive.

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