Inside the Mind of Texas A&M's Chief Storyteller

A sit down with Texas A&M University’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ethan Braden

Author

Carlo Palomino
May 16, 2025

Welcome back to The Friday Fortune! Take a break from your seventh “quick sync” of the day and that one Slack thread that somehow became a group therapy session. This is your permission slip to step back, breathe deep, and fill your brain with something that’s actually inspiring.

Each week, we bring you insights from marketing’s boldest minds—CMOs, brand leaders, and powerhouses who are changing how brands connect. Whether you’re chasing virality, building long-term loyalty, or just trying to explain “brand voice” to finance, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s what’s on deck this week:

  • A deep dive with Ethan Braden, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Texas A&M University

  • How Airbnb is marketing its relaunched Experiences platform

  • MrBeast x Jack Link’s collab

📈 Marketer of the Week

If there’s anyone rewriting the playbook for higher ed marketing, it’s Ethan Braden, EVP and CMO at Texas A&M University.

With a career that began in the structured world of Eli Lilly and later took a sharp turn into academia, Ethan is leading one of the most ambitious university brand transformations in the country.

His career pivot wasn’t accidental. It was a case of timing, mentorship, and belief in something bigger. After nearly a decade at Lilly, where he worked on brands like Cymbalta and learned the power of empathy-driven messaging, a mentor called with a challenge: build a marketing engine worthy of the Purdue brand. Ethan took the leap, trading pharmaceutical boardrooms for college campuses and never looked back.

At Lilly, Ethan absorbed lessons that would anchor his leadership philosophy for years to come. He recalls an executive reviewing his first ad campaign and rejecting it. “You’ve made the pill the hero,” the exec said. “The pill’s never the hero. The patient’s the hero.” That clarity around customer-centric storytelling would become a guiding principle for Braden, no matter the product.

At Purdue, he found what he calls "a lot of clay to mold.” It’s a university brimming with legacy, yet under-leveraged from a brand perspective. His mission was clear: bring order to the chaos of “random acts of marketing” and align 500+ marketers across departments under a single, powerful narrative. From Drew Brees to Neil Armstrong, Purdue had no shortage of iconic alumni. But what it lacked was consistency… and enchantment.

Ethan aimed to flip the typical university comms model on its head. Out with sterile institutional ads, in with storytelling that stirs pride, evokes emotion, and yes, even throws a punch. One campaign aired during a Purdue vs. IU basketball game was intentionally cheeky, designed to ignite alumni pride while ruffling rival feathers. The goal, as he put it, was to “rouse and attract an ecstatic admiration and demand for what we offer.”

That ethos shows up even more boldly in his work on Purdue Global, an initiative serving the 40 million Americans who have some college credit but no degree. These students aren’t 19-year-olds looking for dorms and dining halls, but working adults juggling jobs, kids, and second chances. The Purdue Global campaign, “The Comeback,” taps directly into this narrative. It invites students to return to school not just for a degree, but for pride, opportunity, and transformation.

Ethan is clear-eyed about the changing landscape. “You’re 20 years late” is his go-to response for anyone questioning the value of online degrees. He points to mechanical engineering master’s programs being taught by Purdue faculty and completed from kitchen tables in Albuquerque. If it’s rigorous, trusted, and mission-driven, it belongs under the Purdue banner.

And he’s equally passionate about inclusion. Purdue Global students might not have walked the same campus, but they’re part of the family. “Like the son has married into that other hand. Put your hand around them. They might not be blood,” he says, “but they’ve married in and they’re now family.” That mindset has shifted not just the messaging, but the culture of Purdue itself.

His recent move to Texas A&M marks the next chapter in his mission. As VP, CMO, and Chief Communications Officer, Ethan is now bringing his brand-building playbook to one of the largest public universities in the country. The challenge is different, but the goal is the same: build a marketing engine rooted in storytelling, consistency, and impact at scale.

Enthan’s Takeaway

For Ethan, success isn’t about perfect plans but about consistency, purpose, and a little trust in the unexpected turns. “Life’s not linear,” he reflects. “My life has taken crazy turns... And so I think the piece for me would be to relax a little and be a constant learner.”

To hear how Ethan turned Purdue (and now Texas A&M) into one of higher ed’s most beloved and differentiated brands, and why marketing should always aim to enchant, listen to the full episode of CMO Weekly.

Crack open a handful of the week’s best marketing links—because good fortune favors the curious.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Friday fortune.

If you enjoyed the read, pass it along to your favorite marketer who could use a little extra inspo in their inbox.

Until next time, may your marketing be memorable and your cookies always be fortunate!

— The OpenFortune team