[The vYve Thrive Series] The Marketing Playbook That Turned a Pandemic Into Opportunity with Mark Zablow

When the world shut down in 2020, most event and influencer marketing firms folded. Mark Zablow’s agency not only survived, it thrived while serving one of the brands hit hardest by the pandemic: Corona. Recorded live inside the iHeart Studios in New York, Mark shares how he navigated the collapse of live events, protected his employees, stayed culturally relevant, and positioned his company for explosive growth through Modelo. This is a masterclass in resilience, creativity, and entrepreneurial instinct. If you want a real look at how leaders turn crisis into opportunity, this is the conversation. What You’ll Learn in This Episode • What it was like to run Corona’s experiential marketing during the coronavirus outbreak • How Mark kept his team employed when events disappeared overnight • Why long term thinking matters when short term chaos hits • How Modelo became the brand opportunity hiding inside the crisis • The strategy behind one of the first large scale digital events of 2020 • Why influencer marketing works and how brands misuse it • How communities, not campaigns, create lifelong customers • Why Bleecker Trading was launched during the worst retail moment in NYC • The entrepreneurial mindset that spots opportunity where others see barriers About Today’s Guest Mark Zablow is the founder of Cogent World, an influencer and event marketing agency with a decade-long track record serving some of the biggest brands in the world. He is also the founder of Bleecker Trading, a lifestyle collectibles and trading card brand based in New York City. Mark is known for turning challenges into momentum, building communities around brands, and leading with strategic clarity in uncertain times. ... The vYve Thrive Series Stories about the unlocking of dreams that lead to business and personal growth… ignite YOUR thrive. The vYve Thrive podcast series was born from a simple vYve NYC meetup—an intimate gathering centered around charting our dreams and finding our true voice. What began as a small circle of leaders quickly evolved into something much bigger: founders, creators, and executives opening up, shedding old limits, and discovering what becomes possible when you allow yourself to be seen and heard. At vYve, we are more than a business-growth mastermind. We are a community grounded in honesty, courage, and the belief that our dreams—big or small—are meant to be pursued together and made real. Through our work at the New York Summit in October with The Podcast Playground, these stories now have an even broader platform to resonate, inspire, and remind others that their next chapter is entirely within reach. If you’re feeling the pull to explore your next chapter, we would love to hear from you. Reach out to us on social @thrivewithvyve on IG or just @vYve on Linkedin! This is vYve Thrive—where leaders chase their dreams, claim their voice, and ignite the spark for others to do the same.