The Marketing Millennials A Practical Framework for Brand Building with Meiling Tan, VP Brand & GTM at Care.com | Ep. 390
Feb 6, 2026
Meiling Tan, a marketing leader who helped launch Waymo and now leads Brand & GTM at Care.com. She talks about reframing safety to build trust in scary new products. She explains demo rides and VR to reduce anxiety. She breaks down rebranding Care.com and aligning product changes with brand. She shares strategies for driving adoption through policymakers, media, and community.
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Lead With The Problem, Not The Product
- Framing the problem first makes radical solutions feel logical and necessary.
- Meiling Tan says Waymo led with safety to make self-driving cars become the sensible alternative to human driving.
Demo Rides Convert Skepticism Fast
- A demo ride quickly converts anxiety into acceptance because people relax within minutes of riding.
- Waymo scaled that demo effect with a 360° VR video showing what the car's sensors actually see.
Build Brand From Its 'Soul' First
- Start brand work by defining the company's soul: mission, voice, tone, and principles.
- Use those principles to evaluate names, logos, and identity so every choice aligns with the brand bar.