Strategy Sessions

Noam is a marketing leader who has grown brands like Marmite, Pot Noodle, Andrex and Huggies. In this episode we discuss: The need for caring leaders Managing a brand during a war Category expansion for heritage brands Working with Paddington Bear Evolving iconic brands Distinctive brand assets and early crowdsourcing of content Doing well by doing good - a case study from Andrex Noam Buchalter No...

JP Castlin is an internationally recognised authority on strategy, a writer and keynote speaker. In this episode we discuss: Why the world is complex not ordered Why the strategy process is flawed Complexity science and it’s practical application What most of the great strategic thinkers got wrong (think: Porter, Mintzberg, Rumelt, Drucker, Taylor, Martin… everyone!) Find JP on LinkedIn Full show...

Colleen Babcock is Head of Partner Marketing at Rightmove, one of the UK’s most trusted and best‑loved brands. In this episode we discuss: Learning that personal development isn’t selfish Re-branding and differentiation as the market leader Evolving Rightmove’s income streams Ensuring people remain central to the brand Why emotion matters in b2b marketing Why customer complaints are like a big dog...

Shantanu Srivastava is a global marketing and innovation leader whose career spans leadership roles across Twinnings, Danone, Sanofi, and Reckitt. In this episode we discuss: The risks and benefits of evolving a brand Customer led innovation Making innovation work inside a company How challenger brands see innovation v mega brands Innovating inside a start up Humans v AI in research Full show note...

Mike works in strategy at Made Brave, one of Scotland’s finest agencies. He talks about how marketing can make a real difference to people’s lives. In this episode we discuss: Career advice to your younger self Working with brave brands Changing perceptions of T1D Working with a sales led organisation Brand v community ownership of campaigns How to get great work from your agency Strategy as part...

00:00 - Early career and trusting the process13:48 - Introduction16:52 - Launching Real Madrid TV22:00 - Online abuse39:22 - Using social media positively 52:10 - Quick fire football questions1:02:45 - Recommendations and wrap up Alison Bender is an award-winning football presenter, reporter, podcaster, author and producer who has worked for Sky News, Sky Sports News, ITV, BBC and ESPN. In this ep...

00:00 - Mental health in marketing 15:15 - Introduction 16:30 - David's career background at Unilever 18:30 - Dollar Shave Club 40:37 - Who Gives A Crap 54:55 - Lynx 1:04:15 - Recommendations and wrap up

Will Poskett is an award-winning strategist, the founder of Defiant and previously of Wieden & Kennedy, Droga5 and Saatchis. Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everything discussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here . In this episode we discuss: The art of strategy Beavertown and how you help a craft beer brand go mainstream  Is testing useful for strategi...

Lianre is CEO at The Marketing Academy Foundation (TMAF) and an award-winning digital marketer. She is in conversation with Andi Jarvis In this episode we discuss: Follow your instincts Why TMAF is important for the marketing industry What the opportunity is for TMAF and why they’re rebranding Why 5 year plans don’t work How Lianre engages with her stakeholders Using communities in marketing What...

Tarek Sioufi is Grey’s Chief Strategy Officer. He has led brand strategy for adidas, The Financial Times, Sainsbury’s, Iceland, Netflix, Cadbury and Coca-Cola. In this episode we discuss: The power of imagination Why strategy is simple Do ideas just ‘find’ strategists Are strategists the smartest people in the room Three modes of thought for devising a brilliant strategy The most debated Christmas...

Joe Rampley is the Creative Brand Manager at Forest , London’s homegrown ebike company. He joins the show to talk about their new campaign. In this episode we discuss: Why perfection is overrated The insight behind Forest’s new campaign Why they rebranded How ad placement is as equally important as creative How you measure success when building a brand Why Ritson’s Mini MBA is worth the money Full...

Tim Donald is the Creative Director at Sneak, the cult energy brand known for its disruptive campaigns, chaotic storytelling, and fiercely loyal fanbase. In this episode we discuss: Why you shouldn’t chase seniority Building from DTC to retail The power of design for Sneak Satanic cults for marketing activations Building a brand around gaming culture Finding the sweet spot between nerd culture and...

Paul Makaya is the Founder and CEO of Bergast House, one of Zimbabwe’s most progressive integrated advertising agencies, that produces work that fuses insight, design, and purpose to drive both business growth and cultural impact. In this episode we discuss: Being authentically yourself Clients using AI Radio being the dominant media platform across Africa Shooting for greatness Why diverse teams...

Chloë Davies is a multi award-winning founder, a transformation consultant, chef and creative visionary whose work sits at the intersection of creativity, culture and social. In this episode we discuss: Understanding what matters and what doesn’t  Reflecting on how culture shapes us How It Takes A Village Collective came about Using social impact to change the world  The story behind Virgin’s ‘See...

Cynthia Harris, MBA, leads  8:28 Insights , a consumer insights and marketing strategy agency rooted in cultural competence and human understanding. In this episode we discuss: How we deal with change  Getting good briefs from clients The magic sauce between agencies and clients Harnessing imagination  Speeding up research Lessons from P&G Celebrating client wins Cynthia Harris Cynthia Harris,...

Brendan McDowell is the founder of BPerfect Cosmetics and Voduz Hair. He’s built two amazing brands (from a background in sales) by investing in community and social media.   In this episode we discuss: Work life balance Building a community of fans Following social trends and social selling Dragons Den and Made Up In Belfast Opening on the High Street when everyone said “the High Street is dead”...

Phillip Oakley is a brand strategist and marketing consultant with over 20 years of experience helping brands stand out and grow. In this episode we discuss: The power of questions and curiosity Talking to your customers and the power of bringing the customer voice into the room Overcoming objections for talking to your customers What the movie Arthur Christmas can teach us about marketing Riches...

Paul has been deep in brand diagnosis, strategy and realisation for over 25 years. You need to hear how he thinks about brands. In this episode we discuss: Listening as a superpower for strategists Why strategy isn’t predicting the future – with a hat tip to JP Castlin Mike Tyson on strategy Creators building brands Defining what a brand isn’t helps defines what a brand is The role of insight in s...

Devora Rogers developed the methodology deployed for Google's groundbreaking ZMOT research. Yes, THAT Zero Moment of Truth research. In this episode we discuss: How everything changes One HELL of a medical story Zero moment of truth (ZMOT) and convincing people to buy online How long people take to decide to buy something Using data to tell stories at conferences Marketers being bad at research Re...

Magda is a research professor at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute in Adelaide. She has been widely published in academic journals and authored two chapters in How Brands Grow 2. In this episode we discuss: The importance of curiosity The impact of How Brands Grow The Semmelweis effect and The Sharp Effect Learn, test and learn The high performance culture at the Ehrenberg Bass Institute The benefit of...

Úna is the co-founder of The Indie List, Ireland’s leading platform for connecting businesses with top-tier freelance talent across marketing, creative, and digital disciplines. In this episode we discuss: Why it’s OK not have everything figured out Building a community of marketers The Indie List Why pitching as an independent is tough The benefit of using freelancers The mindset shift between be...

James Hurman does a lot. He’s a strategist, a creative, an entrepreneur, an investor, a teacher and a great bloke. In this episode we discuss: The lessons from ancient cultures The power of delegation Making not drinking cool AF Influencer partnerships with the Kardashians The story behind Tracksuit, the brand tracking platform How James approaches brand names Why you can be fun in B2B Becoming an...

Nils Wimby is an experienced leader in marketing with a strategic mindset and a proven track record of generating value. In this episode we discuss: The architect, plumber and pipe wrench Problemformuleringsprivilegiet (a great word to say if you don’t speak Swedish) Volvo and their journey to premium Jaguar’s rebrand and if it as a good idea How Mindshare approaches sustainable growth  Strategy M...

Dan Knowlton, the co-founder of Knowlton, has delivered millions in trackable sales for some of the world’s leading brands. In this episode we discuss: How he grew Knowlton from working with micro business to big brands Learning from mistakes Having your dad as a non exec How to write marketing reports Working with Barry from Eastenders Why nostalgia never gets old When campaigns win for clients D...

Suzanne is the Director CEE, Google Customer Solutions and a long time Googler. In this episode we discuss: Planning (or not) for a career How digital marketing has changed in the 25 years Has brand loyalty changed over the years Do you need to be always on with your marketing Talk to your customers Working across counties and customs Using AI as a BFF What companies are worried about with AI (it’...