Call To Action

We’ve put a tasty worm on our line and cast it into the Big Apple to catch Zenith Media’s Exec VP & Head of Innovation, Tom Goodwin.   The best thing to come out of Sheffield since Sean Bean, Tom has worked with a list of clients that reads like the FTSE 100, including Microsoft, BMW, FOX and Emirates, and he is also the bestselling author of the ground-breaking book, Digital Darwinism.   Tom...

We sneaked up the river Liffey in a Viking long boat and kidnapped arguably Ireland’s greatest marketer for a natter; Colin Lewis.    Colin’s vast experience and multiple industry awards come from a career that includes working at iconic brands like BMI, 118118, Thomas Cook and CityJet, and from working all over the world, from Australia to Hong Kong, Japan, and the UK and Ireland. He’s also a spe...

We’ve lurked in the waters of San Francisco Bay to catch arguably the most outspoken and controversial voice in the industry; the bullshit detecting bulldog, Bob Hoffman. He is the acerbic wit behind the highly popular ‘Ad Contrarian’ blog, named one of the world’s most influential marketing and advertising blogs by Business Insider, and is the author of four Amazon Number 1 selling books about ad...

This week we dug out our knickerbockers and legged it up the fairway to catch an ex-golf pro with one of the strongest drives in the industry, Di Wilkins. She joined the agency Critical Mass 21 years ago and never left. As CEO, Di has created a genuinely special work culture rooted in Canadian values and best showcased by an avalanche of industry accolades this year, including Best Agency to Work...

This week we’ve got our large sea-going vessel out of dry dock once again to go across the pond to catch Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson; author, speaker and professor of Management at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business.    Stefanie has come a long way since discovering in her first jobthat a children’s ball pit is the most disgusting place on earth. She is now one of the world’...

This week we’ve laid bait of Guinness and Rosé to snare the man who launched his agency from his front room whilst sitting in his pants, the day after he called his old boss a ‘cock’. It can only be Paul Mellor.   Taking the piss out of the industry whilst on the piss with our podcast host Giles, it’s a wonder how they actually finished with a fully recorded episode. Paul takes us on a riotous rid...

This week we’ve only caught a cold (well, it is that time of year), but much more excitingly we’re putting out a bite-size Call to Action pod blast to exclusively announce details of our very first live Call to Action podcast event . It’s like a cranked-up Question Time, taking place in a pub to booze-fuel the debate and replacing the politicians with talented peeps who aren’t afraid to tell it li...

This week we’ve travelled to a galaxy far, far away to ensnare Brian Macreadie; B2B Marketing’s self-styled Yoda.   Brian’s stellar career includes a period as Marketing Director for Media and Sport at Getty Images,marketing communication roles at large telecoms companies such as AT&T, and over 12 years’ experience as head of marketing at several international law firms. More highly decorated...

We’ve tracked a trail from London to Sydney and back again this week, to catch our latest podcast guest Jane Evans. Many are billed as being ‘brutally honest’, but Jane wrote the rule book on “not giving a f*ckery.” Jane has worked for some of the biggest agencies on the planet, including JWT and Ogilvy, before setting up her own agency Giant Leap, where clients included Revlon, Maserati and a bev...

This week we’ve gone over The Pond to catch Designer, Author, Speaker, Teacher and all-round cool dude and professional hell-raiser, James Victore. Part Yoda part Darth Vader, his often-controversial yet striking work is exhibited all around the world, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and has appeared on the covers of Esquire and Time Magazine. He’s also worked for clients such a...

This week we’ve snuck up The Mersey, Viking raid style, to nab Liverpool’s finest anti-bullshitcopywriter, Dave Harland. Having massive fingers hasn’t held back Dave from writing magic copy. He talks to us on how he made the bold move to working freelance after a 10-year stint at Park Group Plc, (ending up as Head of Copy), his early job as a football reporter, how his fascination with writing per...

This week we’ve pinpointed the exact location of what3words CMO Giles Rhys Jones for a good chinwag. Awarded the Cannes Lion Grand Prix for Innovation, Giles talks at length about this amazing global addressing phenomenon that is used by entities as diverse as pizza delivery companies and emergency services, as well as some of the world’s largest automobile companies like Mercedes and Audi. Giles...

This week we’ve caught the world’s only Global Tech Ethnographer and the woman that made Qualitative Data sexy; Tricia Wang. She created that job title herself, as part of always looking to question then smash convention throughout her career. Her fieldwork has featured in publications such as TechCrunch, Wired and The Guardian, she’s worked with Fortune 500 companies, and is a go-to keynote speak...

This week we’ve caught The King in the North. Nope, it’s not Jon Snow, but one of Sheffield’s finest, Lee Davies. OK, he may not actually rule the North, but he’s certainly one of the most talented designers and creative directors in any part of Westeros the UK, for that matter. He modestly calls himself ‘a right mess’, but growing up in a cultural backwater in Cheshire didn’t hinder him rising up...

This episode is the most eagerly anticipated ‘Part 2’ since The Godfather movie series, as we resume our chat with The Don of Behavioural Economics in 2019; the one and only Rory Sutherland. Rory Sutherland is a copywriter-turned-behavioural science expert and torch-bearer, and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. He’s been President of the IPA, Chair of the Judges for the Direct Jury at Cannes, and has en...

This week we’ve caught the uniquely and multi-talented author, poet, and podcast presenter, Giles Paley-Phillips. Giles is the award-winning author of children’s books including The Fearsome Beastie and Little Bell and the Moon, and talks to us on his motivations for writing, how he got published, and also some tips for those who have their own dreams of being a writer. He delves into his role as...

This week we’ve caught Ogilvy UK’s and Behavioural Science’s finest, Rory Sutherland. It’s an hour of Rory. What do you expect? If it’s a jam-packed, entertaining chinwag on all things advertising, marketing and psychology then come tuck in. For those for whom this will be a first dose of Rory, he is a copywriter-turned-behavioural science expert and torch-bearer, and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. H...

This week we’ve caught Wiemer Snijders. A Dutchman with a famous banana, Wiemer is one of the most prominent figures at the forefront of Marketing Sciences. Currently a Partner at The Commercial Works, he recently published Eat Your Greens: Fact-Based Thinking to Improve Your Brand’s Health, which features contributions from 35 of the world’s top marketers, including the likes of Byron Sharp, Mark...

Listen to how we nearly lost one of the finest strategic minds in the industry to the ski instructing game. Murray Calder learnt his craft managing internationally renowned Scotch Whisky brands like Macallan, Highland Park, and The Famous Grouse, and his first job in the industry saw him do everything EXCEPT marketing, giving him a great grounding and a fundamentally important first lesson.   He’s...

Armed with a fishing pole and a tasty bait of Hemmingway, we caught none other than Glenn Fisher.  Arguably the most famous person to be born in Grimsby (by default), Glenn became a copywriter after a number of years working in the local council. For over a decade he worked with Agora, a multi-million pound international financial publisher, as Head of Copy. He is now freelance, focussing on coach...

After traversing lakes, vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains, we finally caught up with the charismatic Fredrik Hallberg. Being born in the most boring town in Sweden, Köping, propelled Fredrik to leap into the world of computers, and ultimately the internet, just to find something interesting. Fast forward in time, and he is now a seasoned Marketing Strategy Director and Management Consult...

Catching Vikki Ross was no mean feat; she's here, there and everywhere. One of the best copywriters in the business, Vikki specialises in Branding and Tone of Voice, running workshops all over the globe, and creating voices for some of the UK’s biggest brands, including The Body Shop, Sky, ITV, and Virgin Media. She dedicates time to mentoring budding copywriters and is a very vocal champion of th...

This week’s podcast guest Eaon Pritchard was a tough catch, seeing as he is based in Melbourne and all, but that didn’t stop us collaring him for a chat. He’s a self-proclaimed ‘advertising douchebag’, but that does him a disservice, as Eaon has worked as an ad creative and planner for over 20 years, firstly in London and now over in Oz. He also lectures, consults, and writes regularly for WARC an...

Published author, poet, public speaker and Starcoms’s Head of Strategic Innovation, Amy’s led media and marketing strategies for some of the world’s biggest brands, including the BBC, Unilever, and Nando’s. Her first foray into writing, with the modern-day fairy tale, The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks, was a stonking success; storming to the top of the charts on Amazon. Amy’s also been listed as...

We’ve caught award-winning author, artist, public speaker and former QI head elf Stevyn Colgan for our latest podcast. Stevyn’ career started with 30 years in the Met Police Service, where he quickly landed up in the intriguingly named, ‘The Problem Solving Unit'; using lollipops to deal with noisy, rowdy night-clubbers was but one ingenious (and highly effective) idea he introduced. An expert pro...