Performance Marketing Unlocked

LinkedIn is the second most cited domain among large-langauge-models (LLMs). As such, is has become a hub of content discovery and advertising opportunities.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Andrew Monu, VP of Marketing at LinkedIn, joins host Joe to reveal how the social media platform manages to stay ahead of the ever-changing AI-powered algorithms. From using social to build trust, leverage search and implement new advertising formats, Andrew offers a blueprint for B2B marketers to thrive in the new era of digital marketing. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:04) How is LinkedIn staying ahead of LLMs?(12:20) Dark social and building communities(20:26) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ PMW’s New Year’s Resolutions: marketing experts on the future of search, data, and privacy‘The first 20% of your text is the most important’: Research reveals how to get cited by AI‘Brands will simply have to work harder for attention’: How a social media crackdown could impact marketers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to introduce increased social media regulations to protect the wellbeing of vulnerable people, particularly children. It stands to dramatically impact the advertising industry, shifting brand's access to particular audiences across social media formats.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's Senior News Reporter Bethany Lee joins host Joe for a whistle-stop tour of the biggest headlines from across the industry over the past fortnight.The pair touch on social media's future as an advertising channel, whether or not ads belong in large-language-models (LLMs), and if consumers are becoming fed-up with 'intrusive' new formats.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:15) Are we going to see a social media ban for under-16s in the UK?(11:18) Will people trust LLMs if they have ads?(19:28) Are consumers fed up with new ad formats?~ Further reading ~ ‘Brands will simply have to work harder for attention’: How a social media crackdown could impact marketersPerplexity pulls the plug on ads, citing trust concerns for AITwo-thirds of Six Nations fans reject ‘annoying’ in-game ads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI systems are now allocating budget and optimising media in real time. The operational heavy lifting of performance marketing is increasingly automated. And that changes the economics.If execution no longer depends on constant, hands-on optimisation, does performance naturally move closer to the business? Could this be the moment in-housing finally accelerates? And if it does, where does that leave agencies?To unpack it all, PMW deputy editor Joseph Arthur sits down with Drew Smith, co-founder and chief product officer at Upp.ai, and Steve Warrington, senior vice president of client and industry engagement.This episode of The Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast is sponsored by Upp.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The advertising industry loves to talk, and yet, some of the most important topics within the space are often ignored.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, four marketing experts come together to put the spotlight on several topics they don't think are getting the attention they deserve. Hosted by Paul Evans, founder of V2RSION, with Tony Miller, Interim CMO of Direct Line Group, Supriya Dev-Purkayastha, founder of Connect Growth and Emily Roberts, Head of Digital at Responsible Marketing Advisory, the group touch on accessible advertising, inclusivity in marketing, how to avoid short-terminism and why performance marketing shouldn't be retired. To hear more from our panel of experts, each of them will be in attendance and on stage at PMW Unlocked, our annual confex at the Business Design Centre in London, taking place on the 3rd and 4th of March. Limited delegate tickets are still available here: https://www.performancemarketingunlocked.com/book-your-place~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:38) Don't discount disabilities (13:30) Inclusivity is the essence of performance marketing (30:50) Short-terminism is just papering over the cracks(40:22) Performance marketing still belongs ~ Further reading ~ Jamie Laing, Grace Miller and Jon Evans to speak at PMW Unlocked 2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Super Bowl LX may have failed to deliver the sporting spectacle that many fans were hoping for, but the annual Super Bowl ads certainly got people talking – particularly those framed around AI.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's new Senior News Reporter Bethany Lee joins host Joe to unpack the key themes from this year's batch of ads, turning to a litany of data detailing the early advertising winners and losers. Together, the pair discuss whether or not celebrity still matters, if animals are the ultimate recipe for success and crucially, why marketers seem so determined to lean on AI despite its lack of popularity among consumers.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:04) Did Super Bowl LX's ads deliver?(14:46) Where did brands go wrong?(17:20) Anthropic versus the LLM world~ Further reading ~ Super Bowl LX review: AI flops on the big stageTop 10 Super Bowl ads – according to consumersPMW’s top 3 Super Bowl ads to watch before SundaySuper Bowl LX: PMW’s pre-game (advertising) run-down Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The in-housing versus agency debate has become a hot topic within the world of advertising, but does in-housing really deliver in practice?On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Honor Baldry, Digital Marketing Director at PureGym, outlines how marketers can effectively determine which parts of their strategy to own and which parts to let go.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (1:47) How can brands decide if in-housing will work for them?(16:38) What trends should marketers be getting excited about?(25:01) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ Puregym, McDonald’s, Toyota, James Villas and Crunch Fitness: Top 5 performance marketing campaignsTeam of the Year winner: PureGymAlmost half of marketers now contact their agencies ‘less than once a week’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Affiliate marketing represents a significant piece of the UK's performance marketing pie, generating over £19bn in sales last year alone. However, despite its ongoing growth, the affiliate space continues to polarise marketers.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlcoked podcast, PMW's Editor Robin Langford joins host Joe to discuss affiliate marketing's latest setback, namely Paypal's ongoing payments scandal surrounding its Honey Browser extension.The pair detail the story and assess how it underscores the broader challenges affiliate marketing is facing, specifically, measurement, visibility and trust.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (1:53) What has Honey done wrong?(10:56) How can affiliate marketing improve its perception among marketers?~ Further reading ~ Awin announces 'confirmed breaches'; becomes latest affiliate network to update stance on HoneyRakuten cuts ties with Honey following commissions scandalDespite generating £19bn in sales in 2025, UK affiliate marketing is only just scratching the surface Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an era built around creating automated efficiency, the ultimate competitive advantage isn't a better algorithm – it’s a deeper understanding of the human behind it.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, behavioural psychologist Lea Karam, founder and CEO of Mindscope, exposes the invisible forces driving consumer decisions that your dashboard is currently missing, revealing how you can fill the gaps and future-proof your performance strategy.For more of Lea, she will be taking the stage at PMW Unlocked 2026 from 3-4 March at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London – find out more and get your tickets here.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (3:20) Bridging the gap between hard data and human psychology(18:32) Which marketing trends are overrated or underrated?(27:11) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ ‘GEO becomes a core capability for staying visible’: 17 marketers on how AI will change adland in 2026An AI would never design Cannes Lions – and that should give us all some comfortRiding the TikTok algorithm: with great power comes great responsibility Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast is back for another season! PMW's editorial team kick things off with a quickfire round-up of all the biggest advertising stories to open 2026, from Reddit's boom in reach to how FMCG brand's can navigate the UK's junk food advertising ban and everything in between.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:45) Reddit surpasses TikTok in UK reach(10:40) The UK's less healthy food ad ban is here(17:15) Quickfire review of the newsdesk's biggest headlines~ Further reading ~ Reddit overtakes TikTok to become UK’s fourth most visited social platformUK junk food ban goes live: How FMCG brands can win in a restricted ad landscapeThe Guardian and Buzzfeed headline first Publishing Partners for The Trade Desk’s OpenAds Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PMW's editorial team is back for its annual Christmas Special. A podcast where we reflect on the biggest themes, trends and stories from the year and look ahead to the future, making some predictions for what the next 12 months might hold.From AI's impact on search to Amazon's booming DSP ecosystem and everything in between, PMW's Editor Robin Langford, News Reporter Reem Makari and host Joe leave no stone unturned, also revealing some hot takes and fast favourites from 2025.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (3:57) Reflections on 2025(21:50) Predictions for 2026(35:01) The PMW team's fast favourites from the past 12 months~ Further reading ~ ‘We are still only at the tip of the AI iceberg’: Adland’s 2026 predictions‘Marketers don’t care where consumers buy, only that they buy’: Adland’s 2026 predictions‘People won’t trust AI – but they’ll use it for everything’: 15 expert marketing predictions for 2026‘2026 will drop a brutal marketing truth’: 18 experts on adland's biggest challengesPerformance Marketing World Awards: All 26 winners announced Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Consumers are more concerned about privacy than ever before and yet they are demanding more personalisation from advertisers. How can brands walk this tightrope and balance privacy and transparency with an effective strategy for gathering and utilising data? The answer is simple, trust. Unfortunately, building trust is not quite so simple. On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Zac Eller, General Manager, Global Partnerships & Business Development at ExpressVPN, joins host Joe to detail exactly how marketers can make privacy a unique selling point for their brand and crucially, use it to build and maintain customer loyalty. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ Why has privacy become even more important in 2025? (1:55)What exactly does a VPN do? (14:59)PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge (26:35)~ Further reading ~ AI browsers, Netflix's advertising boom and Apple's privacy warning85% of agencies are turning to third-party data to reduce reliance on advertisersCould 2025 be the start of the golden age of marketing measurement? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The annual Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend is regularly bookmarked on marketers' calendars as one of the biggest sales opportunities of the year, but with 2025's edition coinciding with tax increases from the UK Labour Government's latest budget and increasing levels of "sales fatigue" among Brits, are consumers going to be willing to spend?On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's Editor Robin Langford joins host Joe to talk about Black Friday 2025, and why retailers' fears over whether or not shoppers will respond to their advertising is not the biggest talking point of the upcoming event, positing that a much bigger trend is looming over the weekend – AI-fuelled shopping. With AI agents such as Amazon's Rufus now at consumers' disposal, we are about to see an early litmus test for the AI-era of commerce. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ How are brands feeling ahead of BFCM 2025? (2:15) Is AI about to uproot everything we know about shopping? (8:19)Are marketers losing the freedom to experiment? (15:22)~ Further reading ~ OpenAI introduces shopping research within ChatGPTAlmost half of consumers 'trust AI summaries without clicking'Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend set to deliver £9.52bn for retailers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Product sampling has often been maligned as one of marketing's dirtiest habits – simply palm off your samples to whoever you can find and call it a day.However, on this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Matthew Huntly, co-founder and CEO of Sampl, explains exactly how the practice has modernised and why the digital-first reinvention of Sampling is one of the best kept secrets for advertisers to leverage ahead of 2026.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ What happened to product sampling's reputation? (1:47)Digital sampling in action (17:43)PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge (29:27)~ Further reading ~ ‘Digital sampling is a great way for brands to get data’: Q&A with Matthew Huntly, SamplTop 5 adtech tools this week: VideoAmp, Hightouch, Sampl, DoubleVerify, and UnileverMatthew Huntly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New data has revealed that retail media adspend is set to surpass $200bn by 2027, but where does this place the channel compared to others such as connected TV and social media?On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's Editor Robin Langford joins host Joe to talk about the future of retail media, from its potential to hit an investment ceiling to whether or not it, and other popular advertising channels, are becoming too fragmented. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ Is retail media about to hit its peak? (1:54)How will agentic AI impact retail media? (13:03)~ Further reading ~ Retail media adspend to clear $200bn by 2027 – but is a plateau on the horizon?Are you ready for retail media 2.0? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where have marketers missed out in 2025? And more importantly, how can they avoid leaving growth opportunities on the table in 2026On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Esme Robinson, Director of Platform Solutions at Epsilon, and PMW 2025 Powerlist member, reveals where marketers have gone wrong this year and how they can remedy things over the next 12 months.From neglecting the basics to building out AI models on incomplete data, she details the areas marketers are over-emphasising and where their attention should be going instead.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ What has been the biggest missed opportunity in 2025 for marketers? (2:30)How can marketers avoid missing out in 2026? (17:41)~ Further reading ~ How to stop survivorship bias haunting your marketing effortsEsme Robinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI browsers are here, streaming giants have become ad platforms and tech giant's are warning of being 'forced' to remove privacy regulations – how's that for news?On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's News Reporter Reem Makari joins host Joe to discuss several of the industry's biggest headlines from the past couple of weeks. In an attempt to help you keep up with a news cycle that never stops, consider this a quick-fire round-up of everything marketers need to be aware of heading into November.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ Does the introduction of ChatGPT Atlas represent a paradigm shift in search? (2:17)Netflix's ad sales are booming, so why are its earnings down? (11:43)~ Further reading ~ OpenAI launches ChatGPT’s first web browser, Atlas‘A new milestone in the AI browser arms race’: What ChatGPT Atlas means for marketersNetflix records ‘best ad sales quarter ever’ despite disappointing earningsUS and China ‘nearly finalise’ TikTok sale dealApple claims it may be ‘forced’ to disable ATT across Europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retail media is no longer a plucky, upstart new channel. It's rode the first wave of investment and excitement, but now is the time to prove its staying power. On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, host Joe sits down with two retail media experts, Ollie Shayer, Senior Director, Global Strategy and Innovation at SMG, and Daniel Knapp, Chief Economist, IAB Europe, to talk about the future of the channel.Recorded on the ground at Retail Media Summit UK 2025, the respective interviews dive into what the "second phase" of retail media is going to look like, from deployment of the channel in the UK versus the US to its growth prospects amid a turbulent economy. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ Ollie Shayer on his move to SMG and the challenges surrounding retail media (1:29)Daniel Knapp forecasts retail media's future and talks differences between the UK and US (9:03)~ Further reading ~ Six spicy predictions for retail media in 2026Rory Sutherland explains everything wrong with performance marketingIceland expands retail media network through Epsilon partnership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rory Sutherland famously dislikes much of what performance marketing offers, acknowledging that while the lower-funnel is important, many marketers are "painting themselves into a performance corner" to justify their existence.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Sutherland explains what marketers are doing wrong and how they can better utilise performance-orientated data to generate sustainable brand building. He also outlines retail media's role in generating 'brandformance' and why the success of the frozen paratha should propel a return to frozen food in Britain.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ What's wrong with performance marketing? (1:48)How retail media can build a bridge between brand and performance (23:15)Why frozen food needs to make a return in Britain (31:31)~ Further reading ~ Investing in performance marketing is not enough, a view from Rory SutherlandHavas Market’s Alex Walker on navigating adland in a time of ‘information overload’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With OpenAI officially seeking a 'Growth Paid Marketing Platform Engineer', it appears that ChatGPT becoming an advertising platform is finally upon us.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's editorial team dissect industry leaders' hot takes on the rumours, outlining how the innovation may impact marketers, whether or not competing large-language-models will follow suit, and how regulators can catch-up with generative AI's ever-growing expansion.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ What does adland make of ChatGPT's advertising potential? (1:26)Are we about to see the formation of yet another monopoly? (13:39)~ Further reading ~ ChatGPT ad plans revealed? OpenAI seeks ‘paid marketing’ engineer‘A seismic shift’: How ChatGPT becoming an ad platform would impact adland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The final quarter of the year is often a tense time for marketers. Despite the festive atmosphere, many get swept up in quarterly KPIs and a need to please the CFO with a short-term sales boost – but is this best way to make the most of peak season? On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Suzanna Chaplin, founder and CEO of esbconnect, argues that a long-term approach focused on customer retention and first-party data collection is the best way to utilise Q4's annual spending surge. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ How can marketers and advertisers best deal with Q4's sales expectations? (2:14)Which metrics matter most during peak season? (15:30)PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge (25:35)~ Further reading ~ PMW Retail Playbook 2025: Dreaming of an AI Christmas?Where marketers should spend (and save) this Christmas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.