This week we rented the top 3 maths movies of all time – A Beautiful Mind, The Imitation Game and 3 Men and a Baby – all in order to be mathematically competent enough to share a pod with one of the world’s greatest number nibblers, Marcus du Sautoy. So highly acclaimed and awarded, we could have filled the entire podcast by listing out his many achievements, Marcus is perhaps best known as a Professor in Mathematics, Fellow of the Royal Society and Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. But, as well as being one of the very smartest people on the planet, he’s also one of the most engaging and enlightening speakers on the unexpected stories to be found in numbers, having written for several national newspapers and appeared on a number of mathematically-inclined TV shows including Mind Games, The Story of Maths and The Code (not to be confused with The Cube). By now you’ve probably run out of fingers to tally up all the brilliant things he’s done, so we shall just wrap up by saying he’s also the author of a series of superb books examining the relationship between maths, creativity, music, games and more – including Blue Prints, The Music of Primes and The Creativity Code. (Basically, the fact that it took us all this time to mention he’s also an OBE tells you all you need to know. He’s an impressive dude.) In an episode where Giles wears his disappointing GCSE results like a hi-vis vest of inadequacy, we ponder the search for meaning in numbers and how the stories behind them can help shape ideas and solve problems. This episode is proudly dedicated to Mr Baleson. Follow Marcus on LinkedIn ///// Timestamps 04:17 - The Influence of a Great Teacher 06:03 - Mathematics as a Language and Creative Outlet 08:44 - The Intersection of Mathematics and the Arts 12:08 - Exploring Creativity in Mathematics 15:17 - The Relationship Between Structure and Artistic Expression 21:10 - The Cicada's Prime Number Life Cycle 30:51 - Patterns and Expectations in Art and Comedy 33:09 - The Role of Mathematics in Problem Solving 43:15 - The Importance of Storytelling in Science 46:25 - The Search for Meaning in Numbers 48:13 - The Dual Nature of Scientific Thinking Marcus’ Book recommendations are: A Mathematician’s Apology by G.H. Hardy /////
This week we broke a golden rule and crossed podcast streams with a pair of excellent guests, Richard Shotton and MichaelAaron Flicker, hosts of the Behavioural Science for Brands podcast and co-authors of the soon-to-be released (and definitely-to-be brilliant) Hacking The Human Mind. Richard is, of course, returning for a record third appearance on Call To Action® although we have respectfully honoured his request to not be left alone with Giles. Responsible for opening industry eyes to the potential of behavioural science, Richard is the author of two books that serious marketing types like you and I could not do without – The Choice Factory and The Illusion of Choice. Alongside him today, as is so often the case, is MichaelAaron Flicker, founder and president of (Zeeenno-Sigh) XenoPsi Ventures, a brand incubator firm that helps out all kinds of companies with financial, marketing and intellectual capital. As well as co-hosting their pod, and co-authoring their book, they’ve completed a hattrick of Co’s by co-founding the Consumer Behaviour Lab, where they apply their considerable collective knowledge to help make marketing smarter, better and less stinky. In an episode where we open the sunroof on the human mind and reveal there’s much more to it than day dreams, crippling doubt and song lyrics from 1996, we hear from two of the field’s most compelling experts on what it really takes for a brand to be chosen. This episode is proudly dedicated to Rory Sutherland. Follow Richard and MichaelAaron on LinkedIn. ///// Timestamps 08:27 - Reflections on Career Path and Pivots 10:09 - Richard's Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne 12:39 - How Richard and Michael Met 14:22 - The Concept Behind Their New Book 16:01 - Writing Process and Collaboration Insights 20:21 - Discussion on Haagen-Dazs and Country of Origin Effect 25:04 - The Power of Naming: Patagonian Toothfish vs. Chilean Sea Bass 30:07 - Marketing Confusion Between Marketing and Sales Their Book Recommendations are: Alchemy by Rory Sutherland Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg /////
This week we tucked in our shirt, straightened our tie and resisted the temptation to nip off for a quick vape behind the pickle-ball court, all in order to suitably impress our guest, one of the world’s greatest marketing academics, Professor Byron Sharp. A man who would need no introduction (if we weren’t contractually obliged to provide all our pod guests with one) Prof Byron is one of the world’s most respected thinkers in the field of brands and consumer behaviour. Unless you’re deliberately trying to get yourself fired from your marketing role, you’ll no doubt have read his seminal book ‘How Brands Grow’ and, if you’re especially lucky, you may well have learned directly from the man himself in one of his globally prestigious academic roles. A speaker, a teacher, a thinker and a pioneering researcher, Byron still has the time to be a thoroughly entertaining podcast guest, and is famously happy to share the kind of knee-buckling market truth that the industry fears but also really, really needs. In an episode where Byron jabs a scholarly finger into the flabby thinking that holds brands back, we ponder the many different disciplines a proper marketer should be able to wrap their heads around if they want a consumer to care. This episode is proudly dedicated to John Scriven. Follow Byron on LinkedIn ///// Timestamps 03:27 - Early Jobs and Academia 04:38 - The Importance of Real-World Experience 06:09 - Working with Andrew Ehrenberg 08:28 - The Intent Behind "How Brands Grow" 09:41 - Marketing Blind Spots and Unexplored Areas 10:30 - Cognitive Biases and Behavioral Science 11:48 - The Role of Heuristics in Consumer Behavior 12:43 - Understanding Double Jeopardy Law 14:08 - Consumer Efficiency vs. Laziness 15:26 - Predictive Power of Marketing Science 16:06 - The Weirdness of the Real World 17:37 - Misconceptions About Marketing Science 19:40 - The Role of Synthetic Research 32:58 - B2B Marketing and Growth Strategies 35:22 - The Value of Awards in Marketing Byron's Book recommendations are: The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig Everything is Obvious by Duncan Watts The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver /////
This week we’re pushing our withered hamstrings way beyond their wretched limits, all in order to win the attention of our guest, sport and brand marketing super-baller Lisa Parfitt. In a career that has been, figuratively, one top bin after the other, Lisa has done more than most to give women’s sport a serious platform, particularly when it comes to those all-important commercial relationships. A star player in the efforts to land the Women’s FA Cup their first brand sponsorship, Lisa can be found on the prestigious pages of PR Week’s Power 100 for her work in pushing for greater representation for women in the sports business. Having gone toe-to-toe with the inequalities in the game in her time as both a Level 1 coach and director, she now devotes her considerable skills and stamina to creating better, fairer and more sustainable partnerships, sponsorships and culture in the game. In an episode with absolutely no time wasting, even for the occasional glug of branded energy pop, we ponder everything from the unique brand value of fans of women sport, to how the game is changing, in both sporting and commercial ways. This episode is proudly dedicated to Karen Earl. Follow Lisa on LinkedIn. ///// Timestamps 04:34 - Transitioning to the Sports Industry 10:31 - First Job in Women's Sport 12:18 - The Shift to Sponsorship and Commercial Focus 15:32 - The Role of Brands in Women's Sport 20:10 - Securing the First Women's FA Cup Partnership 26:32 - The Impact of COVID on Women's Sport 30:35 - Research on Women's Sports Fans Engagement 36:59 - The Future of Women's Sport and Upcoming Events 42:06 - Changing Perceptions in Women's Sport Lisa's Book Recommendations are: Eat Sweat Play - Anna Kessel Why She Buys - Bridget Brennan Game On - Sue Anstiss /////
This week we made difficult phone-calls to Ant & Dec, Torvill & Dean and, accidentally, the Neville Brothers, all in order to explain that the nation now has a new favourite double act – the joint chiefs of Pablo, Harriet Knight and Hannah Penn. Not content with leading Pablo to the very top of the creative charts in agency land – scooping up the Global Campaign Indie of the Year award on two separate occasions – H&H have set about tearing up the dusty old rulebook for agency leadership (especially all those pages about being greedy and horrible). They’ve poured their considerable energies into actually delivering the kind of culture every agency pretends they have, and even launched the Pablo Living Wage, a £30,000 minimum salary for entry level roles that opens up the industry to people who are usually left on the side-lines. As well as turning Pablo into the creative, and cultural envy of agency world, Harriet and Hannah are also responsible for one of the most successful agency models around – earning a reputation for being superb to work with that translates into a barely believable 100% client retention rate. In an episode that puts us all in the uncomfortable position of listening to agency bosses who are actually likeable and amusing, we ponder everything from how agency cultures are created to the dynamics that make their partnership tick. This episode is proudly dedicated to Dan Watts. Follow Hannah and Harriet on LinkedIn. ///// Timestamps 03:00 - Early Career Paths: Hannah's Journey 09:00 - Harriet's Background and Transition to Advertising 15:00 - The Importance of Diverse Experiences in Advertising 18:00 - Creative and Commercial Balance in Advertising 22:00 - How Harriet and Hannah Met 25:00 - The Dynamics of Their Partnership 29:00 - Legacy and Impact in the Advertising Industry Hannah and Harriet’s Book Recommendations are: Four Thousand Weeks– Oliver Burkeman Cork Dork – Bianca Bosko Super Communicators- Charles Duhigg /////
This week we tried to arrange a VIP brand event for Call To Action® fans in an abandoned toilet brush factory, all just to prove our cool credentials to Charlie Copsey, the founder of Underground Fan Club. Having conquered the media mountain earlier in her career – working in TV, radio and film with the likes of Johnny Vaughan and her good pal Colin Murray – Charlie realised that her next great mission would be to rescue fan experiences from the desperately dull doldrums they were in at the time. From there Underground Fan Club was born – a studio devoted to producing more memorable, more believable and more exciting experiences between brands, fans and talent. At the heart of the mission is something many marketers bang on about with no clue, or care, about what it means in reality – authentic connections with your most valuable audience, something Charlie is already proving to be much more than the same old brand baloney. There’s an increasingly long line of brands queuing up for the Underground treatment but luckily for your ears and brains, CTA is nothing if not a queue jumper. In an episode that’s all about fans, super-fans, stan-fans and ceiling fans (not that one) we learn what it takes for your brand to actually mean something more to the people you’re doing it all for. This episode is proudly dedicated to Colin Murray. ///// 04:09 - Studying Drama at Loughborough 10:12 - Working with Johnny Vaughan 12:28 - The Evolution of Fighting Talk and Live Events 16:38 - Identifying the Gap: Connecting Talent and Fans 17:52 - Building Underground Fan Club: The First Event 20:32 - The Importance of Authentic Experiences 22:21 - Navigating Brand Partnerships 26:13 - Finding the Right Brand Partners 28:05 - Balancing Involvement in Events 32:29 - The Challenges of Running a Business Charlie’s Book Recommendations are: Careless People - Sarah Wynn-Williams Shoe Dog – Phil Knight Losing my Virginity – Richard Branson /////
This week we kept shouting things like HIT ME! TWIST! GO FISH! WHAT’S A SPADE? In order to win the professional attention, and personal sympathy, of Jo Living – founder of ‘poker for business’ consultancy Aces High. Having noticed that poker was less about bluff and bravado and more about strategy, empathy and teamwork, Jo realised it could be the perfect game for teaching people how to make smarter business decisions. From there she went on to run workshops teaching everything from communication and negotiation, to assertiveness and risk management, all done eye-to-eye through what she calls the ‘contact’ sport of poker. It’s an episode where we try very hard not to say things about ‘laying the cards on the table’ (but probably won’t succeed) covering everything from the real-world value of a poker face to the power of a timely pause. This episode is proudly dedicated to Adam Living. Follow Jo on LinkedIn. ///// Timestamps 07:33 - Investment Banking Experience 10:32 - Quarter Life Crisis 15:47 - The Poker Environment 18:15 - Poker as a Game of Strategy 19:50 - Women in Poker 22:39 - Parallels Between Poker and Business 26:02 - Skills Developed Through Poker 29:02 - The Power of the Pause 31:37 - Identifying Leadership Traits 37:13 - Getting More Women at the Table 39:12 - Subtle Tells for Leadership Jo’s Book Recommendations are: Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke /////
This week we donned a smelly neon bib, distributed some tiny cones and shouted things like ‘THAT’S NEVER A PEN’ all in order to win the attention of Karen Dobres, one of the sporting world’s most genuine game changers. Advocating for equal budgets, facilities and recognition in women’s sport with all the tenacity of a crunching, shin-pad obliterating tackle, Karen is the co-founder of Equality FC and the Sistership Network. Her new book, soon to hit the shops, is called Pitch Invasion and tells the tale of her experiences as a feminist on the board of Lewes FC, the world’s first (hurray) and only (boo) equal football club. And, with all the creative energy of a box-to-box midfield dynamo, she’s also helped establish the #CallHimOut initiative, has served as a judge on the UN Women UK Awards, managed a counselling service at Polygram Records and, just because she could, helped arrange the installation of a statue celebrating bisexual female pirates. It’s an episode where we chatter ‘in and around’ all things relating to her hopes for women’s sport, the impact of equality on crowds and culture and the value of being an outsider. This episode is proudly dedicated to Marios Christos Sfantos Follow Karen on LinkedIn. ///// Timestamps 06:10 - From Journalism Aspirations to Modelling 08:45 - Transitioning to Counselling and Music Industry 12:40 - Discovering Women's Football 15:31 - Feminizing the Football Environment at Lewis FC 18:14 - Impact of Equality on Crowds and Culture 24:48 - Challenges Faced by Women in Football 27:25 - Creating a Supportive Community through Football 30:37 - Football as a Vehicle for Social Change 32:06 - The Value of Being an Outsider in Football 34:15 - Pitch Invasion: Karen's Book Karen's Book Recommendations are: A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf Why Men Win at Work by Jill Whitty Collins /////
This week we kept on adding more and more and more irrelevant attachments to our so-called brief, in order to earn ourselves a swift rebuke from the marketing world’s Brief Batman – Howard Ibach. Inventor of the Creative Brief Mastery program, Howard is on a mission to make marketing briefs more meaningful. An advocate for clear thinking, proper collaboration and the single minded-proposition, Howard has been helping marketers all over the world put their bad briefing habits to bed (and then press a pillow over their drooling faces). He’s also an instructor at the Association of National Advertisers’ Marketing Training and Development Centre, the author of the brilliant ‘How To Write An Inspired Brief’ and host of the ‘Brief Bros’ podcast – confirming his undisputed status as the industry’s beefiest brief brain. In this episode, Howard will pick the art of briefing down to its rickety bones, sharing his invaluable expertise on what the perfect brief should say, be and do. This episode is proudly dedicated to Tom Jordan. Follow Howard on LinkedIn. ///// Timestamps 03:45 - Lessons from Stonemasonry 06:14 - Path to Writing and Advertising 08:36 - The Influence of Advertising on Howard 12:29 - The Importance of a Good Brief 16:12 - Issues with Copying Client Briefs 19:49 - The Disconnect Between Clients and Agencies 24:24 - Collaboration in Brief Writing 32:13 - Commonalities in Effective Briefs 46:02 - Banishment of Purpose Advertising Howards Book Recommendations are: Chew with Your Mind Open by Cameron Day Spittin' Chiclets by Cameron Day Stones & Sticks by Cameron Day /////
This week we have been exclusively watching 'Magic Mike', shaking a Magic 8-Ball and listening to '24k Magic' by Bruno Mars (which is just awful) in order to win the slightly nervous attention of Adam Ferrier, founder of Thinkerbell; the thinkers, tinkers and practitioners of ‘measured magic’. A psychology brain sat on top of some sturdy strategy bones, Adam is a rare voice of reason in the largely barmy brand world – as well as being the chief sceptic when it comes to the industry obsession with ‘the customer’. He’s also the author of more superb books, including ‘The Advertising effect: How to Change Behaviour’ and supplements all this talk-talking with some serious walk-walking through his work that brings marketing science and creative thinking together. In this episode Adam shares his expertise on brands who forget how to be brands, why every business problem is a behaviour change problem and the forgotten benefits of simply fitting in. This episode is very proudly dedicated to Anne Young. ///// Follow Adam on LinkedIn Timestamps 09:16 - The impact of D&AD annuals on Adam's career choice 11:19 - Transition from forensic psychology to marketing 16:12 - The perils of customer obsession 22:57 - Balancing brand and customer needs 25:11 - The importance of consumer research Adam’s Book Recommendations are: Stop Listening to Your Customers by Adam Ferrier: The Advertising Effect: How to Change Behaviour by Adam Ferrier: Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom: Existential Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom: Here and Now: Tales from the Heart by Irvin Yalom: /////
This week we went around slurping muddy water from puddles in order to win the sympathy of Shane Stewart – brand man, running man and fizzy drink saviour. Chief brand brain at XOXO soda, Shane has built his career around launching and marketing drinks that do good stuff for your innards, while looking extremely cool on your outtards. Before shaking up the canned drink business with XOXO he helped create a large and loyal community of slurpers for Moju, a ginger and turmeric shot that’s a bit like unleashing a troop of helpfully energetic monkeys inside your tired old brain. And, as well as bringing better branded bubbly beverages to Britain and beyond, he’s even found the time to launch Step by Steppers, a marvellous running club designed to help people dealing with grief to feel less alone. This episode is very proudly dedicated to his Dad. ///// Follow Shane on LinkedIn and Instagram Step by Steppers Run Club Timestamps 03:14 - Shane's Early Career in Hospitality 05:08 - Cultural Significance of Pubs in the UK 07:29 - Importance of University Experience Over Degree Choice 08:50 - Shane's Interest in Brands and Marketing 10:57 - Shane's Time in Australia and Farm Work Experience 13:04 - Transition from Hospitality to Marketing 14:40 - Working at Northern Block Ice Cream 16:05 - Joining Moju and Creative Job Application 18:22 - Continuous Learning and Mini MBA 20:19 - Transition to XOXO Soda 23:37 - Challenges and Opportunities in the Functional Soda Market 25:21 - Product Range and Flavor Development at XOXO 29:27 - Psychological Aspects of Product Taste and Health Benefits 31:12 - Listener Questions: Startups vs. Big Brands 34:47 - Listener Questions: Convincing Retailers to Stock Products 39:42 - Introduction to Step by Stepper Run Club Shane's Book Recommendation is: The Chimp Paradox - Prof Steve Peters /////
This week we positioned our most powerful fan at the rear end of a corpulent bull in hopes of snaring the attention of legendary bullshit fighter, Alex Smith A strategist who’s set himself the mountainous task of extracting all the nonsense from business strategy, Alex is very much a breath of a fresh air in a field that can, at its worst, smell a lot like somebody’s done a poo… on a dead crab… in the drains of an abandoned laundrette… and then set it on fire. He is the author of a bestselling book on strategy, titled, with Alex’s typical disregard for fluff, No Bullshit Strategy. In those pages – and through Alex’s wildly popular LinkedIn posts – he makes a compelling case for businesses to look more closely at the decisions they make and wheedle out the ‘anti-strategic’ ones that are causing 99% of all pickles. So, in true Alex fashion, we probably could have just said something like ‘he helps businesses get stuff right, more of the time’ instead of all that nonsense about the crab and the laundrette. Ah well. This episode is dedicated to Alex’s wife who is the engine and foundation underneath everything. ///// Follow Alex on LinkedIn. Timestamps: (03:26) - First Jobs and Failures (06:19) - Reflections on Being Fired (08:53) - Finding the Right Fit (10:46) - The Challenge of Entering Advertising (12:24) - Polishing the Pig: Agency Work (15:36) - The Importance of Unique Value (19:08) - Theory vs. Practice in Strategy (20:26) - Defining Business Strategy (22:03) - Value Generation in Business (24:16) - The Role of Communication (28:04) - The Hierarchy of Business Strategy (30:28) - The Role of Founders in Strategy (32:10) - Navigating Corporate Structures (36:15) - The Myth of the Legendary Founder (40:05) - Mediocrity vs. Strategy (42:58) - Learning from Established Brands (45:11) - Applying Strategy to Personal Business (47:30) - The Shift from Freelancer to Entrepreneur Alex's Book Recommendations are: Zero to One by Peter Thiel Incerto Series by Nassim Taleb Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson The Matter with Things by Ian McGilchrist /////
This week we released AI from the punishment cupboard in which we’ve been keeping it in order to win the approval of author, marketing super-brain and AI believer Paul Dervan. As the Head of Brand Marketing at Miro, Paul has been busy bolstering his reputation as one of the industry’s smartiest pant-wearers when it comes to marketing effectiveness. Miro is just the latest stop in a marketing career you could only possibly describe as both distinguished and glittering (glittinguished?) and has seen Paul tackle the marketing challenges on behalf of everyone from O2 to Telefonica to the National Lottery in Ireland (scooping, along the way, the title of Ireland’s Marketer of the Year in 2022.) He’s also the author of Run With The Foxes, a superb book about marketing, mistakes and making much better decisions. This episode is very proudly dedicated to Peter Field. Peter has had a huge influence on Paul’s career both as a mentor and advisor. ///// Follow Paul on LinkedIn. Timestamps: 03:45 - First Job and Proper Job 05:10 - Early Career in Marketing 07:34 - Career Path and Focus 09:30 - Paul's Sweet Spot in Marketing 11:00 - Writing the Book: Run with Foxes 13:27 - Learning from Mistakes 15:51 - Mistakes and AI in Marketing 18:08 - Decision-Making Process 20:40 - Classical vs. Modern Marketing 22:22 - AI's Impact on Marketing 25:06 - Practical Applications of AI 30:05 - Advanced Uses of AI 33:08 - Synthetic Research 34:28 - Skepticism vs. Cynicism 36:42 - Curiosity and Experimentation 39:27 - Admitting Mistakes 43:27 - Listener Questions: Embedding Chapter One Paul's Book Recommendations are: Ogilvy on Advertising – David Ogilvy The Anatomy of Humbug – Paul Feldwick Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy – Phil Barden /////
This week we shredded our vision board and fed it to some ornamental carp, purely to win the approval of author, critic and quite possibly the world first demotivational speaker, Patrick Freyne. Before becoming the enormously popular columnist and critic for the Irish Times, Patrick spent his 20s chasing the rock star dream. But while the life of big hair, hard drugs and tight trousers wasn’t to be, it did give Patrick the time and space required to be one of the creative world’s leading authors, thinkers and sense-talkers. His book ‘Ok, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea’ is a glorious celebration of curiosity, experimentation and letting your heart lead the way. And now he’s on a mission to dismantle the cult of ‘Big P’ productivity and remind people that ‘maximising your potential’ is a poor substitute for living your life. This episode is dedicated to Patrick’s wife Anna Carey, who has been his biggest influence. She also has an amazing funny romance fiction book coming out later this year called Our Song. ///// Follow Patrick on X and Bluesky Timestamps: 01:32 - The Concept of Demotivational Speaking 07:36 - Patrick's Early Jobs and Musical Aspirations 09:08 - The Influence of Music on Patrick's Life 12:04 - The Importance of Curiosity in Career Paths 15:18 - Exploring the Idea of 'Stupid Ideas' 17:14 - The Impact of Burnout and Productivity Culture 20:40 - Finding Peace in Accepting Average Productivity 22:37 - Cultural Expectations and Work-Life Balance 25:31 - The Role of Technology in Productivity Anxiety 30:17 - The Dangers of Measurable Metrics 32:03 - Writing Techniques and Approaches 36:30 - The Importance of Rhythm in Writing 39:01 - Listener Questions: Generational Perspectives on Productivity 42:57 - Antidotes to Hustle Culture and Finding Balance 45:27 - Final Thoughts on Productivity and Well-Being Patrick's Book Recommendations are: The Fourth Time We Drowned – Sally Hayden Commonwealth – Anne Patchett A Visit from Lagoon Squad – Jennifer Egan /////
This week we deliberately trapped ourselves in a cartoon like the dude from A-Ha in order to cross paths with marketing’s MirthMaster 3000, Tom Fishburne aka The Marketoonist. Apart from your CEO accidentally getting trapped in his own futuristic private bathroom over the bank holiday weekend, the funniest stuff in marketing usually comes from Tom’s brain. The comic genius behind The Marketoonist, Tom has been skewering this highly skewerable business for years – giving a reassuring chuckle to millions of marketers along the way. As well as being a famous side-splitter he’s also an expert eye-opener, with his Marketoonist agency having persuaded mega brands like Google, Microsoft and even LinkedIn of the value of having (and giving) a laugh. And, in his bid to remove the ‘po’ from the face of marketing, he also shares his wit and wisdom as one of the industry’s most in-demand keynote speakers. This episode is dedicated to David and Claire Hyatt from Wales, as without these two Tom’s cartooning may never have transitioned from hobby to work. ///// Follow Tom on LinkedIn. Tom Fishburne's website here. The Marketoonist website here. Timestamps: 02:14 - Quick Fire Questions with Tom Fishburne 03:21 - Tom's Career Journey: From English Major to Cartoonist 07:00 - Early Influences and Inspirations 08:42 - Observations and Humour in Prague 10:09 - First Office Cartoons and Their Impact 13:49 - Humour in Marketing and Business 17:55 - Finding Material for Cartoons 19:06 - The Role of Humour in Serious Topics 23:21 - Can Any Brand Embrace Humour? 25:18 - Humour During the COVID-19 Pandemic 27:50 - Variety of Brands Tom Has Worked With 29:54 - Consistency of Human Nature in Humour 30:41 - Listener Questions: Balancing Satirical Humour 33:28 - Digital Transformation and Industry Jargon 35:07 - Listener Questions: AI and Humour 38:07 - Listener Questions: Humour Category at Cannes 39:38 - Listener Questions: AI vs. Human Comedians 42:26 - Four Pertinent Poses: Advice to Younger Self 43:23 - Four Pertinent Poses: Banish One Thing from the Industry Tom's Book Recommendations are: Orbiting the Giant Hairball – Gordon MacKenzie School is Hell – Matt Groening /////
This week we shrank ourselves down to Dennis-Quaid-in-Inner-Space micro proportions to catch Spencer LaVallee and Graham Douglas, the co-founders of mega-successful micro creative agency Gus. Spencer and Graham lead a creative crew leaner than a wildebeest that got banished from its herd last Tuesday for repeatedly messing around. But size means little when you have big ideas, and the agency regularly rubs shoulders with the behemoths of the ad and marketing world when it comes to gongs and glory. From Gus being named Ad Age Small Agency of the Year, to their campaigns winning top honours at the likes of Cannes, Forbes and the New York Film Festival, Spencer and Graham are a testament that brains can beat brawn in this industry. Especially when those brains are inside the heads of a couple of fellas who’ve had such an interesting journey through it. This episode is dedicated to all the small but mighty creative agencies out there proving that size doesn't limit impact. ///// Follow GUS on LinkedIn Visit their website here. Timestamps: (01:54) - Quick Fire Questions with Spencer & Graham (03:26) - Graham & Spencer’s Career Journey (10:35) - Spencer's Inspiration from an Outdoor Ad (12:08) - Working at Campfire and True Blood Campaign (15:54) - Graham & Spencer's Partnership and Founding of Gus (18:56) - Strategy and Creativity Silos in Agencies and Clients (20:32) - The Importance of Singular Creative Statements (22:33) - The Mural Test for Brand Platforms (24:56) - Internal vs. External Brand Positioning (26:36) - The Role of Simplicity in Branding (28:05) - Optimism About AI in Creativity (30:01) - The Threat of AI in Strategy and Research (32:29) - Staying Small on Purpose (36:18) - The Changing Shape of Agencies (42:18) - The Gus Grid and Creative Strategy (43:13) - Breaking Norms with Back Market Campaign (44:48) - Four Pertinent Poses: Advice to Younger Self (47:59) - Banish One Thing from the Industry: Lack of Mentorship Spencer and Graham's Book Recommendations are: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin The Artists Way by Julia Cameron Essentialism by Greg McKeown /////
This week we stopped writing 80085 on our pocket calculator and started doing proper sums in order to catch the mathematical eye of one of the world’s leading financial and marketing thinkers, Moira Creedon. If there’s a fancy, famous and highly respected teaching institute in the world, then Moira has almost certainly been there, sharing the stuff in her enormous brain with students, leaders and top businesses. From Fontainebleau to UCC and the IMI – not to mention the legendary Mark Ritson Mini MBA – Moira has taught at them all, passing on her knowledge and experience as one of the world’s leading financial strategists. Also, as well as being multi-brilliant and multi-nice, she’s multi-lingual and often delivers her talks and lectures in English, Spanish, French and German. This episode is proudly dedicated to the late and great Gail Gunderson. ///// Follow Moira on LinkedIn Visit her website here. Timestamps: (02:19) - Quick fire Questions: (05:47) - Moira's Career Path: Early Jobs and Experiences (09:51) - First Proper Job: General Motors (12:02) - Moira's Extensive Travel Experience (17:16) - Marketing and Finance: Bridging the Gap (19:12) - Understanding the Language of Finance (23:43) - Career Management for Marketers (25:50) - The Role of CMOs in Organisations (28:18) - Low Margin Industries and Marketing Budgets (32:04) - Cultural Differences in High vs. Low Margin Companies (35:00) - Jaguar's Marketing Strategy Discussion (39:51) - Perception of Marketing in the C-Suite (41:06) - Finance's View of Marketing as a Cost Centre (44:33) - Finance and Marketing Decision-Making (46:54) - The Role of Finance in Modern Business Moira’s Book Recommendation is: The ascent of money by Neil Ferguson /////
This week we strapped on a Motorola pager and stole a briefcase off our dad in order to look businessy enough to chat to the Batman of the B2B world, LinkedIn legend and co-founder of Evidenza, Peter Weinberg. Peter Weinberg has effectively grabbed B2B marketing by the ankles and dragged it out of the dull and dreary hole into which it had buried its head. World famous for his time in charge of the game-changing B2B institute at LinkedIn – alongside his pal Jon Lombardo – Peter is now the extraordinary human brains behind AI powered research platform Evidenza, where he continues to be a champion for the kind of B2B that’s never bland. ///// Follow Peter on LinkedIn Here’s his website Here is Rory Sutherland Eurostar TED Talk Timestamps (02:37) - Quickfire Questions (03:34) - Peter's Career Path (06:36) - Transition to Advertising (11:22) - The B2B Institute at LinkedIn (15:50) - Pivotal Moments in B2B Marketing (17:37) - Contrarian Views in Marketing (19:05) - The Role of Synthetic Data (24:32) - Launching Evidenza (30:50) - Validating Synthetic Research (34:13) - Scepticism Towards AI in Marketing (40:15) - AI and Advertising Effectiveness (45:45) - Using AI for Strategic Planning Peter’s Book Recommendations are: Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson How Brands Grow by Bryon Sharp Building Distinctive Brand Assets by Jenni Romaniuk How Not To Plan – Les Binet & Sarah Carter Antifragile by Nassim Taleb The Elephant In The Brain by Kevin Simler & Robin Hanson /////
This week we very tentatively clambered on top of our desks to bellow ‘Oh Captain, my Captain’ to the most inspirational educator in advertising, Ally Owen. The brains behind one ad-lands most invaluable teaching programmes, Brixton Finishing School, Ally has done more than literally anyone to help young, multicultural and neurodiverse creatives find a way into advertising – kickstarting hundreds and hundreds of creative careers, while most big agencies were sat fiddling with the font on their DEI policy PowerPoints. For most people, transforming all those lives would have been enough – but Ally has also gone on to launch ADcademy, a free virtual programme that provides 2,500 students a year with top-class creative training. Ally is also one of the brains behind Visible Start, an incredible program designed to help women over 45 to re-enter the workforce. So, in a nutshell, just imagine what a huge stinky poo-fire the creative industries would be without her. In this episode we ponder everything from the real value of diversity and inclusion in all kinds of business, the financial and emotional hurdles she helps young creatives navigate at Brixton and how a Friday-night shift at Portsmouth McDonald's gave her the skills of a UN negotiator. ///// Follow Ally on LinkedIn Visit the Brixton Finishing School website or follow them on Instagram Head to Career Adventures where tomorrow’s creatives are being inspired ///// Timestamps (04:10) - From Selling Shoes to McDonald's: The Early Gigs (06:49) - The Skills of a UN negotiator: Friday night in McDonald's Portsmouth (09:23) - The Great Escape to University (10:56) - From Pharaohs to Advertising and the House of Stolen Things (13:39) - Pure Luck or Destiny, The Path to Advertising? (15:22) - A Relentless Career Pursuit (18:04) - Setting out to make things better with Brixton Finishing School (24:13) - Building a Bridge into Advertising (28:04) - Office Etiquette, Don’t Microwave Fish (31:36) - How to Support Brixton Finishing School (33:07) - The Finishing School Foundation: Practical Help for the NEET (41:19) - Four Pertinent Poses (45:45) - Honouring Carol Tully Ally’s book recommendation is: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. /////
This week we pulled on our most dramatic tights and tried not to mumble our lines in order to catch the attention of one of the theatre world’s most charismatic – and mischievous – characters, Christian Edwards. The comedy genius behind one of Twitter’s greatest spoofs – the mysterious West End Producer – Christian eventually pulled back the curtain to reveal, with glorious theatrically, that it was him all along. And this is entirely typical of a man whose creative adventures, and commitment to putting on a show, encompass writing regularly for The Stage and starring in sell-out shows in both the West End and Edinburgh Fringe. Like a nonchalant spoon, he has never been afraid to cause a stir, and while that may have knocked the occasional nose out of joint, he has amassed a cult following and a well-earned reputation for being one of theatre-lands wittiest wags. As well as re-living his starring role in that big, weird show we used to call Twitter, we chat about the life – and challenges – of a professional actor, what the future holds for both Christian and his West End Producer, and hear a magnificent yarn about the time he ran into an ex-fiancée dressed as a giant cigarette. Discover the homepage of the latex mask The Twitter account that launched the star View West End Producer’s snaps on Instagram Follow Christian Edwards (the real one) on Instagram Follow the real Christian Edwards on X ///// Timestamps (02:15) - Early Jobs and Humorous Experiences (05:06) - First Proper Acting Role: A Journey Begins (06:05) - Discovering a Passion for Acting (08:41) - The Challenges of Early Acting Roles (10:08) - The Variety of In-Between Jobs (12:10) - Lessons from Early Jobs in Acting (14:09) - The Birth of the West End Producer Persona (18:31) - The Rise of West End Producer on Twitter (20:31) - Validation and Identity: Christian vs. West End Producer (23:30) - The Evolution of the West End Producer Character (25:51) - Impact on the Theatre Industry (30:06) - The Importance of Mental Health Advocacy (32:22) - Unmasking: The Transition from West End Producer (35:21) - Future Projects and Creative Outlets (41:21) – Listener Questions (53:00) – Four Pertinent Posers ///// Christians Book Recommendations are: Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop? by Chris van Tulleken Year of the King by Anthony Sher Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Acting (But Were Afraid to Ask, Dear) by West End Producer Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Going to the Theatre (But Were Too Sloshed to Ask, Dear) by West End Producer