Too many agencies assume what brands are doing. At Chello, we went out and asked them.

In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Chello's Strategy Director Tom Dabner and Co-Founder & Executive Creative Director Tristan Velasco to unpack Operation Brand. It's Chello's first brand leadership benchmark report, built on 1,200 minutes of candid conversations with senior leaders across 25 organisations. Tom and Tris talk through what surprised them (hint: size doesn't guarantee sophistication), why brand is still the first budget cut even when leaders say they believe in it, and how the rise of AI is raising the bar for distinctiveness rather than lowering the effort required to achieve it.

PSA: This episode is full of so many brilliant hot takes, so if you're a CMO, brand director, or founder trying to get brand working harder inside your business, don’t let it pass you by.

You can find the full Operation Brand report (and an audio version) on our website: https://www.chello.com.au/insights/brand-leadership-benchmark-report-2026