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In this episode of Canned the Marketing Podcast, hosts Steph Quantrill (Cue Marketing) and Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) dive into the power of nostalgia marketing. From McDonald’s Friends collectibles to Coca-Cola’s Stranger Things revival of New Coke, they unpack why brands keep looking backwards to move consumers forward. When marketing taps into shared cultural memories, the emotional connection can be incredibly powerful—but only if brands get it right.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Bonus Nuggets
Why Listen?
Nostalgia marketing is having a serious moment—but it’s not just about retro logos and throwback campaigns. Steph and Ben unpack the psychology behind why nostalgia works, the cultural dynamics that make it powerful, and the strategic pitfalls brands must avoid. If you want to understand how to harness shared memories to drive emotional engagement—and why some nostalgia campaigns become cultural phenomena while others flop—this episode is packed with practical insights for modern marketers.
Chapters (with timestamps)
00:00 – Welcome & Episode Setup
Steph and Ben introduce nostalgia marketing and set the scene.
01:00 – Retail Trends in Australia
Steph reports from supermarket and pet store visits across Sydney and Melbourne.
08:50 – Marketing News Round-Up
AI partnerships, KFC’s creative shake-up, and debate around The Warehouse’s ad pause.
15:00 – The McDonald’s Friends Campaign
Why nostalgic collaborations are targeting millennials.
17:00 – What Nostalgia Marketing Really Is
Defining
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
The 4Ps might be Marketing 101, but are we actually using them properly?
In this episode of Canned, Steph Quantrill from Cue Marketing and Ben van Rooy from Human Digital go deep on Product, Price, Place and Promotion and why these fundamentals still shape the strongest brands in New Zealand and Australia.
Then in a special guest section, Kaleb Mearns joins to launch a new partnership survey in conjunction with the Marketing Association, unpacking why agencies and clients need to take a hard look at how they work together.
The 4Ps Deep Dive (Or is it 7?)
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
• Why product strength determines how much promotion you actually need
• How pricing is positioning whether you realise it or not
• Where place and distribution quietly create competitive advantage
• Why promotion is the loudest P but rarely the most important
• How modern marketers can use the 4Ps as a strategic filter before briefing creative
Special Section: The Partnership Survey with Kaleb Mearns
In this segment, Kaleb joins Steph and Ben to announce the new industry partnership survey in collaboration with the Marketing Association.
Why This Matters
• Why agency and client relationships often drift without measurement
• How better feedback loops can strengthen commercial performance
• What the survey aims to uncover about trust, expectations and value
• Why both agencies and brand-side marketers should contribute
Call to action
If you work in an agency or sit client side, fill out the partnership survey and encourage your team to do the same. Stronger relationships build stronger marketing. And while you are at it, sense-check your next campaign against the 4Ps before you hit go.
Resources mentioned
• Marketing Association https://marketing.org.nz
Connect with the creators and hosts
• Kaleb Mearns. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalebfrancis/
• Ben van Rooy https://www.linkedin.com/in/benvanrooy/
• Stephanie Quantrill https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-quantrill/
Explore more from Canned
• Canned the Marketing Podcast www.cannedmarketing.com
• Cue Marketing www.cuemarketing.co.nz
• Human Digital www.humandigital.com
Timestamps
00:00 Why the 4Ps still anchor great marketing
07:45 Product as the foundation of brand strength
16:20 Pricing as a strategic signal
24:10 Place and distribution power
33:30 Promotion in a noisy market
41:00 Special guest Kaleb Mearns and the partnership survey launch
50:30 Why agencies and clients should participate
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
What does it take to futureproof an entire profession? On this episode of Canned, Ben van Rooy and Stephanie Quantrill sit down with John Miles, CEO of the New Zealand Marketing Association, to unpack how NZMA has evolved from its direct mail roots into a national engine room for marketing capability.
John shares how COVID forced a fast pivot to digital learning, why leadership pathways matter more than ever, and the importance of a professional body in a profession that doesn't require one.
If you care about lifting standards in NZ marketing, this episode is for you.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
•Why professional bodies must evolve from events hosts to true capability builders
•How marketing leadership pathways shape the future of the industry
•What real membership value looks like in 2026 and beyond
•Why modern marketers need breadth of thinking not just channel expertise
•How community and mentoring create long term industry advantage
Bonus Nuggets
•Steph and Ben unpack the Super Bowl ad landscape and what real cut through looks like
•A nostalgic McDonald’s Friends collab sparks a debate on audience relevance
•A reminder that marketing is as much about community as it is about campaigns
Call to action
If you’re serious about growing your career and raising the bar for marketing in New Zealand and Australia, this conversation will challenge how you think about professional development.
Resources mentioned:
•New Zealand Marketing Association (NZMA) https://marketing.org.nz
•Advanced Marketing Leadership Programme https://marketing.org.nz/training
•NZ Marketing Awards https://marketing.org.nz/marketing-awards
•System1 https://system1group.com
Connect with the creators, and hosts mentioned:
•John Miles https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-m-129a0521/
•Ben van Rooy https://www.linkedin.com/in/benvanrooy/
•Stephanie Quantrill https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-quantrill/
Explore more from Canned:
•Canned the Marketing Podcast www.cannedmarketing.com
•Cue Marketing www.cuemarketing.co.nz
•Human Digital www.humandigital.com
Help improve our podcast
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and why this episode matters for NZ marketers
04:20 Super Bowl ads and the battle for attention
12:30 Meet John Miles and the role of NZMA
16:30 COVID pivots and digital transformation
20:00 Membership explained and what value really means
29:30 Building talent pathways and emerging marketer programmes
33:45 Events scale and capability building at pace
44:20 Creativity, ROI pressure and the future of marketing
47:15 Wrap and what’s next
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
When you’re up against a giant, you do not outspend them. You out-position them.
In this episode of Canned, Ben van Rooy and Stephanie Quantrill unpack challenger brands versus market leaders and why bigger is not always better. From Pepsi taking on Coca-Cola at the Super Bowl, to Whittaker's holding its ground against Cadbury, and how Skinny emerged in response to 2degrees, this is a sharp, practical breakdown of how David can beat Goliath.
If you manage brand in NZ or Australia, this one is worth a listen.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
• Why positioning is your most affordable weapon
• How repetition builds mental availability when budgets are tight
• When market leaders should launch sub-brands versus stay the course
• Why reframing the category can be more powerful than product innovation
• How defending your lane beats trying to be everything to everyone
Bonus Nuggets
• The Super Bowl Pepsi polar bear taste test and what it signals about competitive framing
• Why Whittaker’s goes upmarket instead of chasing Cadbury on price
Call to action
If you are either the scrappy challenger or the comfortable category leader, this episode asks one uncomfortable question: are you defending your positioning hard enough?
Resources mentioned:
• Pepsi
• Coca-Cola
• Whittaker's
• Cadbury
• 2degrees
• Skinny
• Dollar Shave Club
• Gillette
• Unilever
• OpenAI
Connect with us:
• Ben van Rooy – https://www.linkedin.com/in/benvanrooy/
• Stephanie Quantrill – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-quantrill/
Explore more from Canned:
• Canned the Marketing Podcast: www.cannedmarketing.com
• Cue Marketing: www.cuemarketing.co.nz
• Human Digital: www.humandigital.com
Timestamps
00:00 – Challenger brands versus market leaders
00:11 – Pepsi, Whittaker’s and the positioning battle
16:23 – Skinny launched as a response to 2degrees
17:19 – Dollar Shave Club and acquisition strategy
24:22 – Repeat, repeat, repeat as a challenger strategy
44:15 – Why Whittaker’s cannot be Cadbury
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
Strategy gets talked about a lot in marketing—but is rarely defined well. In this episode of Canned: The Marketing Podcast, hosts Steph Quantrill (Cue Marketing) and Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) cut through the noise to unpack what strategy really is, why so many businesses confuse it with tactics, and how that confusion quietly kills focus, momentum, and results.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Bonus Nuggets
Why Listen?
If you’ve ever been asked to “do a strategy” when what’s really wanted is a media plan—or you’ve watched teams mistake activity for progress—this episode is for you. Steph and Ben bring clarity, lived experience, and straight talk to one of marketing’s most misunderstood disciplines. You’ll come away with sharper language, stronger conviction, and a clearer sense of how strategy should actually guide your work day to day.
Chapters (with timestamps)
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
Customer Experience Is the Brand (Especially When Things Go Wrong)
In this episode of Canned the Marketing Podcast, Steph and Ben are joined by Sarah Clearwater, founder of Reframr, to unpack why CX is the delivery of your brand promise — and why the best brands shine brightest when everything goes sideways.
This is a practical, no-nonsense conversation for marketers who are tired of talking about “customer centricity” and actually want to do something about it.
What We Cover
1. Customer Experience ≠ Marketing (But They’re Inseparable)
Marketing makes the promise.
CX keeps it — or breaks it.
Sarah explains why CX is the glue between marketing, sales, product, service and tech — and why organisations that treat it as a silo end up with beautifully branded disappointment.
2. Why Journey Mapping Still Matters (When Done Properly)
Journey mapping one of the most effective decision-making tools.
We get into:
Spoiler: most “lead quality” problems aren’t actually lead problems.
3. CX as a Growth Lever (Not a Vibe)
If you’re struggling with:
…there’s a strong chance your promise and delivery are misaligned.
Sarah breaks down how CX work connects directly to the metrics CFOs actually care about — without needing a six-figure tech stack.
4. B2B CX: The Invisible Journey Everyone Ignores
B2B buying isn’t one customer — it’s a committee.
We unpack:
If you’ve ever heard “marketing brings rubbish leads” or “sales kills momentum” — this bit will sting (in a good way).
5. Real CX in the Wild: When Things Go Wrong
The best brand moments don’t happen when everything’s smooth.
We share real examples from:
Smart Takes You’ll Steal for Work
Bonus for Marketers
Sarah also shares:
Plus: a free upcoming webinar on optimising pipelines using customer journey mapping.
Who This Episode Is For
To do your own customer journye map - try this free framework here: https://www.reframr.co.nz/90minutemap
Lis
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
It’s 2026, Ben’s back from Rio (minus a phone… plus a backup phone like an absolute psychopath), and Steph’s back from a soggy Coromandel reset. This week, they crack open the crystal ball and give it their best shot at calling the trends for marketers to pay attention to in 2026—brand vs performance, AI slop, agency shake-ups, and why “real” is the new premium.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Bonus Nuggets
Why Listen?
Every week Canned breaks down localised marketing trends and hot takes every marketer needs to know . This episode is about 'better'. Better brand thinking, better creative judgment in an AI-saturated world, and better strategy for where humans add value (hint: not generating 500 “Buy our widgets!” ads). If you’re trying to make smart calls on budget, brand, content, and capability this year—this episode will sharpen your instincts fast.
Chapters (with timestamps)
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
It’s the Canned Christmas special — and we’re not handing out participation trophies. Hosts Steph Quantrill (Cue Marketing) and Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) are joined by brand strategist and cultural commentator Eugene Healey for a sharp, no-holds-barred breakdown of the brands that defined 2025 — for better and for worse. From Cannes side-quests to culture-war campaigns, this episode cuts through the hype to ask one brutal question: did it actually work?
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Bonus Nuggets
Naughty & Nice List Highlights
Why Listen?
If you’re sick of marketing commentary that confuses attention with effectiveness, this episode is for you. It’s a smart, funny, sometimes uncomfortable conversation about what actually builds brands in today’s fragmented, hyper-cultural landscape — and why courage, clarity, and taste still matter more than trend-hopping. Perfect listening for marketers who want to sharpen their thinking before 2026.
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
Steph Quantrill (Cue Marketing) and Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) step outside the scroll and into the real world to unpack why Out-of-Home advertising (OOH) still stops people in their tracks. From billboards and bus wraps to special builds and stunts that earn global attention, this episode is a sharp, practical look at how brands can win attention when screens are saturated. If you think OOH is just “big signs,” think againWhat You’ll Learn in This Episode
Bonus Nuggets
Why Listen?
If your marketing plan still treats Out-of-Home as an optional extra or a legacy channel, this episode will recalibrate your thinking. Steph and Ben cut through the hype and nostalgia to explain where OOH genuinely earns its place in modern media mixes, how budgets have become more accessible through digital formats, and why creativity and context matter more than ever. Packed with real examples, honest opinions, and hard-won lessons, this is essential listening for marketers who want fame, not forgettable impressions.
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
This week, Steph from Cue Marketing and Ben from Human Digital dive head-first into the chaotic, emotional, reputation-threatening world of rebrands - from the corporate phoenix moments (hello, Accenture) to the “no one asked for this” refreshes that get marketers yelled at at BBQs. With real-world stories from Spark, Enviro NZ, Four Square, Griffins, Enron (yes, really), and NZ Post, they unpack what makes a rebrand sing — and what makes customers grab the pitchforks. Grab a chocky biccy and settle in.What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why Listen?
Because rebrands are expensive, political, emotionally charged — and often completely misunderstood. This episode cuts through the fluff to give marketers the straight talk: when to refresh, when to rebrand, what it really costs, and how to not accidentally destroy decades of brand equity. If you touch brand in any way, this is essential listening — packed with real examples, candid insights, and the kind of hard truths only Steph and Ben will drop on-mic.
Connect with the Hosts
Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) – https://www.linkedin.com/in/benvanrooy/
www.cannedmarketing.com
Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin
Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin
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