Well for many my guest today needs no introduction, he is the outspoken marketing professor, no it's not Scott Galloway, it is the one and only Mark Ritson. We talk about something I hadn’t heard Mark talk much about in other podcasts, his early interest in marketing and his experiences with global brands. As we are at Cannes we talk about Cannes and Mark criticises the overemphasis on creativity, we hit on Marks view about the decline of American marketing education, the importance of market orientation and the misconceptions around brand purpose. We debate the role of pre-testing, the challenges small brands face, and the future of AI in marketing. To wrap up, Mark shares humorous and meaningful advice for young marketers. And along the way he has a pop and a good few things, John Legend, Creativity, Liquid Death and Muppets! If you are passionate about marketing and looking to gain insights from one of the industry's leading experts, this is an episode for you. The Cannes Sessions are brought to you by Freedman International. There is occasional strong language used in this episode so please be advised.

00:33 Journey into Marketing

01:16 Academic and Consulting Career

02:03 Global Marketing Experiences

03:38 Challenges in Marketing

04:51 Critique of Modern Marketing Practices

07:47 The Role of Creativity in Marketing

14:30 Consumer Orientation and Market Research

22:11 The Importance of Learning and Education in Marketing

26:21 Consumer Brand Perception

26:40 Creative Awards Critique

27:59 Pretesting in Marketing

29:43 Challenges for Small Brands

34:29 Retail Media and Legalized Blackmail

36:26 Consulting and Career Reflections

41:18 AI in Marketing

45:53 Final Thoughts and Advice

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