Strategy Sessions

Sarah is the Global Planning Partner for adam&eve\TBWA and Dan is the Brand & Marketing Director for Currys. James Hayhurst, Founder of the Magic Sauce Course brought them together to discuss how you get the best from the agency x client relationship.

This is the first episode of Season 7 and we've got some gold coming your way. Make sure you subscribe.

In this episode we discuss

• Don’t kill baby turtles: why great creative ideas get pecked to death by feedback, sign-offs and “just one little change”.
• Good relationships aren’t cosy: how trust, honest disagreement and a willingness to feel uncomfortable help clients and agencies make better work.
• Do the strategy before the brief: define the problem, make real choices and stop asking creatives to work out what your business should be doing.
• From good to gloriously weird: how Currys’ “Beyond Techspectations” campaign came together—and why Dan nearly pulled the plug on it.
• Measuring success: why Currys MMM approach is unusual and discussing why the true measure of a campaign’s success is effectiveness.
• Hot takes: Stop whinging, competitor analysis and marketers being more worried about marketers than the market.

Link in the show notes...

• Magic Sauce Course
• How Not To Plan – 66 ways to screw it up by Sarah Carter and Les Binet
• Currys ‘Beyond Techspectations’ TV ads
• Mark Ritson’s MiniMBA Programme

Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everything discussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here.

Noam is a marketing leader who has grown brands like Marmite, Pot Noodle, Andrex and Huggies.

In this episode we discuss:

• The need for caring leaders
• Managing a brand during a war
• Category expansion for heritage brands
• Working with Paddington Bear
• Evolving iconic brands
• Distinctive brand assets and early crowdsourcing of content
• Doing well by doing good - a case study from Andrex

Noam Buchalter

Noam helps turn around and accelerate established brands leveraging his 24+ years experience as a Marketing leader, from Unilever UK Local Jewels like Marmite and Pot Noodle, to $1bn international brands like Andrex and Huggies at Kimberly Clark EMEA.

He has experience in consultancy and PE owned businesses and takes a holistic, pragmatic and commercial approach to managing brands. With specialisms in Brand Strategy, Innovation and Shared Value (Sustainability & Social Impact), Noam delivers results through a care for performance leadership style that builds Marketing teams who are motivated, skilled and resilient.

Find Noam on LinkedIn

Strategy Sessions Host - Andi Jarvis

This is the last episode of Season 6 and it's been a hell of a ride! I've loved meeting some amazing people this season and I hope you've enjoyed it too. I'll be back in September with a new Season. Until then, enjoy the summer!

If you have any questions or want to talk about anything that was discussed in the show, the best place to get me is on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast directly or sign up for it here to have it emailed when it's released.

If you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.

Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everything discussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here: https://eximomarketingstrategy.com/care-for-performance-leadership-with-noam-buchalter-strategy-sessions-podcast/

JP Castlin is an internationally recognised authority on strategy, a writer and keynote speaker.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why the world is complex not ordered
• Why the strategy process is flawed
• Complexity science and it’s practical application
• What most of the great strategic thinkers got wrong (think: Porter, Mintzberg, Rumelt, Drucker, Taylor, Martin… everyone!)

Find JP on LinkedIn

Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everythingdiscussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here.

You'll also find Andi on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Colleen Babcock is Head of Partner Marketing at Rightmove, one of the UK’s most trusted and best‑loved brands.

In this episode we discuss:

• Learning that personal development isn’t selfish
• Re-branding and differentiation as the market leader
• Evolving Rightmove’s income streams
• Ensuring people remain central to the brand
• Why emotion matters in b2b marketing
• Why customer complaints are like a big dog
• Marketing Lessons from theatre
• The importance of ‘Interactive WTFs’

Colleen Babcock

Colleen Babcock leads the B2B marketing teams helping agents and developers grow through smarter, more effective marketing. With over 20 years in the property industry and more than a decade at a FTSE 100 brand, she combines a love of storytelling with a sharp strategic lens and a strong belief that even B2B marketing is always personal.

She’s known for building high‑performing teams, using data to guide decisions and turning brand strategy into commercial action - without losing the human touch (or her trademark energy). Alongside her leadership role, Colleen is a national media spokesperson on the housing and rental market, regularly appearing on Sky News, LBC and the BBC to make Rightmove’s insights clear, useful and never boring..

Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everythingdiscussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here: https://eximomarketingstrategy.com/interactive-wtf-with-colleen-babcock-strategy-sessions-podcast/ 

Shantanu Srivastava is a global marketing and innovation leader whose career spans leadership roles across Twinnings, Danone, Sanofi, and Reckitt.

In this episode we discuss:

• The risks and benefits of evolving a brand
• Customer led innovation
• Making innovation work inside a company
• How challenger brands see innovation v mega brands
• Innovating inside a start up
• Humans v AI in research

Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everythingdiscussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here.

Mike works in strategy at Made Brave, one of Scotland’s finest agencies. He talks about how marketing can make a real difference to people’s lives.

In this episode we discuss:

• Career advice to your younger self
• Working with brave brands
• Changing perceptions of T1D
• Working with a sales led organisation
• Brand v community ownership of campaigns
• How to get great work from your agency
• Strategy as part of the sales process

Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everythingdiscussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here.

If you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating or share it with a friend.

00:00 - Early career and trusting the process13:48 - Introduction16:52 - Launching Real Madrid TV22:00 - Online abuse39:22 - Using social media positively 52:10 - Quick fire football questions1:02:45 - Recommendations and wrap up

Alison Bender is an award-winning football presenter, reporter, podcaster, author and producer who has worked for Sky News, Sky Sports News, ITV, BBC and ESPN.

In this episode we discuss:

• Early career
• Online abuse
• Using social media positively to build a career
• Quick fire football questions
• Who’s going to win the Premier League

One Question

One Question is a start up I’m building (that’s me, Andi Jarvis). If you hear this episode before Tuesday 10 March, you can vote for me in a start up competition and I might win £50,000 to help build it. Just visit this page on the Belfast Telegraph website, scroll down until you see One Question, click it, then click next and you’ve voted! No registration required.  

Show Notes and Transcript

Full show notes, including a transcription and links to everything discussed can be found here.

00:00 - Mental health in marketing

15:15 - Introduction

16:30 - David's career background at Unilever

18:30 - Dollar Shave Club

40:37 - Who Gives A Crap

54:55 - Lynx

1:04:15 - Recommendations and wrap up

Will Poskett is an award-winning strategist, the founder of Defiant and previously of Wieden & Kennedy, Droga5 and Saatchis.

Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everything discussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here.

In this episode we discuss:

Building leads for SMEs on LinkedIn and Substack Will Poskett  

Will Poskett is an award-winning strategist and the founder of Defiant. He has advised some of the world’s most famous brands (Clipper Teas, Heineken & Coca Cola) and worked at the world’s most awarded agencies.

In 2014 he was awarded the first ever Grand Prix at the YouTube Effectiveness Awards for his work on Mattessons and gaming.

Find Will on LinkedIn or Substack.

Andi Jarvis - Strategy Sessions Host

If you have any questions or want to talk about anything that was discussed in the show, the best place to get me is on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast directly or sign up for it here to have it emailed when it's released.

If you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.

Lianre is CEO at The Marketing Academy Foundation (TMAF) and an award-winning digital marketer. She is in conversation with Andi Jarvis

In this episode we discuss:

• Follow your instincts
• Why TMAF is important for the marketing industry
• What the opportunity is for TMAF and why they’re rebranding
• Why 5 year plans don’t work
• How Lianre engages with her stakeholders
• Using communities in marketing
• What Lianre and Seth Godin have in common

Recommendations

Learn Like a Lobster by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis

Full show notes, including a transcript, links to everything discussed and contact details can be found on the episode page here: https://eximomarketingstrategy.com/follow-your-instincts-with-lianre-robinson-strategy-sessions-podcast/