Strategy Sessions

By Andi JarvisBusiness Marketing

Strategy Sessions episodes

April 20, 2023Equality in Marketing (Brighton SEO Special) with Azeem Ahmad
The day this podcast launches - Thursday 20th April 2023 - I'm speaking at Brighton SEO alongside Fabio Embalo (Viaduct Generation) and Azeem Ahmad about equality in marketing. Azeem hosts the Azeem Digital Asks podcast, so we did a joint episode to dive into the subject for a wider audience.
In this episode we discuss:
A simple explanation of marketing strategy

Where equality fits in your marketing strategy

What can go wrong if you try and 'retrofit' equality into marketing tactics

Making strides with diversity at marketing events

Why we shouldn’t try and guess what our customers think

Why you should talk to your customers more and observe what they do

Why AI for customer research is a terrible idea

How to solve pay gaps

How you can make a difference regardless of where you are in your career

Why you should listen to each other’s podcast
Azeem Ahmad
Azeem is an award winning digital marketer, and international conference speaker with several years of experience in the industry, covering multiple disciplines such as SEO, PPC, Social Media, Programmatic, and Display too.
As well as this, he hosts his own digital marketing podcast called "Azeem Digital Asks" which aims to give a platform to women, POC and marginalised communities, and has previously been a judge at many search awards across the globe, including the European and US Search Awards.
Find Azeem on Twitter and LinkedIn
Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every few weeks and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
53 min
March 28, 2023Fractional Strategy with Bethan Vincent | Ep 11 S3 | Strategy Sessions Podcast
Bethan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Open Velocity, a marketing strategy consultancy,
based York but working globally.
In this episode we discuss:
Should marketing be involved in product decisions?

Building teams the P&G way

Being the voice of the customer in the organisation

Speaking the language of the business

Marketing bubbles and why you need to avoid them

Why marketing reports should be backwards

Tell me what you don’t know

Attribution is dead – so how do we manage success

What’s old is new… knowing your customer

Defining what marketing strategy is and does it matter that it’s not defined properly?

Who should organise the Christmas party?

What is a fractional CMO and their involvement in strategy, culture and execution

Businesses don’t care about creativity – what do they care about

Lessons from standing for election as an MP

TOPTIP is back! This time it’s about finance… and it’s a banger!

Bethan Vincent
Building on her work at the C-Suite level, Bethan is a regular speaker about marketing and technology at international conferences, including GitLab Commit San Francisco 2020, TuringFest 2021 and Learn Inbound 2023 conference.
Formerly Marketing Director of a leading technology consultancy and a senior manager in the cloud computing industry, Bethan’s career has been built at the intersection between marketing, product and development.
Outside of their “day job”, they like to powerlift, meet interesting people and contribute to The Brave Podcast, which explores how we can build a better future.
Find Bethan on LinkedIn and Twitter
Book Recommendations
Walden Two by BF Skinner
The Uncertainty Mindset: Innovation Insights from the Frontiers of Food by Vaughn Tan

Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
52 min
March 07, 2023 Lessons From 50 Episodes | Episode 51 (aka Ep10 S3) | Strategy Sessions Podcast
Somehow we managed to get to 50 episodes. So we paused, got some regular listeners to come on and talked about lessons they’ve picked up from the show. Andi is joined by Jane Roper, Simon Caughey, Frank Olivo and Maret Reutelingsperger.
In this episode we discuss:
· Sarah Shimmons (Season1, Episode 22) – how to build a brand to drive revenue
· Lily Hecht-Leavitt and Gil David (Season 3, Episode 1) – the relationship between brand and performance marketing
· Noémie El-Maawiy (Season 3, Episode 7) – using events holistically as part of B2B marketing
· Koen Pauwels (Season 1, Episode 17) – the issue with how ads are measured and what impact brand has on online click through rates
· Britney Muller (Season 2, Episode 11) – prioritise by impact (possibly the best 3 words to appear on the whole show)
· Peep Laja (Season 3, Episode 3) – use user testing to make your communication more effective
· Peep Laja (Season 3, Episode 3) – remember, we’re all humans. B2B doesn’t have to be boring to boring
· Tom Critchlow (Season 2, Episode 6) and JP Castlin (Season 2, Episode 4) – Remove the distinction between strategy and execution, changing it to strategy and stewardship
· JP Castlin (Season 2, Episode 4) – defining what marketing terms mean and why no one can agree
· Katie Jackson (Season 1, Episode 13) – Understand the industry conventions, then decide who you’re going to break them.
· Juliet Hodges (Season 1, Episode 23) – put a box around your prices
· Antonia Cross (Season 2, Episode 7) – strategy first, even in a crisis
· Aris Stamatis (Season 2, Episode 3) – why we should stop worrying about ‘the genius’ who works at an ad agency
Episode 51 home page
Learn Inbound
Still time to get a ticket for Learn Inbound in Dublin. It’s coming soon - Monday 13 March, The Alex Hotel, Dublin. Tickets from €249 from https://learninbound.com/
51 min
February 22, 2023Economics for Marketers | Karina Doorley | Ep9 S3 | Strategy Sessions Podcast
Karina is an economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Ireland. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin and a Research Fellow at the Institute for Labor Studies (IZA) in Germany, holds a PhD from University College Dublin has economics at Cambridge University. She’s easily the smartest person ever to appear on the show.
In this episode we discuss:
What’s driving the cost of living crisis

The definition of a recession and if the UK is in a recession

The difference between inflation, falling inflation and deflation

What role consumer sentiment plays in how people spend

The impact of current issues on the UK, Ireland and Europe

How reduced spending power impacts different groups in society

Lessons from Covid on managing economic shocks

How marketers can get a better understanding of the economic issues

What macro-economic indicators marketers should look for to help understand if/when a recovery is starting
Karina Doorley
Karina Doorley heads up the Tax, Welfare and Pensions team at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Ireland. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin and a Research Fellow at the Institute for Labor Studies (IZA) in Germany. She received her PhD from University College Dublin in 2012 with a thesis focused on the effect of fiscal and social policies on labour supply and redistribution in Europe. Prior to this, she studied economics at Cambridge University and University College Dublin.
Karina worked at IZA in Germany as a Research Associate from 2012 until 2014 before joining the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) as a Research Associate. She was appointed head of the "Employment and Wages" unit at LISER in 2016. In 2017 she moved to the ESRI as a Research Officer and was appointed Senior Research Officer in 2019.
Karina's research interests include income distribution, tax and welfare policy, gender equality and demographic change. She is a frequent contributor to radio and television discussions on economic matters..
Find her on LinkedIn.
Learn Inbound
Monday 13 March, The Alex Hotel, Dublin
Tickets from €249 from https://learninbound.com/
Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
1 hr 1 min
January 31, 2023Research & Insights In Marketing | Andrew Tenzer | Strategy Sessions Ep8 S3
Andrew uses research to drive brand strategy. His career in media includes stints at Channel 4, the BBC and Reach. Andrew also writes for Marketing Week.
In this episode we discuss:
The infamous Microsoft study of attention (and why it’s bum gravy)

What the research into social purpose gets wrong (thanks to Marc Pritchard)

How to spot and avoid bad research

Why ‘straight line thinking’ doesn’t always get the right answer

Does more research = better research?

The post big data era

The drawbacks of Ofcom’s Communications Market Report (which was new to me – I’m a superfan of this work)

Social media and they data harvesting problems

Andrew’s career and publishing of the Empathy Delusion & Aspiration Window
Learn Inbound
Monday 13 March, The Alex Hotel, Dublin
Tickets from €249 although if you use this link you'll get 25% off! https://ti.to/learn-inbound/learn-inbound-october-2022/discount/EXJ1025
Andrew Tenzer
Andrew is an award winning insight and brand strategist with over 10 years’ media experience working at some of the world's most iconic brands including Channel 4 and the BBC.
Most recently, he spent six years as the Director of Market Insight and Brand Strategy at Reach (the largest commercial publisher in the UK) where he was responsible for delivering insight, driving brand strategy and leading on new brand launches.
Andrew is the co-author of a number of industry acclaimed papers, including The Empathy Delusion and The Aspiration Window. Andrew also writes a regular column for Marketing Week.
Socials
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-tenzer-04919657/
Twitter https://twitter.com/thetenzer
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@thetenzer
Everything Else
The Road to Somewhere: The New Tribes Shaping British Politics by David Goodhart https://amzn.to/3jWpQYj
Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
1 hr 4 min
January 10, 2023Events, Agencies and Community with Noémie El-Maawiy | S3Ep7
Noémie El-Maawiy is the Head of Marketing at Viaduct Generation.
In this episode we discuss:
How Noémie got into marketing

Event marketing – never really chatted to anyone on the show about events and you’ve got a background in them. Could be interesting

Working for a mission led company – what does that mean and how does it match the commercial reality of running an agency

Living in Spain, working in London.

Moving from specialist to generalist

What a Demand Generation Manager is an why the title might not be as bad as you think

Marketing is more than just the creative discipline

A Bold Talk and helping other women over come challenges of progression at work

How and why the work place is designed for men
Noémie El-Maawiy
Noémie began her career in the fintech startup environment, specialising in Event Marketing and Communications. She later moved into Demand Generation, gaining full visibility into both online and offline marketing channels.
Alongside this, Noémie has always had a keen interest in company culture and fostering inclusive workplaces, getting involved and spearheading employee engagement initiatives.
Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
1 hr 5 min
December 13, 2022Agencies, Evolved - with Ian McIntosh and Sinead Hall
Evolved is the leading UK performance marketing agency in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I am joined by co-founder, Ian McIntosh and Head of People, Sinead Hall. This episode is all about people, marketing, growing businesses and our exciting new partnership.
In this episode we discuss:
The amazing story of how Evolved went from 2 people to 60 in just 8 years

Why you need to trust your team and encourage them to take risks

Importance of allowing people to learn from their mistakes

Sinead starting her position as Head of People at the start of Covid

Developing an elite high performance culture

Why Evolved implemented the 4 day working week and the results from this

Hustle culture and burnout

Eximo x Evolved exciting partnership

Evolved awards for marketing and culture

Learning from mistakes we made in our careers
Ian McIntosh
Ian has worked in search marketing for 15 years and is the co-founder of Evolved & Upshift. Evolved are now a leading UK performance marketing agency, employing 60 people with headquarters in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Find Ian on LinkedIn
Find Evolved on Twitter
Sinead Hall
Sinead Hall, Head of People at Evolved Search (circa 3 years). Leading on all things people and culture to deliver “the” employer of choice environment within the UK. My role focuses on everything from making sure people take holidays all the way through to coaching and supporting them into their C-suite seat. Evolveds values and culture are the most important aspect when it comes to delivering on our strategy. Without fantastic people in the right roles we wouldn’t achieve the results for our clients that we do. I genuinely believe that if you do right by your people they will do right by your business and that’s why I make sure we put our people first.
Find Sinead on LinkedIn
Book Recommendations
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni
Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
1 hr 7 min
November 29, 2022Strategy Sessions Marketing Podcast with Mike Stevens, The DTC Playbook
Mike Stevens is the author of The Direct To Consumer Playbook, consultant and entrepreneur.
In this episode we discuss:
Mike’s career that ended up with him writing the book about DTC

How DTC is evolving

Products and if DTC has to be better than the alternatives

Managing the rising customer acquisition costs that are hitting DTC margins

Picking up the phone and why you never lose money talking to customers

The over-reliance on data

The impact of lowering barriers to entry on DTC brands

When DTC should become retail and multichannel

What role does community play in DTC brands and if they can exist without it?

The importance of vertical integration and why some companies stay away from it
Mike Stevens
Mike Stevens has played key roles in two of the most iconic start-up challenger brands in recent years: innocent smoothies and Peppersmith confectionery.
At innocent, he built and ran their supply chain for six years before becoming a country manager. In 2009 he co-founded Peppersmith. Peppersmith was set up to kick the confectionery industry into the 21st century. Mike was CEO and scaled the business before selling the company in 2018.
In addition to writing The Direct To Consumer Playbook, Mike advises, mentors and consults for start-up and scale-up businesses. He is based in Poole, Dorset, UK.
Find Mike on LinkedIn
Other Links
The Direct to Consumer Playbook: The Stories and Strategies of the Brands that Wrote the DTC Rules https://amzn.to/3AcQnWu
Ritson on the Strategy Sessions with strong opinions on DTC https://eximomarketingstrategy.com/strategy-sessions-podcast-with-mark-ritson/
The DO Lectures https://thedolectures.com/
Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
57 min
November 08, 2022Strategy Sessions Marketing Podcast with Pritesh Gadhia
Pritesh is the Managing Director of Accenture Song.
In this episode we discuss:
Who Accenture Song are and what they do

Managing the rebrand from Accenture Interactive to Accenture Song

Streamlining dozens of companies under the new brand

Managing the human implications of a rebrand

The benefits of merging data and creativity

The new brand of CMOs and how they need to be literate in both data and creativity

The challenges of working around client silos to launch new work

Knowing when you have enough data

Marketing being “more than just the wrapping paper, but about what’s inside the box too

Challenges for marketers coming into a recession

Running a creative agency with an IT background

The lessons from Gillette and P&G at the start of his career

Building diverse teams and new thinking

What Alex Ferguson taught Pritesh about leadership

Managing mental health
Pritesh Gadhia
Pritesh has spent 20 years working in the digital space and has been involved in some of Accenture’s biggest digital transformations in the UK and Europe.
He joined Accenture Digital back in 2014 when it was first set up to develop the company’s experience technologies. Following Accenture’s restructure in March 2020, Pritesh was appointed to lead Accenture Interactive in the UK, now Accenture Song.
Pritesh is passionate about initiatives which champion Diversity and Inclusion and Mental Health issues in the workplace and has implemented multiple programmes which address these areas. His personal hero is Alex Ferguson and he draws on his management style in his current role.
Find Pritesh on Twitter and LinkedIn
Everything Else
The human paradox: From customer centricity to life centricity
Accenture Song rebrand
Zaid Al Qassab talking about depression in Campaign Magazine. He was also a guest much earlier than this on the Strategy Sessions.
Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
49 min
October 18, 2022Strategy Sessions Marketing Podcast with Peep Laja
Peep is the founder of CXL, Speero, Wynter and the host of How to Win with Peep Laja podcast.
Peep’s intro to his podcast says “I don’t do fluff, I don’t do filler, I don’t do emojis” let’s see if we can be friends.
In this episode we discuss:
Is the story the strategy?

What happens when some idiot hijacks your LinkedIn posts

The lessons from the How to Win podcast

Being competitor aware but customer obsessed

How Wynter was born

The common mistakes B2B organisations make in messaging

Being an early mover in a number of markets

Why CXL was rebranded

Plans for CXL Live
Peep Laja
Peep does a lot of thinking about B2B strategy, competing, and winning. After working in software development, marketing and sales, he became an entrepreneur in 2007.
Peep was mainly focused on general marketing consulting (SEO, PPC, CRO, content marketing), until he specialized in conversion optimization and was recognized as the most influential name in the business back in 2016. Since has focused more on business strategy.
Since 2011, Peep has built 3 companies: CXL, Speero, Wynter.
Find Peep on LinkedIn, Twitter, How To Win podcast
Book Recommendations
The Road Less Stupid by Keith J Cunningham
Everything Else
CXL Live tickets and details https://cxl.com/live/
JP Castlin on the Strategy Sessions and his newsletter, Strategy in Praxis
Andi Jarvis
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 Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you don’t get the podcast emailed to you (and a monthly newsletter) you can sign up for it on the Eximo Marketing website.
Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.
Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.
49 min