The Overthinkers

Attention has (finally?) become a key topic in advertising over the last few years, inserting itself in the media debates around viewability. But before we start trading it, what exactly is attention, and is it really necessary for advertising to work? We're joined by Pranav Yadav, CEO of Neuro-Insights, who shares his perspective from the vantage point of neuro science and what happens in the brain.

Authenticity seems to be on every CMO's lips. Apparently the new kids on the consumer block are obsessed with it. But is it really possible for a brand to be authentic? And is it even part of the contemporary brand's must haves? Let us overthink this!

We like to think our work is pretty harmless, but what if marketing was only a form of propaganda, not the other way around? Does that make us more likely to do bad things? Is it harder to do right? Classic overthinking episode this week!

Strategists are often introverts, and meetings can be harder to navigate - especially those large sessions with countless stakeholders. Are there ways to better stand out and say the right thing, at the right time?

Almost 3 years into the pandemic, we've had plenty of opportunity to shift our work to a remote approach. Clearly strategic planning has not ended, but does remote work make it harder, or less effective? Does it reduce the role of the planner in the process, or does it reinforce it?

Of all practices in the boardroom, marketing tends to be one of the most opinionated about other people's work. With constant commentary on what is or isn't good marketing, it's not uncommon for passionate opinions to turn into aggressive (sometimes even abusive) takes. Is that specific to marketing? And what's driving it? People being assholes or natural dynamic of a very public output?

This week, as Rachel takes on her new mommy duties, we're delighted to welcome Vanessa Toro as co-host of the podcast!

Joined by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno, co-hosts of In The Demo, a podcast that looks at how cohorts of people are best researched, understood and addressed, we discussed the failures of the demographic segmentation and how to build marketing plans for more meaningful audience groups.

The tech industry, which has come to dominate most of ad spends, has been facing some headwinds lately. Does that mean the tech Goliaths' struggle is good news for all the advertising Davids? Or could they take them in their swirl?

Some organisations have clear marketing guidelines and principles, others just go with the flow. Which ones are more likely to have an edge?

While still limited to its ice cream division, the decision to take a breather from purpose in favor of product superiority signals that cracks are showing in the purpose marketing chapel. Does it mean the edifice is coming down? Or simply that Unilever and co went a little too far?