In this episode, Paul sits down with Steph Douglas, the founder of Don't Buy Her Flowers, a thoughtful gifting company that challenges traditional gift-giving norms. Steph shares her journey of starting the company, from being puzzled by the traditional 8 flower bouquet on the birth of her first child to curating a brand and customer experience that truly meets the needs of her customers. 

Listen in as Steph delves into the nitty-gritty of building a business, from hiring the right team to scaling the company without taking on outside investment. Her insights on staying authentic, consulting with customers, and staying human in business are not to be missed. 

This episode is a must-listen for any marketer looking to build a brand with genuine customer connections!

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In this episode, Paul sits down with Oli Whitten, the COO of Adform, a leading independent ad tech and marketing platform trusted by global brands worldwide. 

Oli shares his expert insights on the growing trend of brands pushing for more transparency and independent measurement from the walled gardens. He also shares his predictions on how digital identity will evolve post-3rd party cookie and how brands are embracing new service models to stay ahead of the game. But that's not all, Oli also delves into the exciting advancements in technology that are revolutionizing the way brands buy and measure supply in channels such as TV and OOH, and how the walled gardens are losing their grip on these areas. 

This is an episode that every marketer should tune in to, as Oli shares valuable insights and predictions that will shape the future of the industry!

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In this last episode before the festive break, the focus of the conversation is very much on the critical leadership role that CMO’s play. Paul talks to Iris Meijer the Global CMO for Vodafone Business who tells us that only 5% of marketers have confidence they can affect their company strategy. Iris has made it her personal mission to bang the drum for marketing as a leadership function and to build confidence amongst her peers in the marketing community. Iris shares why commercial acumen and leveraging customer’s behavioural data are critical to this success She also shares how during 2020, she has partnered with her C-level HR partners to tell stories of how Vodafone has adapted in a remote working world to advise their global customer base.

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In this episode with a difference, Paul talks to Timothy Armoo, founder and CEO of Gen Z agency Fanbyte, winner of Entrepreneur of the Year and one of the Evening Standard’s ‘Most Influential People’. Tim was also behind the world’s first Tik Tok House which he launched during lockdown. Tim gives it straight about where brands are missing the point when it comes to working with influencers and platforms like TikTok. He gives great insight in to the selective brands that are getting it right and the bigger commercial opportunity when thinking long-term. Tim also reveals the secret behind why Tik Tok is growing so fast, why its competition is not Instagram and why brands must think like influencers themselves to ride this wave.

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 In this episode I talk to Wendy McEwan  who is brilliantly qualified to talk about the future of marketing and where tech and data fit in. Wendy has had a diverse career including brand side, publisher side, ad tech and SaaA and now runs marketing in APAC for Knight Frank and sits on the Marketing Society board. In her “Reset”, Wendy calls out how the #wfh trend brought abt by covid is putting more jobs under threat from automation. She shares her views on the two different types of CMO – the legacy “Brand CMO” versus the “Business Lead CMO” who sits at the top table and connects customer experience, sales and marketing to drive growth. Wendy also warns publishers to be wary as brands no longer have the same reliance on them to access audiences and calls for marketers to more pro-actively up-skill themselves.

An episode packed with unique insight and candour that you won’t want to miss!

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In this episode Paul chats to Chris Carter, Marketing & E-Commerce Director of Specsavers where he tells us about “ditching the marketing plan around mid-March” and how this “liberated and empowered” the marketing team. Chris shares how he and the team, during the early weeks of Covid19, established new principles such as focusing on just one goal each week. Chris tells us about the increased importance of hyper-local & data driven strategies to support their 900 high street stores. He shares some great insights on how Specsavers segments and targets its media plus reminds marketers to focus on marginal gains and the behaviours that drive success.

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In this episode, Paul chats with Ben Rhodes, ex Group Marketing Director for Royal Mail and Marketing Week columnist. Ben chooses to hit reset on the industry chatter of “a next normal.” He argues that we are instead entering a technology environment similar to that of the 1920’s (when the National Grid was set up) so the commercial opportunities are vast and wide-ranging. Ben talks about the fact that CMO tenures are so short that too often this leads to short termism and tactics, not strategy. He also articulates that, aside from the CEO, it is often only the marketer at the board table that looks outwards and is able to operate at the nexus of technology, customer and communication. Ben also calls out the importance of long term strategic brand investment and the value of pricing strategy, in an interview packed with insight. A Must Listen.

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In this episode, Paul talks to Tony Miller, Marketing Director of WW ( formerly Weightwatchers). Tony has spent half of his career agency side (in digital, data and tech) and half brand side at Walt Disney and now WW. As such, Tony brings a balanced view on the role of data and digital and how to partner effectively, both internally and with agencies. Tony shares his approach to collaboration and how he uses data to build bridges between different departments. Tony also talks about how important it is for a marketer to understand the ins and outs of media, brand safety, the supply chain and the creative process as well as being the voice of the customer. He also gives an insightful, very balanced view on what capabilities to build in-house versus in-source and what he believes agencies need to do better to deliver agility and flexibility.

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In this episode Paul talks to Mark Nicholson, Head of Online for O2. Mark and Paul discuss how the remit of the digital lead in a large organisation has changed and how and where marketing and digital intersect. Mark stresses the importance of frictionless digital experience to drive customer retention and satisfaction, a pertinent reminder in a post pandemic world. Mark also talks about the framework he and his team use for evaluating and deploying new martech and the need for constant test and refine. Listen in to hear the commitment Mark makes to further delivering against customer service excellence and his advice for others.

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In this latest episode Paul talks to serial marketing entrepreneur and Hong Kong based David Ketchum who has spent almost 30 years falling in love with Asia. David and I discuss how the region where COVID-19 started, has been affected and the transformation it has brought about in marketing circles. David shares his unique insight in to how the countries of North and South East Asia differ, both culturally and from a maturity perspective. He tells me how marketing is in the ascendancy at the board table and reveals what he sees as game changing trends for the region. 

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