Shows
Uncensored CMOAmazon Creative Masterclass with Jo Shoesmith Chief Creative OfficerJo Shoesmith, Chief Creative Officer at Amazon, joins us for a second time to reveal how one of the world’s biggest brands continues to make advertising that connects emotionally and stands the test of time. She shares what she’s learned moving from agency life to leading creativity inside a global giant, why Amazon still invests in traditional media, and the secret to ads that run for 3–5 years without losing impact.We also discuss why right-brained storytelling works, the surprising insights about Gen Z, and how Amazon balances scale, agility, and creativity in the age of AI.
2025-12-1041 minUncensored CMONils Leonard: Don’t Confuse S**t Ads For The Death Of CreativityNils Leonard, Uncommon Studio's co-founder and Creative Director is back, and the mic is hotter than ever. We're tackling why Uncommon is pushing the boundaries of out of home, including the divisive BA "Reflections" campaign, what Nils thinks of the energy in the US vs the UK, and why we have a lot of work to do if we want creativity to thrive in this country.Timestamps00:00 - Start00:52 - How did Uncensored CMO end up at Uncommon Studios02:33 - What just Jon want to happen as a result of this episode?04:45...
2025-11-191h 00Uncensored CMOFrom Tech founder to solving the social media addiction crisis - Jess ButcherJess Butcher MBE has built a career at the intersection of technology and consumer behaviour. She co-founded AR pioneer Blippar and has since turned her attention to a growing issue: how AI and social media are shaping our brains, behaviour, and wellbeing.In this episode, Jess shares what she’s learned as a founder, why female entrepreneurs still struggle to access funding, and why she believes brands must take responsibility for the attention economy they help create. We discuss how “More Soul, Less Scroll” is encouraging healthier digital habits, and the practical steps companies can take to drive...
2025-10-2958 minUncensored CMOAmerican Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney campaign - what really happened with CMO Craig BrommersCraig Brommers, CMO of American Eagle, joins us to go behind the scenes of one of the most talked-about campaigns of the year; Sydney Sweeney for American Eagle. Craig reveals what really happened, why the brand partnered with Sydney, and how they handled the extreme social-media reaction. We discuss the data behind the campaign’s success, the decision to pause before responding, and what the advertising press got wrong. Craig also shares lessons in brand leadership, navigating public scrutiny, and what it takes to be a successful CMO in 2025.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:35 - The Tr...
2025-10-2243 minUncensored CMO70 Years of TV Advertising - why it works & the best ads of all time - Carolyn McCall, ITVDame Carolyn McCall OBE is the CEO of ITV, the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster. She was previously CEO of The Guardian Media Group and easyJet, and currently serves as President of The Marketing Society.This year marks 70 years of TV advertising, celebrated with the launch of the new report, Living Room Legends, which explores the best ads of the past seven decades.Dame Carolyn joins Jon to discuss the report, why TV advertising is here to stay, and to reflect on some of the greatest ads of all time.Timestamps00:00 – Intro0...
2025-10-0139 minUncensored CMOMark Ritson on why everyone is wrong about Sydney Sweeney, the 3 rules of creativity & why strategy always comes before tacticsReturning guest and everyone's favourite marketing professor, Mark Ritson, is back. As usual, Mark comes out firing with some no nonsense advice to all marketers. He talks about AI taking over his Mini MBA, leaving Marketing Week, why pricing is the most important P and some rules for creativity. Sit back and soak up the knowledge from Mr Mark Ritson.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:06 - Why Mark Ritson sold Mini MBA02:12 - Mark Ritson leaving Marketing Week04:19 - Jon’s favourite AI use case08:07 - Will AI take over Mini MBA?11:38 - Wh...
2025-09-1055 minUncensored CMOStartup masterclass - how Seedlip went from idea to Diageo exit in 3.5 years - Ben BransonBen Branson is the founder of Seedlip, a non-alcoholic spirit brand he started in 2015, and sold 3 years later to Diageo. Jon speaks to Ben about the origins of the brand, how the grew so fast, what makes Ben such an impressive marketer (despite him not liking marketing) and how a brand goes from 0 to exit in such a short space of time. We also talk about Ben's new brands and his Hidden 20% charity.Timestamps00:00:00 - SIntro00:01:01 - Where did the idea for Seedlip come from?00:14:14 - Charging a high price00:18:47 - How to...
2025-06-181h 02Uncensored CMOBrand isn't dead, the 95:5 rule & why AI is B2B's most powerful painkiller - Jon Lombardo and Peter WeinbergThe B2B boys Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg return to the podcast for a third time, this time wearing their new distinctive assets. They go hard on Professor Scott Galloway, disagreeing with his "brand is dead" statement, suggesting that not only is brand not dead, it's alive, thriving and you need it for your brand to survive. They also give us an update on their synthetic research company, Evidenza, and what the future of brands look like in the age of AI.Timestamps00:00 - Intro02:07 - How is Evidenza going?03:36 - Why...
2025-06-111h 03Uncensored CMOThe future of X: winning back advertisers, breaking the news & building the world’s most powerful AISince Elon Musk acquired X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, the platform has undergone dramatic changes; slashing headcount, losing major advertisers, and redefining its identity. Now, under CEO Linda Yaccarino and marketing lead Angela Zepeda (formerly of Hyundai), X is staging a comeback. Angela joins Jon to discuss her leap from automotive to tech, rebuilding advertiser trust, and the bold vision of turning X into “the everything app.”They cover the platform's role in breaking news, championing free speech, and why brands are flocking back.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:39 - From Hyundai to X: Angela’s leap...
2025-05-2851 minUncensored CMOMars Brand Building Masterclass with Rankin CarrollRankin Carroll is the Chief Brand Officer at Mars, having joined the company in 2002. Mars is responsible for some of the most well-known advertising in the world, for brands including M&M’s, Twix, Snickers, Skittles, and more. Jon speaks to Rankin about long-term brand building vs. performance marketing, how to get the most out of agencies, and what it takes to build a portfolio of incredible brands.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:52 - Rankin’s career journey05:49 - How the Chief Brand Officer role works at Mars07:37 - Marketing mix...
2025-05-2153 minUncensored CMODan Ariely: the hidden forces that shape your customers' decisionsIn this episode, we deep dive into the irrational world of customer behaviour with legendary behavioural economist Dan Ariely. Dan reveals why we’re all predictably wrong, how tiny invisible cues can radically change price perception, and why effort makes things feel more valuable. We also unpack the real reason people fall for misinformation, how to rebuild trust in broken industries like insurance, and why letting customers choose their own price might just be your smartest move. If you want to understand what truly drives decisions — and how to use that insight to become a better marketer — this one’s unmiss...
2025-04-161h 19Uncensored CMOProf G on AI eating itself, social media rage & the end of the CMOScott Galloway (Prof G) has returned to the Uncensored CMO podcast for a second time, in a special live episode. Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business and host of the Prof G and Pivot podcasts. He joins Jon in a special live episode in London and lives up to his billing as the most uncensored guest of all time. Scott takes big swings at the advertising industry throughout the episode - despite the audience of CMOs - claiming that the days of the CMO are numbered. He continues with his damning commentary on why...
2025-04-0257 minUncensored CMOAI agents - personalisation, productivity & performance with Adobe, ServiceNow and IBMLive from Adobe Summit in Las Vegas, in this bonus triple header, Jon speaks with Colin Fleming (ServiceNow), Stacy Martinet (Adobe) and Billy Seabrook (IBM) about the hot topic in marketing today, AI, and what a new wave of agentic AI technology means for marketers.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:51 - Part 1: Colin Fleming01:51 - The things people don’t understand about B2B marketing03:32 - How AI is having an impact on marketing05:29 - ServiceNow’s relationship with Adobe06:21 - Advice to marketers to stay on cutting edge of AI08:47 - Pa...
2025-03-3135 minUncensored CMOOreo’s playful positioning, bold innovation and brand partnerships - Eugenia ZalisToday Jon talks with Eugenia Zalis, CMO for one of the most iconic sweet brands in the world, Oreo. We talk about their "stay playful" positioning, incredible brand collaborations (with the likes of Coca-Cola and Post Malone) and some of the interesting innovations the brand has worked on.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:46 - Eugenia’s marketing journey01:33 - What can we learn from the Unilever approach to marketing?02:27 - How Dove turned into the brand it is today05:42 - How Eugenia started with Oreo06:33 - The “stay playful” positioning09:49 - The best w...
2025-03-1947 minUncensored CMOCadillac’s re-launch of an iconic car brand for a new eraCadillac is an iconic American brand who are navigating the shift to electrification in the automotive industry and have partnered up with 72andSunny to launch their brand new campaign “Let’s Take the Cadillac. So today, Melissa Grady Dias, CMO of Cadillac, and Marianne Malina, President of 72andSunny join Jon to talk about working with a new agency and launching their first campaign together.Timestamps00:00 - Intro03:53 - Marianne’s background06:49 - How to manage a brand like Cadillac08:34 - How EV’s are changing the industry13:53 - How do you change y...
2025-03-1245 minUncensored CMORob Mayhew on the untapped creator opportunity in B2B, London vs New York and using social media as a brandRob Mayhew joins Jon for bonus episode, talking about his big move to New York City, becoming a full-time content creator and how brands can work with creators like him effectively.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:39 - Why Rob moved to NYC04:20 - Rob’s new YouTube show05:47 - London vs New York for marketers08:00 - Rob’s approach to content in 202511:00 - Rob’s view on the future of the social platforms14:17 - How System1’s ad testing works17:27 - Rob’s funniest posts on LinkedIn18:46 - Rob’s process fo...
2025-03-1032 minUncensored CMOSamsung CMO on Tech Innovation, Flying Ostriches & Doing More with Less - Benjamin BraunToday Jon sits down with Benjamin Braun, CMO at Samsung Europe, for a fascinating conversation that spans from innovative tech demos to Olympic marketing strategies. Benjamin shares insights on Samsung's role as a 40-year Olympic sponsor, demonstrates the latest AI capabilities in Samsung devices, and discusses how the company balances long-term brand building with short-term sales goals. The conversation takes a personal turn as Benjamin opens up about his experience with dyslexia and how neurodiversity can be a strength in business leadership. From product innovation to marketing effectiveness in the boardroom, this episode offers a glimpse into the mind...
2025-02-051h 12Uncensored CMOMark Ritson on the fall of Nike, KitKat’s perfect positioning and whether Liquid Death is more than just water in a canMark Ritson is back on the podcast for a review of the most read stories this year. We debate if Liquid Death is more than just water in a can, why Nike’s focus on DTC was a mistake and what we can all learn from KitKat’s perfect positioning. Recorded in a pub in London, expect some uncensored opinions from everyone’s favourite marketing professor.00:00 - Start05:40 - Mark #5: Brand purpose doesn’t need a commercial excuse14:13 - Jon #5: Liquid death article21:15 - Mark #4: There's no such thing as performance branding25:47 - Jon #4...
2024-11-1355 minUncensored CMOJon Evans Uncensored; what makes a great CMO and other lessons from 150 episodes with guest host Antonia WadeIn this episode, Antonia Wade, CMO of PwC, turns the tables and interviews our usual host, Jon Evans. From tax intern to marketing podcast host, we delve into Jon's journey through entrepreneurial endeavours at Britvic, through to being fired at Lucozade to finding a successful role in B2B at System1. We also discuss lessons Jon has learned from 150 podcast episodes with CMO's, agency creatives, founders and more.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:43 - Jon’s journey from tax to marketing10:18 - Deciding if you’re more suited to corporate or entrepreneurial life12:35 - Why Jon got fire...
2024-09-111h 01Uncensored CMOBrand of the year CMO on Innovation, TED talks and what B2B can learn from B2C - Rebecca HirstRebecca Hirst is the Chief Marketing Officer of EY UK, a TEDx Speaker and a winner of Campaign's 40 over 40. Before joining EY and making the switch to B2B, Rebecca was Marketing Director at Samsung and working on brands including Coca-Cola, Schweppes, Kellogg’s, Kleenex, Microsoft, IBM, United Airlines, Lufthansa and Star Alliance.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:54 - Winning Campaign’s 40 over 4004:33 - Being a Ted Talk speaker08:01 - Rebecca’s time at Samsung13:08 - Why Jon loves being a challenger brand17:08 - Working at Coca Cola vs Pepsi23:00 - How Re...
2024-08-2156 minUncensored CMOThe Marketoonist on why humour is good for business - Tom FishburneIn this episode I speak with Tom Fishburne, better known as the Marketoonist. Tom likes to poke fun at our industry through his entertaining cartoons saying what we're all thinking. We recently had him join as as our cartoonist in residence at Cannes Lions, where he shared his experience through a cartoon each day. We also discuss some of Tom's greatest cartoons and why humour is good for business.Timestamps00:00 - Start01:16 - How Tom Fishburne became a cartoonist05:00 - Why is humour so important in the workplace06:29 - Going full time as the Marketoonist12:42...
2024-07-031h 00
The Tailoring Talk MagazineApple Intelligence?! Reflecting on WWDC with Jon EvansIn this episode of Tailoring Talk, host Roberto Revilla is joined by Jon Evans (part of the Tailoring Talk Bondathon team) to discuss the future direction of the podcast and then dive into the recent Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) announcements. They explore the new Apple Intelligence (AI) features, including enhanced Siri capabilities, writing focus, and math notes. They also discuss the privacy measures taken by Apple, such as on-device processing and self-destructing data. Other topics covered include the Image Playgrounds feature and the potential implications of turning photographs into emojis. In this conversation, Rob...
2024-06-1446 minUncensored CMOB2B brand building in the era of AI with Jon Lombardo and Peter WeinbergListeners of have shown me time and again that you want more B2B content, so in this episode I'm joined again by the Les and Peter of B2B, Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg (previously of the LinkedIn B2B Institute). We discuss why B2B marketing departments need to put their focus on building brands rather than talking about product features, why distinctive assets continue to be an essential part of any brand, and we find out what the B2B boys will be doing now they've left LinkedIn.Find out more about Jon & Peter's...
2024-06-1250 minUncensored CMOCannes Lions CEO on the power of creativity, the creator economy and making connections - Simon CookEvery year, the advertising industry descend upon the south of France to meet up in Cannes over a glass of rosé to celebrate the power of creativity. So I thought it was about time that I caught up with the CEO of Lions, Simon Cook, to discuss why creativity matters.The conversation ranges from how can you make the case for creativity in business while budgets are strained, to what you can expect this year from Cannes Lions.Timestamps00:00 - Start01:37 - Origins of Cannes Lions03:38 - The scale of Cannes Lions05:19 - Creative m...
2024-06-0540 minUncensored CMOScott Galloway on the end of the brand era, monetising rage and how to create wealthScott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business and host of the Prof G and Pivot podcasts. In this episode Prof G lives up to the billing as the most uncensored guest on the podcast ever. We cover lots of ground, including his secret to success with Prof G media, what the #1 skill for all marketers should be, why brand is dead and how to build wealth. We recorded this episode as Scott releases his new book The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula For Success, buy on Amazon UK, or US.Links
2024-05-011h 11Uncensored CMOCopy that works, a copywriting masterclass with Vikki RossVikki Ross is a copywriting expert. Having worked for some major brand in the past two decades, she knows a thing or two about branding and tone of voice. This episode is a copywriting masterclass. We start by delving into the principles of great copy, before looking at it in action with our very own Copy Safari (where we go out into the world to find real ads), and then round off by asking the big question; is AI going to replace copywriters?LinksEats, Shoots and Leaves bookElements of F*cking Style bookBland BookVikki's TwitterVikki's...
2024-03-271h 06Uncensored CMORitson on Advertising Effectiveness with special guest Guilherme Ferreira VP Global Marketing CadburyWe're doing things a little bit differently this week. I've just recorded a webinar with Mark Ritson on advertising effectiveness with a very special guest, the VP for global marketing, Gui Ferreira from Mondelez. They are responsible for some of the epic Cadbury work that has scored right at the top of the System1 charts. We discussed what makes their advertising so good, what are the principles of advertising effectiveness and what can we learn?Watch the ads referenced in this podcast:Cadbury GarageOreo TwistTimestamps:00:00 Intro03:23 Why creativity matters04:31 Investing in creativity08:00 Being...
2024-03-2048 minUncensored CMOHow Liquid Death founder, Mike Cessario, created a billion dollar water brandToday I'm joined by Mike Cessario, the founder and CEO of Liquid Death, a water brand worth $1.4b. With the use of creative brand marketing and punk aesthetic, Mike was able to break into the biggest beverage category in the US and disrupt market dominated by huge brands such as Coke and Pepsi. This is a truly inspirational story on how you can defy the odds, break convention, disrupt a category and do it all on a shoestring budget. If you're a challenger brand, this is a must listen.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:10 - Mike’s ba...
2024-03-131h 04Uncensored CMOCreativity driven performance, CPG lessons for SaaS and the power of distinctive assets - Michelle Taite, MailchimpAs Chief Marketing Officer, Michelle Taite leads Intuit Mailchimp’s Marketing teams and is responsible for the business’ end-to-end brand, acquisition, performance, product, and lifecycle marketing activities globally in addition to Mailchimp's in-house creative agency Wink. Joining just after Mailchimp's $12b acquisition, Michelle had the task of integrating their marketing into the wider Intuit team.Intro00:00 - Intro00:48 - Starting out desigining sneakers02:39 - From New Balance to Unilever04:13 - Doing purpose work for Dove05:15 - Michelle’s favourite work at Unilever06:27 - From CPG to SaaS09:29 - What is Mai...
2024-03-0644 minUncensored CMOAmazon’s Chief Creative Officer on the power of emotional advertising, distinctive brand assets and delivering at speedJo Shoesmith is the Global Chief Creative Officer at Amazon. She leads lead brand creative, design, production, social, and brand identity functions, as well as agency partnerships, in the largest fixed marketing portfolio investment at Amazon. 00:00 - Intro01:04 - From rural Australia to Los Angeles01:58 - From agency to client side04:44 - That famous Jeff Bezos marketing quote05:50 - What does the Chief Creative Officer at Amazon do07:41 - Creating emotional, brand building advertising09:22 - Using the brand distintive assets10:33 - Creating inclusive advertising13:05 - Advice for writing a r...
2024-02-2837 minUncensored CMOHow a new brand character challenged Whisky conventions to help The Woodsman double market shareToday I'm speaking with Whyte and Mackay Marketing Director Janice McIntosh and Mr President (their agency) CCO Jon Gledstone about the launch of their new campaign for The Woodsman brand. The "Well Earned" campaign score a whopping 4.8 stars on the System1 test and saw the launch of a brand character, Barry the Beaver, in a move that defies convention in the traditional Whisky category. From internal battles to hurdles presented by the regulators, both Whyte and Mackay and Mr President had to overcome some barriers to bring this campaign to life.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:01...
2024-02-2138 minUncensored CMORising from the ashes: the inspirational story of overcoming tragedy with Bozoma Saint John (former Netflix CMO)Bozoma Saint John is a Hall of Fame Inducted Marketing Executive, Entrepreneur and Author of her memoir, The Urgent Life. Her career has included roles as the Global CMO of Netflix, CMO of Endeavor, CBO of Uber, Head of Marketing of Apple Music & iTunes and Head of Music and Entertainment Marketing at PepsiCo.Follow BozInstagramLinkedInTwitter/XHer book - This Urgent LifeFollow JonJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00 - Start01:34 - Why Boz wrote such an emotional book05:02 - The reception to the book
2024-02-1454 minUncensored CMOThe secrets to Super Bowl success with Michelob ULTRA's Ricardo MarquesToday we’re diving deep into the high-stakes world of Super Bowl advertising with a very special guest—Ricardo Marques, the VP of Marketing for Michelob ULTRA. Ricardo, a veteran with 19 years at AB Inbev and the marketing maestro behind Michelob ULTRA's growth. He is here to share his playbook on how to score big during the most anticipated advertising event on American television.In this episode we get an exclusive look at how Michelob ULTRA prepares for the Super Bowl. Ricardo breaks down the importance of the Super Bowl as a platform, not just...
2024-02-0749 minUncensored CMOThe flamingo effect: how Very made their retail brand sparkle - Jessica Myers Very CMOToday we're joined by Jessica Myers, CMO of The Very Group. Previously Jess was CMO at Metro Bank and has since made the transition to the highly competitive retail market. At Very, she has overseen the launch of a brand new fluent device; the pink flamingoes. The campaign featuring the new characters scored a whopping 5.7 stars on the System1 scoring platform, Test Your Ad, amongst the very best ads made this year.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:52 - Jess’ background06:11 - Marketing academy fellowship07:13 - From big brand to challenger brand10:46 - The mo...
2024-01-3149 minUncensored CMOCreating the Metaverse, lessons from Google Glass and the Whitehouse - Dave Kaufman, MetaDave Kaufman is responsible for the marketing for one of the biggest tech bets of all time; the Metaverse. As Director of Global Marketing for VR and the Metaverse for Meta (formerly Facebook), it's fair to say Dave has a pretty sizeable task on his hands. He's no stranger to large marketing bets, having been on the marketing team for Google Glass, which ultimately failed. But sandwiched in-between working for Google and Meta, Dave worked for Obama's Whitehouse for the United States Digital Service.In this episode we discuss if the US is behind the UK in...
2024-01-2459 minUncensored CMOA B2B marketing masterclass with PwC's Global CMO, Antonia WadeToday I'm joined by Antonia Wade, Global CMO at PwC and Author of The B2B Buyer Journey. This episode is a true B2B masterclass. We break down the importance of brand, reputation and relationships vs what people traditionally think is important in B2B. We also break down each stage of the marketing funnel to find out how best to reach them at every point in the buyer journey.LinksAntonia's LinkedInAntonia's BookJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:10 - Antonia’s background00:06:01 - How does B2B an...
2024-01-171h 05Uncensored CMOLes & Sarah’s big review of the yearOne of the most popular episodes of all time was my first with Sarah Carter and Les Binet, so I'm bringing them back to do a review of 2023. We talk about what makes Les cry and if AI is going to take over our jobs.LinksJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:05 - Les’ favourite ads of 202300:04:45 - Sarah’s favourite Christmas ads00:07:15 - Wear out00:12:30 - Why familiarity breeds contentment00:17:42 - Have we rediscovered homour in 2023?00:19:47 - The role of purpose in advertising00:29:17 - Diversity and representation00:34:53 - Kevi...
2024-01-101h 25Uncensored CMOHow confused.com challenged the meerkats on smaller budgets - Sam DayNow in this episode, we're talking about one of the most competitive markets in the world - insurance comparison. Anyone who's followed this market will know just how intense it is. And how do you build a brand when you don't have a product yourself, but you're selling someone else's product? Well, it's one of those situations where marketing is all important and advertising can make all the difference to your success.I'm catching up with Sam Day, who's been the CMO of confused.com, for the past 6 years, who successfully challenged this market and taken it...
2024-01-0352 minUncensored CMOReloaded: How to be a successful challenger - Adam Morgan (2020)Today I'm revisiting episode 3, with Adam Morgan, founder of eatbigfish and author of Eating The Big Fish, The Pirate Inside and A Beautiful Constraint to find out what it takes to become a successful challenger. Adam shares his tips for creating a challenger brand, transforming your culture and the power of constraints to driving innovation.In this episode:Why being No.2 is betterHow he turned the anger of his project being shelved into a career-defining opportunityBeing turned down by Phil Knight and where the idea of a Challenger brand came fromThe importance of over-commitment and...
2023-12-2756 minUncensored CMOTop 10 marketing and behavioural science insights with Nudge host, Phill AgnewToday I'm joined by Phill Agnew, senior product marketer at Buffer and host of Nudge, the only podcast dedicated to consumer psychology, and the other podcast that regularly hits the top spot of the UK marketing charts. In this episode we share 5 behavioural science "nudges" and 5 marketing lessons that we've taken from our respective podcasts and careers.LinksNudge podcastJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterPhill's LinkedInPhill's TwitterTimestamps00:00 - Intro01:19 - How did Phill get into podcasting04:03 - Bonus Nudge - The Halo Effect06:29 - Nudge 5 - The Labour Illusion09:40 - Marketing...
2023-12-181h 02Uncensored CMOHow Just Eat used celebrities and jingles to help them become market leader - Susan O'BrienToday I'm joined by Susan O'Brien, who is the VP Brand at Just Eat Takeaway. Just Eat are famous for their ads with celebs such as Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry, but are even more well known for their catchy jingle "Did somebody say...?". In this episode we break down Susan's career and how to make such an effective campaign.Timestamps00:00 - Start01:16 - How Susan got into marketing03:43 - Freelancing07:30 - The secret to longevity as a marketer09:44 - The realities of being a CMO14:25 - The CMO’s view on Cannes16:44 - The “Did Some...
2023-12-1343 minUncensored CMONo GUT no glory; from startup to Cannes Lions agency of the year in 5 years - Anselmo RamosAnselmo Ramos is the co-founder and Creative Chairman of GUT, a global independent creative agency with offices worldwide. He, along with his co-founder Gaston Bigio, opened GUT in 2018 with the goal of being the go-to agency for the world’s biggest brands, including Popeyes, Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Tim Hortons, among others, who are looking to do brave work and long-term bold brand building. Prior to co-founding GUT, Anselmo was the co-founder of award-winning global creative agency DAVID, and he was also previously the Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Brazil.Timestamps00:00:00 - Start00:01:04 - Wh...
2023-12-061h 07Uncensored CMOCreativity, Christmas and a Cardiac Crisis - Vicki Maguire, HavasVicki Maguire is the Chief Creative Officer at Havas London, responsible for some of the best ads of all time. Notably Asda's Elf ad in 2022 which is the happiest ad we've ever seen at System1, and the British Heart Foundation campaign with Vinnie Jones that literally saved lives.Timestamps00:00 - Start02:41 - Vicki’s background07:32 - How Vicki got into advertising11:53 - British Heart Foundation and Vinnie Jones20:30 - The Asda Elf Ad with Will Ferrell35:39 - Taika Waititi and Michael Buble campaign46:13 - Cannes Lions judging
2023-11-2952 minUncensored CMOHow Airbnb bounced back from losing 80% of their business with long term brand building - Nancy KingNancy King is the VP of Marketing at Airbnb. She leads Airbnb's global brand marketing team, performance marketing, marcom and social media teams. Prior to Airbnb, Nancy 20 years working across a mix of agencies, start-ups and as a founder of a strategy consultancy.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:48 - Nancy’s background as a creative05:16 - What can people learn from both agency and client side experience07:08 - Origins of Airbnb08:42 - The phases of Airbnb09:54 - Losing 80% of the business overnight17:47 - Deciding to re-invest in advertising21:23 - The challenges of not owning your product25:03 - The be...
2023-11-2244 minUncensored CMOThe divided brain, attention and how we see the world - Dr Iain McGilchristDr Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist, writer, and former Oxford literary scholar. McGilchrist came to prominence after the publication of his book The Master and His Emissary, subtitled The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. His work formed the basis of Orlando Wood's books on advertising, Lemon and Look Out.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:09 - Iain McGilchrist background06:05 - Hasn’t the myth of the right and left brain been debunked12:48 - The changes in society based on right brained dominance16:36 - Are we seeing a left to left br...
2023-11-1548 minUncensored CMOThe Mac is back: how Wieden+Kennedy gave McDonald's its swaggerIn this episode I'm joined by Tass Tsitsopoulos, Strategy Director, and Brandon Pracht, Managing Director for the McDonald's global advertising team at Wieden+Kennedy. I catch up with them to find out how they brought McDonald's swagger back with some of their most memorable and effective work in recent years, including the "Famous Orders" and "As Featured In" campaigns.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:56 - The difference between UK and US agencies03:15 - How did Brandon get into advertising04:52 - What makes the culture special08:07 - How W+K won the McDonald’s ac...
2023-11-0847 minUncensored CMOHow NBCU harnesses the power of entertainment; iconic shows, reality TV and the Olympics - Josh FeldmanJosh Feldman serves as Global Chief Marketing Officer, NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships. Feldman is responsible for driving how the NBCUniversal’s Advertising and Partnerships division shows up in the marketplace, leading creative executions that span Upfronts and industry-first events. He oversees the entire Marketing and Content Partnerships group, comprising the division’s Commerce, Content and Talent Partnerships, Creative, Marketing, Strategic Initiatives, and Trade Marketing teams. This group operates the division’s full scale creative agency; leads NBCU’s development of an innovative suite of commerce solutions, such as One Platform Commerce; and furthers the company’s...
2023-11-0133 minUncensored CMOHow Salesforce built the world's most successful B2B brand - Colin FlemingOne thing we don't talk enough about on the Uncensored CMO is B2B. Specifically, B2B companies that are investing in their brand. One such company is Salesforce, who are a true force in the B2B tech world. I caught up with their EVP of Brand Marketing, Colin Fleming, a former Red Bull Racing driver, who gave us an insight into why their brand marketing has been so effective. From Super Bowl ads and partnering with Matthew McConaughey, to building recognisable brand characters and even creating their own huge event, Dreamforce.Links:Follow ColinFollow...
2023-10-2543 minUncensored CMOThe state of D2C and nailing your personal brand; advice from serial entrepreneur Tash Courtenay-SmithTash Courtenay Smith is a serial entrepreneur, renowned digital marketing expert, and best-selling author. Starting out as a journalist for the Daily Mail, Tash went on to found Talk to The Press, the Notting Hill Shopping Bag Company, Luminositie and now runs Bolt Digital. Tash also runs D2C Live, an event bringing together the best minds in Direct-To-Consumer. This conversation with a true entrepreneur covers topics such as the state of D2C, building a personal brand and inspiring the next wave of entrepreneurial talent with Biz Kids.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:45 - Starting...
2023-10-181h 02Uncensored CMOMark Ritson on the best campaign of the year, Britain's favourite pint & why being different still mattersThe Gary Vee of Australia is back in the Uncensored CMO hot seat. That is, of course, everyone's favourite marketing professor, Mark Ritson. In this episode we talk about the best campaigns of the year, Mark's most popular articles and why he thinks the US is lagging behind the rest of the world.Watch Cadbury GarageTimestamps:00:00 - Intro00:31 - What’s going on in marketing in 2023?02:19 - Why US marketers are off the pace05:10 - Ehrenberg Bass and academic literature06:53 - Mark’s contradicting viewpoints07:23 - The Gary Vee of A...
2023-10-111h 08Uncensored CMOHow LEGO used play time to unlock creativity - Julia Goldin, Global CMO, LEGOJulia Goldin is the Global Chief Marketing and Product Officer for the world's no. 1 toy brand, LEGO. Prior to joining the LEGO Gin 2014, Julia was Global CMO at Revlon. She also had a 13-year career with Coca-Cola, where she held several senior global and regional marketing roles, including Division Marketing Director of Northwest Europe and deputy Chief Marketing Officer of Japan.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:53 - Julia’s background01:57 - How did Julia become a CMO?04:46 - What’s the secret to being a successful CMO?07:51 - The secret to a long CMO tenu...
2023-10-0443 minUncensored CMOThe myths of marketing live with Tom GoodwinTom Goodwin is back for our first ever live event in London. As uncensored as ever, we cover all things digital transformation to the biggest myths in marketing, this time with some thought provoking questions from a live studio audience.Timestamps:00:00 - Start01:06 - Tom’s background03:21 - Why Tom kept getting fired05:08 - What technology will change our lives?08:34 - We don’t care about consumers10:21 - What opportunites are there?12:45 - Things that aren’t changing16:52 - Jingles18:02 - Are brands dead?20:32 - Questions20:53 - The...
2023-09-2755 minUncensored CMOTikTok sensation Rob Mayhew on turning his passion into a businessFor a very special edition of the podcast (episode 100!) I'm joined by a very special guest, Rob Mayhew, TikTok sensation and Creative Director at Gravity Road. Rob's witty commentary on the industry comes in the form of his hugely entertaining short-form videos, which often go viral on TikTok and on LinkedIn. Having found himself between jobs during COVID, Rob dug into his comedy roots and started posting up to 8 videos a day on TikTok which have grown in popularity exponentially over the past few years. He now finds himself striking some impressive brand partnerships who all want a slice...
2023-09-201h 19Uncensored CMOThe business of creativity - Sir John HegartyAdvertising legend Sir John Hegarty returns to the podcast to discuss why he created a course focused on the business of creativity. If you've listened to the podcast before you'll know how important I think creativity is to drive business results, and so when Sir John announced he was creating this course, I had to get him back on the podcast to discuss.Learn more about the course here.About Sir John HegartyHe was a founding partner of Saatchi and Saatchi in 1970. And then TBWA in 1973. He founded Bartle Bogle Hegarty in 1982 with...
2023-09-1355 minUncensored CMOThe extraordinary cost of being dull - Peter Field and Adam MorganMarketing waste is one of the biggest issues facing our industry. So when marketing legends Peter Field and Adam Morgan reached out to me to talk about their new work on the impact of dull advertising on brands, I immediately got them on the podcast.In this fascinating episode we discuss why you really can’t afford to bore your audience with your ads anymore. What have Adam and Peter learnt over 40 years about the actual cost of dull marketing to businesses, to brands and even to your career?And for those ma...
2023-09-0656 minUncensored CMOHow Lucky Saint created the non-alcoholic beer category - Luke Boase, FounderHow do you create a brand in a sub-category where only a handful of major brands operate a product line, from scratch, having never worked in the industry before? Well, Luke Boase did exactly that when he founded Lucky Saint, the worlds first alcohol free only brand. From finding a brewing partner to create an enjoyable alcohol free beer, raising money from investors to almost losing the business during COVID, this episode has it all.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:23 - Life before Lucky Saint for Luke06:02 - Coming up with the Lucky Saint idea
2023-08-301h 03Uncensored CMOOrlando Wood on AdvertisingLong time returning guest Orlando Wood is back in the hot seat, talking all things advertising. We look back on his two IPA bestselling books, Lemon and Look Out, to discuss how the two sides of the brain attend to the world differently and how this impacts advertising both on TV and digital. We also discuss some of Orlando's favourite recent adverts and why he likes them.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:32 - Who is Orlando Wood02:50 - Orlando’s latest work03:54 - Is Orlando only talking about digital?05:18 - How to build br...
2023-08-2447 minUncensored CMO"Who Gives a Crap" on DTC vs retail, small budgets and their first TV campaign - Emily Kraftman, Managing Director UKEmily Kraftman is the Managing Director for UK & Europe for a brand who are disrupting a category no one else thought to, toilet paper. That brand is, of course, Who Gives A Crap. Their quirky nature, fun packaging and strong stance on sustainability are helping them make a dent in a big-brand dominated category. Emily has had quite the career, starting out working on Stella Artois, before leaving the corporate life to join a young Deliveroo to head up their "Rider Marketing" division. She's since made the switch from Marketing Director to Managing Director, learning to deal with all...
2023-08-0945 minUncensored CMOWhat the marketing industry is truly terrified of - Tom GoodwinThe return of Uncensored CMO podcast legend Tom Goodwin. In this final flourishing episode recorded from Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, in what has become our annual chinwag, we riff on everything from how advertising thinking can build big businesses to why marketeers invest in celebrities, despite the data not backing the value equation. What would our ideal Cannes festival look like? What would we do differently next year…. and where? And why we want to bring back the Tango Campaign!If you want more Tom, we'll be holding a LIVE Uncensored CMO at The Curzon Soho (no...
2023-08-0258 minUncensored CMOSelling Uncommon, the death of advertising and a British original - Nils LeonardNils Leonard is returning to the Uncensored CMO podcast after selling his agency, Uncommon to Havas. We discuss what's next, why he feels it's an investment not an acquisition, what AI means for creativity, culture and more.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:11 - Selling Uncommon to Havas00:02:10 - What does partnering with Havas allow them to do?00:08:22 - How did the team react?00:09:50 - Expanding to the US00:12:22 - What’s changing?00:14:42 - Part 2: What’s new with Uncommon?00:16:33 - Keeping creativity alive00:19:20 - Is advertising dead?00:21:21 - Getting Chat...
2023-07-271h 08Uncensored CMOSir Martin Sorrell on the 5 biggest ways AI will change marketingIn this episode, I am talking to one of the titans of our industry, someone who I think has had a bigger impact on our industry than perhaps anybody else. He is Sir Martin Sorrell founder of WPP, the biggest holding company in the world.He has since gone on to set up S4 capital, so now finds himself in the challenger position rather than the dominant player. I wanted to talk to Sir Martin about what he sees as the biggest challenges facing our industry today and what are the disruptions coming down the line that...
2023-07-2053 minUncensored CMOMAD//Fest LIVE - how to ride the storm with Britain’s leading retail CMO’sIn a special live from MAD//Fest edition of Uncensored CMO, I'm joined by some of the country's top CMO's on a panel about riding the storm in retail. Very’s Jessica Myers, Alex Rogerson from Morrisons, Adam Zavalis (formerly Aldi) and Pete Markey from Boots join me on the panel.But, ladies and gentlemen, there is more! This is a double header of Uncensored CMO, as I also caught up with some people live on the floor at MAD//Fest, including Heineken CMO Michael Gillane and revealing some new research from System1, JCDecaux and Specsavers....
2023-07-1440 minUncensored CMOFrom selling Tea to the British to Latin America's largest e-commerce business - Sean Summers, Mercado LibreIn a career that's spanned selling Tea to the British as Marketing Director at Twinings, to now CMO at the largest e-commerce business in Latin America, Sean Summers knows a thing or two about marketing (at all levels). I catch up with him at Cannes to discuss his career, what it's like scaling a business from $300m to $10b in revenue and what he thinks of the latest trends like AI.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:04 - Why is Sean in Cannes?02:25 - What creates an award winning campaign?03:21 - How to make the...
2023-07-1255 minUncensored CMOMarketing Britain’s largest supermarket in a cost of living crisis - Alessandra Bellini, TescoAllessandra Bellini is the Chief Customer Officer at Tesco, the largest supermarket in the UK. Previously she's held roles at agencies, before 21 years at Unilever rising up through the ranks to some very senior positions. Tesco are a huge household brand to represent in the UK, and Allessandra and her team have created some exceptional work over the years, including the well received "Food Love Stories" campaign. We talk all about those campaigns, how they scored on the System1 database and what it takes to run such a large brand.LinksFollow JonWatch UCMO on YouTube
2023-07-0558 minUncensored CMOMAD//Fest - From contemporary dance to craft beer revolution? - Tom Rainsford, Beavertown BreweryTom Rainsford has been named as one of the Top 50 creative minds in the country. After a surprising start to his career (that still stands him in great creative stead even now), Tom has grown a challenger brand into a household name and now leads the Marketing at one of the coolest brands on the planet – Beavertown Brewery.What does Tom see as the magic ingredients for successful brand growth, why does he believe culture and fact-based emotion are they key and how is he going to top his show stopping MadFest opener from last yearDan...
2023-06-291h 07Uncensored CMORory Sutherland, the Master of Madfest, on why behavioural science should get awardsLive from Cannes, third time returning guest Rory Sutherland gives us his views on just how good this year’s Festival of Creativity is, what should be awarded, AI vs AI, what we should be looking for as marketeers in current trends and the value that behavioural science brings to creativity.He also talks about what he is looking forward to on the road to another great festival – Madfest, and why he is doing his Mad Masters course.What we covered in this episode:Why Rory thinks this Cannes Lions Festival is the most wond...
2023-06-2741 minUncensored CMOCannes Lions - The Triple Opportunity of Attention with Karen Nelson-Field, Orlando Wood, Rob BrittainIn this episode I'm joined by three more effectiveness titans in my Cannes special coverage. Karen Nelson-Field, Rob Brittain and fan favourite Orlando Wood join me to talk about the triple opportunity of attention.
2023-06-2323 minUncensored CMOCannes Lions - The 3rd Age of Effectiveness with Les Binet, Grace Kite & Tom RoachFollowing on from the IPA EffWorks and WARC session on the Terrace Stage in Cannes, I speak to effectiveness legends, Les Binet, Grace Kite and Tom roach to outline the big shifts in advertising effectiveness in the digital era, suggesting that we’re leaving the trough of disillusionment and moving onto the plateau of productivity.Register for the IPA webinar: https://ipa.co.uk/events-listing/the-3rd-age-of-effectivenessDigital once promised so much in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, tracking, and accountability. But the reality didn’t live up to the hype. And now we’re entering a new er...
2023-06-2124 minUncensored CMOManaging the biggest beauty brand in the world - Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, L'Oreal CMOLex Bradshaw-Zanger is the Chief Marketing & Digital Officer for L’Oréal South Asia Pacific, Middle East & North Africa Region. Prior to this role, Lex was the CMO for the UK & Ireland, held roles in the Western Europe Zone and was Chief Digital Officer for the L’Oréal Middle East and Africa Region. Prior to L’Oréal, Lex was with McDonald’s and Facebook. He is a recovered ad-man having spent over 10 years in the agency world, with both WPP and Publicis – his last role was Regional Director for Digital Strategy & Innovation for Leo Burnett MENA.
2023-06-1451 minUncensored CMOA marketers guide to a squiggly career - Helen Tupper, Amazing IfWork is fundamentally important to the quality of our lives and we are surrounded by more change and choice than ever before. Our careers have become far less predictable and increasingly 'squiggly'. In this episode I have a chat with Helen Tupper, co-founder of Amazing If and co-author of "The Squiggly Career: Ditch the Ladder, Discover Opportunity, Design Your Career".Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube ->Find out more about Helen:The Squiggly Career BookSquiggly Careers PodcastAmazing IfHelen's LinkedInWhat we covered in this episode:How Helen and Sarah started their...
2023-06-0755 minUncensored CMOManaging the worlds largest drinks brands (Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff & more) - Ed Pilkington, CMO Diageo NAEdward Pilkington is the Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer at Diageo North America, managing a portfolio of the biggest brands in the world, including Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Smirnoff and more. If theres anyone that understands how to run marketing for huge brands, it's Ed, and he certainly brings his wealth of experience to this conversation.
2023-05-3145 minUncensored CMOHow Google put humanity into technology - Nishma Robb, Google UKNishma is responsible for leading brand and reputation marketing for Google in the UK. She has led many of Google’s acclaimed projects and campaigns including Digital Garage, This is My YouTube, the Google Executive Summit, Brandcast, ThinkwithGoogle and Be Internet Legends. Nishma is a Board Director at the School of Marketing and is proud to be a Fellow of the Marketing Society. Her accolades include Ad Age’s Woman to Watch, Europe (2018), Campaign A List (2017, 2018 and 2019), Drum Digerati and was recognised in the Hospital Group’s h100 list as one of the most influential and innovative people...
2023-05-241h 03Uncensored CMOMastering the client-agency relationship - Richard Warren, prev. Lloyds Banking Group & LoweRichard Warren has spent his career working in and growing agencies, but most recently has worked in house at one of the UK's largest banking group, Lloyds. In 2000 Richard founded DLKW as Director of Strategy, which grew to become the the UK’s largest independent agency, before merging with Lowe in 2010. As someone who has spent time on both sides, I wanted to catch up with Richard to find out how to make the most of the agency-client relationship.
2023-05-0353 minUncensored CMOFrom start up to £10 billion; building the ultimate challenger brand - Rebecca Dibb-SimkinRebecca Dibb-Simkin is the Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Octopus Energy Group. Previously at British Gas, Rebecca has helped scale Octopus into an impressive challenger brand with over 50k customers and $10b in revenue.What we covered in this episodeResponding to a job ad written by Rory SutherlandFrom the tax department to marketingBeing rejected on graduate schemesPoetic job applicationsMarketing jargon that needs to be ditchedWhy being close to the customer mattersThe marketers role in the middle of the spiders webFrom energy industry giant to start upThe spontaneous moment that led to Octopus energyJon blags...
2023-04-2649 minUncensored CMOHumour, purpose & beating imposter syndrome - Jo Arden, Ogilvy UKJo Arden is the Chief Strategy Officer of Ogilvy UK, and she joins me on the podcast to talk all things strategy. What's involved, why it's important and how to make a career of it. Jo's experience is vast, not landing a "strategy" role until her 30's and since has had senior roles at Publicis•Poke and MullenLowe.Here's what we covered in our chat:How Jo got into strategyHer winding path from PR through business development and into strategyWhat does a Chief Strategy Officer do?The role of generosity in being a great CSOThe business ca...
2023-04-1946 minUncensored CMOEyebrow raising McDonald's advertising - Chaka Sobhani, Leo BurnettChaka Sobhani is Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett London. With 20 years of experience as an award winning director, writer and creative director, she has worked for the biggest broadcasters, brands and agencies worldwide. She hasn’t had a conventional advertising career, having spent over 10 years as a film maker and in television. Chaka was recruited by ITV to set up and ECD their first in-house creative agency, production company and design studio. She has worked on countless brands including McDonalds, Boots, Coca Cola & more.Watch the McDonalds ad.Talking points:Celebrating Campaign Creative Le...
2023-04-1243 minUncensored CMOBetter Brand Health - Jenni Romaniuk, Ehrenberg-BassProfessor Jenni Romaniuk is the International Director of the world-famous Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and author of Building Distinctive Brand Assets and How Brands Grow Part 2 - revised. Jenni is a leading expert in brand equity, mental availability, brand health metrics, advertising effectiveness, distinctive assets, word of mouth and the role of loyalty and growth. Through her work at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute she has advised many of the world’s biggest brands.Jenni is an engaging and entertaining keynote speaker that has presented her research at leading industry conferences globally. Her latest book Better Brand Heal...
2023-04-051h 06Uncensored CMOFeel free to ignore this podcast episode - Richard ShottonA return for podcast guest number 1, Richard Shotton, following the launch of his brand new book "The Illusion of Choice: 16½ psychological biases that influence what we buy"."Every day, people make hundreds of choices.Many of these are commercial: What shampoo to pick? How much to spend on a bottle of wine? Whether to renew a subscription?These choices might appear to be freely made, but psychologists have shown that subtle changes in the way products are positioned, promoted and marketed can radically alter how customers behave.The Illusion of Choice i...
2023-03-291h 06Uncensored CMOHow not to plan - Les Binet & Sarah CarterLes Binet and Sarah Carter are planning royalty. Starting out at the iconic BMP, the agency which evolved over time to become adam&eve today, they are the planners behind many famous campaigns. Not least John Lewis which lasted an impressive 14 years. A few years ago their popular myth busting column turned into the well known book ‘How Not to Plan’ taking conventional wisdom and turning it on its head. I catch up with the dynamic duo to pick their considerable brains on the topics they think marketers least understand.Talking points from this episode:The real...
2023-03-151h 02Uncensored CMOWhy every marketer should be more pirate - Sam ConniffIn this episode I'm joined by Sam Conniff, the author of Be More Pirate, creator of Uncertainty Experts and stand-up comedian. I speak to Sam about what marketers can learn from the pirates (which is a genuinely interesting look back in time), how we can deal with uncertain times and find out what his best joke is in his new hobby, stand-up comedy.To win a copy of Sam's book, you just have to guess the number of books he's sold. Send me a message on LinkedIn with your guess.What we covered: Why h...
2023-03-021h 10Uncensored CMOHow to build habit-forming products - Nir Eyal, Part 2Nir Eyal is back for the second part of this 2-part Uncensored CMO series. This episode, we talk about the book that made him famous - Hooked - and how you can apply habit-forming techniques to your own marketing work.Some more about Nir:Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. Nir co-founded and sold two tech companies since 2003 and was dubbed b...
2023-02-1546 minUncensored CMOAdContrarian on why online advertising is a scam - Bob HoffmanWhy the AdContrarian decided to end his weekly newsletterThe irony of Bob getting an award for best speaker at an AdTech conferenceA surprising honour from Byron SharpThe freedom that comes from being an independentBob’s most contrarian ever statementThe shocking amount of personal data gather about every personHow the marketing industry is complicit in on-line tracking and division in societyThe issue of tracking and how we managed just fine beforehandWhy advertising works better when it isn’t pe...
2023-02-0155 minUncensored CMOIndistractable: the marketer's secret weapon - Nir Eyal, Part 1Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. Nir co-founded and sold two tech companies since 2003 and was dubbed by The M.I.T. Technology Reviewas, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.” Bloomberg Businessweek wrote, “Nir Eyal is the habits guy. Want to understand how to get app users to come back again and again? Then Eyal is your man.”He is the author of two bestselli...
2023-01-1954 minUncensored CMOMark Ritson's uncensored review of the best ads of 2022Mark Ritson is back on the Uncensored CMO podcast, and he's more uncensored than ever. This episode brings his ever candid thoughts on the best ads of 2022, who f*cked up and who he's been most impressed by. Strap in for Ritson's Review of 2022.Watch Uncensored CMO on YouTube here.What we covered in this conversation:Biggest marketing cock up of 2022The 2022 new entry on Mark’s Marketing Bulls**t Top 10The biggest surprise of 2022Which brand impressed him the most in 2022Who taught him the most in 2022The short term pay off of lo...
2023-01-041h 21Uncensored CMOMaking iconic high street retailer, Boots, relevant again - Pete Markey, BootsWhat does it take to be the CMO of an iconic British high-street retailer, like Boots? Pete Markey shares his valuable wisdom and insights from a career at the very top.What we covered in this episode:The difficult second album making Boots Christmas AdRediscovering the joy of Hall & OatesWhy Retailers are so good at making Christmas adsMaking people feel more festiveThe importance of escaping reality at ChristmasHow Boots landed on Joy as a proposition for BootsThe purpose of making gifting easier and more joyfulBeing CMO of a high st retailer during covid & recessionHow Boots is...
2022-12-1249 minUncensored CMOLessons from Aldi's IPA Gold winning Kevin the Carrot - McCannAs Christmas ad season is in full swing, I speak to the planning and strategy team from McCann Manchester, the agency that created Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot.What we cover in this episode:Why Darren and Jamie bring a life size Kevin’s to meetingsThe benefit of doing strategy as a pairConvincing a sceptical customer to shop at Aldi for ChristmasTaking inspiration from John Lewis the reigning king of ChristmasHow the humble carrot being the big ideaSelling the idea into AldiWhy they didn’t want to recreate a brand new campaign every yearThe challenge to beat K...
2022-11-301h 14Uncensored CMOAdvertising creativity in times of crisisThe most returned guest in Uncensored CMO history, Orlando Wood, is back. He made a brief cameo last episode but I wanted to dive deeper into creative styles that work in difficult times and if you should re-use old creative.What we covered in this episode:How Hovis proved the power of wear-in with an almost 5 StarCreative inspiration from an ad that is almost 50 years oldHow the romantic era is reflected in the Hovis adThe role of the right-brain in capturing attentionWhat covid taught us about creative wear-in vs wear-outThe accidental creative experiment that occurred during...
2022-11-2131 minUncensored CMORitson on Recession: what every marketer needs to knowStorm clouds continue to gather over the global economy. With the latest quarterly UK GDP figures released on November 11 and the US and other parts of the world also bracing for a recession, this special recording of System1’s webinar dives into how brands can navigate tough times.However, tough times also bring opportunity. As the late great F1 driver Ayrton Senna once said, ‘You cannot overtake 15 cars in sunny weather… but you can when it’s raining.’In possibly the most comprehensive study of recession, Nitin Nohria found that 9% of companies come out of a r...
2022-11-1456 minUncensored CMOHow entertainment, brand mascots and creative testing delivered a winner for Tourism Australia - Susan CoghillSusan Coghill is the Marketing Director at Tourism Australia and they've got one of the best performing ads on the System1 database, with their new campaign "G'Day". But this wasn't without taking some risks, such as introducing a new brand mascot, getting high profile stars to feature and producing a 9 minute film.Watch the ad here.What we covered in this episode:Why Susan has the best job in the WorldHow to set KPI’s for a tourism brandWhy Tourism Australia kept advertising through the pandemicWhat System1 learnt about advertising during covidWinning the only Ef...
2022-11-0852 minUncensored CMOHow the world’s best leaders lead with speed - Sophie DevonshireSophie is the CEO of The Marketing Society and the author of Superfast: Lead at Speed, in which she offers insight into energy management, purposeful leadership, and keeping pace with breakneck innovation. She is also a passionate advocate of flex work as the future of effective companies, and regularly speaks about innovative approaches to balance business and family life. Her career began at Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola Great Britain, Interbrand, and then Leo Burnett Dubai. She went on to become CEO of The Caffeine Partnership, an innovative consultancy helping leaders with purpose and pace. Most recently, in July 2020, Sophie...
2022-11-0144 minUncensored CMOWhy reach-based media planning is broken and how to fix it - Karen Nelson-FieldProfessor Karen Nelson-Field is Founder and CEO of Amplified Intelligence, and Professor of Media Innovation at The University of Adelaide. Karen is a globally acclaimed researcher in media science, is a regular speaker on the major circuits, including Cannes and SXSW, and has secured research funding from some of the world’s largest advertisers. Her first book, Viral Marketing: the science of sharing, set the record straight on hunting for ‘viral success’. Her most recent book The Attention Economy and How Media Works explains the stark reality of human attention processing in advertising. Karen’s commercial work combines tech and inno...
2022-10-2428 minUncensored CMOWhy all car adverts are the same - Kirsten Stagg, SkodaNow, a topic in this episode very close to my heart. Why are car ads all so bad? I spoke with Kirsten Stagg from Skoda, who's the UK Marketing Director and has made some pretty good ads herself. In fact, Skoda are responsible for the best ad on the System1 database. We also talk a lot about the move to electric vehicles, the biggest revolution since the combustion engine. How do we get more people into electric vehicles over from petrol? And what are the car industry doing to save the planet? So, no shortage of big questions in...
2022-10-1242 minUncensored CMOCan marketing save the planet? - Leo Rayman, Eden LabLeo is the founder of Eden Lab, a new kind of consultancy and venture studio, they don't just advise on how to win in the Net Zero future, they build it with you. He's the former CEO and Chief Strategy Officer of ad agency Grey London, founder of Grey Consulting, speaker, writer and start-up mentor.He believes businesses can help shape the planet for the better. To do that he says we need to invent - and reinvent - companies for a post-carbon world. He scouts, designs and assembles new business models, products and services that actively...
2022-09-2237 minUncensored CMOHow a great culture led to creativity at KFC - Meghan Farren, KFC CMOMeghan Farren spent 10 years at KFC UK, spending the last 5 as CMO. What does it take to run a marketing department of one of the biggest consumer brands? What do you do when you run out of chicken as a fast food chicken joint? How do you change your strapline when it involves licking fingers during a global pandemic? And how a strong culture is pivotal for all this creativity to happen.What we covered in this episodeGoing back to KFC after a year - back to school vibeThe realness of working in a KFC...
2022-09-1342 min