Shows
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastHow Zoe is challenging the food industry and reshaping health culture | Sara Gordon (General Manager at Zoe)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Sara Gordon, general manager at Zoe and a specialist in brand positioning and growth. From helping scale Bloom & Wild to advising global health tech teams, Sara shares how customer insight, clear positioning, and emotional relevance drive long-term success. This one’s full of smart, practical thinking about what really makes brands grow.Key takeaways▶ Positioning isn’t a tagline; it’s how your brand helps people make progress in their lives.▶ Jobs to be done interviews...2025-07-1449 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastHow to scale retail media without losing control or clarity | Katrina Smart (V{of Digital Commerce, Europe at Mars United Commerce)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright sits down with Katrina Smart, Head of Digital Commerce at Mars United Commerce. They explore how retail media is evolving into a more sophisticated, full-funnel discipline. Katrina shares her perspective on global frameworks, the rise of in-store digitalisation, new measurement approaches, and how brands can prepare for the future of retail media.Key takeaways▶ Retail media has moved beyond conversion to support brand building, requiring brands to adopt a more holistic approach across teams.▶ The most successful brands create consistent global fram...2025-06-3037 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastHow smart CMOs are changing how they measure success | Azlan Raj (EMEA CMO at dentsu)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Azlan Raj, CMO for Merkle and Dentsu across EMEA. Named one of the UK’s most influential marketers, Azlan shares how he helps global brands turn complexity into progress. The conversation covers the changing role of the CMO, how to measure meaningful progress, the shift back toward brand-building, and how to apply AI in a practical, human way.Key takeaways▶ CMOs must blend brand, data, growth and creativity to lead effectively▶ The right metrics drive better...2025-06-1741 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastRetail media without the hype: what really works | Matt Higgins (Managing Partner at Dentsu) and Ash White (Managing Partner at Dentsu)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, hosts Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Matt Higgins and Ash White, managing partners at Dentsu’s Addressable Media and Total Commerce units. Together, they explore the fast-evolving world of retail media, from its roots in Amazon to its expansion across major UK retailers. With years of experience guiding brands through media transformation, Matt and Ash unpack the changing role of creative, measurement, and collaboration in retail media today.Key takeaways▶ Amazon remains central, but UK retailers are quickly building sophisticated media offe...2025-05-2649 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastWhy brands fail at innovation (and how to fix it) | Bella Noakes, Innovation Director at Publicis MediaIn this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly speak with Bella Noakes, innovation director at Next Tech Now, the specialist innovation arm of Publicis Media. Bella shares how she helps bridge the gap between big brands and startup tech, delivering practical innovation that solves real brand problems. We talk audio, AI, dynamic creative, and what makes experimentation work.Key takeaways▶ Innovation needs purpose, not just buzz▶ Audio is becoming more personal and interactive▶ Dynamic creative helps brands reach the right people▶ Face-to-face time builds better p...2025-05-1236 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastTurning around a 250-year-old brand in decline | Sophie Rock (Head of Brand at Wilkinson Sword)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright is joined by Sophie Rock, head of brand at Wilkinson Sword. Together, they unpack the bold repositioning of a 250-year-old brand, the thinking behind the Blade Masters campaign, and the real work involved in shifting a business out of long-term sales decline. Sophie shares her career journey, lessons from major brand projects, and how she stays focused when leading high-pressure transformations.Key takeaways▶ Why tackling fundamental brand problems starts with understanding the real consumer truth▶ How Wilkinson Sword repositioned arou...2025-04-2853 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastThe retail media tipping point: what’s changed, what’s next, and who’s winning | Tom Priestman (Director of Client Services at Nectar360)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, hosts Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Tom Priestman, Director of Client Services at Nectar360. With experience across Colgate, Meta, and now Nectar360, Tom shares what he’s learned from working on the brand, platform, and retailer sides of the marketing world. The conversation explores retail media’s rapid rise, why it works differently from other channels, and how brands of all sizes can make the most of it.-------------Key takeaways▶ Retail media has grown from shopper marketing into a strate...2025-04-1439 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastMarketing without the fluff: what actually drives brand growth | Lottie Unwin (Founder and CEO of Up Collective)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly speak with Lottie Unwin, founder and CEO of Up Collective, which includes Upworld, Up Talent, and Brand Hackers. Lottie is a marketer, community builder, and champion of entrepreneurial talent. She shares how she built a 1,000+ marketing community, what she's learned leading a remote-first team, and why communication strategy, not channels, is the real secret to brand growth. From lessons in leadership to the power of building in public, this episode is packed with honest insights and practical advice for anyone in marketing today.2025-03-3146 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastFrom agency life to AI and academia: the marketing lessons Gio Pupo wants you to know | Gio Pupo (Founder, Educator and Host of A Glass of Marketing)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright speaks with Giovanni Pupo, a seasoned digital marketing leader with experience across both agencies and client-side. Gio led e-commerce for Lipton across Europe for a number of years before leaving to dedicate full time to teaching, keynote speaking, and content creation. He shares insights on navigating a marketing career, the evolving role of AI, the importance of media skills, and why marketers need to balance creativity with data-driven decision-making.Key takeaways▶ Marketing is shifting from ‘mad men’ to ‘math men’ – C...2025-03-1746 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastWhat leading media at P&G taught Gerry D’Angelo about trust, data and AI | Gerry D’Angelo (Former VP of Global Media at Procter & Gamble)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, hosts Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Gerry D’Angelo, former VP of Global Media at Procter & Gamble. With over 30 years in the media industry, including leadership roles at Samsung, Mondelez, and Sky, Gerry shares his insights on how media buying, agency relationships, and brand building have evolved. From his early career in agencies to overseeing one of the largest media budgets in the world, Gerry reflects on key career moments, the role of serendipity, and the challenges brands face in an AI-driven marketing landscape....2025-03-031h 00
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastHow Reckitt turned digital marketing into a business driver, not just a media cost | Sameer Amin (Global Director of Data-Driven Marketing and Media at Reckitt)In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Sameer Amin, Vice President of Data-Driven Marketing and Media at Reckitt. Sameer shares how he helped Reckitt transition from a TV-first media strategy to a data-driven, digital-first approach. He explains the importance of moving beyond reach to focus on relevance, improving digital ROI, and implementing a responsible first-party data strategy. The conversation also dives into the role of AI in marketing, showing how automation is reshaping campaign execution and decision-making.Key takeaways:▶ Reckitt’s sh...2025-02-2057 min
Beyond the Brand - the Sampl podcastHow Superdrug built a retail media business from scratch inside a high street giant | Paul Stafford (Head of Retail Media at AS Watson)In this debut episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly are joined by Paul Stafford, Head of Retail Media at A.S. Watson, to explore the fast-growing world of retail media. Paul and his team have launched Optimo, Superdrug’s new retail media network—a huge feat in an increasingly competitive space.They discuss the opportunities and challenges of building a media platform inside a major retailer, how brands can tap into first-party data for performance marketing, and why retail media is here to stay. If you're in brand marketing, e-commerce, or digi...2025-02-0345 min