ICS Podcast: Everything Digital

How do you market to someone who isn’t looking to buy — or even to engage?In this episode, Elliot Colburn from Samaritans joins us to talk about marketing without a product, and what it really takes to reach people in a meaningful way.We explore how to connect with difficult-to-reach audiences, communicate sensitive topics responsibly, and build campaigns that prioritise trust over clicks.A different kind of marketing conversation — and one that challenges a lot of what we think we know.

Ever wondered how to conduct a clinical trial to enhance your brands marketing strategy? In this episode, we step away from our usual discussions to explore a fascinating intersection of marketing and academia. We're joined by Dr. Andrea Utley, a Reader in Motor Control and Learning and Development at the University of Leeds.Dr. Utley shares expert insights into how brands can best collaborate with academic institutions to test product efficacy. We delve into the strategic use of academic research in mainstream media and how Digital PR practitioners can leverage this approach.Prepare to gain new, valuable perspectives on a powerful, often overlooked, side of marketing.

With a focus on authentic content, trust and search strategies that respond to customer intent, Fletchers Group Head of SEO & Content Charlotte Rennox discusses the essential SEO and content strategies legal sector organisations need to prioritise in 2026. A must-listen.

Martin Calvert is joined by Danielle Escaro, Content Marketing Manager at Oncrawl, to discuss 2026 technology content strategy. They cover working with external contributors, building an editorial workflow, the enduring value of blog content, tackling "audience amnesia," and the role of community and authenticity in content marketing.

Travel marketing and customer experience at the forefront of this podcast featuring Rachel Bell, Sales and Marketing Director at Lake District Estates. With a focus on technology trends, long term vs reactive planning and the power of first party data to maximise customer relationship management in the age of AI, this is a wide ranging discussion.

This episode is a deep dive into the ultra-competitive world of PR and content for iGaming affiliates. Eugene shares the lessons from his time at UEFA and how he's brought his commitment to quality sports journalism and relationship-building to the world of international iGaming with SEOBROTHERS

Ahead of ITB Berlin, ICS digital PR expert Grace Taylor-Clarke discusses the essential elements of PR for travel, tourism and hospitality brands. From building relationships with journalists,creative ideation and de-risking campaigns to the appeal of 'dream publications', SEO benefits and measuring impact, this is a packed episode

Sitebulb marketing manager Jojo Furnival talks with ICS' Martin Calvert about 2026 SEO trends, tech SEO's role in AI visibility, the soft skills SEO professionals need to know and community-focused marketing in SaaS - a must-listen!

Becoming a successful exporter takes ambition, tenacity and insight. In this episode Export Advisor Robin Hill shares his personal perspectives on the key elements of international growth, while outlining the resources available to UK brands from the Department for Business and Trade's Export Academy.

Benjamin Houy joins Elena Bunbury to talk about his journey from building a B2C language-learning brand to launching a new AI-driven B2B venture. From helping millions learn French to helping PR professionals understand how brands appear in AI search, Benjamin shares insights on entrepreneurship, pivoting between audiences, and what “good content” really means in the age of ChatGPT.

Nedko Geshev and Danislav Gurbalov - the CCO and CMO of ActivTrades - discuss their approach to building a high performing marketing team, and working across content, business intelligence, SEO, AI, brand *and* experiential marketing

For apps, games, software and print, translated content must fit - literally and figuratively - the design. In this episode, ICS' Dan Rennie talks with Martin Calvert about desktop publishing in 2025 and best practice.

Finance and trading is one of the most dynamic - and challenging - sectors for SEO. In this episode, Plus500's Lior Schneider shares his insights on everything from SEO prioritisation and planning, to content, AI and the future of search.

Finance sector SEO is back on the agenda with this episode featuring Qonto SEO expert Sergi Jordan. This week, Martin and Sergi discuss SEO methodologies in highly regulated sectors, the role SEO can play in startup growth and much more.

In this episode, Income Access' Cindy Cheung talks about the opportunities, risks and innovations she identifies within global affiliate marketing, with a special focus on the iGaming industry

In the hyper-competitive world of finance and trading, growth can't come at the cost of compliance. eToro's Stacey Onyido talks with ICS-digital's Martin Calvert about how marketers can create impactful campaigns without loading up on risk

Global affiliate marketing is on the agenda in this episode, with Affiliate World COO KJ Ur Rasool sharing key insights on SEO, content and picking the right industry niche for affiliate success

In this episode, uRoutine founder Ed Johnson talks about his experience across multiple startups, the importance of customer-first product development and growth strategies that brands of all sizes need to hear about.

This episode is all about practical steps for content-driven SEO, with a focus on B2B SaaS companies. Chima shares her experience leading content initiatives for Moz and other tech brands with clear insights for marketers, SEOs and content specialists - including discussion of the future of AI, the major content missteps brands need to avoid and much more

In this episode, Loqbox CMO Dani Palmer discusses how empathetic and educative content can bring customers closer. With plenty of insights for B2C and B2B finance marketers, this episode is a must-listen

In this episode, Head of Influencer Marketing Martina Lovrinov reveals the essential elements of a high performing influencer campaign, the power of authenticity and key metrics

Kopparberg UK Brand Manager, Nancy Dales, joins for a deep-dive into all things brand strategy, audience targeting, PR and more. This episode is full of tips around resonating with different demographics, and is perfect for brand marketers both on the brand or agency side.

FXStreet co-CEO Pere Monguió talks about the growth of the brand, establishing trust with savvy audiences in finance and the nature of 2025 content and SEO - a must-listen for marketers in highly competitive sectors.

In this episode, Ruggable Marketing Director Charlotte Ford discusses the foundations of a winning influencer marketing strategy, the power of authentic content and how to craft meanginful campaigns with multi-channel impact.

Influencer marketing expert Natalia Chappell discusses the key methodologies for a winning influencer campaign in 2025.

From business leaders like Jo Malone to entertainment icons like Brian Cox, BBC Maestro course teachers come from all sorts of backgrounds. In this podcast, head of marketing Louise Boyd talks about the evolving e-learning space, connecting with multiple audiences and the marketing methodologies that have supported the brand's growth.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->Customer experience expert Michael Brandt joins us to discuss the power of CX in 2025 and the need to use customer insight to drive practical action. From qualitative and quantitative measurement to the importance of 'closing the loop' with customers, this episode outlines how the voice of the customer can become part of everyday business life

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->In this episode , Currency.com's Steve Gregory talks about the world of currency and crypto trading, and the specifics of this hyper-competitive niche within finance. From digital acquisition methodologies to discussion of key customer audiences, there's lots to get to grips with whether you're a seasoned finance marketer, or just looking for inspiration from one of the world's fastest moving industry sectors.

In this episode, Institute of Translation and Interpreting Chief Executive Sara Robertson discusses some truly big topics - ethics in translation, machine vs human capabilities, formal vs informal language qualifications and the powerful role industry bodies can play in setting and increasing standards to power global growth.

In this episode, Affiverse's Leanna Klyne gives a rundown of the essential elements of a high-performing affiliate marketing program in 2025. Covering technology, building relationships, and how affiliates and brands can build trust with one another, there's plenty to get to grips with.

What are the key SEO strategies to focus on in highly competitive industries? In this episode, global SEO expert Marta Szmidt shares her experience from the iGaming and education sectors, focusing in on the onsite and offsite methods that drive success.

In this episode, Jenni Ashwood - Head of Marketing at Yorkshire-based single malt whiskey distillery, Spirit of Yorkshire - shares educational insights into the history of the family-run distillery as well as the marketing principles that reflect the dynamic nature of how the business is run. Jenni delves into topics around the evolution of brand identity, building trust and brand loyalty amongst key target demographics, the technical and regulatory nuances of exporting to new international markets successfully, and much more.

Luke is joined by Emily Nuttall, Head of Content at Leeds-based ballet powerhouse, Northern Ballet. In this wide-ranging episode, Emily gives us an overview of the history of Northern Ballet, and shares unique perspectives on how the company is maintaining its historic legacy as a ballet, whilst also carefully evolving its brand, marketing, its performances, and its accessibility offering to cater for more modern audiences as well as more diverse audiences. Emily delves into how this is reflected in their social media targeting, as well as imparting wisdom around how they handled the pandemic, the importance of authenticity, the value of visuals, and how Northern Ballet is leveraging technology to bring ballet to its audiences in their homes.

With Black Friday drawing closer, online retailers are pulling out all the stops to prepare for the frenzy of shoppers who aim to capitalise on the year’s biggest shopping event. To help you get the most out of your sites this year, we’ve compiled our essential tips for purchase optimisation.

In this episode, Catrinel Ciplea shares her framework for developing practical SEO strategies and explains which departments SEO professionals need to make friends with - and why. Drawing on Pirate's ultra-focused and local-SEO-centric approach to growing rankings, Catrinel's insights shouldn't be missed.

Digital PR Director Laura Smith shares specific industry insights on home and garden marketers in this episode. Covering tips to underpin creative campaigns that drive SEO, as well as product-led seasonal pushes, this wide-ranging episode is packed with useful information.

In this episode, Hoppa Head of SEO Alex Galinos discusses international SEO best practice, the nature of 'Helpful Content' in transportation and other sectors, off-site SEO and much more.

Pirsonal CEO Josias De La Espada Sempris is our guest this week, talking about how personalisation in marketing - and internal - communications can be a difference maker. Covering the value of video in 2024, scaling communication strategies and Pirsonal's growth, this is a wide-ranging episode.

Baresquare founder Georgios Grigoriadis is our guest in this episode, discussing how data science, AI, and ecommerce are converging. With examples from Baresquare's progress from startup to AI innovator, there's plenty of food for thought for anyone pondering the future of data in marketing.

CEO and co-founder Patrick Hathaway discusses the creation of renowned SEO tool Sitebulb, its growth among SEO agency teams and the present day offering which is finding new levels of popularity among in-house teams. This episode is a must-listen for anyone with an interest in practical SEO in the context of successive Google Updates, and how to build a customer-centric tech product.

The Biskery co-founder Saskia Roskam talks about her move from digital agency life to starting a bespoke biscuit brand, the emotional power of personalised gifting, data sources and inspiration for entrepreneurs, SEO surprises and much more

Ammunition's Chief Strategy Officer Heilpern covers the setup of integrated campaigns for multi-touch sales cycles and the benefits of using real time analytics to inform the strategy. Covering media team skillsets, reporting frameworks and the wider media marketing mix, this episode is full of insights for all marketers.

In this episode, Dan Rennie and Carla Lopes discuss all things legal translation, such as how approaching such content differs from other types of translation, the vital importance of legal expertise and what challenges legal translation poses from both a linguistic and project management perspective.

Pernod Ricard's Global Ecommerce Leader Stuart Heffernan discusses channel marketing, brand guardianship, the interplay between local and global teams, paid vs organic media and much much more in this episode - essential listening for FMCG and drinks sector marketers

In this episode, the China British Business Council's Ben Rotheram discusses the essential elements of business in China - from the sectors booming in demand and demographic trends to IP and the key role of translation, there's crucial info for all exporters

Privacy policies, data management, CRM, and digital strategy more generally are highly interlinked in 2024. In this episode, Termageddon founders Donata Stroink-Skillrud and Hans Skillrud discuss the opportunities that come with taking privacy seriously - while introducing their very cool platform.

Covering the A to Z of account-based marketing, Julie and Martin talk about enterprise sales, personalisation, applications of AI and much more with great insights for any B2B marketer.

This episode is all about specialisation and the power of deep industry expertise. Tom Bartholomew talks to Martin about the essential elements of local SEO, Google Ads and web design and CRM in a highly specific niche - roofing. Listen now to get fresh perspectives on your industry.

Finalrentals founder Ammar Akhtar is in conversation with Martin this week, talking about international growth, the importance of product and personal relationships with buyers. A recognised exporting leader, Ammar has great perspectives for anyone looking to grow globally in the travel sector and beyond.