Marketing Meetup Podcast

This webinar explored how marketers can use AI more sustainably through better prompt engineering, right-sizing AI models, and understanding their AI supply chain. We cover the environmental impact of large language models, data centre energy use, and how tracking prompt efficiency acts as a sustainability intervention. Topics include conscious creativity, digital carbon footprint, work footprint, and practical steps for reducing AI energy consumption at work.Every time AI comes up in a marketing conversation, someone asks: "But what about the planet?" This webinar is the answer to that question.Seb Royce, Creative and Communications Partner at Eden Lab, joined us as someone who's been sitting with this tension for years. He loves AI. He uses it every day. But he's also a marketer who audited his own work footprint, took a course at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership, and came out the other side with a framework he actually uses. Not a list of things to feel guilty about. A practical way of thinking about the choices you're already making.Timestamps:00:00 - Progress Not Energy Stats01:22 - Introducing Seb Royce03:56 - State of Sustainability Now13:38 - AI and the Environment17:17 - Should We Worry18:27 - Right-Sizing AI Models22:58 - Writing Better Prompts25:58 - Your AI Supply Chain29:53 - Q&A Begins33:44 - Persuading Colleagues36:01 - Tracking AI Usage43:02 - AI Search vs Legacy Search44:58 - Risk Reward and the Guinness Ad50:13 - Final ThoughtsWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9The Marketing Meetup thrives for many reasons, but one of the crucial reasons we're able to do what we do is because we have the support of some incredible individuals from some equally inspiring companies. Below is the list of our partners in crime: our amigos. All we have to say is a big, massive, thank you.Cambridge Marketing College – The place to go for marketing qualifications (CIM, CIPR) and marketing apprenticeships. Cambridge Marketing College have supported us since day one, and are an unbelievably kind bunch of people.Frontify – The Frontify DAM simplifies brand workflows so marketing teams can deliver engaging experiences on a global scale, fast.Planable – Planable keeps your content in one calm place. It gives everything one home — what's going out, what's being tweaked, what's scheduled, and what's still an idea.Mailchimp – The leading platform to help you grow your audience, improve automation, and prove ROI more clearly.Wistia – A complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.Prismic – A CMS designed for content teams that move quickly and scale without creating more mess.Canva – An online design and publishing tool with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere.

Dan, a creative director, copywriter, and author, shares his 12 filters for creating quality content at scale. This video covers practical content strategy tips and copywriting insights to help you grow your audience on LinkedIn without chasing the algorithm.Discover how antiviral thinking, signature series, and creating for yourself first can transform your digital marketing efforts, improve your writing consistency, and build a personal brand that actually leads to better work and clients.Key topics include:- Why your target audience should always be yourself first, and what that actually means in practice- Antiviral thinking: how ignoring virality and focusing on one person leads to better, more consistent work- The "inside outer" concept and why authenticity is now a genuine creative advantage- Signature series and campaign thinking as a way to create quality content faster and more consistently- Quality over quantity: why one good piece of content a week beats three average ones every time- Overcoming the fear of posting online, and why most of the judgment you're worried about never actually comesTimestamps:00:00 Introduction02:47 Dan's story09:03 Social media as a tool16:54 Create for yourself21:50 Antiviral thinking28:39 Quality over quantity35:01 Signature series43:01 Overcoming fear of posting51:19 Q&AWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Canva - An online design and publishing tool with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Intuit Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they've been longtime friends of TMM!).Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

Going freelance or fractional sounds like freedom. But there's a lot between handing in your notice and building something that actually works. In this webinar, Luan Wise, Steve Folland and Ayo Abbas joined us to share what they wish they'd known before making the jump, covering everything from choosing your title to finding your first clients and setting a rate you can stand behind.Between them, they bring decades of real experience running their own businesses as marketing consultants and freelancers. The conversation covers the parts that rarely come up in how-to guides. The identity shift when you go solo. The discomfort of quoting your rate. The contracts and the admin. And why having more than one client matters far more than most people realise when they're just starting out.Key topics include:Why the words freelance, consultant and fractional signal very different things to clients, and how to choose the one that fits the work you want to doHow Luan, Steve and Ayo found their first clients, and the role that old contacts, referrals and consistent visibility each playedSetting a rate for the first time and why knowing your own value stays uncomfortable even with years of experience behind youThe business admin that catches people off guard, including contracts, IR35, scope creep and keeping proper financial recordsWhy spreading your work across multiple clients from the start is a protective strategy, not just a nice-to-haveHow AI is shifting what clients expect from consultants, and how to position your expertise alongside itTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction04:00 - Choosing your title13:00 - Perception and identity22:00 - Making the transition30:00 - Finding clients40:00 - Setting your rate50:00 - AI and your business56:00 - Audience Q&AWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify — all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Canva - an online design and publishing tool with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere - it's our go-to design software.Mailchimp — the all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they've been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College — the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable — the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content. It's how we keep our social scheduling calm and organised. Wistia — a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.Prismic — the CMS and landing page builder that powers scalable content infrastructure for modern Marketing teams.

Most of us know we should be showing up on LinkedIn. The problem isn't motivation. It's that the whole idea of "personal branding" feels performed, fake, and a bit exhausting.In this webinar, Phil, founder of a personal branding agency, joined us to talk about how to build a real LinkedIn presence without losing yourself in the process. He covered how often to actually post, why your objective matters more than your content format, and what he tells clients who are resistant to the whole thing.Key topics include:Why "personal branding" makes people's skin crawl and what to do insteadHow to figure out your posting frequency based on your actual objective, not best practiceThe content formats Phil sees working right now, including lead gen posts, celebrations, and hot takesUsing AI as a thinking aid rather than a writing replacementHow to encourage a team to build their personal profiles without forcing itThe one mindset shift Phil recommends if you want to show up better on LinkedInTimestamps:00:00 - Why personal branding feels cringe02:46 - Phil's take on authenticity at work08:18 - What personal brand actually means11:01 - Headspace and motivation for LinkedIn14:28 - How much time is realistic to give24:20 - Content formats that work right now31:43 - Community Q&A begins38:29 - How to use AI without losing your voice43:33 - Who to follow for inspiration47:03 - Getting your team to post51:11 - Building your LinkedIn profile from scratch54:32 - The one change to make todayWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they've been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

In this webinar, Charlie Marchant, CEO of Exposure Ninja, joined James to break down what's actually happening in AI search right now and what marketers can do about it. From the difference between mentions, citations and sources, to building a GEO strategy from scratch, Charlie made a complex topic practical and approachable.The conversation covered how AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are changing the way brands get found online, why ranking on Google page one no longer guarantees visibility in AI answers, and how smaller teams can compete by being creative rather than outspending bigger brands.Oh, and here's Planable's super useful resource: https://planable.io/blog/how-ai-uses-social-media-data/?utm_medium=creators&utm_source=webinar&utm_content=tmmKey topics include:The difference between mentions, citations and sources in AI search resultsHow to use Google Analytics to track which AI platforms are already driving traffic and conversionsWhy 85% of AI brand mentions come from third party websites, not your ownHow to use original data, interactive tools and niche content to show up in AI answersHow to explain declining traffic to senior stakeholders by reframing around conversionsWhy brand positioning statements directly influence how AI describes your businessTimestamps:00:00 Introduction03:00 Mentions, citations and sources explained08:00 SEO vs GEO14:00 Where to start with a GEO strategy22:00 Content types wasting time vs working well32:00 Third party sources and original data42:00 Explaining traffic decline to leadership52:00 Brand positioning and AI visibility58:00 Q&AWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they've been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.Canva - an online design and publishing tool, with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere.

Website traffic is down. AI Overviews are answering questions before anyone clicks. For marketers who have relied on search for growth, this feels unsettling.In this session, Ryan Law (director of content marketing, Ahrefs) joins Joe to break down what’s driving the decline (hello AI overviews), what’s still working, and the practical moves to make right now - from content refreshing to business potential, research-led content, and platform-native social distribution.Key topics include:- Why AI overviews can cut click-through rate even when you rank number one- How to prioritise content refreshing and spot pages that are quietly bleeding traffic- Title tests, keyword tweaks, and filling topic gaps to improve rankings and clicks- Using business potential to choose topics that naturally lead to your product- The three content archetypes performing best right now research thought leadership trending topics- Social distribution tactics that drive reach without forcing people off platform⸻Timestamps:00:00 The state of website traffic in 202607:00 The real impact of AI Overviews13:00 Content refreshing strategies22:00 Scoring topics by business potential26:00 Research and thought leadership32:00 Social distribution and LinkedIn tactics38:00 Q&A and practical advice⸻Watch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9⸻Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they’ve been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

You can have all the tools in the world… and still feel like your day disappears into pings, meetings, and status chasing. This session is about getting that time back with simple, repeatable habits that actually stick.Joe is joined by Dani Spires, VP of digital at Asana, to unpack the biggest productivity drains teams face right now and how to fix them with clearer processes, better meeting discipline, and AI that supports (rather than amplifies) chaos.Key topics include:- Why AI can create more “work about work” if you layer it onto broken processes- How to build focus time rituals that work across whole teams (not just individuals)- A practical way to stop reactive Slack pings by enforcing a clear intake and escalation process- Using AI for research, synthesis, first drafts, routing and summaries while keeping strategy and judgement human- Meeting rules that save hours: agendas, outcomes, documented decisions, and when to confidently decline- How to create clarity by tying work to impact and making ad hoc requests self-serveTimestamps:00:00 Building a personal AI assistant02:24 Where teams waste time most05:07 Protecting focus from constant pings10:01 Staying organised outside of work12:09 AI agents in real workflows18:04 Meetings that actually work35:03 Finding clarity through impactWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they’ve been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

If your paid budget is shrinking, every click suddenly feels personal. And when Google Ads keeps changing, it’s easy to lose confidence in what’s actually driving results.In this session, Joe is joined by Rebecca Pilkington, Head of PPC at Exposure Ninja, to break down what modern PPC looks like in 2026 - from fixing tracking and improving signal quality, to using guardrails, feeding lead quality back into Google, and deciding when to go manual vs letting automation learn.Key topics include:- How to audit the last 90 days to spot wasted spend in locations, devices, audiences, and non-converting queries- The tracking essentials in 2026 including GA4, consent mode v2, server-side tracking, and why it all impacts performance- How to feed offline lead quality and revenue back into Google Ads using offline conversions and enhanced conversions for leads- What AI Max actually is (and isn’t) plus when to avoid it if your landing pages aren’t strong- How to approach a slashed budget by stripping campaigns back to high-intent keywords, tighter themes, and better landing pages- What to look for when spam leads appear and how to troubleshoot match types, intent, and optimisation signalsTimestamps:00:00 Finding wasted spend fast03:30 Efficiency and signal quality in 202607:20 Tracking changes you can’t ignore10:50 Feeding CRM data back into Google15:55 What AI Max does in search20:45 Using PPC for full-funnel brand impact24:40 How to rebuild when budgets get cut32:00 Starting PPC without big datasets41:50 When to trust automation53:10 Handling spam leads and learning periods57:05 Choosing the right PPC partnerWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they’ve been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

Email and SMS work best as a duo, but only when the message is relevant, timed well, and earned through proper consent.In this session, Ali Wood (Head of Partnerships, UK & Ireland at Mailchimp) breaks down how to use SMS alongside email to create a more joined-up customer journey, from getting phone-number opt-ins (without being creepy) to segmentation, automation triggers, and what’s coming next with RCS (Rich Communication Services) and WhatsApp.We cover when SMS is a great fit (nudges, reminders, transactional updates), when email does the heavy lifting (story, detail, trust), and how to avoid turning your audience into full-time “STOP” typers.Key topics include: • Email vs SMS: what each channel is best for • How to collect phone numbers (quizzes, surveys, value exchange) • Segmentation beyond demographics (behaviour, intent, price sensitivity) • Automations: welcome, cart abandonment, VIP flows, reminders • Compliance essentials: consent, unsubscribe, timing rules • RCS: “SMS on steroids” (verified sender, rich media, buttons) • Q&A: emotional response to SMS, best send times, pop-ups that don’t convert______Timestamps:00:00 SMS marketing overview03:20 Email vs SMS marketing10:43 SMS automation examples11:42 SMS opt-in & list growth14:33 SMS segmentation & testing25:16 SMS compliance, timing & RCS29:50 Q&A: SMS marketing in practice_______Watch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9_______Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they’ve been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

AI is moving fast and many marketers are trying to keep up while still doing… everything else.In this session, Kirsty Fraser and Rich Crossley from Movable Ink break down what “AI for marketers” means (beyond the hype), and how to use it to do more with less - without losing the human bit that makes marketing work in the first place.You’ll learn the difference between machine learning, agentic AI, and autonomous marketing, why strategy matters more than tactics, and how AI can help you shift from fixed campaign calendars to responsive, individual journeys. We also dig into what “true personalisation” really looks like (and how to avoid crossing the line into “helpful vs creepy”).If you’re an AI explorer trying to become a builder - or you’re leading a team and want a sane approach to AI literacy, governance, and guardrails - this one’s for you.CHAPTERS0:00 Intro + speakers (Kirsty Fraser + Rich Crossley)2:40 What is School of AI (and how to join)4:40 Where are you on your AI journey? (skeptic → pro)7:30 Why AI literacy isn’t optional now10:30 UK vs US: AI + customer journey mapping14:20 The AI foundation: machine learning → agentic → autonomous19:00 From chatbot era to “AI teammate”23:10 Strategy over tactics: breaking the old playbook27:30 Case study: Currys + Black Friday personalisation32:20 AI is the engine — you’re the steering wheel36:10 Segmentation trap vs true personalisation41:30 AI + jobs: why marketers aren’t being replaced46:00 “Start small” + guardrails + helpful vs creepy49:20 Q&A: moving from explorer to builder52:30 Q&A: governance, privacy, and what not to put in⸻TODAY'S GUESTSMovable Ink: https://movableink.com/Kirsty Fraser | Senior Director @ Movable Ink : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstyfraser80/Rich Crossley | Senior Product Marketing Manager @ Movable Ink: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richacrossley/⸻STAY IN THE LOOPJoin a community where connection, learning and support come first at over 200 events per year worldwide. You are very much invited 🙂👉 Sign up to The Marketing Meetup newsletter: https://themarketingmeetup.com/newsletter/⸻FOLLOW & JOIN THE CONVERSATIONInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarketingmeetup/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-meetup

If you’ve ever wrapped a webinar and thought, “Was that actually engaging… or did people just show up?” – this session is for you.Wistia and The Marketing Meetup are teaming up for a practical, eye-opening conversation about how to do more with less when it comes to webinars-fewer tools, fewer guess-and-check moments, and more clarity on what’s really working.In this live session, we dig into:How to track engagement that matters (not just the metrics that look good on a slide), so you can focus on what drives results without extra effort.Simple, repeatable tactics we use to keep hundreds of attendees actively involved. Not just listening, but participating.How deeper analytics unlock better decisions, including what we’ve learned since shifting from Zoom to Wistia for a more streamlined webinar workflow.You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of how to measure your audiences’ behaviour, what keeps them engaged, and how to design webinars that feel more like conversations, all while getting more impact from the time and resources you already have.************************************************************************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

Rory Sutherland is a whirlwind, but one we love to chat with at The Marketing Meetup!In this session, the concept was simple:- Rory presents some initial thoughts- Then we take some questions from the communityFor those of you who know Rory (and I'm guessing a large amount do!), this is a really entertaining and useful session with one of the industry's most treasured folks.For those of you who don't yet: Rory is a TED main stage speaker, Ogilvy's vice-chairman, and TikTok's favourite "marketing uncle" (not our words!) with millions of folks tuning into his thoughts.************************************************************************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN – your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

Getting buy-in for marketing is often harder than doing the marketing itself. So how are other teams actually doing it?In this webinar, two senior marketers and two finance leaders co-present how they work together to get marketing funded, trusted, and seen as a growth driver.You’ll learn: • The three biggest reasons marketing and finance clash • How to translate campaigns into simple financial models finance can trust • How to build a shared definition of “value” (brand, pipeline, revenue, margin) • What good forecasting looks like when marketing runs in delay • Practical scorecards, budget rhythms and templates you can steal • Real-world examples from agencies and B2B SaaS (Genio, Suprpwr, Profit Sprout)Perfect if you’re a marketer who needs budget sign-off, or a finance leader who wants predictable growth without killing creativity.00:00 Why marketing + finance alignment matters03:43 Biggest blockers to buy-in07:47 Explaining budgets to finance12:31 Proving marketing’s value17:41 Forecasting both sides trust23:22 Alignment case study33:35 CAC, LTV + payback made simple40:05 Building one shared scorecard46:03 Key takeaways47:42 Q&A roundup************************************************************************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN – your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

Most marketers are drowning in tactics and short on time. This workshop gives you a calm, practical way to build a simple strategy you can actually use - even if you’re a solo marketer with limited budget, pressure from all sides, and no idea where to start.- Set a clear, useful goal you can measure (without needing a 40-page deck)- Identify the real customer problem and the idea you want to stick in their mind- Organise your tactics with a light-touch funnel so you know what to do — and what to say no toTIMESTAMPS00:00 — Welcome & intros01:20 — Why strategy feels harder than it should04:50 — What “bare minimum strategy” really means10:32 — The 3 questions every strategy must answer16:10 — Common strategy mistakes marketers make21:58 — Setting goals that actually guide decisions27:40 — How to choose the right metrics32:12 — Turning strategy into day-to-day actions37:45 — Live build: creating a minimum viable plan44:20 — Q&A: applying this to your business52:10 — Final thoughts & takeaway summary************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia - a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place.

Ryan Lisk from Hybrid Legal joins us to talk about the legal side of what marketers need to know about using AI in your work.There’s a consensus in marketing that “everyone’s using AI”. Whether that’s the case or not, we do all need to be aware of the potential legal impact of using AI. Especially with client work.So, we’ve got legal eagle Ryan Lisk (Founder of Hybrid Legal) coming to talk to us all about AI and the law. In the webinar, we cover…- Examples of where marketing and AI have gone wrong- Things marketers should be considering from a legal perspective when it comes to AI- How to use AI confidently without stepping into a legal minefield0:00 – Intro 0:50 – Meet Ryan 2:05 – Is AI content legal? 4:15 – The banana story 🍌 6:00 – Key legal risks 8:10 – Tools: Canva, ChatGPT, Adobe 11:25 – Client contracts 14:40 – Chatting AI with stakeholders 17:00 – Why policies matter 19:40 – Can AI replace lawyers? 21:00 – Final advice👇Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN – your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

Marketers talk a lot about emotional resonance and personalisation. But the reality is: most of us are still figuring out how to do it without crossing a line.In this conversation, Joe speaks with James Manderson from Braze about the tension many marketers feel between relevance, respect, and privacy.They explore:Why 95% of marketers say crafting emotionally resonant messaging is hardThe difference between “Hi {First Name}” and genuinely thoughtful personalisationHow to use first-party data in a way that feels human, not extractiveWhat trust looks like in practice — not theoryExamples of brands who walk this line wellThis isn’t about sentimentality. It’s about treating people like people, at scale.

AI is transforming how we gather insights, spot trends, and understand audiences. This session with Peter Weinberg, explores what’s possible now and what’s coming next.- The latest AI-driven approaches to research- How to separate useful insights from noise- Where AI helps — and where human judgement is still essential************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia - a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place.

Prompting feels like one of the #1 skills marketers are mastering in 2025. In this episode, Anna Carina Berkman, founder of Markitect, reveals how to turn simple text into powerful marketing results using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and more.Whether you’re struggling to get quality AI output or you’re just starting out, this deep dive covers the principles, examples, and frameworks that drive real marketing outcomes with AI.00:00 - Intro: Why Prompting Matters in 202501:22 - Meet Anna Carina Berkman, Founder at Markitect03:10 - What Is Prompting, Really?04:40 - Why Prompting Is the New Copywriting06:25 - The Coco Framework Explained (Clear, Outcome, Context, Options)09:15 - Examples of High-Converting AI Prompts12:50 - Lazy Prompting: Automating Great Results14:30 - Prompting Across Tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini)16:05 - Common Prompting Mistakes to Avoid17:45 - Building a Prompt Library for Your Team19:00 - Final Advice************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia - a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place.

Rory Hope, Head of EN Growth at HubSpot and Laura Lane, Head of Marketing Northern Europe at HubSpot join us to run through how the marketing landscape has changed.AI engines are beginning to shape what gets seen and what doesn’t. Marketers who adapt their strategies now will be in the strongest position as these systems become the norm.- How AI engines interpret and rank content- Practical tactics to future-proof your strategy- The balance between writing for humans and for machines

Social video remains the fastest-growing format, and AI can help marketers keep up with the demand for speed, quality, and creativity.- AI tools and workflows to speed up video production- How to keep content engaging and authentic- The future role of AI in social video storytellingPlease take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia - a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place.

AI isn’t just a tool — it’s a leadership challenge. This session is about how marketers can step up, influence adoption, and set the standard for responsible use.- How to make the case for AI to senior stakeholders- What good AI leadership looks like in practice- Building confidence in your team to experiment with and adopt AI*************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia - a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place.0:00 – Two types of people in AI 0:35 – The truth about most companies 1:10 – What “Mindhunter” taught me 2:40 – AI ≠ tools, it’s knowledge 4:00 – Why facts matter more than stories 5:05 – Marketers can lead the AI shift 6:10 – The secret power of semantics 7:35 – The real blockers to change 8:52 – Start small, not safe 9:50 – Final thoughts on AI strategy

Ross Simmonds is one of our most popular speakers and for good reason. His approach of using new technology and old-school marketing techniques makes him a truly effective marketer. Content still drives marketing, but AI is changing how we ideate, produce, and scale it. Learn how to blend creativity with technology without losing the human spark.Frameworks for integrating AI into your content processExamples of AI-assisted content that actually worksHow to keep content original and avoid the “AI blandness” trap*************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia - a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place.

Lauren Ingram joins us to explain how, in a world where traditional SEO feels seemingly outdated, brands can still be very visible in places like Chat GPT and other AI powered search results.Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is emerging as the next big shift in how content gets discovered. Understanding it now gives marketers an edge before it becomes table stakes.What AI visibility is and why it matters in 2025Practical ways to prepare your content and campaignsHow AI visibility could reshape search, discovery, and visibilityPlease take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia - a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place.

🎤 Crystal Carter – WixTalk Title: Lightning TalkAbout Crystal (written by Azeem Ahmad, SEO and International speaker):Crystal Carter is one of the most respected voices in the SEO space, who makes it her mission not just to continuously learn, but also to regularly give back to the community.Not only is she regularly invited to deliver top-rated sessions at events internationally, in her role as Head of SEO Communications at Wix, she leads initiatives such as podcasts, blogs, and other knowledge-sharing platforms to ensure the industry is kept up to date with the latest news.“She’s one of the brightest minds in the industry and isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo if needed.Those who’ve attended her sessions will note her signature style of storytelling, which helps to embed key concepts and principles in the mind of the audience. All in all, you don’t want to miss a Crystal Carter session.”00:00 - Intro 00:15 - Why LLM visibility matters 01:04 - Growth of AI platforms like DeepSeek and Gemini 02:26 - Google traffic decline vs LLM growth 03:45 - What this shift means for SEO 04:44 - Static vs search-augmented LLMs 05:48 - How to optimise for LLMs 06:55 - LLM optimisation isn’t just SEO 07:40 - Final thoughts and opportunity for marketers

Sarah Clarke, Business Director, Data & Strategy - UM Central (McCann), came to the Birmingham Marketing Meetup to discuss how we can approach marketing like bees.🐝 What if bees are better marketers than we are? In this eye-opening talk, you’ll learn how the explore vs exploit model of bees perfectly mirrors marketing strategy. Discover how loss aversion, probabilistic thinking, and the waggle dance can reshape how we think about ROI and long-term growth.👉 Packed with real client examples, psychology insights, and a metaphor that’ll stick with you forever.📌 Whether you’re building brand awareness or scaling performance, this will change how you see marketing.

🎤 Bronwen Foster-Butler – FinisterreTalk Title: Lightning TalkAbout Bronwen (written by El Etherington, TMM)"Bronwen is a force for good. With energy to ignite an audience, you can rely on her to bring inspiration, alongside a wealth of experience from working with brands such as Lululemon, Burberry, and Pangaia. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is a priority for Bronwen, alongside sustainability, which is key to Finisterre’s brand, and Bronwen’s role as CMO embraces this.An outdoor enthusiast (and snowboarding legend), you can find her at outdoor events across the country — and her meetings at Finisterre are often taken on a board in the sea.

In this session with our friends at Weglot, we learn about how to turn your content into a worldwide growth engine with practical tactics for international reach.We focus on how to;Adapt and future-proof your brand voice and guidelinesLocalise beyond translation to truly connectBuild a scalable workflow for consistent quality worldwide_________Take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.

Simon Morris is the VP of International Marketing at Adobe and was kind enough to have us in to find out more about how Adobe works.As the market leader, Adobe has a huge challenge to keep evolving and delivering for customers all over the world.In this interview, Simon talks about the importance of culture, creativity as well as their partnership with the Women's FA.

If you've ever bought a business card, chance are you will know about moo.com. They are at the birth of so many new businesses and new jobs, but this isn't just a story of how Richard built an amazing print company that thrives today. It is also a story of resilience, creativity and perseverance.

Naomi Walkland, CMO of MotorwayBuilding a team that delivers on targets and feels good to lead? That’s the kind of marketing leadership we’re all trying to nail.In this warm, wise and grounded session, Naomi Walkland , CMO at Motorway and former VP at Bumble , shared what she’s learned from growing global teams, scaling through IPOs, and holding onto kindness along the way.If you’re a CMO, Head of Marketing or just someone who cares deeply about leading well , this one’s for you.Take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.

Email’s Not Dead, But It’s Definitely Had a Glow-UpA TMM recap of “The School of Email Marketing” with Lauren and Frank from DotdigitalThis wasn’t about the perfect subject line formula or how many emojis are too many. Instead, Lauren and Frank gave us the real stuff. The kind of strategic, CRM-level thinking that helps marketing teams stop sending emails for the sake of it and start building long-term, revenue-generating relationships.Take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.

Marketing is a balancing act of creativity, data, and time. In a recent TMM webinar, Nick shared how AI isn’t here to take our jobs, but to give us back the time and brain space we need to focus on the things that matter, ideas, strategy, and creativity.Thanks to Our SponsorsHuge thanks to Frontify who helped make this possible. Also, big love to Cambridge Marketing College, Frontify, and Planable, you help make sessions like this happen.

We hear so much advice from folks these days about how to grow on social media, but a lot of it isn't grounded in a reality for people trying to build something from scratch.This session is different.A practical story from someone who has done it themselves recently. Rachael, the Founder and Company Director of Because of Marketing, a global digital marketing publication. Founded from her bedroom in July 2020, Because of Marketing has become a go-to source for the latest in marketing campaigns, industry news, and trends.This is her story of building a social following from the ground up. What worked, what didn’t, and what she’d do differently if she had to start again tomorrow.Take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.

Today, we spoke to Mel Barfield and Ben McKinney (Indie Business Club podcast and Copy Or Die copywriting agency) on how to stand out and grow your business as a freelancer or contractor. Whether you're already solo or pondering a career change, this session will be packed with tips and advice. We'll cover:- how to get started and stand out- pitfalls to watch out for!- why more people than ever are going solo- ways to grow when you're doing allllll the things--Take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.

Traditional search is dead!" - wellllll we don't agree with that, but we do know the opportunities in search have changed dramatically since generative-AI has come into play. In this webinar we'll cover:how SEO is changing and what you need to do about itactionable tips to get you started quickly on SEO in a AI search worldand as always, we'll have questions from the community (that's you!) 🙂Chima is Senior Content Marketing Manager at Moz and also runs her own content agency, Zenith Copy. Tim is Chief Marketing Officer at Ahrefs, offering SEO tools to help you accelerate the growth of organic search traffic to a website. Both are highly respected thought leaders in SEO, so this session will be jam-packed full of great insights and advice.--Take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.

What does it take to keep one of the world’s most iconic creative brands relevant, human, and globally resonant — 40 years on?In this episode, we sit down with Simon Morris, VP of International Marketing at Adobe, to explore how Adobe blends creativity, technology, and purpose in its brand strategy. From sponsoring the Women’s FA Cup to navigating the ethics of AI, Simon shares how Adobe empowers creators, drives global consistency with local nuance, and builds a creative culture across continents.We cover:Why Adobe’s Women’s FA Cup sponsorship is about more than just brand awarenessHow Adobe stays ahead in a hyper-competitive, AI-driven landscapeWhat vulnerable leadership looks like in a high-performance global teamTune in for a thoughtful look at how marketing can inspire, connect, and lead - even at scale.

In this episode, we chat with Kevin Branscum, Senior Director of Brand Marketing at Typeform.We dive into Kevin’s career journey — from studying Mandarin to marketing fashion and eventually moving into B2B SaaS. Kevin shares how curiosity and a sense of fun drive his work, and how he balances bold creativity with data-driven decisions.We also explore:The surprising similarities between fashion and SaaS marketingHow to cut through jargon and bring clarity to brand languageWhy conventional logic can be dangerous for marketersThe challenges of measuring brand impact when outcomes aren’t easily quantifiableTypeform’s approach to brand building, from memorable YouTube ads to their recent rebrand from “Forms worth filling out” to “Now you know”How to market a simple, premium product in a world full of free alternativesIf you’re curious about branding, creativity, and marketing leadership, this one’s for you.

In this episode, we’re joined by Stephen Kenwright — co-founder of Rise at Seven and now a consultant and non-exec to agencies across the UK. Stephen shares lessons from a career spent building, scaling, and exiting agencies. We cover:The biggest challenges facing agencies today — and whether it’s the model or the momentHow to build an inbound engine that consistently brings in qualified leadsThe role of positioning in standing out in a crowded marketHiring your first employees and managing agency growth stagesPractical advice on pricing your services and balancing client relationshipsIf you’re thinking about growing your agency or making it more resilient, this one’s packed with wisdom.

Evaluating ideas is one of the most exciting aspects of being a marketer, but also one of the trickiest.Subjective opinions, a lack of evaluation tools, and poor sign-off processes often get in the way of great ideas getting signed off. In this session, Pieter-Paul and Matt will unpack the common pitfalls of idea evaluation and share what’s really holding better ideas back.They’ll cover: What’s holding better ideas back for your brand? Common mistakes made when evaluating ideasPractical tips to improve your creative decision-making

🪂 Welcome to The Chutes 🪂The marketing awards for brands and agencies of all shapes and sizes where, uniquely, the work that works, is the work that wins.Today we’re proud to announce the second winner of The Chutes is Ginsters with ‘Taste The Effort’. Congratulations to everyone involved, including the agency partners Truth, Kantar & TBWA.To hear more about how the work that worked was made, Emma Stower joined Joe Glover and Giles Edwards for a 25 minute masterclass. We hope you enjoy!The objective After speaking to consumers and uncovering how Ginsters was perceived, Emma Stowers experienced quite an awakening. Misconceptions about poor quality were creating a barrier for the brand, making it difficult to shift public perception. Ginsters set out to change this, aiming to showcase the quality and craft behind both their brand and their products.  This dedication to care and craftsmanship inspired the creation of Merryn, a devoted Ginsters potato farmer who became the heart of the campaign. The resultsAfter pre-testing and refining a rough cut storyboard with System1, Ginsters achieved an impressive 4.0 Star Rating for their final cut. By leveraging humour and strong brand codes, they secured high brand recognition and cut through the category noise. Taking a bold and unconventional approach, Ginsters established a unique and distinctive identity to reinforce one simple message: great taste, great quality. Merryn injects the brand with fun and has become a consistent part of its identity, and thankfully, she is here to stay. Ginsters aim to build a distinctive asset with Merryn, a smart strategy backed by System1’s The Magic of Compound Creativity. Data from the IPA shows that over five years, brand characters grow in effectiveness, increasing by an average +1.0 Star Rating. But it is not just the brand that is pleased with the campaign’s success. Within the first 12 weeks, the campaign drove a significant uplift in value sales and added over 1.5 million households to the brand. Real consumers even called Ginsters after the ad aired to share how much they loved it, expressing their appreciation for the way it highlighted British farming. 

🪂 Welcome to The Chutes 🪂The marketing awards for brands and agencies of all shapes and sizes where, uniquely, the work that works, is the work that wins.It’s time to announce the inaugural winner of The Chutes awards which goes to…The Woodsman Whisky & Mr President for ‘Well Earned’.And now, for an acceptance speech that’s a bit more acceptable, we're here with Jaimie Anderson from Whyte & Mackay and Lillie Price from Mr. President to explain exactly how they created the work that worked.The objectiveTo attract a new audience of consumers and bring fresh energy to the category by positioning it as fun and sociable. Designed as a Scotch that behaves like a bourbon, Woodsman whisky was uniquely placed to stand apart. It offered something different to the category, appealing to a younger audience of drinkers who enjoy mixing their drinks. Traditionally, the whisky category is known for adhering to familiar tropes, often leaning into a more formal tone rooted in heritage and seriousness. Woodsman set out to break that mould, injecting a sense of playfulness and modernity to resonate with a new generation. Enter Barry the Beaver: a rugged puppet character who, after a long day of gnawing trees and building dams, kicks back, relaxes, and enjoys a glass of The Woodsman whisky. Defying all category conventions, The Woodsman faced a polarising challenge: they had something new, creative, and completely distinctive within the whisky category, but would consumers respond with the positivity needed to drive long-term commercial growth?The resultsOn System1’s Test Your Ad platform, The Woodsman achieved an impressive 4.8-Star Rating and exceptional short-term sales potential, ranking it among the top five spirits ads of all time and the number one whisky ad in System1’s Premium database. This campaign’s success in testing translated directly to commercial impact, propelling The Woodsman into the Top 10 blended whisky brands and exceeding its 20% growth goal by an additional 15%. Driven by data, insight, a clear strategy, and emotional resonance, this campaign stands as a testament to a brand that is both market-oriented and unafraid to challenge the status quo. Despite Barry’s “gnarly” appearance, he is a beloved character who resonates deeply with consumers. System1’s emotional FaceTrace© reveals that his presence evokes surprise and joy, leading to a notable increase in positivity. This positions the Woodsman perfectly to continue leveraging Barry in their communications. A distinctive and well-received brand character is truly one of the most valuable assets a brand can have!  Extra resources:Write up: https://system1group.com/ad-of-the-week/barrels-beavers-brilliance-the-worlds-best-whisky-adSystem1 report: https://report.testyourad.com/report/23122294-7b86-474c-8c3c-9dff36db228dWatch the ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQPELZriAs0

Brand marketing can feel like a leap of faith – especially when your CEO wants numbers, your budget’s tight, and you're juggling 15 other things. This session is for every marketer who's ever struggled to prove that brand work is more than just vibes. Tracksuit's country lead Dan Fleming will help you with:- Practical KPIs for brand – What to measure (beyond just reach and impressions) when you're short on time and budget.- Making brand measurable – Simple frameworks for linking brand activity to business impact, even if attribution is messy.- Tracking depending on spend – Low-cost to premium ways to track your brand over time and show progress to stakeholders.00:00 – Intro: Why brand tracking matters01:44 – Dan’s story: From VC to brand believer04:11 – What we’ll cover in this session05:00 – What is brand marketing today?10:05 – What metrics actually matter?12:57 – TikTok study: Impressions ≠ awareness16:25 – Brand vs performance: Why it’s not either/or20:00 – The phone test: Future vs current demand22:00 – Making the case to your CFO27:30 – What to do when budgets are cut30:55 – Brand as delayed-response marketing33:20 – Tools for tracking brand at different stages40:10 – RealReal case study: Brand = $15m uplift43:00 – Founders and brand trust47:20 – How to build brand with a small team

In our latest session, we welcomed the brilliant Max Hopkinson — co-founder of The Keynote Club and former Head of Marketing at Iceland Foods. Max shared his deeply personal and practical journey to becoming a confident public speaker, after once having a panic attack during a presentation on... breaded chicken.Here’s what we covered:Max once believed public speaking “wasn’t for him.” After a panic attack at work, he quit his job.But he knew becoming a better speaker would unlock career opportunities, so he committed to learning.Fast forward: he’s now helping others do the same via The Keynote Club, aiming to support 1 million people.Max shared a framework to help anyone find their ideal speaking topic:Right to Speak: Do you have lived experience? Are you in the top 3-5 people in your network on the topic?Belly Energy: Do you have passion or fire in your belly for it?Audience Fit: Can you empathise with your audience? Are they genuinely interested?Attendees built a full draft of a talk using Max’s 6-box framework:Start – Grab attention (no polite intros!)Intro – Set expectations and show relevanceThree Chapters – A clear structure based on story or chronologyFull Circle – Come back to your start for emotional payoffCall to Action – What should the audience do next?Timings – Allocate time to each section (and always finish early!)Everyone has a story — Max encouraged participants to uncover theirs, even if they think they’re "boring."Speaking = Helping — Focus your talk on helping the audience first, not selling.Starts & Ends Matter Most — That’s where attention is won (or lost).Max even drafted a template email for attendees to send, asking to speak to a real audience. Because, as he says:“The talk you’ll regret most is the one you never give.”If you want to dive deeper, Max’s “High Stakes Speaking” course with The Keynote Club kicks off soon – with sessions designed to help you build talks, master nerves, and grow in confidence.Huge thanks to Max, and if you found the session valuable, do drop him a follow on LinkedIn (he’s just 70 shy of 10k... let’s fix that).Stay tuned for our next webinar with Tracksuit’s Matthew Herbert on how to measure brand marketing.🎤 Max’s Journey into Public Speaking🗺️ Discovering Your "Speaking Territory"🧱 A Simple Talk Structure (with Worksheets!)💡 Key Takeaways📬 Take Action

What happens when you combine a cereal brand, surreal humour, and a copywriter who isn’t afraid to admit when he’s just “crapped something out”? You get one of the most delightfully strange and insightful hours of marketing chat you'll ever hear.In this episode, we’re joined by John Thornton, the creative mind behind Surreal’s surreal tone of voice (and ex-Innocent word-wrangler). We chat about:Finding your brand’s voice—even if it’s a bit unhingedWhy humour, honesty, and even typos can win hearts (and views)How to stay weird and do your job as a marketerIt’s honest. It’s smart. It’s surreal in the best possible way. Come for the laughs, stay for the strategy.

In this week's podcast, we welcome Nishma Patel Robb, founder of Glittersphere and former Senior Director of Brand & Reputation at Google. Nishma shares her inspiring journey of stepping away from a high-profile corporate career to launch a startup dedicated to helping women achieve financial freedom through powerful personal branding.We dive deep into:Why Nishma left Google and the motivation behind creating GlittersphereKey lessons from corporate giants and what small businesses can learn (and do better)Practical tips on building authentic and impactful personal brandsThe core elements of strong brands and storytelling that truly connectsThis conversation is packed with insight, warmth, and actionable advice—perfect for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to make their brand stand out.

Dave from Doodle Juice shares simple, actionable design principles anyone can use—even if you're not a designer. Learn how balance, contrast, hierarchy, repetition, white space, and alignment can instantly improve your visuals, helping your messages land better and your designs look professional.

There’s a lot of ‘accepted wisdom’ and jargon in branding and marketing. Myths that have somehow become the parameters we all work within. This session busts 5 of the most common ones to give you a better way forward.Drawing on their experience of strengthening 90+ brands as brand and marketing leaders and advisors, Sarah and Rachel will share how to avoid the pitfalls. They’ll cover why you should NOT1. Start with strategy2. Leave it to the experts3. Put customers first4. Create brand guidelines5. Focus on consistencyCome join Sarah and Rachel to focus your efforts, eliminate the jargon and build your brand with confidence so it can reach its potential and grow revenue.

Why does brand consistency matter, and how can you get your entire team on board? In this lively and insightful session, Joe chats with two brilliant branding minds: Digge Zetterberg Ohd from Frontify and Patrick Kampff from Siegel+Gale. Together, they unpack why brand consistency isn't just a marketing detail—it's vital for business success. From inspiring teams through storytelling and internal training to shifting mindsets from policing to empowering, Digge and Patrick share practical advice and real-world examples that will help your brand resonate internally and externally. Whether you're managing stubborn stakeholders or struggling to communicate your brand’s "vibe," this episode offers actionable insights to elevate your approach and build lasting brand credibility.

In this episode of The Marketing Meetup Podcast, Joe is joined by AI expert Ash Stern to break down the world of AI agents—what they are, how they work, and whether businesses truly need them. AI can often feel like an overwhelming, jargon-filled space, but Ash simplifies it beautifully, comparing AI agents to digital employees that can automate and enhance marketing workflows.Key takeaways from the conversation:What AI Agents Actually Are – Understanding the difference between AI agents, traditional chatbots, and custom GPTs.When & Why to Use AI Agents – How they go beyond basic automations, making independent decisions and streamlining complex marketing tasks.Practical Use Cases – From repurposing content at scale to automating sales research, Ash shares real-life applications of AI agents in marketing.Challenges & Misconceptions – The learning curve involved, common pitfalls, and why AI agents aren't just a plug-and-play solution.Ash also shares her own journey from a non-technical background to mastering AI automation and highlights some of the most innovative AI-driven marketing strategies she’s seen.If you’ve been curious about AI agents but unsure where to start, this episode is packed with actionable insights and honest advice on navigating the AI hype.🎧 Tune in to learn how to harness AI for smarter, more efficient marketing!

In this episode, we’re joined by Ash Jones and Claudia Cardinali of Great Influence to break down the realities of personal branding—without the cringe. They challenge the myths around personal branding, showing that it’s not about vanity metrics or fame but about building your network and reputation to unlock real opportunities.In this part, we take the community's personal branding questions. Tune in for an insightful, no-nonsense discussion on how to grow your personal brand with intention, creativity, and a long-term mindset.