In the first of a two part special on one of my favourite challenger brands of all time, Tony’s Chocolonely, I speak with their Chief Chocolonely (CEO), Douglas Lamont. Douglas is an expert in Challenger Brands, having previously led Innocent Smoothie for 15 years, guiding them through their acquisition by Coca-Cola and subsequent scaling. In this episode, we'll explore the delicate balance between maintaining a strong mission and driving business growth. Douglas also shares insights into Tony's dedicated efforts to eradicate child labor, pay fair wages, and maintain transparency in their cocoa sourcing, all while making their chocolate appealing and fun for consumers.Tune in next week for an interview with Tony's Dean of Dopeness, Sadira E. Furlow (aka their Chief Brand Officer), to find out exactly what it takes to grow a brand like Tony's.Timestamps00:00 - Start01:38 - Douglas’ journey to CEO at Innocent Smoothies06:36 - Lessons on how to scale up at Innocent12:47 - Why Coke kept Innocent independent15:03 - Innocent’s approach to launching new products21:52 - Why Douglas moved to Tony’s Chocolonely24:22 - Tony’s Chocolonely origin story28:29 - Why is Tony’s chocolate so good29:42 - The B2B side of Tony’s Chocolonely32:56 - Is it more expensive to be a change brand?34:03 - Balancing a serious mission with a fun brand35:53 - Why Tony’s is so transparent41:48 - Tony’s international expansion44:38 - Challenges of being in the biggest retailer in the US47:35 - Lessons as a CMO51:33 - Creating the culture at Tony’s

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of digital retail and YouTube with our special guest, Sophie Neary, Retail MD at Google. We explore studies comparing rational and emotional advertising, uncover the power of YouTube in capturing audience attention, and discuss the vital role of creativity in ad success, even in the age of AI.Sophie shares insights from her extensive career, including her pivotal role in transforming Boots' digital presence and launching successful campaigns like Fenty beauty. We'll also cover trends shaping the future of retail, such as the impact of Cyber Monday falling in December for the first time in five years and retailers leveraging "Fake Friday" to boost profits.Additionally, we'll touch on the evolving dynamics of YouTube creators, the significance of emotional engagement in content, and innovative advertising strategies. Plus, we'll delve into the limitless curiosity driving the continuous evolution of Google Search and the role of AI in shaping marketing strategies.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:46 - Sophie’s career history04:12 - Sophie’s time at Jack Wills06:14 - Sophie’s job at Boots09:26 - Top 2 retail trends from Google Search11:50 - How Google Search has evolved over the years18:12 - How to take advantage of insights from search23:10 - What Google Trends tells us about Black Friday29:51 - How retailers can go up against Amazon31:48 - Is YouTube going to replace TV?37:01 - Trends in formats for YouTube, short vs long41:35 - How YouTube empowers creators (Chicken Shop Date)47:19 - How advertisers can make the most out of YouTube52:36 - Advice on how to grow a podcast on YouTube55:00 - The greatest gift AI can give to humanity

In this episode, we're going to be talking about Compound Creativity, a new report by System1 in partnership with the IPA showing how being consistent with your creative compounds over time. I'm speaking with the author of the report, Andrew Tindall, who explains the core facets of the report and shares some fascinating statistics on the impact of creative consistency.And in a double bill, I'm also joined also joined by Dom Dwight, from Yorkshire Tea, and Vickie Ridley, from their partner agency Lucky Generals. Yorkshire Tea have been putting the principles of compound creativity to practice over many years and have been hugely successful as a result. So not only are we talking about the data, we're also talking about the practice.Download the Compound Creativity report here.Part 1  with Andrew Tindall00:00 - Intro00:58 - Launching the Compound Creativity report01:35 - Coming up with the right name for Compound Creativity02:52 - The building blocks of consistency05:13 - The value of being consistent08:04 - How compounding helps wear in09:25 - Power of fluent devices12:14 - Collaborating with the IPA for the business effects data15:00 - Don’t fire your agency16:39 - The 5 most consistent brandsPart 2 with Dom Dwight and Vickie Ridley of Yorkshire Tea18:29 - Intro to Lucky Generals and Yorkshire Tea19:25 - Dom Dwight’s history with Yorkshire Tea22:28 - Where did the “doing things proper” idea originate25:31 - Narrowing 17 ideas down to 326:19 - How to use celebrities well in advertising29:57 - Yorkshire Tea Ad with Sean Bean32:06 - Yorkshire Tea Ad with Kaiser Chiefs38:03 - How does the campaign work across channels42:24 - Key to a successful client agency relationship48:37 - The results of Yorkshire Tea’s compounding creativity52:56 - Advice to clients to get the most out of their agency

Mark Ritson is back on the podcast for a review of the most read stories this year. We debate if Liquid Death is more than just water in a can, why Nike’s focus on DTC was a mistake and what we can all learn from KitKat’s perfect positioning. Recorded in a pub in London, expect some uncensored opinions from everyone’s favourite marketing professor.00:00 - Start05:40 - Mark #5: Brand purpose doesn’t need a commercial excuse14:13 - Jon #5: Liquid death article21:15 - Mark #4: There's no such thing as performance branding25:47 - Jon #4: Nike Winning isn’t for everybody29:07 - Mark #3: KitKat's perfect positioning34:33 - Jon #3: Compounding interest, relationships and creativity39:55 - Mark #2: Why Liquid Death are running into trouble45:42 - Jon #2: Outrage is the new s*x in marketing48:32 - Ritson #1: Nike’s biggest mistake52:44 - Jon #1: Airbnb’s focus on brand

Chris Baker is an award-winning advertising and social change strategist turned entrepreneur. He is the Founder & CEO of Serious Tissues, a toilet roll brand that fights climate change and deforestation by planting trees with every sale. Over 1.2m trees have been planted in just three years. He is also the Co-Founder of Change Please, a coffee brand that has helped hundreds of homeless people off the streets by training them as baristas, and is available in 23 countries. Change Please was named the World’s Leading Social Enterprise in 2018 and in Marketing Week’s 100 Most Disruptive Brands in the World. He has spent 20 years working on the world’s biggest brands including Unilever, Pepsico, Boots, Sky and Alpro whilst winning over 100 strategic and creative awards along the way.Find out more about Chris' book, Obsolete, here:https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/obsolete-9781399416658/00:00 - Intro02:09 - The premise of his book04:27 - Why Chris called the book Obsolete06:41 - Making positive change with small businesses18:32 - Being inspired by change brands21:53 - How to win against established brands27:03 - The advantages of purpose29:31 - How Chris started Change Please32:48 - Measuring the impact of Change Please36:28 - How change brands can be distinctive40:14 - Why Tony’s Chocolonely are making an impact42:06 - Putting change ahead of profits47:06 - Applying a change mindset to other industries49:37 - Making an impact commercially and with purpose52:55 - How Serious Tissues started55:53 - The power of partnerships57:49 - Chris’ biggest takeaway from writing Obsolete

Elfried Samba is CEO of Butterfly 3ffect. Samba immigrated from D.R. Congo to the UK at age 14 before rising to prominence in the Social media space through his work at global fitness brand, Gymshark.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:00:52 - Why Elfried Samba wears a hat00:03:49 - Elfried’s dissertation on social media00:10:23 - The skills most in demand in 202400:12:36 - Elfried’s early work at Gymshark00:21:11 - The challenges of scaling up00:26:23 - Elfried’s approach to personal growth00:36:01 - How Elfried approaches finding talented people00:41:59 - Why Elfried left Gymshark00:49:26 - Scaling through influencers and community01:00:52 - Power of personal brands

Mark Ritson is back and has convinced me to record in a pub, talking about the top 10 beer ads of all time (while drinking beer) - what could go wrong? We break down some classic ads from Heineken & Stella, Super Bowl hits from Michelob & Sam Adams and round off drinking Britain's favourite pint.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:27 - The idea for the beer podcast04:16 - Ad 10: Budweiser08:24 - Ad 9: Budweiser10:43 - Ad 8: Heineken13:56 - Ad 7: Stella Artois18:30 - Ad 6: Corona21:46 - Ad 5: Michelob Ultra25:17 - Ad 4: Carlsberg29:10 - Ad 3: Sam Adams36:36 - Ad 2: Guinness46:05 - Ad 1: HeinekenTop 10 Ranking (with System1 Test Your Ad Report)HEINEKEN DANIEL CRAIG VS JAMES BOND (5.6)GUINNESS IN THIS TOGETHER (5.3)BOSTON BEER SAM ADAMS YOUR COUSIN FROM BOSTON (4.9)CARLSBERG THE SEAL (4.9)MICHELOB ULTRA MESSI SUPERBOWL AD (4.8)CORONA TINY UMBRELLAS (4.8)STELLA ARTOIS REASSURINGLY EXPENSIVE (4.6)HEINEKEN WATER IN MAJORCA (4.5)BUDWEISER WHASSUP (4.3)BUDWEISER OLD SCHOOL DELIVERY (4.2)

Kerris Bright is the Chief Customer Officer at the BBC. She was previously Chief Marketing Officer at Virgin Media.She is a highly experienced leader, bringing a customer-centred, data driven approach to setting marketing strategy and executing with creative flair. Before Virgin, she held senior marketing positions at British Airways, ICI Paints and Unilever. While at British Airways, she spearheaded the development of ‘To Fly: To Serve’, a new purpose for the organisation and a multi-platform campaign and at ICI Paints she transformed the company from a ‘multi-local’ to global brand building organisation. After gaining a PhD in molecular neuroscience from the University of Sussex, she began her career in marketing as a graduate trainee at Unilever.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:00:26 - Why Kerris has a PHD in molecular neuroscience00:04:04 - Getting marketing training at Unilever00:09:56 - From Unilever to joining Dulux in crisis00:18:33 - How marketers can work closely with commercial teams00:22:12 - Purpose led campaigns00:31:36 - Lessons from Kerris’ time in Private Equity00:42:06 - From British Airways to Virgin00:48:42 - Kerris’ role at the BBC00:58:32 - The power of the BBC’s editorial independence01:01:05 - Marketing the BBC01:05:20 - How the BBC makes engaging content01:08:13 - Kerris’ advice to aspiring marketers

The NFL is one of the biggest sporting entities in the world and it's reaching the biggest audiences it ever has. So in this episode, I'm joined by their CMO Tim Ellis, and Glenn Cole, co-founder of 72andSunny, their agency partner. We talk about the secrets behind a successful 7 year agency-client relationship, how to consistently make groundbreaking, emotional work, and what it takes to create a leading Super Bowl campaign.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:43 - Tim Ellis career journey01:51 - How Tim met Glenn from 72andSunny04:20 - Secret to a successful client agency relationship08:21 - The compounding effect of a long term agency relationship11:51 - Helmets off strategy15:09 - You can’t make this stuff up campaign17:40 - This is Football Country campaign24:41 - Growing the audience for the NFL27:22 - The Taylor Swift effect34:32 - The growth of flag Football39:30 - Growing the sport internationally42:35 - How to make a great Super Bowl ad49:07 - The power of emotion in advertising

In this episode, we're talking about one of my favourite subjects; innovation. And who better to talk about it with than Mauro Porcini, who's the Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo, who is also the author of “The Human Side of Innovation”. We talk about what it takes to make innovation that succeeds, and importantly, what characteristics of people can make innovation that works, (and he really knows, because if you've read the book, there are 24 characteristics that he talks about that are essential). Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:56 - The office of Pepsi’s Chief Design Officer02:56 - How Mauro got into design07:01 - Why you need to focus on people when innovating16:29 - Why so many innovations fail23:17 - Hiring the right people to foster innovation25:42 - Key characteristics of successful innovators33:50 - How to inspire kindness, optimism and curiosity40:27 - Finding the balance in character traits47:58 - The ideal recipe for innovation51:26 - How to cultivate happiness at work55:10 - Fighting the dictatorship of normal57:00 - Pepsi Rebrand

Today I'm speaking with one of the most awarded creatives on the planet, David Droga, founder of iconic agency Droga5, and now CEO of Accenture Song, one of the largest creative groups in the world. Described by David himself as "therapy", this conversation spans topics from his start as life as a copywriter, how he created some of the most creative work on the planet and what it's like to transition from a creative to a CEO.00:00 - Intro01:58 - How David Droga got into advertising07:36 - Working at Saatchi and Saatchi Singapore12:19 - Pushing boundaries and making yourself uncomfortable14:29 - Moving to Saatchi London20:32 - Why David Droga started Droga525:55 - Droga5’s first campaign for Marc Ecko31:23 - The first idea Droga5 presented: GE Olympics Campaign38:30 - Droga’s Unicef campaign43:25 - Droga’s Newcastle Brown Ale work46:25 - Huggies Super Bowl Ad48:44 - The Coinbase QR Code Super Bowl ad52:22 - Characteristics of the best CMO’s Droga has worked with56:23 - What it’s like being CEO of Accenture Song

In this episode, Antonia Wade, CMO of PwC, turns the tables and interviews our usual host, Jon Evans. From tax intern to marketing podcast host, we delve into Jon's journey through entrepreneurial endeavours at Britvic, through to being fired at Lucozade to finding a successful role in B2B at System1. We also discuss lessons Jon has learned from 150 podcast episodes with CMO's, agency creatives, founders and more.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:43 - Jon’s journey from tax to marketing10:18 - Deciding if you’re more suited to corporate or entrepreneurial life12:35 - Why Jon got fired at Lucozade17:15 - Traits of a confident CMO18:35 - How do you go from tax to research?25:21 - Why Jon chose Richard Shotton as his first guest27:10 - Lesson’s we can take from COVID times30:20 - What makes a great CMO36:49 - Do emotional ads really work?39:44 - Favourite campaign that didn’t perform well with System141:19 - Is winning a Cannes Lion worth it or not?44:42 - How important is purpose in advertising?48:37 - Is AI the saviour of creativity?52:35 - What has Jon learned about leadership from Uncensored CMO guests?56:25 - Who would Jon love to have on the podcast?57:34 - Happy 50th Birthday Jon!

Welcome to the 150th edition of the Uncensored CMO podcast. To celebrate, I'm joined by Orlando Wood, my colleague at System1 and author of Lemon and Look Out, with the legend that is Sir John Hegarty, iconic founder of BBH. Today we're talking about why they believe a creative revolution is necessary for the industry and why they are collaborating on a new course "Advertising Principles Explained" as the antidote.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:02:22 - Have Oasis created the most effective ad of all time?00:16:13 - What can we learn from the history of advertising?00:22:43 - The advertising landscape when John started BBH00:28:04 - The next creative revolution - Advertising Principles Explained00:32:32 - The scientific evidence for emotional advertising00:38:38 - Who is doing the best, most effective advertising today?00:41:58 - BBH work with Lynx / Axe00:44:55 - Why we need more humour in advertising00:49:32 - Advice to CMOs for selling in this approach00:51:44 - When does Advertising Principles Explained launch?00:54:42 - Campaigns that didn’t go well for Sir John Hegarty00:57:11 - What role do planners have in the success of the creative00:57:33 - How did they sell in flat Eric to Levi’s00:58:34 - How to challenge clients to think differently00:59:13 - What emerging trends will shape the future of advertising01:00:05 - What skills will the CMO of the future need?01:02:58 - What trend needs breaking today?

Regular listeners of the podcast will know how much I love challenger brands, and Gymbox are one of the best examples of a challenger brand really shaping up their industry. Rory McEntee is the Brand and Marketing Director for the challenger Gym brand, and is responsible for some of the most creative campaigns (which have often come along with a side helping of legal letters) that have really put Gymbox on the map.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:45 - Rory’s marketing background02:27 - Rory’s time at Paddy Power08:18 - Why Rory joined Gymbox10:11 - The Gymbox founding story14:01 - Reframing how people see the gym16:05 - Using your constraints to your advantage25:15 - Using every touch point as media35:11 - Being obsessed with execution39:27 - Forgiveness not permission with your marketing46:43 - Dealing with taking risks48:56 - Why the Gymbox culture is so important53:44 - How does the business of a challenger gym work

Rebecca Hirst is the Chief Marketing Officer of EY UK, a TEDx Speaker and a winner of Campaign's 40 over 40. Before joining EY and making the switch to B2B, Rebecca was Marketing Director at Samsung and working on brands including Coca-Cola, Schweppes, Kellogg’s, Kleenex, Microsoft, IBM, United Airlines, Lufthansa and Star Alliance.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:54 - Winning Campaign’s 40 over 4004:33 - Being a Ted Talk speaker08:01 - Rebecca’s time at Samsung13:08 - Why Jon loves being a challenger brand17:08 - Working at Coca Cola vs Pepsi23:00 - How Rebecca transitioned into a B2B role25:46 - The power of compounding32:03 - How is B2B marketing different to B2C?37:36 - How to influence change at a large organisation46:12 - How EY became UK’s strongest brand52:14 - Rebecca’s advice to young marketers

Michelle Moscone is the VP of Brand and Content at GEICO, one of the most famous insurance brands in the US. Michele's career has spanned from project management at some of the biggest agencies in the world to leading creative at an organisation where creativity is at its core. In this episode we talk about why humour is so important for advertising and why we're so afraid to use it.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:08 - Michelle Moscone background and career08:18 - How Michelle landed at GEICO11:20 - Why are there so many characters in insurance?21:42 - When insurance goes wrong32:34 - Why humour is so important36:37 - Why are we afraid of humour?41:16 - GEICO’s greatest hits49:51 - How to get the best out of your agency55:43 - Michelle’s favourite GEICO campaigns

Greg Hahn is the Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Mischief. One of the hottest agencies in the world doing work for the likes of Tinder, Tubi and Coors Light. Previous to Mischief, Greg was the CCO of BBDO NY. During that time BBDO was recognized as the most awarded agency in the world by the Gunn Report. It was also named Agency of the Year at The One Show, ADC and The Webbys multiple times.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:10 - How did Greg Hahn get into the advertising industry?00:02:42 - 14 years at BBDO00:03:52 - Getting fired from BBDO00:06:24 - From being fired to creating Mischief00:11:08 - The extraordinary cost of being dull00:14:11 - Why do so many companies play it safe?00:16:36 - Winning a Grand Effie with Tubi00:19:29 - The Mischief mindset00:26:21 - The opposite of a good idea can also be a good idea00:26:59 - How can you use you disadvantage as your advantage?00:30:50 - How can you change the context and reframe things00:34:10 - What would you do if you weren’t afraid00:38:14 - How to make the best out of being fired00:49:24 - What Mischief believes in00:53:49 - How Mischief hires great people00:55:29 - How does Mischief stay sharp as they grow?00:56:29 - Choosing the right clients to work with00:58:55 - What’s next for Mischief?01:00:10 - Hardest part of growing and scaling Mischief01:03:27 - Advice for starting an agency from scratch

Kofi Amoo-Gottfried is the CMO of DoorDash, the premier local commerce platform valued at over $40 billion and dominates over 65% of the market for restaurant delivery. In his role as CMO, he is responsible for driving growth and engagement across all three sides of the marketplace. Prior to DoorDash, Kofi was VP of Brand & Consumer Marketing at Facebook, having previously served as the company’s Head of Consumer Marketing for internet.org.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:03 - What it’s like judging a Cannes lion02:34 - DoorDash Valentines Day Campaign04:54 - Kofi’s background08:56 - Starting an agency in Africa for Publicis13:41 - From agency to brand side15:13 - Kofi’s role at Facebook/Meta18:11 - From Facebook to DoorDash20:23 - DoorDash backstory28:10 - Navigating through COVID at DoorDash33:24 - How DoorDash prepared to IPO37:23 - How successful have DoorDash been post IPO?39:12 - How DoorDash stay on top of innovation44:41 - DoorDash’s Sesame Street Super Bowl ad48:40 - DoorDash’s most recent Super Bowl campaign54:00 - In house vs external agencies55:51 - The culture at DoorDash

Greg Nugent was the CMO for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, one of the biggest events ever to take place. The entire world was watching as Greg’s work came to life. Before working on the Olympics, Greg oversaw the move of the Eurostar to St Pancras, which included creating the world’s longest champagne bar.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:51 - How did Greg get into marketing00:10:02 - Greg’s time at Eurostar00:17:47 - The longest champage bar in the world00:22:43 - Becoming the CMO of the London 2012 Olympics00:29:49 - How the team was pivotal for putting on the Olympics00:34:13 - The importance of the legacy of London 201200:37:53 - Why the Paralympics became so prevalent in 201200:45:38 - What happened after London 201200:50:37 - From Olympics to Rising Pheonix01:01:05 - How to execute on big ideas - Magic and Logic01:16:35 - The power of persistence01:23:24 - Telling powerful stories about those with disability

I often get asked why are there not more marketers on boards of companies? It turns out that only around 2.6% of board positions are filled by marketers, so I'm joined in this episode by somebody who really knows what it's like to be a marketer on a board, Chris Burggraeve. Previously he was the Global CMO of AB InBev, he's since been on many boards and has even written a book explaining the playbook for being a successful CMO on board.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:00 - Chris’ marketing background01:43 - What makes a great CMO05:08 - Making the case for marketing in the boardroom09:48 - How many CMO's have a seat at the table14:36 - Why every board should have a marketer24:06 - Is there a language problem for marketers in the boardroom?30:03 - Stakeholder outreach37:00 - What makes a successful board member40:00 - Skills that CMO’s need to retain a board seat46:26 - How to find board seats to get on49:44 - Chris transistion from large to small companies

Ellie Norman has been at the top end of some of the biggest organisations in the world, having held senior marketing roles at Formula 1 and Virgin Media. Most recently, Ellie has been the Chief Communications Officer of Manchester United, one of the most high-pressure jobs in the world. In this episode I talk to Ellie about what it takes to drive success at the very top of your game.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:48 - Celebrating Southampton FC03:12 - Ellie’s marketing background07:29 - Virgin Media campaign with Usain Bolt12:09 - Why Ellie moved to Formula 115:12 - How Formula 1 owns the brand17:51 - The Drive to Survive partnership with Netflix25:59 - Moving to work for Manchester United29:51 - Goals for the CMO of Manchester United31:23 - When do people choose the club they support32:59 - What role does social media play for Manchester United35:01 - Dealing with scrutiny as a huge brand37:10 - How Manchester United work with huge sponsor deals41:39 - How do you do a great brand partnership47:59 - Ellie’s one peice of advice for marketers

In this episode I speak with Tom Fishburne, better known as the Marketoonist. Tom likes to poke fun at our industry through his entertaining cartoons saying what we're all thinking. We recently had him join as as our cartoonist in residence at Cannes Lions, where he shared his experience through a cartoon each day. We also discuss some of Tom's greatest cartoons and why humour is good for business.Timestamps00:00 - Start01:16 - How Tom Fishburne became a cartoonist05:00 - Why is humour so important in the workplace06:29 - Going full time as the Marketoonist12:42 - Humour in the creative process19:21 - Outdoor ads22:30 - Discussing some of the Marketoonist’s greatest hits23:17 - IoT cartoon26:59 - Customer funnel cartoon33:05 - Shiny new things cartoon34:13 - Covid Cartoon36:32 - AI cartoon39:44 - The Marketoonist at Cannes42:37 - Day 1 Cannes cartoon45:39 - Day 2 Cannes cartoon49:31 - Day 3 Cannes cartoon53:46 - Day 4 Cannes cartoon54:25 - Day 5 Cannes cartoon57:59 - Jon’s own podcast cartoon

Kory Marchisotto is the Chief Marketing Officer of e.l.f Beauty, a beauty company that surpassed over $1b in annual sales. They're digital first brand builders, taking the internet by storm and connecting closely with their customers. In this episode we talk about why Kory invests heavily in their brand, how every employee is a shareholder and why they collaborated with Liquid Death.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:15 - Kory’s background06:11 - Founding story of e.l.f08:39 - How do e.l.f make their products so affordable11:30 - Why e.l.f are investing in brand building15:15 - Staying close to your consumer19:44 - Bringing customer insight into the business21:23 - Staying agile as a large business23:43 - Where have e.l.f invested marketing spend27:28 - The e.l.f customer demographic30:57 - e.l.f’ x Liquid Death collaboration33:24 - e.l.f x Chipotle37:01 - The e.l.f culture and why it’s important41:00 - Kory’s advice to younger marketers44:08 - Why Kory shares her learnings so much on LinkedIn

We're again talking about one of my favourite topics; challenger brands. In this episode we've got one of the most successful challenger brands in the world, Gymshark. They're one of the original influencer and social media creative brands, growing to be Britain's fastest growing Unicorn. I'm joined by their Chief Brand Officer, Noel Mack, to give me the inside scoop on exactly how they did it.Timestamps00:00 - Intro02:29 - Gymshark Origins04:49 - How Noel Mack bet Ben Francis07:59 - What is a Chief Brand Officer?09:28 - How Gymshark do influencer marketing differently15:17 - Growing the Gymshark community20:38 - The benefits of being a newcomer22:59 - Working at a founder-led company25:36 - When Ben Francis met the Prime Minister29:09 - The challenges of scaling up fast37:21 - Launching the Gymshark flagship store in London43:22 - What’s it like working with Ben Francis?46:46 - Career advice from Noel Mack

Listeners of have shown me time and again that you want more B2B content, so in this episode I'm joined again by the Les and Peter of B2B, Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg (previously of the LinkedIn B2B Institute). We discuss why B2B marketing departments need to put their focus on building brands rather than talking about product features, why distinctive assets continue to be an essential part of any brand, and we find out what the B2B boys will be doing now they've left LinkedIn.Find out more about Jon & Peter's new company here:https://www.evidenza.ai/Timestamps00:00 - Start00:49 - The Les and Peter of B2B02:34 - The biggest B2B revelations03:52 - Is B2B really different to B2C?06:28 - Determining buying cycles08:25 - The brand building opportunity in B2B20:05 - Why B2B companies need to create fluent devices30:48 - Why Jon and Peter left LinkedIn to start a new company33:37 - What does Evidenza do38:19 - Why AI-powered market research is going to be revolutionary

Every year, the advertising industry descend upon the south of France to meet up in Cannes over a glass of rosé to celebrate the power of creativity. So I thought it was about time that I caught up with the CEO of Lions, Simon Cook, to discuss why creativity matters.The conversation ranges from how can you make the case for creativity in business while budgets are strained, to what you can expect this year from Cannes Lions.Timestamps00:00 - Start01:37 - Origins of Cannes Lions03:38 - The scale of Cannes Lions05:19 - Creative marketer of the year07:16 - State of the Nation research09:30 - Friction between agencies and clients12:47 - Jon’s two Cannes Lions with Lucozade15:15 - The return of humour at Cannes17:46 - Trends and themes for Cannes Lions 202418:39 - Will we see an AI category at Cannes?20:01 - Big names at Cannes Lions 202421:14 - Cannes for creative effectiveness, or just celebrating the craft?23:56 - Cannes embracing creators25:27 - Jon’s pitch for a low budget category27:57 - Advice on how to win a Lion30:20 - How Simon Cook got the CEO job at Cannes Lions32:40 - Challenges Simon has faced as CEO35:09 - Dealing with criticism of Cannes Lions37:02 - The Cannes Lions legacy38:06 - Simon’s proudest moment

In this episode, we talk about one of my all time favourite brands, Cadbury. They're also one of the best performers on the System1 database, consistently creating five star work. To find out more about the work I'm joined by David Boscawen from VCCP, also known as Bosco, and Gui Ferreira who's recently joined Cadbury, bringing an outside perspective on what it means to take over an iconic brand with 200 years of heritage.Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:46 Gui's background03:27 David's background04:20 How VCCP and Cadbury started working together in 201714:24 David and Gui's favourite Cadbury ads21:08 Compound creativity and consistency31:30 Key to a successful client agency relationship39:55 How to write a good brief47:03 Cadbury business results49:41 Future of the Cadbury brand

In this episode, we're talking about a very, very serious topic. Humour. It turns out humour is not just funny, but it's good for business. In fact, humour in advertising is one of the most effective things you can do to make people remember you and buy your products.I'm catching up with someone who knows all about humour. Trevor Robinson was the creative behind some of the most iconic and funniest ads of all time, including Tango from the 1990s. And I caught up with Trevor to find out more about what makes advertising funny, how do you do it, and what are the funniest ads of all time.Timestamps00:00 - Start00:48 - How Trevor got into advertising03:50 - Landing the Britvic client05:49 - The Tango Ad11:11 - Haribo kids ad20:00 - You need to entertain for commercial gain28:11 - The importance of talent29:30 - How to direct a great ad38:23 - Have we lost humour in the past few years?41:48 - The funniest ads of all time

Monzo Bank has fast become Britain's favourite bank, offering a customer focused online banking approach that consumers were craving. When Monzo started in 2015 they managed to challenge the incumbent banks with their distinctive "hot coral" card and referral scheme. 9 years later they are an established brand in the category and AJ Coyne has been tasked with creating emotional advertising to help continue to grow their market share.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:44 - AJ’s marketing background02:49 - What can clients learn from agencies07:40 - AJ’s time at Klarna09:48 - Taking the CMO job at Monzo10:49 - The emotion of money14:02 - Focusing on a world class customer experience23:07 - Positioning Monzo as a bank in a sea of neo banks24:09 - Monzo’s new brand campaign27:22 - Embedding Monzo in culture29:15 - Advice for being a young CMO33:05 - How to deal with things going wrong36:33 - Fostering creativity in an organisation37:55 - How AJ is creating the Monzo culture38:45 - AJ’s parting advice

Colleen DeCourcy is the Chief Creative Officer at Snap, having previously spent over a decade at Wieden+Kennedy as co-president and Chief Creative Officer, working on some of the largest brand accounts in the world. In this episode we talk about Colleen's time at W+K, some of her favourite quotes from Dan Wieden and how she's now tackling brand at Snapchat.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:22 - Colleen DeCourcy background03:30 - Winning creative leader of the decade06:30 - Colleen’s tenure at Wieden+Kennedy13:50 - The TIME Interview18:39 - From retirement to joining Snapchat21:56 - The challenges of Snapchat26:49 - Creating happiness in social media30:02 - The 3D Chess of Being CCO and CMO at Snapchat36:12 - What’s it like working for Evan Spiegel39:07 - Advice to young marketers from Colleen DeCourcy

Scott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business and host of the Prof G and Pivot podcasts. In this episode Prof G lives up to the billing as the most uncensored guest on the podcast ever. We cover lots of ground, including his secret to success with Prof G media, what the #1 skill for all marketers should be, why brand is dead and how to build wealth. We recorded this episode as Scott releases his new book The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula For Success, buy on Amazon UK, or US.LinksJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:00:57 - 25 year overnight success00:01:28 - Scott’s biggest failures00:07:38 - How Scott scaled himself00:13:24 - Daniel Kahneman’s impact on Scott00:20:26 - How social media has a negative impact on the world00:28:45 - Scott Galloway on being late00:31:14 - The most important skill for a marketer00:33:32 - The Era of Brand is Dead00:40:19 - Scott’s new book opening Aurelius quote00:42:53 - The power of compound interest00:43:53 - Scott’s advice to young people00:48:33 - Growing your network grows wealth00:56:33 - What does the agency of the future look like?01:03:33 - How to get social media right01:04:50 - Why big firms should stop certification based hiring

Today we're talking about more Boom! and less bust with Scott Morrison, the inspirational, energizing coach that teaches marketing teams how to be more successful, how to turn around business, how to win pitches and more.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:47 - Where did the name Boom come from01:31 - Scott’s background at Saatchi&Saatchi04:57 - What is Nike’s secret sauce09:48 - Scott’s career failures13:27 - Working on the Diesel brand17:37 - How to go from bust to Boom!40:11 - How to pitch to CMOs

Today we're talking about what makes a great CMO. One of the CMOs that I've admired throughout his career is Craig Inglis, who famously was a CMO for John Lewis for many years, making those ads that you saw at Christmas and really defining the genre of Christmas advertising.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:00:50 - Craig’s marketing background00:02:25 - Craig’s biggest marketing failures00:09:34 - How to have a long tenure as a CMO00:13:24 - How to be a great CMO00:23:53 - Guessing the most emotional John Lewis ads00:28:50 - How to move from rational to emotional strategy in retail00:31:17 - How to sell in creative ideas to rational CEOs and CFOs00:36:00 - The business impact of Monty the Penguin for John Lewis00:38:50 - How John Lewis ads does long and short00:41:00 - Focusing on customer experience00:51:48 - From large consumer brands to B2B00:55:11 - Being the chair of the Marketing Society01:00:34 - Working for The Entertainer

One of my favourite campaigns of all time is "Should've Gone to Specsavers" an idea that has completely transformed the Specsavers business. I speak to their CMO, Peter Wright and the MD of their in house creative team, Nicola Wardell, about how they've taken the idea and produced some of the best advertising on the System1 database.Watch the episode on YouTube.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:59 - How Peter and Nicola ended up on Guernsey03:02 - The Specsavers story04:37 - The secret to Specsavers’ success09:04 - Family owned vs corporate business10:38 - How the “should’ve gone to Specsavers” line was created14:17 - The world’s longest running straplines16:17 - The serious case for humour - Tower Block ad20:18 - Specsavers Vet Ad21:14 - A cross channel idea24:29 - Why Specsavers do all creative in house25:52 - How to attract talent to Guernsey29:23 - Being the client and the agency33:56 - Advice for creating an in-house team34:37 - Wear in vs wear out at Specsavers43:08 - Creating the culture at Specsavers50:14 - Launching the audiology business53:38 - How technology will shape the future of the business56:07 - Peter and Nicola’s proudest work

How does someone create advertising for a brand that is over 150 years old? That is exactly what Stephen O'Kelly has been tasked with as Global Brand Director at Guinness, one of the most iconic brands in the world. Recorded from the Connoisseur bar at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, this episode of Uncensored CMO is special. Not just because of how much history is involved in the brand, but the fact that Stephen is a fourth generation employee, carrying on the legacy of his family.

Vikki Ross is a copywriting expert. Having worked for some major brand in the past two decades, she knows a thing or two about branding and tone of voice. This episode is a copywriting masterclass. We start by delving into the principles of great copy, before looking at it in action with our very own Copy Safari (where we go out into the world to find real ads), and then round off by asking the big question; is AI going to replace copywriters?LinksEats, Shoots and Leaves bookElements of F*cking Style bookBland BookVikki's TwitterVikki's LinkedInTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:00:59 - How Vicki got into copywriting00:03:53 - Advice for people wanting to get into copywriting00:07:34 - Why are car ads so bad?00:09:39 - Is copywriting intimidating?00:11:26 - Why copywriters need a good brief00:14:50 - When copy goes wrong00:18:17 - The principles of great copy00:23:03 - This sentence has five words00:25:49 - Power of a six word story00:26:47 - #CopySafari00:30:13 - Prime - It’s Right Here00:31:58 - Nurofen and Nuromol00:35:28 - Why marketers should work with lawyers00:38:39 - Uber Eats - Just a tap away00:41:19 - Subway - Saver Subs00:43:00 - Lebara Mobile - Blady Blah00:44:27 - Sacla - Spaghetti You Won’t Forgetti00:45:56 - Monday.com - Meet your power suite00:47:32 - TFL - See it, say it, sorted00:49:42 - Greatest copywriting examples of of recent times00:52:00 - Vikki’s favourite campaigns she’s worked on00:55:05 - Will AI take copywriter’s jobs?01:03:28 - Advice for clients on copy

We're doing things a little bit differently this week. I've just recorded a webinar with Mark Ritson on advertising effectiveness with a very special guest, the VP for global marketing, Gui Ferreira from Mondelez. They are responsible for some of the epic Cadbury work that has scored right at the top of the System1 charts. We discussed what makes their advertising so good, what are the principles of advertising effectiveness and what can we learn?Watch the ads referenced in this podcast:Cadbury GarageOreo TwistTimestamps:00:00 Intro03:23 Why creativity matters04:31 Investing in creativity08:00 Being forced into short term tactics10:46 How to write a better brief14:45 Distinctive assets (Oreo Ad)20:10 Cadbury Garage Ad22:07 Orlando Chart23:21 Cadbury Generosity27:24 How Cadbury approaches creative development29:22 Data vs creative judgement32:53 How to measure creative40:15 Q&A

Today I'm joined by Mike Cessario, the founder and CEO of Liquid Death, a water brand worth $1.4b. With the use of creative brand marketing and punk aesthetic, Mike was able to break into the biggest beverage category in the US and disrupt market dominated by huge brands such as Coke and Pepsi. This is a truly inspirational story on how you can defy the odds, break convention, disrupt a category and do it all on a shoestring budget. If you're a challenger brand, this is a must listen.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:10 - Mike’s background00:06:24 - Mike’s brandy startup00:10:33 - Navigating regulation00:12:46 - The benefits of being an outsider distrupting an industry00:14:57 - Coming up with the idea for Liquid Death00:19:30 - How to create an innovative brand00:23:48 - Selling the Liquid Death concept00:27:08 - Raising money for Liquid Death00:29:50 - Launching on Amazon00:30:52 - Generating demand in the early days00:31:46 - Figuring out distribution networks for the drinks industry00:35:45 - Why limited budgets helped Liquid Death grow00:44:11 - Why D2C was pivotal for Liquid Death00:46:12 - Liquid Death’s unique Super Bowl campaign00:49:54 - The power of the Liquid Death merch00:53:00 - Innovation for the future of Liquid Death00:54:15 - Scaling and exit00:56:02 - Having famous investors00:57:29 - Maintaining the challenger spirit01:01:58 - Mike’s advice to aspiring founders

As Chief Marketing Officer, Michelle Taite leads Intuit Mailchimp’s Marketing teams and is responsible for the business’ end-to-end brand, acquisition, performance, product, and lifecycle marketing activities globally in addition to Mailchimp's in-house creative agency Wink. Joining just after Mailchimp's $12b acquisition, Michelle had the task of integrating their marketing into the wider Intuit team.Intro00:00 - Intro00:48 - Starting out desigining sneakers02:39 - From New Balance to Unilever04:13 - Doing purpose work for Dove05:15 - Michelle’s favourite work at Unilever06:27 - From CPG to SaaS09:29 - What is Mailchimp and why is it successful11:06 - Staying close to the customer13:26 - How to market to marketers14:54 - Email is not dead16:15 - Integrating an acquired company20:40 - Performance vs brand marketing25:16 - How AI will enhance creativity29:20 - Mailchimp's distinctive assets33:21 - How marketing influences the product35:56 - How to market to marketers38:35 - Obsessing about the 95% not in market40:45 - Top CMO advice from Michelle

Jo Shoesmith is the Global Chief Creative Officer at Amazon. She leads lead brand creative, design, production, social, and brand identity functions, as well as agency partnerships, in the largest fixed marketing portfolio investment at Amazon. 00:00 - Intro01:04 - From rural Australia to Los Angeles01:58 - From agency to client side04:44 - That famous Jeff Bezos marketing quote05:50 - What does the Chief Creative Officer at Amazon do07:41 - Creating emotional, brand building advertising09:22 - Using the brand distintive assets10:33 - Creating inclusive advertising13:05 - Advice for writing a really good brief14:43 - Tenets to inform great creative15:45 - Benefits of having in house creative (and working with agencies)17:42 - Managing global creative teams19:36 - What’s it like making a Super Bowl ad22:42 - Innovation within Amazon24:12 - Making things happen in a huge business25:13 - Simplifying complex creative ideas28:23 - Work Jo is most proud of31:39 - How Amazon are using AI33:44 - Advice to a young Jo

Today I'm speaking with Whyte and Mackay Marketing Director Janice McIntosh and Mr President (their agency) CCO Jon Gledstone about the launch of their new campaign for The Woodsman brand. The "Well Earned" campaign score a whopping 4.8 stars on the System1 test and saw the launch of a brand character, Barry the Beaver, in a move that defies convention in the traditional Whisky category. From internal battles to hurdles presented by the regulators, both Whyte and Mackay and Mr President had to overcome some barriers to bring this campaign to life.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:01 - Inventing The Woodsman01:42 - Creating a brand dominated by big players04:00 - Standing out in a product dominated category05:46 - Balancing demand and supply06:31 - Availablity of the brand07:11 - Overcoming perception barriers09:15 - Coming up with the “Well Earned” positioning13:06 - How to sell in breaking convention16:00 - How the agency helped sell the idea18:29 - Creating a new character20:02 - Characters vs Celebrities21:07 - Using humour in a traditional category23:23 - Creating a physical barry the beaver24:18 - The importance of craft in the ad26:07 - Staying on the right side of regulations28:23 - A good client agency relationship30:09 - How important is testing and data to back up creative decisions31:53 - The importance of mental and physical availability33:32 - The results35:01 - What’s next for the brand?

Bozoma Saint John is a Hall of Fame Inducted Marketing Executive, Entrepreneur and Author of her memoir, The Urgent Life. Her career has included roles as the Global CMO of Netflix, CMO of Endeavor, CBO of Uber, Head of Marketing of Apple Music & iTunes and Head of Music and Entertainment Marketing at PepsiCo.Follow BozInstagramLinkedInTwitter/XHer book - This Urgent LifeFollow JonJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00 - Start01:34 - Why Boz wrote such an emotional book05:02 - The reception to the book08:32 - Encountering Spike Lee13:32 - Making decisions based on intuition16:05 - Working for founder led brands20:36 - Leading marketing at large organisations23:55 - Managing the relationship with the CEO and CFO28:42 - Hire Boz, Get Boz - how to have confidence in yourself31:57 - Why you shouldn’t “play the game”33:06 - Dawn always comes; dealing with grief41:09 - Making the choice to change your life45:11 - From corporate jobs to entrepreneur48:24 - What’s next for Boz?

Today we’re diving deep into the high-stakes world of Super Bowl advertising with a very special guest—Ricardo Marques, the VP of Marketing for Michelob ULTRA. Ricardo, a veteran with 19 years at AB Inbev and the marketing maestro behind Michelob ULTRA's growth. He is here to share his playbook on how to score big during the most anticipated advertising event on American television.In this episode we get an exclusive look at how Michelob ULTRA prepares for the Super Bowl. Ricardo breaks down the importance of the Super Bowl as a platform, not just for audience reach but for creating conversations and excitement around the brand.But is Super Bowl advertising really worth the investment? Ricardo weighs in on the multifaceted approach to this question, assessing the creative, the conversion, and the long game of brand relevance. Key performance indicators, the intricate balance of novelty versus authenticity, and the seismic impact of this year's Super Bowl on Michelob ULTRA's growth trajectory are all on the table.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:55 - Why the Super Bowl is such a landmark event for advertisers03:07 - Ricardo’s background03:56 - The best advertisers in Super Bowl history05:05 - Michelob’s Super Bowl history06:03 - Launch before game day, or on the day?07:23 - Michelob’s Ad for 202410:04 - Is a Super Bowl ad worth $7m?11:09 - KPIs for a successful Super Bowl Ad11:48 - How involved are distributors in the process12:50 - The 2024 Michelob ULTRA Super Bowl Ad with Leo Messi16:14 - The briefing process for a Super Bowl ad17:25 - Brand positioning for a more premium beer18:39 - The core ingredients for a successful ad21:02 - The impact of celebrities in ads22:46 - Advice for people making their first big budget campaign27:26 - Selling in the campaign internally28:52 - Tying campaigns into global events31:25 - Using AI in activations33:57 - McEnroe vs McEnroe36:35 - Lap Against the Legends38:14 - Blind man commentating on NBA game41:45 - How has the brand performed from the campaigns42:38 - The secret to sustained success as a marketer47:29 - Who is Ricardo supporting for the Super Bowl?

Today we're joined by Jessica Myers, CMO of The Very Group. Previously Jess was CMO at Metro Bank and has since made the transition to the highly competitive retail market. At Very, she has overseen the launch of a brand new fluent device; the pink flamingoes. The campaign featuring the new characters scored a whopping 5.7 stars on the System1 scoring platform, Test Your Ad, amongst the very best ads made this year.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:52 - Jess’ background06:11 - Marketing academy fellowship07:13 - From big brand to challenger brand10:46 - The modern marketer11:57 - From finance to retail15:31 - Dealing with the challenges of joining a new business18:03 - Nailing positioning22:09 - Doing long term marketing in retail23:39 - Agency selection process for Very27:22 - Understanding your customer31:50 - The power of testing creative36:36 - The increasing standard of advertising38:28 - Creating a new fluent device - The Flamingoes43:20 - The future of the brand46:08 - Jess’ advice to aspiring marketers

Dave Kaufman is responsible for the marketing for one of the biggest tech bets of all time; the Metaverse. As Director of Global Marketing for VR and the Metaverse for Meta (formerly Facebook), it's fair to say Dave has a pretty sizeable task on his hands. He's no stranger to large marketing bets, having been on the marketing team for Google Glass, which ultimately failed. But sandwiched in-between working for Google and Meta, Dave worked for Obama's Whitehouse for the United States Digital Service.In this episode we discuss if the US is behind the UK in terms of marketing thinkers, why marketing education is overlooked, why Google Glass failed and what the future holds in terms of the Metaverse.LinksDave's LinkedInDave's viral LinkedIn articleJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00 - Intro00:58 - Dave’s favourite episodes of Uncensored CMO01:50 - Elon vs Mark in a fight02:31 - US vs UK marketing03:57 - How to not be full of sh*t in marketing09:16 - Was Google Glass a failure?15:50 - Launching the Meta X Rayban Sunglasses20:28 - Explaining the metaverse24:02 - How to quantify the success of the metaverse26:29 - When will the metaverse become mainstream?30:58 - Making virtual reality more familiar32:28 - Does tech have a marketing problem?38:20 - Working for founders46:39 - Working at President Obama’s Whitehouse53:35 - Working with low budgets56:47 - Dave’s bets for 2024

Today I'm joined by Antonia Wade, Global CMO at PwC and Author of The B2B Buyer Journey. This episode is a true B2B masterclass. We break down the importance of brand, reputation and relationships vs what people traditionally think is important in B2B. We also break down each stage of the marketing funnel to find out how best to reach them at every point in the buyer journey.LinksAntonia's LinkedInAntonia's BookJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:10 - Antonia’s background00:06:01 - How does B2B and B2C differ?00:09:25 - How to reach B2B customers00:11:52 - Building B2B relationships00:17:30 - The importance of people in B2B00:20:53 - Why brand and reputation are so important00:24:43 - Why having an online presence matters00:29:39 - Marketing from cost centre to profit centre00:34:14 - Marketing at different stages of the buyer journey00:39:54 - Why people think B2B is boring00:46:30 - Why purpose has a bigger role in B2B00:48:38 - Stage 1: Reaching Horizon Scanners00:51:41 - Stage 2: Reaching Explorers00:55:18 - Stage 3: Reaching Hunters00:57:39 - Stage 4: Capturing the Active Buyer00:59:15 - Stage 5: Marketing post-purchase01:01:18 - How will AI transform B2B marketing

One of the most popular episodes of all time was my first with Sarah Carter and Les Binet, so I'm bringing them back to do a review of 2023. We talk about what makes Les cry and if AI is going to take over our jobs.LinksJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:05 - Les’ favourite ads of 202300:04:45 - Sarah’s favourite Christmas ads00:07:15 - Wear out00:12:30 - Why familiarity breeds contentment00:17:42 - Have we rediscovered homour in 2023?00:19:47 - The role of purpose in advertising00:29:17 - Diversity and representation00:34:53 - Kevin the carrot and characters00:41:52 - Fluent devices and consistency00:49:01 - Why do John Lewis run christmas ads every year00:50:40 - How did the first ad to ever air score?00:52:51 - The highest performing advertising categories00:55:04 - Lowest performing advertising categories01:00:12 - Outperforming your category01:03:08 - US Superbowl vs UK Christmas01:04:02 - Les and Sarah’s thoughts on AI01:14:03 - How reliable is ESOV01:15:52 - MMM Models01:19:32 - The best performing Adam and Eve ad01:21:42 - Predictions for 2024

Now in this episode, we're talking about one of the most competitive markets in the world - insurance comparison. Anyone who's followed this market will know just how intense it is. And how do you build a brand when you don't have a product yourself, but you're selling someone else's product? Well, it's one of those situations where marketing is all important and advertising can make all the difference to your success.I'm catching up with Sam Day, who's been the CMO of confused.com, for the past 6 years, who successfully challenged this market and taken it from 4th to 2nd place on very limited budgets. So I want to find out from Sam the secret behind the success of the campaigns that he's run over the last few years, how he's transformed their business and what his plans are for the future.LinksJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00 - Intro03:53 - Sam’s advice to a young marketer06:27 - Sam’s greatest failure08:44 - Management and leadership advice12:27 - The secret to an extended CMO tenure19:41 - Getting c-suite buy in with data22:50 - Consistency24:26 - Marketing when you don’t have a product26:01 - Brand vs price28:43 - Why name the brand after the problem (confused.com)31:24 - Branding against one of the best branded characters of all time34:02 - Why there’s no silver bullet for success37:02 - Spontaneous awareness - how to win an effie39:50 - Selecting an agency42:01 - Great examples of populous advertising44:14 - How agencies should pitch to CMOs49:39 - What’s next for Sam Day

Today I'm revisiting episode 3, with Adam Morgan, founder of eatbigfish and author of Eating The Big Fish, The Pirate Inside and A Beautiful Constraint to find out what it takes to become a successful challenger. Adam shares his tips for creating a challenger brand, transforming your culture and the power of constraints to driving innovation.In this episode:Why being No.2 is betterHow he turned the anger of his project being shelved into a career-defining opportunityBeing turned down by Phil Knight and where the idea of a Challenger brand came fromThe importance of over-commitment and being obsessed with executionHow Tony’s Chocolonely have become a truly challenger brandHow to be a pirate in the navy without getting firedWhat you can learn from a catwalk show and how constraints can turn into your greatest advantageThe curse of data and how it leads us to a decline in creativityThe furtile zero and what to do with no budgetAdam shares his worst career momentWhy the meeting is never really the meeting and why the Japanese fall asleep in meetingsThe one thing Adam has never told anyone beforeFollow me:Twitter | @uncensoredCMOLinkedInContact me:Website | www.uncensoredcmo.comEmail – [email protected] Morgan:Twitter | @eatbigfishwww.eatbigfish.comEating The Big FishThe Pirate InsideA Beautiful Constraint