The Fuel Podcast (Keith Smith)

Is the advertising business a form of business or entertainment? It needs to be entertaining but there definitely is a science to it. Paul Bainsfair is the Director General of the IPA – the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. He’s a veteran of the industry, with board-level experience at TBWA, Saatchis and Iris, he’s using his 35+ years in the business to champion the cause of advertising as a driver of the economy. But he’s also acutely aware of the issues facing the world of advertising – the environment, DE&I, frequency and advertising fatigue. So, the IPA’s focus for 2024 is the 60:40 rule and helping companies and brands to strike a balance between brand building and activation – as the old song goes, like love and marriage, you can’t have one without the other. In this wide-ranging chat, Paul and I discuss the difference between US and UK advertising, why ads need to deliver the relevant unexpected, the latest Bellwether reports and a marketing budget forecast for the next 12 months, the wisdom of Tim Delaney, balancing the standards, saving the economy, new business opportunities for all agencies, the analogy of steam trains and Irish songwriters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this show, we discuss the unspoken signs of success; in leadership, branding, and work and personal relationships. Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation and my guest - Dr Rachel Lawes is a social psychologist specializing in the interface between individuals and consumer culture. She is a Fellow of the Market Research Society and her latest book "Using Semiotics in Retail: Leveraging Consumer Insight to Engage Shoppers and Boost Sales" makes her the ideal person to tackle this subject. This show is packed with insights that will give your brain a load of new wrinkles, including: Those leaders with high EQs How to make the best of a cold Why Christmas decorations are like viruses The delirium of duty free Top down and bottom up semiotics Elite Waitrose shoppers Creating a reality that others will follow The downside of tech driven relationships Semiotics and the pharmaceutical sector The baboon that finds lost things The horrors of The Bible     Show notes: Dr Rachel’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachellawes/ Buy the book ‘Using Semiotics in Marketing: How to Achieve Consumer Insight for Brand Growth and Profits’: https://www.amazon.com/Using-Semiotics-Marketing-achieve-consumer/dp/1789662079 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What effect does faith have in the sales and marketing process? Whether you’re a religious person or not, belief in things yet to happen is part and parcel of sales and marketing. We’re all doing things now that will hopefully benefit us in the future. But does believing in the future make it happen? There’s more to the sales process than technique, there’s also attitude and that’s what this show is all about. Brad Smith is the CEO of Succeed Digital and his belief system helps him every day – and it can help you too. Digging the ditches, having faith that it’s going to rain will make it rain. In this truly enlightening show, Brad outlines his philosophy for winning business and creating memorable and meaningful client relationships. We discuss: When it’s OK to compete on price Retention v Acquisition The 30-second summary for your business Making growth a team sport How to choose your prospects Being nice as a business skill Using referrals Treating people as you’d like to be treated Credibility, memorability and visibility SHOW NOTES Brad’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/succeedwithbradsmith/ Succeed Digital’s web site: https://www.succeed.digital Sir Anthony Hopkins’ ‘Digging Ditches’ speech: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=714018422472470   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discussing morality in the creative agency world. What role do agencies play in changing the public mindset when it comes to big oil or tobacco? And what other sins do creative agencies regularly commit? Also - your chance to choose our theme music! Vote: 1. Acid 2. Dance 3. Starsky 4. Chill 5. Cheezy 6. Bebop All in a highly caffeinated 15 minutes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who are you? Director, Relater, Socialiser or Thinker? Who you are – how you communicate and who you’re communicating to, depends on knowing this. Grant Thornton says that within this decade, every leader of every dynamic organisation will need to have a clear strategic vision and be able to articulate that to the business. This is important stuff, and as part of The Fuel Podcast’s quest for answers to how we communicate better as humans, our sponsor The Advertist has teamed up with author and business coach Trenton Moss to give you a FREE workshop, so you can begin your journey of greater communication discovery! On Tuesday 5th March at 1pm, Trenton is offering friends of The Advertist a free workshop to hear how the contents of his best-selling book ‘Human Powered’ can be implemented in your agency. He’s doing this exclusively for The Advertist, so don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity. Take part in this fun hour of a workshop. https://forms.gle/m7mwc52Xnoii5DraA It’s so good, we’ve all done it. Book your place now and we look forward to seeing you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Safi Zisman is a professional media coach and PR expert. His company BF Media helps companies prepare their story for use on TV and radio. And as you'll hear, it's not easy to get it right unless you have expert advice. In this fun interview, Safi points out the common errors that spokespeople make and how to trouble-shoot your interview ahead of time. In this show we discuss: How broadcast demonstrated its use during the pandemic The terrible twos of running your own business The new business frenzy of broadcast PR What to do and what not to do on TV The phenomenon of Mick Lynch & his greatest hits The power of authenticity Turning an interview into a conversation Tips for marketers to help spread the message Public perception and the Amanda Knox syndrome Reach Safi on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/safi-zisman-5aa21929/ BF Media here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bf-media/ Mick Lynch -v- The Media here: https://youtu.be/cgSUpyo86ZI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Grubb literally emerged from the rubble of a building site in Sheffield and was the first hire that the legendary Dave Trott made when he started Gold Greenless Trott in 1980 with Mike Greenless and Mike Gold. GGT went on to be named The Most Creative Agency In The World and soon became a rebel with a cause in Ad land, bringing a unique twist on the world of advertising, thanks largely to Paul's approach. Constant reinvention is a driving force behind Paul’s work and he went on to co-found DFGW Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters which throughout the 90s and early 00s was one of London’s most successful creative independent agencies. Living in Bangkok, Paul now oversees the ASEAN creative work for the Ford Motor Company. This is a 'Super-show' best consumed in one go, but even if you so hit the pause button, please listen all the way through because Paul is a gold mine of insight and advice for growing agencies. There's also some great stories from the early days of his career! Nuff said? Bring it on Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you don't know who Rob Mayhew is, you need to. He's a rare breed of marketing and sales genius, twinned with comedy and acting skills that have taken the world of TikTok by storm. His Award winning, lo-fi, short sketches about agency office life have gained a huge following, from people in the world of marketing, PR and advertising and those outside of it. Rob has cornered the market with his hilarious, touching, accurate depictions of such trivial things as the stresses of working late, your first day in a new job, the agency summer party, technical failures at a pitch meeting and he's produced literally thousands of them, gaining over 3 million views on TikTok and attracting over 7000 followers on LinkedIn - and he's only just started! In this show, Rob delivers a masterclass in how to conquer TikTok, how to use comedy to grow an audience, and the role that humor plays in winning new business. Using comedy for internal comms Breaking down diversity issues How the TikTok algorithm works How to laugh customers into the funnel How to remember ideas Why the American comedy scene is the best in the world Keith & Rob design a line of sweaters in the show Big props to: Fleishman Hillard Rowing Blazer sweaters Incidental music by 27202754 from Pixabay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Phillips is the Managing Director of AAR – the Advertising Agency Register, where magical matches are made and he’s seen it all. Failure, success and everything in between that is the battlefield of agency life. In this show, he shares his observations from the last 25 years of agency pitches and presentations, what to do, what not to do and how to make sure that you and your agency is putting itself forward for business you can win and that your brand is hunting for the right kind of agency for your brief. And if you’re a CMO or brand custodian and thinking of appointing a creative agency, or you run an agency and are looking for new business, then this is all you need to know, right here: We discuss: What makes a great advertising agency Justifying marketing budgets How to be pitch perfect The art of pitch editing Relationship longevity The definition of 'Shower time' The importance of strategy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like Donald Trump after an FBI raid, the climate deniers' argument keeps changing. Rachel Konrad stands on the battlements for our planet and challenges the fossil fuel companies and the intensive farming lobby every day. Hailing from Motown itself - Detroit to become one of Silicon Valley's leading tech evangelists, Rachel knows only too well the environmental catastrophe we face and she's leading the charge to help educate us and show us that marketing can be used as a force for good as well as bad. In this show, Rachel walks us through her journey to enlightenment and explains how the powerful lobbyists for the meat industry and the fossil fuel industry have hijacked the narrative to benefit their bottom line. The answer is actually very simple and all it needs is a common-sense, bullshit-free perspective. Rachel is pretty much the ambassador for common sense and straight-talking, so watch out for some hard truths and uncomfortable facts. Being disruptive is destructive and it comes with its own challenges. Rachel's job as Chief Brand Officer at The Production Board, a unique venture foundry created by Dave Friedberg focused on businesses that reverse global warming and improve human health stands at the vanguard of the green tech movement. In this show Rachel also outlines the 3 leading factors for successful plant-based food marketing and why having a moral righteousness is critical if companies want to avoid greenwashing claims. She also spills the beans on Elon Musk's work ethic and provides the perfect response to anyone who tells her to calm down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's not fine. It's far from fine. It's about as far from fine as it could be. Gustav Martner is the Creative Director of Greenpeace Nordics and earlier this year, he handed back one of his many Cannes Lions as a headline-grabbing protest against the advertising industry that is still rewarding companies that are causing maximum harm to our planet, while they gaslight us into thinking they are doing good. Enough already! It has to stop and Gustav explains why. He's on a mission to have advertising from fossil fuel companies banned and if your agency works for a fossil fuel company, then he's coming for your budgets. And a milder, more level-headed guy you couldn't wish to meet. He's not some tree-hugging hippie that glues himself to the motorway. He understands the whole argument because he's been on the other side of the fence, running agencies and working for big oil, big aviation and big auto but he's seen the light...and it's fading fast. Here's a show about how the advertising industry can still do what it does best, but as forces of good for the planet. Gustav Martner's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavmartner/ The Cannes Lion protest in full: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttIGaxDEaRE The Merchants of Doubt - essential reading to understand the lobbying business: https://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/ Naomi Oreskes, “Behind the Ivory Tower: The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change” http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/306/5702/1686 Source: MIT (MIT is one of the leading academic institutions in the world) Title: Why have I heard that eating meat is bad for the climate? https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/why-have-i-heard-eating-meat-bad-climate Source: National Library of Medicine (The National Library of Medicine is the world's largest biomedical library and a leader in research in computational health informatics) Title: Consumer Attitudes Towards Environmental Concerns of Meat Consumption: A Systematic Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6479556/ Source: University of Cambridge- Title: Changing global diets is vital to reducing climate change https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/changing-global-diets-is-vital-to-reducing-climate-change https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/16/oil-firms-climate-claims-are-greenwashing-study-concludes?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/16/oil-firms-climate-claims-are-greenwashing-study-concludes?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other Actions vs. Words: A Look at Fossil Fuel Greenwashing https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/actions-vs-words-look-fossil-fuel-greenwashing Gustav's book choice: https://www.amazon.com/One-Day-Life-Ivan-Denisovich-ebook/dp/B00BMKMK3M/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M7VBFSTPY7H&keywords=one+day+in+the+life+of+ivan+denisovich&qid=1663846590&sprefix=Ivan+Den%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawman Kevin Taylor once had to negotiate for his own life with a shotgun shoved in his face. He's also had to negotiate for other people's lives too, because he's been at the sharp end of hostage negotiation for decades. These days, he prefers the cut and thrust of boardroom to the perils of policing but the skills translate to the business and sports worlds, where he’s paid to help parties achieve a win. Negotiation is one of the foundations of the new business world but most of us have no training in the art – we just make it up as we go along. And without knowing how to get the best deal for you and your prospect, you’re always turning up to a gunfight with a banana. Spend the next hour and a bit listening to one of the UK’s best negotiators, spreading the wisdom about the subtle art of negotiation. Incidental Music - Call The Police by Gvidon, Sound Effect by Placidplace from Pixabay Kevin’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-taylor-90145852/ An introduction to Robert Cialdini The 6 Principles of Influence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOypv1AqYu0 Boost your new business with a free trial of The Advertist https://www.theadvertist.com/New-User-Welcome.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Words have impact. Words have meaning. In your advertising, in your PR copy, in your emails, in your social media. And here to explain his fascination with words is one of the advertising industry’s most famous creative directors, copywriter and agency leader and mentor, Peter Souter. We caught up him in his last 2 months as TBWA London’s Chairman and CCO – before he retires to enjoy his days using the written word to create entertainment - and this show is full of words of wisdom accumulated over his prolific career. He's also about to embark on an exciting new venture with comedy screenwriter Richard Curtis. We hear all about that and Peter passes on his learnings from a prolific 40-year career in advertising. https://www.creativebloq.com/news/gilette-advertising-stunt The Little Market https://vimeo.com/108493724 Freddie Powell https://freddiepowell.com/ Incidental music by Skilsel from Pixabay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From BMP/DDB, AMV/BBDO and Mother to Campbell Doyle Dye, DHM and LOVE or FEAR, Dave Dye has been behind some of the world's most amazing advertising campaigns in his 40-year career. A creative leader, Dave also runs one of the advertising industry's most loved podcasts 'Stuff from the Loft' where it's not unheard of to hear 2-3 hour long interviews with advertising royalty. In this show, Dave discusses the art of leadership, using Tim Delaney and Alan Parker as examples. He urges the ad industry to get back to solving business problems, and why it's important to explain the creative process to clients. Dave's favourite piece of work, the emotion of creativity, impostor syndrome, how D&ADs have changed, the fossil fuel addiction rabbit hole, keeping podcasting natural, Dave's white whale, Dave Trott's theory of jingles and new technology that works! And Arsenal...Dave's beloved Arsenal. Incidental music by Music_Unlimited from Pixabay That link to the report on open plan workspaces:https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2017.0239 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With all the outcry about how the big FMCG companies are greenwashing us and brands are gaslighting the general public into buying more of their products, just what are the alternatives for savvy consumers? Where are the products of the future coming from? Orr Vinegold is the leader of business accelerator Unrest – an incubator committed to coaching the next generation of founders and giving them best-of-breed advice. And Unrest should know because it’s part of creative superstar Uncommon – a previous guest of the show and one that left an indelible mark on the debate around the real meaning of creativity. Orr Vinegold has got all the chops – he’s poacher turned gamekeeper, following an illustrious career with some of the behemoths of the consumer goods world but now he’s turning all his skills into helping companies that put planet and purpose before profit – not just ticking boxes but vetting the founder’s DNA to make sure they do what they claim. Having selected his lucky stable of companies, the team at Unrest then go about making sure they get best of bred advice and help to launch their business, giving it one of the best starts a business could want, including marketing, positioning, strategy and funding. This is a blockbuster of a show and only we dare to go where others don’t. This is more than a podcast, it’s a complete guide to modern marketing and we were honoured to spend so much time with Orr. This show is packed with extras for you, including a wonderful bit by our returning hero Jeremy Davies who takes down Elon Musk quicker than a tweet about exploding Teslas. We also pay tribute to our impressive guest line-up across the year, with a rap/poem that name checks all our wonderful agency guests. We hope that you've had a busy year and we've included a little Christmas Easter egg right at the end of the show for you. Incidental music provided by: Musicalmix2020 from Pixabay Grand_Project from Pixabay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warning the first word of this show is a swear word. We've got games! We've got music! We've got opinions and we've got insight. Everything you normally get at an agency Christmas party, but with a special guest appearance from this year's Santa - Paul Grubb. He showed up for our classic 100th episode and now, live from Singapore, he's back. Paul tells us all about Christmas in Thailand, about using AI for creative concept work and EV adoption in Asia. Along with that, we discuss what Pantone actually does, what Paul got away with in the 90s, bands named after sex stuff, is past male or female, how to talk to a celebrity, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' new fridge, Noddy Holder the Grinch and Paul's New Year wish for the advertising industry. Paul tells us about Dave Trott's milk bottle wisdom and Paul pays a fantastic tribute to the recently retired Peter Souter. We play Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble as well as a wonderful karaoke tune, and we finally get to recreate Paul's encounter with rock god David Bowie! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1970's Mike Everett went straight from secondary school into advertising, starting in the mail room and eventually trying his hand at copywriting, at which he became an expert. In 1973, he began a 14 year stint at Collett, Dickenson, Pearce and Partners - one of Britain's most outrageously creative and prolific advertising agencies. He worked at Lowe International with Sir Frank Lowe as worldwide creative director. He's still at it, as creative partner at Anatomised - a digital, display and TV advertising consultancy. He's on the show to discuss his incredible career and also his book Methods of the Madmen, a behind-the-scenes look at some of the ads that made Britain great, giving a detailed look at the creative process and the struggles to bring some of the most adventurous adverts to life, working with the best film, art and creative directors of the time. Starring: Tony Brignull, Paul Collins, Mike Cozens, Graham Fink, Steve Harrison, John Kelly, Tim Lindsay, Dave Dye, Terry Lovelock, Sir Frank Lowe, Sir John Hegarty, David Abbott, David Hughes, Bill Bernbach, Sam Delaney, Peter Matthews, Sir Alan Parker, Sue peters, John Salmon, Paul Smith, Mike Townend, Alan Waldie, Graham Watson, Paul Weiland, Peter Souter, Martin Galton and many, many more. Buy the book and be amazed! https://a.co/d/gnF25Er Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not every green creative is a great creative, but every great creative is a green creative. It takes far less energy for an original advert or promotion to enter the public consciousness than it does a bad one. How big swings are behind some of the most iconic creative ads of our time and how they create their own momentum. Featuring: Sir John Hegarty, Mike Everett, Nils Leonard and Nick Looby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to build a PR agency for the future Liam Keogh is the co-founder of PALM PR, arguably the UK’s most creative independent PR agency working in the food and drink and hospitality sector. He's one of those guys who runs through walls to make stuff happen – and it shows in how his agency works. Collaborating with his team to identify future clients, issues and policies that ensure everyone plays a role in the progression of the agency is just one of the secrets of his success Palm PR is also the agency behind the controversial petition to get the Government to stop preventing plant-based innovators from using words like “Milk”, “Cheese” and “Butter” in their product descriptions and marketing . Currently, in the UK there is a blockade on the use of these words and Palm PR argues that this is directly impeding innovation in the industry. This is very typical of the spirit and energy that Liam and his sister Emily have built Palm PR on. Employee-owned Palm is a true innovator, which the PR industry has recognised through all the awards and acknowledgements it has garnered in its history. Liam explains how to tick all the boxes to create an agency that is built for the 2030s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to own words? How can a few big players in the UK's dairy industry prevent non-dairy and plant-based food manufacturers using words like Mylk or Sheeze? In this podlet, I investigate the issue of copyright and protectionism with the help of Creative Director Mike Everett, Palm PR co-founder Liam Keogh and Trading Standards Authority team leader David Pickering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much your agency charges for its work is critical to success. Or is it? What is creativity worth? How long does it take? Keith & Natasha - two new business experts sit down over a coffee to discuss the issue and how it impacts agency life. We also interview David Meikle, author of 'Tuning Up' and 'How to Buy a Gorilla' on the value of creative ideas to clients. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's in a name? Does your agency's name influence its destiny? How important is getting your business's name right? It could mean all the difference between winning and losing. Keith and Natasha pour a coffee and muse this proposition with the help of Laura Bent, a co-Director at creative agency CITE, who relates her own personal experience of trying to transition from one agency into another, after an acquisition. Our two intrepid heroes discuss this theme and contrast it against amusing evidence and illustrations, as well as supply their own personal important news headlines, updates and bon mots. - All in less that 20 minutes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When times get tough, companies always look to the sales team to help them out. The new business role in agencies is one of the most underfunded and yet entirely necessary responsibilities in creativeland. Adam Graham is one of the people who agencies turn to when they need help with their company's growth. He's got years of experience helping creative agencies straighten out their sales and new business process. He runs Gray Matters, one of the marketing industry’s most well-known new business and growth agencies which offers the whole new business consultancy. He also looks after BD Matters, an exclusive community and marketplace of agencies and founders to workshop various issues, bring in special guests and generally help lift the awareness of new business as part of the agency growth model. All the tips and tricks you need to know about growing your agency, in less than an hour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Howard Gossage - often dubbed the "Socrates of San Francisco," revolutionised advertising in the 1950s and 60s with his unconventional and humanistic approach. So it took two equally unconventional and humanistic creatives - Steve Harrsion and Dave Dye, to write - no, craft - a book documenting some of the most captivating and exemplary pieces of Gossage's short but prolific career, producing a form of advertising so ahead of its time that we're only now catching up with it. The problem is, that, like the man in the river surrounded by crocodiles, we’ve forgotten that the original objective was to get to the other side. We’ve forgotten the point of advertising - and that is to entertain. Gossage was a born showman and it lived and breathed in his work, which is what makes it sadly unique. If you’ve never been Gossaged before, I suggest you start here. If you have, then I hope you’ll appreciate this podcast and an opportunity to reminisce on a lost period of advertising that we still have a chance to reclaim and make advertising great again. Thank you to Steve Harrison and Dave Dye for a memorable podcast. If it sounds a bit jumpy, I apologise and hope that it doesn’t spoil your listening enjoyment. We had to record it in two goes and splice the best bits together because of a technical SNAFU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some incredible agency management advice from David Meikle - former Director of Ogilvy London and Head of Ogilvy Russia.   Alongside his role of advising some of the world’s biggest brands and agencies on their strategic marketing advice, he’s the author of two pivotal books –“ How to Buy a Gorilla" and “Tuning Up” which have been helping brands and agencies create greater value together, many of which he has then supported with marketing transformation, pitch management, training and workshops” This show is an in-depth look at the key highlights of both books and offer sound advice and data to help your agency become pitcher perfect!  Subjects include: Agency investment models Product development strategies The triangle of doom Monkey House logic What areas CMOs need to ask for help with New business prospecting tips The awfulness of learned hopelessness Selling petrol Companies wasting effort and time with wildcard pitches The self-propelling business model   All delivered in a light-hearted, but informative conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retail stores need to do everything they can to entertain and retain their walk-in customers, and on a wider basis, brands are fighting for an increasingly tougher share of their customers' attention. Sound is the new frontier of marketing and AVC Music specializes in matching brands to audio content. Managing Director Euan McMorrow is ex-radio industry DJ and producer who knows a thing or two when it comes to audio marketing. In this show, I sit down with Euan to discuss the history and potential of branding in the audio landscape. We discuss in-store audio, news, podcasts and the music industry and Euan gives listeners 3 fascinating tips for launching a podcast. Show notes: Euan's LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/euan-mcmorrow/ AVC Music web site here: https://avcmusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The undeniable link between advertising and entertainment explained by Paul Feldwick, the author of ‘Why Does the Pedlar Sing?’ Paul’s investigation into this subject began a few years ago when he worked in senior planning roles in some of the world’s biggest advertising agencies. As our focus on metrics and data increases, it seems our understanding of the basic principles of marketing is similarly decreasing. Since the first time a person sold another person something, we’ve always tried to make it an enjoyable experience and the industry-wide pearl-clutching over the apparent lack of creativity in our profession can be easily explained by an expert of Paul’s calibre. This is as enjoyable a podcast as I’ve ever done and Paul is a wonderful storyteller. The show was a revelation to me, as it triggered memories of my own childhood and a series of artworks called ‘The Cries of London’. Join me as I ask Paul – Why does the Pedlar Sing? Show notes: Paul Feldwick’s LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feldwick/ Buy the book ‘Why Does The Pedlar Sing?’ here: https://a.co/d/129x0ms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discussing the findings of a massive survey of creative agencies and their clients, actor, coach and business presentation guru Catherine Allison gives advice on how to make business presentations, talks, seminars and online meetings fun, engaging, entertaining and most of all, memorable. Catherine uses her extensive career in the spotlight to help remove the ‘resent’ from presentations, put the ‘power’ in Powerpoint, and the ‘we’ in webinar. Catherine gives simple tips on how to win pitches through the unspoken and spoken power of communication. She teaches us how to stand tall, how to imagine our own dragon tail, overcome nerves and deliver powerful messages in person, online and on the phone. Included totally free-of-charge in this podcast is a simple method of structuring a sales pitch that delivers all the right feels, based on classic acting know-how. Show notes: Catherine’s LinkedIn profile, here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinea/ Catherine’s company web site here: https://mastertheart.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, says the proverb. Never has that been truer than in the case of corporate purpose, the movement that took over the business and advertising world following the financial crisis of 2008.   Nick Asbury, creative writer, corporate purpose critic, poet, songsmith, humorist and author of the new blockbuster book The Road to Hell, discusses his perspective on how the advertising and marketing business became consumed with the idea of doing good to the detriment of everything else.   We cover the wide and varied reactions to the book from the industry, the rights and wrongs of BCorp, Edelman's Trust Barometer, the link between tobacco & purpose marketing, Paul Feldwick's superb definition of "creativity", Nick Cave and AI and how ChatGPT's creator OpenAI has switched its purpose-driven goals.   Show notes: Nick’s LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-asbury-2573322/ Asbury & Asbury web site: https://www.nickasbury.com/ Buy the book: https://www.nickasbury.com/writing/roadtohell Paul Feldwick’s definition of Creativity: https://adassoc.org.uk/credos/what-does-creativity-mean-in-advertising/ Stephen Fry reads Nick Cave’s letter about ChatGPT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGJcF4bLKd4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-ellard-shoefield-the-hand/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ukkeithjsmith/ In the news: Parkrun and phone boxes that power cars. Interview with Jayne Noblet of The Collaborators - What does it mean to be a B Corp? How to obtain B Corp status B Corp and the Food and Drink industry How B Corp helps you win new clients Should B Corp be adopted by the Government? Missed climate goals and targets Unilever's change of purpose strategy Show notes: Parkrun: https://www.parkrun.com/about/our-story/20-years-of-parkrun/ Jayne Noblet's LinkedIn profile:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynelilly/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marketing budgets are increasing, and yet creative spend is decreasing. Clients want more creative for less. This podcast teaches you how to find those efficiencies, using working examples in the retail and B2B sector. My guest is Michael Veitch, ex-Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand and a seasoned digital master, whose new company OutcomePath helps companies across all sectors find their online MOJO. He explains why copying the competition can be one of the easiest mistakes to make; ignoring your organisation’s DNA can become costly and is sometimes fatal. We examine what happened at The Body Shop and how disaster could have been avoided. Mike also has some wonderful advice for anyone looking to acquire and relaunch the retailer, as well as providing handy tips for measuring your company’s online performance and making sure it matches the offline experience. ------------- Mike's LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcveitch/ OutcomePath web site here: https://outcomepath.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Female British Entrepreneurs need to behave like American male founders.   With a change in government in the UK, what initiatives should they focus on to help grow the economy through innovation and entrepreneurship?   We can either tax our way to prosperity or grow our way to success on the world stage. Or both.   Julie Thompson-Dredge, founder of Frame PR is at the cutting edge of the start-up world and among other duties is responsible for comms for the Made in Britain campaign and she’s passionate about helping founders to develop their start-up’s narrative so they can effectively communicate their marketing messages.   In this show, we discuss the basics of promoting a start-up business, using effective low-budget marketing tools and tricks, and also how to develop a captivating story designed to attract funding.   Key to this discussion is the urgent need to create the right environment for female entrepreneurs to flourish, and how Julie helps British women founders behave like American male entrepreneurs.   A fascinating discussion for anyone interested in the world of start-ups, funding and new economic drivers.   Show notes:   Julie’s LinkedIn Profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-thompson-dredge-336ab33/   Grace Beverley https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-beverley-574a10102/   Anne Boden - Starling https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneboden/   Mary Portas https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-portas-2420108a/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what does your LinkedIn profile say about you? Your LinkedIn profile copy, posts and pictures should all be carefully crafted to convey the message you want to give. And so are your prospects’. This gives you a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the person or company that you’re looking to sell into. But how do you decode the hidden cues and clues that could mean the difference between you being an also-ran to pole-position contender? If your LinkedIn profile and web site simply and effectively displayed what you do and how you do it, then you’ll automatically have a 60% greater chance of converting the client. Nancy Zare is the LinkedIn Whisperer. By day, she helps companies and sales professionals achieve high-quality results by using her psychology background to analyze their prospect targets’ LinkedIn profiles and web presence. By night she rescues dogs! Nancy’s in-demand talents for helping sales teams are legendary in the USA but not so well known in the UK, but now she’s been on the show, that’s all about to change! Even the most talented, service-minded people stumble on sales calls, either because they are unsure of how to sell effectively or by accepting "no" too quickly. Her company Rapport Builderz teaches business people to overcome these obstacles to make more money with confidence and ease with her AlikeAbility(TM) System. Helping them understand and communicate like their buyers. She’s like a forensic detective who uncovers subtle insights that elevate any sales pitch and give every sales call the best possible chance of success. This show is a masterclass in salescraft techniques that can give your new business effort a boost. And Nancy is also offering a free exclusive LinkedIn profile audit, to help you see how your LinkedIn profile measures up and give you tips to help you optimize it. This show perfectly aligns with our mission for 2024 of uncovering the intangible elements of the sales process and is a must-listen for anyone interested in the clever techniques that some might call ‘special sauce’ in new business. Show notes Nancy’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyzare/ And don’t forget she is offering a FREE LinkedIn profile audit Nancy’s web site: https://rapportbuilderz.com The Farm Dog Rescue Project: https://thefarmdogrescue.com/farm/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your company pet holding your agency’s sales back? Is your leadership giving out leader-ick vibes? Agencies often think they know what makes a winning creds or pitch deck, web site or even presenter, but if that were the case, you’d win more pitches, right? Steve Fair of Sponge NB is an expert in agency credentials targeting, preparation and presentation and in this show, he gives us a simple list of do’s and don’ts for advertising, marketing and PR businesses. He outlines what creds and pitch decks are supposed to say, what to leave in and what to leave out, where to meet, meeting length, meeting chemistry, web site hierarchy, personalisation and the art of cold outreach. Show notes   Steve’s LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/spongenb/ Sponge NB’s web site http://www.spongenb.com Sponge’s LinkedIn new business shorts: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=newbusinessshorts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Keith & Natasha as they chew the new business fat after a very long summer and autumn break, as they get to the bottom of what makes the perfect client? Is there ever such a thing as the perfect client for any agency? Is it a myth and legend on a par with Excalibur and Xanadu? The guest for this exciting little podlet is Geraint Edwards, Chief Growth Officer for design agency Tangerine. He helps us answer some of the most intriguing questions around this subject, including: What makes the perfect client for a creative marketing agency? What can clients do to get the best out of their agencies? What should agencies do to get the best out of their clients? Is it right for agencies to question the brief they’re given? How should clients react if you offer up diverse, radical ideas? Plus a perfect news story and Natasha reports on the very latest hair styling trends for the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes podcasting such a great advertising platform? Should you make your own podcast or advertise on existing ones? Is your story compelling enough to build an audience or is it better to leverage any one of the established 4 million plus podcast hosts? How podcasts can be used to train your people and help build a remote workforce. Jason Falls is the CEO of Marketing Podcast Network (www.marketingpodcasts.net) and in this exclusive interview, we discuss how powerful podcasting has become to helping brands target a premium audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can AI help creative agencies win business and get up to speed on any sector or area of business fast? Justin Wohlstadter is the inventor and founder of Waldo, one of the leading AI-powered research and analytics tools, used by some of the world’s leading creative agencies. Our sponsor – The Advertist has been using Waldo for some time and it’s given the new business platform a massive advantage. Justin has been working in the field of AI, technology investment and agency research since the start of the century and Waldo provides support for agency pitches, brand strategy and creative work by reducing the sheer time and effort required to research and verify insights and reports. Find out how YOU can leverage the advantages of Waldo for your business, because like it or not, AI is here to stay and you’re either part of the future, or left behind in the past. How much can we trust AI research? How AI can help the creative process How humans and computers can coexist  and how agencies can embed simple AI technology into their business model.   Show notes Justin’s LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinw/ Sign up for a free trial of Waldo here: http://waldo.fyi Some compelling research: https://www.dba.org.uk/2024-what-clients-think-report/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TEDx luminary, leadership mentor and coach, now book author, Peter Anderton is on the show to give us a historical lesson in great leadership.   In this show, Peter reveals the simple methods that anyone can learn about how to be a great team, business, sporting, family or company leader.   The secret hacks that will improve your leadership style, learning from the greats of the past.   Peter explains how a kid’s TV game show from the 70’s simply explains all you need to know about motivation and inspiration.   Peter also turns the tables and puts Keith under the spotlight; to examine his perceptions of leadership and he rates his old bosses from best to worst!   You can implement these rules whether you’re a company of one, or a leader of many, and we tell you how you can take a free test to find out what areas you need to improve.   How to focus on the stuff you can control and lessons from Nelson Mandela and Elon Musk’s weaknesses.   The power of positive belief, saying nice things about people behind their back.   How to listen and practice gratitude and why appreciation goes a long way. Show notes: Peter’s LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-anderton/ Take the test to see how you measure up as a leader! https://theinspirometer.com/ Alison Jones’ highly recommended book writing course: www.alisonjones.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everything you need to know about how to target, grow and thrive in China and the Far East with expert consultant Domenica Di Lieto of Emerging Communications agency. You’ll learn how important it is to develop a bespoke approach to planting and growing your business in a market governed by a completely different value system. You’ll hear predictions for business in the Chinese New Year of the snake and learn about the incredible speed of change in culture and business infrastructure. Learn some of the common business assumptions and why it’s so important to know your new customers and your competitors. We discuss how the sales process works in China and how the consumer mindset works. We also discover how the work from home and the 886 culture works as well as hearing about all the new growth opportunities in Asia. Show notes Domenica’s LinkedIn profile here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/domenicadilieto Domenica’s company web site here: https://www.emergingcomms.com Free handy documents about doing business in China https://www.emergingcomms.com/guide/china-b2b-marketing/ https://www.emergingcomms.com/guide/china-marketing-strategy/ https://www.emergingcomms.com/guide/chinese-student-recruitment/ https://www.emergingcomms.com/webinars/chinese-social-search/ https://www.emergingcomms.com/webinars/china-brand-localisation/ https://www.emergingcomms.com/resources/chinese-influencer-guide/ Healthcare white paper https://www.emergingcomms.com/blog/chinas-healthcare-evolves-opportunities-for-more-innovative-product-growth/ https://www.emergingcomms.com/blog/livestreaming-for-pbsa/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Souter legendary copywriting genius of the advertising industry and now Co-Producer of Netflix’s animated Christmas hit ‘That Christmas’ with ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ and ‘Love Actually’ Director Richard Curtis.   It’s an epic production starring Brian Cox, Bill Nighy, Jodie Whittaker, Fiona Shaw, India Brown and a galaxy of talent, including musical assistance from Ed Sheeran.   And Peter is here to tell us all about it and make sure we all book at least one viewing of it on our Netflix wish list.   We discuss how the movie came into being and what it’s like working with all that talent. We discuss the connection between Walberswick and Stellar Street and why you should always surround yourself with incredible talent.   Peter tells us why it’s important to pay attention to the numbers but to avoid the reviews in this Neo Hollywood landscape and we learn how he uses positive reinforcement.   How are Peter’s advertising and creative skills useful in film making and how good is his Christmas trivia knowledge? It’s all wrapped up in a bow by discussing the other greatest Christmas movie ever made.   Peter is an advertising industry A-lister and now he’s a movie big wig too! We were so lucky to snag him for the show and it was an incredible hour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While most great creative is inspiration, that inspiration always comes from a source based in facts.  These days, we’re surrounded by fake news and alternative facts that if you don’t check them out, could cause irreparable damage to yours or your client’s brand. In this show I chat with one of the advertising industry’s leading fact-finders. Victor Houghton has been supplying irrefutable facts to advertising agencies for years. Those facts have helped them put together multi-million pound and dollar-winning pitches. An hour of truths, actualities and factualities on working from home, diversity and inclusion, greenwashing , deepfakes, artificial intelligence and the best free research tools agencies can get. Show notes: Vic's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorhoughton/ VH Insights web site: https://www.vhinsights.com The Neuron https://join.theneurondaily.com/ Chat GPT https://chat.openai.com/ Google Bard https://bard.google.com/chat Waldo https://www.waldo.fyi/ Pi https://pi.ai/onboarding Claude https://claude.ai/ My Social AI https://app.mysocial.ai/ Riot in the Taverna playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ckxgzY7GnpDiYGZxzmJ8f?si=c5b3e26dbaa84c33 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You could argue that, since the advent of digital media, social media, podcasting and vlogging, AI and content marketing, that public relations has become the most adaptable marketing technique in the toolbox.   Fleishman Hillard is one of the founding agency groups of the modern public relations business. Lyndsay Haywood, who looks after the UK arm of the company is also one of the most successful new business directors around - and she loves her work.   In this show, you’ll hear how she accidentally discovered public relations, tapped into her sales mojo and rose to the top, all the while lifting up those below and is now one of the best ambassadors for the new business development profession.   Topics covered:   Interviewing one of the most feared news interviewers   Public relations as a career option   Dealing with imposter syndrome   Mental health and how we should be addressing it   The value of a global agency network   Why the PRCA’s Communications Management Standard accreditation matters   The impact of the climate change debate on the sales role   Working as influencer Rob Mayhew’s agent   Using data to make influencer marketing work   Is PR a creative business?   Lyndsay’s favourite campaigns of the year   Humans v AI in PR   How Fleishman Hillard is continuing to innovate and lead the industry.   Our sponsor The Advertist – grab a free trial!: https://www.theadvertist.com PRCA 5 word words that will win you new business: https://www.prca.org.uk/Five-words-that-will-win-you-new-business Lyndsay’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndsayhaywood/ Fleishman Hillard UK: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fleishmanhillard-uk/ Norwich City’s mental health advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX8TgVR33KM CALM’s “Last Photo’ web site: https://www.thecalmzone.net/thelastphoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The value of doing research before making bold marketing moves - and what happens when it all goes wrong. Keith Smith investigates with the help of Creative Director Peter Souter, research guru Victor Houghton and a bunch of crazy adverts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Timothy Leary once told us to Turn on, tune in and drop out; to unplug from the mainstream distractions and get to know yourself a bit better. but did you know that this is a habit that's adopted by most of the high-functioning creatives today? AND... did you know that you can use it too? David Pearl is the creative force behind the global World Wide Wander social movement - where common business problems are solved by going out and immersing yourself in your surroundings; be it the highlands or the high street. We don't pay enough attention to Nature's simple solution for high-speed brain power. In one of the most entertaining podcasts we've ever done, David takes us through his unique method for helping blue chip companies unleash their creative potential using some of the most innovative methods of workshopping we've ever heard of! From Mozart to Mowgli, we explore how creative solutions used in the world of entertainment have crossed over into the commercial world. Measuring the felt world Lessons learned from working with Stanley Kubrick Drafting and redrafting creative content The Flaneur movement How the unexpected things are the stuff of life Experience Engineering Do brainstorming sessions work? The two phases of the creative act Does giving away creative power affect mental health? Score keeping in a marriage And the wonderful solution for the end of The Italian Job Show notes: Our sponsor - new business development platform The Advertist https://www.theadvertist.com David's LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpearlhere/ The Street Wisdom movement: www.streetwisdom.org The Selective Attention Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New business expert and comedian Jeremy Davies stops by to share a glass of eggless eggnog and pull a cracker or two. Before we get too drunk on liqueur chocolates, we discuss what we can all learn from sales in other sectors and we breathe new life into the aphorism "People Buy People". We discuss AI, Benders in Escorts, streaming Nottingham Forest games in Ibiza , discuss what those little bits in the player thing of Trivial Pursuit are called and Jeremy makes a great case for the renaming of Monopoly. he tells us what the worst Christmas record in the World is - all while he's madly trying to tidy up the house before his wife gets home! A happy holiday to all our listeners, currently sharing a mini mince pie and having their Christmas get-together in a phone box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clare Sutton, Managing Partner at Public Relations agency Clarion, part of the WPP Group, is a specialist in the food and drink sector. Recently, the agency released its ‘state of the sector’ report on the latest trends and influences in the Food and Beverage industry. It’s a quick analysis of the latest innovations and developments in what is one of the UK’s biggest economic drivers. Clare is a wonderful guest, she loves her work and is a wonderful motivator - perfect to kick off season 4 in 2024! In the episode, we discuss: Shrinkflation Purpose Influencers Diversity and Inclusion Aldi (a lot) Capturable opportunities Cakes Pantries Scottish food and drink Dead royalty Motivation Show notes Clare’s LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/claresutton/ Clarion PR web site http://www.clarioncomms.co.uk The Food and Drink report: https://clarioncomms.co.uk/news/hungry-for-the-hottest-food-and-drink-trends-clarion-serves-up-the-latest-insights-in-its-most-recent-food-for-thought-report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Brown, the host of the ‘Creatives with AI’ podcast is on the show to simultaneously scare and soothe us about the unstoppable march of AI into our lives.   David is a creative agency owner, so he totally understands how AI can be used to help us win business and grow our agencies.   We discuss the subject of how the military is using AI and the global view of AI ethics. We look at how our privacy will be affected The development of guard rails AI’s impact on photography already and what’s to come The environmental cost of AI How to be the best prompt engineer and why this is the career of the future We discuss how AI reflects all the best and the worst of humanity What the creative agency of the future will look like.     Show notes The AI Dilemma YouTube show https://youtu.be/xoVJKj8lcNQ?si=m8C1FM1Mx51_yOzP   Unknown killer robots trailer for Netflix https://youtu.be/YsSzNOpr9cE?si=S8w-8rAyiML660y3   David Brown’s LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/4mdbrown/   The Creatives with AI podcast on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3l97IiQzlKDnioO166RSyc?si=d193538ca2084137   The Hi Ren video (a must watch) https://youtu.be/s_nc1IVoMxc?si=7Tkeq3uDLkpMF2T6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strap in for a real advertising masterclass from one of the industry's greats! Graham Fink. One of the advertising world's greatest and most awarded creatives, sits down for a marathon interview about his life, his work and his ongoing quest for new creative outlets. How hands are less-efficient art tools, the inspiration of theology, the art of creativity, how to find inspiration, dealing with critics, the ethics of cigarette advertising, green washing, Dave Trott, distraction, humor, curiosity, the stories behind some of Britain's most legendary advertising campaigns, how art directors work. Name checks for: Tony Brignell Neil Godfrey Alex Taylor Rosie Arnold Paul Arden Andy Law Tom Carty Dave Trott Advice from Malcolm McLaren, how many ideas per day? imposter syndrome, the creativity of George Best, why Apocalypse Now is one of the world's best movies, surveillance advertising and the lost art of media buying, Artificial Intelligence, can robots work in the Art Department? Digital Colonialism, postcard art and lots more. Supporting show reel https://youtu.be/z218e-HpK_U: Incidental music: Musictown from Pixabay Graham's latest exhibition: https://www.hungertv.com/editorial/meet-the-artist-blurring-boundaries-to-investigate-the-human-spirit/ Unlike the lens of a camera, a human’s perception is dramatically filtered by our level of attention and emotions Drawing with Tobii eye tracker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ApFzumPQEQ Cai Guo-Qiang's Sky Ladder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLTT8ogRf50 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Stand and Deliver!" is not a recommended sales technique we've ever heard of, so why are behemoths like Apple, Google, Twitter and Facebook all doing it? Keith & Natasha dissect the right and wrong way to generate new business and create loyalty. In less than 20 minutes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Influencer marketing is a form of marketing as old as commerce itself, but in recent times, where there's so many messages being blasted at us and lies dressed up as facts, the medium has taken on a new level of credence. We trust influencers more and more these days, and it's fast becoming THE weapon of choice for so many CMOs. It's not just the high-profile consumer icons we all know - it's happening at b2b and micro levels too. We're all under the influence! But why? How can they reach the parts that other forms of marketing cannot reach? In this 15-minute podlet I sit down with my go-to fact man Victor Houghton to uncover the intelligence of influencer marketing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We need a hero. We need someone Pleasingly Reserved and Artfully Modest. Mark Denton is a creative veteran of some 40 years. He’s directed over 500 commercials. He’s one of the most awarded creatives in the world Yet he still regards himself as the new boy. An hour of entertainment, delivered in Mark's inimitable style: Ageism, the best old TV adverts, Stingo, a tribute to Brian Griffin, AI Photography, Magic Markers, how creative used to be done, making your own clothes, making the creative genesis, the SKIP button, the advertising industry's biggest star, the ultimate umbrella campaign and Cobra Kai & Eagle Fang. Living at St Luke's, Mark is available for your next campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Stringer is the Chair of creative agency PrettyGreen - an award-winning Creative Communications agency that works for clients such as Snap, Nando’s, Pantene, Hasbro, Audible to name a few. Mark is also the Co-Founder & CMO of Skoot - a climate platform to help businesses and communities remove their carbon footprint.   Bringing all his considerable entertainment marketing skills to bear, Mark is helping Skoot change the way that companies approach their everyday tasks through the power of gamification mixed with environmental responsibility. It’s a powerful mixture. In this show, Mark walks us through his early years of marketing for Disney and its video arm Buena Vista. We find surprising common ground in the world of video marketing and realize that our paths could easily have crossed back in the last 90s. We discuss his love/hate relationship with award wins, how he narrowly lost out to Elon Musk, his career in 20 words, how new business can help solve global warming, great and inspiring green initiatives and balancing consumption against carbon reduction. Take the Skoot carbon footprint test, here: https://www.skoot.eco The StreamAid Hot Wings challenge – The Heat is On https://youtu.be/uZ0SeDYgD5E?t=174 Mark Stringer’s LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/strings/ PrettyGreen agency here: https://itsprettygreen.com     Music by Jacob_Field from Pixabay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fear of public speaking affects up to 75% of the population. Simon Raybould is the man who whispers in the ear of conference speakers, presenters and leaders to help them add meaning and authenticity to their pitches and lectures. With all this new hybrid working, the odds of you landing a meeting on video with an important prospect or a virtual room full of clients have just greatly increased. Here's how to make sure that your next presentation kicks butt and you deliver it with panache and confidence. In this show, we discuss: The two types of nerves The art of practicing How to prepare for a presentation How to eliminate the factors that can derail your performance Reflective practice 3 priorities of any presentation. Dangers of making assumptions about your audience The art of staging Zoom backgrounds Lighting and trust How to find your natural pitch with AHA Following up How to calm your nerves You can find Simon on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-raybould-presentations/ Simon's company web site here: https://presentationgenius.info/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Jenkins is leading the charge at legendary advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi and she’s overseeing the agency’s transformation into a truly diverse, inclusive and brilliantly creative, disruptive and formidable business. Just like it used to be. In this Cannes Lion special edition, SJ reveals Saatchi’s new ‘Ignite’, ‘Open’ and ‘Home’ initiatives and explains how they are going to transform the British advertising industry. She opens up about how the agency includes education and grass-roots influence, sharing ideas in the industry, how Commercial Break is helping Saatchis adapt to the new creative cohort. In the show, we discuss: The quality of talent coming into the industry & how to create the right environment for on-boarding it. The commercial advantage of a solid D&I strategy Retaining the underdog mentality Conscientious Consumerism Psychology of the Lipstick Recession Is The Empathy Delusion still alive and thriving? Are we in a period of re-gearing our priorities? How to practice fast decision-making SJ’s Top 3 creative campaigns of all time Advertising industry’s contribution to the UK’s GDP The Fuel podcast is sponsored by new business development platform The Advertist, which you can find here: www.theadvertist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clare Sutton is a food, drink and hospitality expert. Deputy Managing Partner at WPP-owned Clarion Communications, Claire and her team work tirelessly on behalf of some of the world's leading food and drink brands, spanning food-to-go, restaurants, FMCG, alcohol, soft drinks and everything in between. Clarion also publishes a well-respected industry report every quarter that highlights trends, innovations and intelligence across this wide and varied sector, so instead of our usual new business briefing, we thought it would be good to take a more in-depth look at all things hospitality and avail ourselves of the knowledge of an expert to provide some background and context for new business prospecting. In this show, we discuss: The amazing cultural variety of "British Food" How current affairs drives food creativity The relationship between food and culture How the Queen boosted sales of pork pies The art of creating content for social media The rise of the food truck industry Plant-based food trends driven by Millennials and GenZ Chicken Kiev or Keev? Premiumization of drinks How an inept Government is inspiring responsible food brands Predictions for the snack market New business tips for approaching brands and companies Plus our very own Jeremy Davies is back with his commentary on food for meetings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Ailey is CEO of Honcho – one of the UK’s premier Search agencies, but as you’ll hear, being on top of your search game means understanding how it fits into the wider sales and customer acquisition strategy of your business. It used to be so easy! Chris takes us through the evolution of the industry and tips for how to optimize your presence to make sure that you’re not missing out on those all-important sales and new customer conversations. In this episode we discuss: 🔎 How to stay on top of the search algorithms 🔎 Google Topics and ad serving 🔎 The Metaverse data vacuum 🔎 CPC price inflation 🔎 How to build a receptive audience 🔎 Link building tips 🔎 Who’s going to break Google’s monopoly 🔎 Web 4.0 🔎 Advice for creating a bullet-proof search campaign hPekzt8ilUQXcs5FrlgP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PR is about to eat advertising’s plant-based lunch, because in a world that’s slowly turning away from billboards and TV advertising, public relations agencies like Richmond & Towers (R&T) are gaining ground through the use of brand-led content marketing, influencers and thought leadership. Richmond & Towers is one of the World’s most established PR agencies, having launched back in the 1930’s. And here’s another few amazing facts; One of the first all-female led PR agencies, the originator of the term ‘Plant-based eating” and one of the only fully employee-owned PR agencies. Anouska Leon is in charge of business development for R&T and in this interview she shares her methods for improving your chances of winning new clients, why PR has become so adaptable as a marketing tool and what the future looks like for the influencer market, plus lots, lots more. Including: How PR and new business has changed in the last 2 years Opportunities in the vegetarian and vegan markets Advice for just starting out in new business What it’s like to work in a truly diverse and inclusive agency Plus our very own Jeremy Davies is back with a another P to add to the Ps of marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick is an angry man who loves his music. So when brands decide to pluck gems from the music archive and murder them for sake of commercialism, then he gets even angrier. A quick 10 minutes of what brands need to go into the stocks and get rotten veg thrown at them Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Knight, ex-Advertising agency leader and one of the power players in the modern advertising industry runs a network of businesses all devoted to one thing: increasing the opportunities for people in the creative industries to network, swap stories, compare notes and generate new business. Pimento sits at the center of his businesses - a network of small but mighty agencies who are set up to take on the most complicated of briefs and compete against the modern monolithic agency groups. Business development platform The Advertist (www.theadvertist.com) - sponsor of Fuel - has just joined Pimento with a special offer for its members, so it seemed only fair to invite Stephen on and interrogate him about what we should expect. True to form, he did not disappoint. Because access to the Pimento network opens up a galaxy of other benefits including travel discounts, racing (horses and cars), career advancement, executive coaching and lots lots more. An hour of great anecdotes and advice from a true warrior of the creative world! In this show, we discuss: Career motivation Diversity in the industry and creative solutions for change How CEOs grow and bring their staff along The future of Pimento The art of winning new business Mickey Mouse the motivator Why they don't write 'em like they used to! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Victor Houghton runs VH Insights - a desktop research agency for the creative comms industry. His work is in high demand and his sources are protected. Vic has picked out a bunch of research headlines and we dive into each one and discuss in detail in a light-hearted manner. Some great talking points to fuel your conversations with clients.Including: What is luck? Why Reddit is killing Google, Gender Pay-Gap Bot, What Gen Z really think and LinkedIn's career break service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Falls, entrepreneur, influencer, podcaster, marketing genius and host of the hugely successful 'Winfluence' show (and book) and now Founder and CEO of the Marketing Podcast Network, sits down for an hour of informative discussion on this brave new marketing world, dispensing sage advice for brands and companies looking to blaze trails in it. The Fuel podcast is a proud member of MPN, so we managed to convince Jason to use his influence on our show. We discussed: The dawn of a new media landscape Advice for brands thinking about starting a podcast How influencer marketing is the new PR Hilarious description of how the PR industry reacted to influencers How vertical ad networks work Ted Rubin Fun facts about moonshine, bourbon, bluegrass and Kentucky weather Trivial pursuit quiz of the week. Plus Jeremy Davies is back for a wonderful monologue about what happens when brands get caught up in global politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Advertising royalty. James Murphy, former founder and CEO of Adam & Eve and now founder of New Commercial Arts stopped by for a wonderful hour to explain why he's frustrated with the advertising industry's apparent dislike for itself. What happened to British agencies being at the vanguard of creativity? The extremely philosophical James has got some ideas how this happened and what's needed to right the ship. What makes James so very special is that the advertising industry is the hill he's prepared to die on. In his career, he's slayed some of the industry's biggest dragons, been behind some of its most memorable campaigns and worked with the cream of the crop of clients. What James says matters and in the creation of New Commercial Arts, he's creating an agency in the image of his choosing. In this interview, we discuss: Nomad working and the spartan agency model Why recessions and downturns are great times to start a business Balancing the need to drive demand against harming the environment What clients to work with and how to choose them The art of pitching What's wrong with the pitch process and the benefits of pitch consultants Being flexible What started the Christmas tear-jerker advertising craze What agencies dominated which decades New business acquisition Why James has never read a business book James Murphy LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-murphy-07872216/ New Commercial Arts web site here: https://www.newcommercialarts.com/ For a free trial of The Advertist - new business platform for agencies: https://www.theadvertist.com/Contact-1.aspx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the creative industry’s thinking and creativity could be missing the mark a lot of the time, because the people working in it aren’t truly representative of the market they are targeting. Part 1 of a fascinating interview with the Co-author of three reports that rocked the creative industry and forced it to think about why how and where it’s drawing its talent from and whether it needs to be revised. Part 2 will feature Ian's work for LinkedIn and what exciting innovations we should expect. Part 3 will cover the value of research in agency growth, the Ultimatum Game and how technology is helping the research industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian Murray, research guru Ian explains how LinkedIn is transforming and shaping its product globally. He describes how the platform manages to cope with all the different working ethics around the world and the company's CMO - Melissa Selcher (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mselcher/) wants to create a 'safe space' for all its members. Ian also describes how human biases manifest when it comes to sharing money in the 'Dictator Game'. In this show, we discuss: LinkedIn's transformation How to build a sense of community The art of asking questions David Ogilvy's views on research behavioural research How to gamify questions to get the right answers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian Murray – the research genius behind ‘Gut Instinct’, ‘The Empathy Delusion’ and ‘The Aspiration Window’, reveals some of the secrets to his research methods, including how to gamify products in order to get the best responses.Ian also demonstrates the perfect questioning techniques that help brands understand their customers and also discusses the incredible exercise - The Dictator Game, revealing all our hidden biases. We finally get to play 'Show & Tell' and Ian reveals his all-time favourite music track and book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shit awards, shit food, shit evenings. Wouldn't you rather be having fun? What purpose do awards serve apart from providing our egos with a little goose? Nick Galanides is back to burn the awards industry down - and celebrate! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nils Leonard doesn’t really need any introduction. Once you’ve met him you’ll never forget him. He’s the former leader of ad agency Grey London who left to let his creativity run free with a bunch of like-minded colleagues at Uncommon. As you’ll hear, Nils rejects the stuffy-service-focused image of advertising and insists that he’s in the business of creativity and making a difference every day for himself, his team and his clients. How come we’ve created an industry that has its own ‘delete’ button on the internet? It’s the ideas that create the gravitational pull of the agency and Uncommon is walking the talk every day. From unique and memorable marketing and advertising campaigns, film & music direction, to startup incubation and flower arranging. It’s all here. Nils talks about his early years, his passion for working with clients that are in a transformative state and want to become a brand that customers wish existed. He also covers Uncommon’s brilliant ground-breaking mental health work with broadcaster ITV, British Airways’ new campaign and turning taboos into talking points. We talk Halo coffee, green issues, his top 3 personal creative awards and the release of Uncommon’s first documentary. Also how he managed to catch Donald Trump on film, smashing up a solar panel with a golf club. So strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helping clients see round corners and choosing winnable pitches. This is the very meat and potatoes of new business, and who better to share his wisdom than Jack Williams, who rounded out 2021 with a 100% pitch record – one of only four agencies in the entire country. Now he’s working his magic on a fresh challenge at Deloitte’s creative agency Acne London. It’s an irresistible opportunity to shape the new business operation from the ground up with an open cheque book. What is Jack’s secret? How does he identify what pitches are winnable? How does content marketing feed into the new business machine? Jack is also a passionate advocate of Diversity in the creative industries and he’s got a few powerful arguments for why it needs to be addressed with a sense of urgency. In this episode, we discuss: The perfect referral-to-cold win ratio Diversity and talent recruitment The intersecting roles of CMO and New Business Content marketing Podcast consumption Kitchen knives, soul and spag bol Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the advertising industry’s best known and most highly regarded Client Services Directors – Simon Derungs. This show is a must listen to if you’re interested in finding out how to win, retain and create chemistry with clients In this show, Simon shares the wisdom that he’s accumulated in the advertising world since the early 90s. We discuss how the ‘Suits’ and the ‘Creatives’ learned to play nicely together, the dramatic Co-op ad that never made it to print, how the UK ad industry works for societal good, the UK’s huge, deep and never ending creative talent and the industry’s constant navel gazing about its fees. How do you put a value on ideas? Some wonderful industry legends discussed and we look back on the last 90+ years of advertising campaigns, including the brilliance of jingles, instant creativity, the loss of the 45-second commercial and lots, lots more. Incidental music: by Caffeine_Creek_Band from Pixabay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re on a mission to uncover the secrets of a healthy mind, body and creative soul. Stevie Spring CBE, former new business director at advertising agency GGT, alongside Dave Trott and Paul Grubb, Chairman of mental health charity Mind, former chair of the British Council, board director at retail giant Co-op and general all-round amazing person, sits down to discuss her life, career and philosophy and why she recommends dividing your time between profit, people and planet. Fuel’s objective this year is to investigate the working from home, hybrid or blended business model, and how to maintain a positive mental outlook. Stevie is a remarkable woman. And she’s the very definition of the phrase, friends in high places. In this episode, Stevie tells us the origin of her philanthropic mindset, how you can increase the odds of being lucky. We discuss her career, from direct response advertising on TV-AM in the 80s to the white heat of creativity at GGT. We discuss how she still influences the advertising industry today, why ad agencies are the architects of the marketing world; the challenges of brand ambassador management. She tells all about Roland Rat and Pudsey Bear. We discuss how to manage the new working model and how to reach a healthy work/life blend. The art of salesmanship and relationship management. The difference between entrepreneurs and intrepreneurs; investments that worked and those that got away; Stevie’s path to inner contentment and how to audit your progress. She’s also got some fantastic recommendations for dealing with the mental health crisis and how to get a 5x return on your investment in people. The value of activism and the joy of journaling and discovering bands at music festivals. What a way to kick off season 4! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The debate rages on! Should we all get back to the office or have we just kissed the 9-5 Monday to Friday work week goodbye? While some of the world's business leaders (who should know better) are doing their very best impression of King Canute, trying to turn back the tide and command a sea of young workers to adopt a prairie dog existence in open plan offices, the world is changing. Change is tough but fortunately, we've got experts, we've got science and we've got technology. So what's the problem? In this show, behavioral psychologist and author of dozens of books Dr. Gleb Tsipursky - who advises blue chip corporations on how to transition to flexi and blended working, delivers a brilliant how-to for creative agencies. In this show we discuss what countries responded to the pandemic correctly - and which didn't. We look at how to balance public health against economic demands; who to trust when we need to know; status quo bias, Elon Musk's flip-flop, the huge HR and financial benefits of remote work in one single move; how creative agencies are solving the problem; how the US's biggest employer is setting the standard; how AI can help with the solution, who pays for it all and we address the 600lb Gorilla in the room of mental health and discuss solutions to help companies help their staff. We also discover the best days for office work and the extended weekend. Plus! Jeremy Davies is back with a wonderful sketch on AI and Rise of the Robots Resources: Dr. Gleb's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gleb-tsipursky/ Books: Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams: A Manual on Benchmarking to Best Practices for Competitive Advantage Resilience: Adapt and Plan for the New Abnormal of the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias and Build Better Relationships Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Cheesewright is a globally acclaimed Applied Futurist. His talents are employed by major blue chip organizations to help them plan for the next 3, 5 and 10 years ahead. In this show, Tom shares his predictions about the working week, sustainable food habits, modern measures of status, the future of the gig worker and fixing the gender balance. He also gives us a sneak peek at the launch of his new training course 'think like a Futurist' which teaches marketers and c-suite execs how to plan and predict trends, opportunities and threats for any business. We learn the importance of the need to spend time thinking about your company's future, how technology can help us see round corners, how to spot existential threats & opportunities and also how to present the narrative to help communicate this to upper management. Companies need a futurist as much as they need a CFO and this show teaches you how to start seeing into the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Of course you know who Tim Delaney is – he’s one of the most famous names in the world of advertising. Founder and chairman of Leagas Delaney, Tim is first and foremost an internationally celebrated copywriter and he also runs one of the world’s most celebrated ad agencies. He’s been around the industry long enough to have picked up most of the awards available and he’s got so many tips, tricks and anecdotes to help anyone in the industry understand the attitude, the panache, the powerful, provocative promotions that this industry was founded on. Tim is what makes the advertising industry great. In this show, we discuss Tim’s journey to copywriting, the value of being inquisitive and doing research. We look at the role that agencies have in their clients’ ESG strategy. We discuss his role at the D&AD and why we need to keep up with the increasingly shorter creative deadlines. What comes first, the idea or the medium? Why you should trust your intuition and then apply your experience and how to write like people want to read it. The art of staying flexible and remote working. Who should run this industry - agencies or accountants? Interesting character traits and some superb advice for winning new business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do we tell stories? Storytelling in all its forms has been a way of expressing an idea or information in a way that makes it memorable. Storytelling allows us to see each other more clearly and to empathize. We tell stories because we are human or are we human because we tell stories? Selling stories is the very essence of PR and yet there’s very little in the way of formal training for this. And what about new business? Isn’t the art of selling the art of telling? Pip Decks was first created by Charles Burdett, a UX consultant and designer, that works like a recipe card and Steve Rawlings' Storyteller tactics is a way to ditch dull presentations and tell great stories. Steve gives us an hour of pointers to help us weave a better tale, to engage and inspire our prospects and clients. Our sponsor: www.theadvertist.com Get Pip Decks: https://pipdecks.com/products/storyteller-tactics Proudly associated with the Marketing Podcast Network: https://marketingpodcasts.net Ben Potter's LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bpotter_businessdevelopment-newbusiness-sales-activity-7034107072166166528-0ZAK?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forward-thinking agencies are creating dynamic workplaces for their teams that help them seamlessly transition between the work office and the home office. And it’s a lot more complex than just setting up a Zoom account on a laptop. How do you deal with security? confidentiality? flexibility, mental wellness and oversight? Christopher Chave-Cox (CCC) runs The Intelligent Workspaces Partnership – a tech company dedicated to helping companies adapt to the new paradigm. From building specs to installation and deployment, IWP is at the vanguard of the modern workplace. In this show, CCC shares some insights into what’s needed to create a workplace that people want to call their second home – spoiler alert – you’re going to need more than an Air Hockey table. What tech do you need at home? What tech does the company need? Who pays for what? What buildings will function as an approved workspace by 2025? How are other countries are preparing to meet the need of the modern worker? And most of all - how can creative agencies manage this when so much of their work demands collaboration? There's also some great new business insight into the property market.! It’s all here in a fantastic hour of literal office banter! Chris Chave-Cox on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-chave-cox-54712929/ Cyber Essentials:https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessentials GCHQ Cybersecurity: https://www.gchq.gov.uk/section/mission/cyber-security Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Pepper & Rogers - the authors of One to One Marketing and Rory Sutherland, the Chair of Ogilvy get all gooey over Valuegraphics, we should all take note. Valuegraphics is the new blueprint for customer segmentation. For way too long, we've relied on a set of 11 'boxes' to identify our customers but they've always fallen short of the mark when it comes to knowing what drives them. Our values are the very core of our daily life and thank God someone's taken the time to figure them all out. They've done all the hard work for you! In this show, David Allison, the architect of this revolutionary new targeting system explains how he's identified 56 core values for the human race and how to push each of the buttons - this is unmissable! His new book - 'The Death of Demographics' provides a complete makeover of the marketing targeting process and explains in simple terms, how to make sure that you're maximizing your budgets and reaching your true customers, every time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Public Relations is now arguably the most in-demand discipline of the entire marketing mix. Adrian runs Fanclub PR a multi award-winning boutique agency. In this show, we discuss how PR has evolved and why it is now such an indispensable skill, with its ability to influence, persuade and create demand for products, services, and brands as well as being both hero and villain in the political and scientific world. The pros and cons of the 4 day work week; why most parents don’t understand PR, building creativity into education, totems and ceremonies in the hybrid world and telling fossil fuel companies to do one. Mount recyclemore https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-58889592 A technique for producing ideas: https://jamesclear.com/book-summaries/a-technique-for-producing-ideas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to bring your most creative ideas to life. Nicole Yershon one of the advertising industry’s most imaginative creatives whose “never say never” approach to business has pushed boundaries, broken taboos, shifted needles and toppled monopolies. She’s on the show partly to promote her book Rough Diamond – dedicated to all those people who walk amongst us who think differently, courageously and divergently to make our industry the envy of the creative world. But she’s also on the show to tell us how she got started in the industry and to champion the good work of the creative education system, including Communications Arts; and to explain her proven theory of learning that helps us all to understand biohacking, cyborgism and humans as technology. How to develop empathy Where creativity comes from Mathematics for business New business advice How to achieve the work life balance The importance of trust Flooding Second Life Innovative thinking and survival Intrepreneurship and entrepreneurship LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleyershon/ Interweb https://www.nicoleyershon.com/ Insta https://www.instagram.com/nicoleyershon/ Buy the book! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rough-Diamond-Disruption-Advantage-Business-ebook/dp/B0BJQSHB7M Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to be a creative director? Martin Galton is another of the UK’s rare cohort of absolutely, dyed-in-the-wool, 100% actual factual creative geniuses. This is a rare opportunity to discover what makes creatives tick. In the interview, Martin reveals some of the secrets to unleashing your inner creative using some very simple techniques. We also learn how Martin got his break in the industry by copying Jesus; how juxtaposition created a 100 movie franchise, how to compose and opera for salad, why research is the enemy of creativity and the simplest ever definition of the purpose of advertising. What fun we had discussing all the hits of the past as well as some of the new entries such as flexible working, shit meetings, winning business, the power of yes and an amazing idea for one lucky outdoor media company – are you listening Ocean or Posterscope? We also have a very lengthy discussion about artificial intelligence – some insights that you might find very revealing! Like all good operas Martin ends on the highest note possible with an unbeatable story about Muhammad Ali. Just some of the adverts mentioned: Florette https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvzjV-zakWE Hyundai prejudice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHlyohk-sXA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcus Brown is a master of the big agency pitch. With leadership experience at Rainey Kelly Campbell Rolfe Y&R and Publicis Media working on Merck Consumer Health and Visa Europe, Marcus speaks with complete authority and a depth of knowledge about the intricacies of the pitch process better than anyone. He's now running The Great Pitch Company, which blends all of his showmanship and pitch knowledge into a new business version of a rare single malt, to be imbibed carefully and correctly. He's also the driving force behind the Great Pitch Poll which tracks the pressures that agencies feel over the new business process, so he knows a thing or two about the state of the industry's mental health too. A perfect guest for this season! In this show That’s entertainment – the key to winning meetings Big agency growth tactics - learn from the best Be prepared Small things to make a big impact The art of No How to identify great clients How to win when you're losing Why commitment wins How Ai is changing pitch responses Horror stories  And the 3 ingredients every agency needs to know before they go for growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are the new image generation Ai engines going to create an extinction-level event for photographers? Just when the profession gets into its stride, with dark room process computer software available to everyone, along comes AI to kill off the very source of the original image. Or does it? What have photographers got that AI doesn’t have? Matt Smith is one of America’s most creative product photographers. His studio is one of only 4 in the country that can create full 360-degree ‘spinning’ product images for ecommerce. Not computer generated images. Actual photographs. Every job is painstakingly set up, lit and shot, whether it’s a full size Ford F250, an outdoor patio set, a contact lens or a chicken nugget. Matt and his team are creatives, engineers, programmers, woodworkers and photographers. His studio is like a year-round Elves’ workshop. But as we’re about to hear, he’s got the one thing that AI doesn’t have and will never have. But if AI isn’t going to steal his lunch it’s probably going to put a couple of drinks on his tab and in this episode, we find out how the two disciplines are learning to work together. If you love photography, if you’re fascinated by the potential of AI or if you want to learn more about the wonderful world of creative ecommerce product image production, then this is the show for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you looking to sell your creative agency? Or are you looking to acquire one? You need to strap yourself in because it’s gonna get bumpy. Unless… You take on board the wisdom contained in the next 60 minutes of this interview with Adam Rubins, who’s experienced the highs and lows, the mental stresses and strains of the agency sales process and lived to tell the tale. Not only that but he’s built a new business around helping agency owners avoid the common pitfalls of selling or acquiring a creative agency. Plus Hollywood The future of TV streaming Mental welfare at work Wearing masks The value of new business to your agency’s price tag How to make your agency more attractive to a buyer Agency employment laws US and UK agencies - divided by a common employment language And sharing an office with Sean Connery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tracy Brower has a PhD in Sociology, a Master of Management in Organizational Culture, a Master of Corporate Real Estate with a workplace specialization and the Vice President of Workplace Insights at Steelcase. She's the author of two books – ‘The Secrets to Happiness at Work’ and ‘Bring Work to Life by bringing life to work’; a regular contributor to Forbes and the Fast Company - and she’s a TedX speaker on the subject of the Hybrid working life. In short, she’s the perfect guest to discuss the modern workplace, business culture and strategic thinking. 77% of employers around the world are experiencing difficulties in filling job vacancies, marking the highest talent shortage in 17 years. How are companies dealing with the staff shortage? The youngest of our workforce is restless, doesn’t get paid enough to live and needs specialist training for most office jobs - so what are employers supposed to do? We discuss all these issues in the show and provide some solutions for employers and employees Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can we talk to people if we don’t even understand their reality? In 2017 Nick Looby wrote a book called ‘Modern Zombies - How to Stay Ahead of the Horde and Communicate your way to Incredible Success’ in which he predicted pretty much everything we're now experiencing in terms of the distracting effect that technology has on our ability to be human. I talk to Nick as he begins to sketch out a sequel and offers some new insights on not only the societal effects of social media and our devices, but delves into the world of Ai and how this is possibly going to eviscerate what we know and understand as human relationships. How is this going to impact our working and domestic lives? We discuss: The attraction of distraction Channeling Empathy, Rapport, and human resonance The danger of the infinite scroll Why we use soft terms to describe terrible things Jesus on social media The beauty of slowing down No tech tea time Using words and not emojis Parent’s fears about unregulated tech Book sniffing and graveyard lurking You can find Nick here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feetontheground/ Chatbox productions: https://www.youtube.com/@chatboxpr Buy Nick's book! https://www.modernzombies.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where are all the next generation of creative misfits coming from? This show is a full-on interview with Marc Lewis, dean of the School of Communication Arts 2.0. Just about the most well-known academy turning out the creative stars of tomorrow.  He explains why diversity is SO important to our business Why you can’t put a price on a brilliant job well done How to identify great creative students The value of creativity to the UK economy and why the Prime Minister is a complete tool Arguing with John Hegarty Which agencies are investing in their people and why every agency should The Speed of change How AI opens doors for lateral thinking And an important exclusive news announcement at the end of the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent survey on Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the US, 60% of Americans that are currently battling drug or alcohol addictions also have jobs. It's way more common than we think and many of us have a problem and don't know it. So when do you know? When your whole life has fallen apart? When you're living in a bedsit (if you're lucky) and seeing your children once a month? Sam Delaney, celebrated author, podcaster, TV celebrity and journalist sits down and bares his soul as we discuss his new book - Sort Your Head Out - about mental health for men, which addresses drink and drug addiction, interventions and recovery - a raw, compassionate and hilarious account of why opening up is the first step to sorting your head out. Sam is a qualified Mental Health counselor and host of mental health podcast The Reset. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or mental health issues, you can seek help by subscribing for free to The Reset - it's a reader-supported publication and if you donate a little bit of cash, you can get access to all sorts of great tips and content, that's like therapy but also like talking to a mate. Start by subscribing for free here https://www.samdelaney.co.uk Buy his great new book - Sort Your Head Out: Mental Health Without All The Bollocks Or buy any of his other great books on the world of advertising Fuel is sponsored by The Advertist - new business SaaS for creative agencies www.theadvertist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the connection between Elvis Presley’s ‘Are you Lonesome Tonight?’ and prospecting for new business? Here's a quick 12 minutes of tips and tricks from the creative industry's new business experts, to help you get over any internal issue you might have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How's your mental health? Creative agency leadership, burnout, redemption, art, inspiration, ownership and responsibility ...and pajamas It's all here in this show all about running a creative agency with a diverse workforce, identifying, diagnosing, and treating mental health issues, opening up to have those awkward conversations and understanding that you're not alone. Michelle Morgan - author or Own Your Awkward discusses running a creative agency and the moment she realised she was about to be overwhelmed with anxiety. Her colleague's reaction was not what she expected but it inspired a book about how to deal with and confront these types of issues. Some great advice here from someone on the front lines of mental health in the creative world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Influencer marketing is a potential minefield of problems. As a trailer for our forthcoming epic episode with Andrew Bloch, former Co-founder of Frank PR, we spoke to some experts in the field of influencer marketing to discuss some of the topics that Andrew raised - namely what to do when brand ambassadors and influencer marketing goes off the rails. Featuring interviews with Danielle Wiley, CEO of Sway Group PR and Jason Falls, CEO of Marketing Podcast Network and host of the Winfluence podcast. The interview with Andrew Bloch comes out w/c 21st August 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly every guest on the Fuel podcast has been asked the question: what made you start your own business? And yet the recent interview with Andrew Bloch brought forth a fantastic view on what it's like to step back from total success and decide to start again. In this podlet, host Keith Smith recournts some of the sage advice that previous guests have given on this very subject - along with the sound new business and growth tips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Bloch is one of the PR industry’s most well-known stars. After fate sent him as a student through the doors of Lynne Franks PR, probably the coolest and most famous PR agency of the 90s, Andrew developed an instinct for building relationships with brands and companies that were going places. Co-founding his own PR agency at the start of the century, Frank PR went on to become the standard by which all other PR agencies were judged. Frank PR has been responsible for some of the most iconic public relations campaigns of the last two decades, working with clients like Nickelodeon, comparethemarket.com, Burger King, Coca-Cola and many other household and consumer brands to become the first PR agency to be crowned “Marketing's PR Agency of the Year” three times. Simply put Andrew and fellow co-founder Graham Goodkind built Frank into a powerhouse PR agency, literally beating off clients with a stick because it was the agency to work with. In 2007, Frank was sold to the listed Australian marketing services group, Enero in a multi-million pound deal, and more recently taken private again in an MBO. And then suddenly, after 20 years, Andrew announced he was stepping back and moving into a NED role at the agency, to take another path and find the time to explore new entrepreneurial opportunities. One of the most fascinating men in PR opens up about his career, his creativity, mental health, working with A-list celebrities, his ambitions and plans as he now finds himself matching clients with agencies through his work at AAR and also advising agencies in the marketing services space on M&A strategies through his work with PCB Partners. You don’t often get a chance to listen to this much great PR advice in one sitting as we cover a range of subjects including PR industry growth trends, the PR agencies Andrew admires the most, life with Lord Alan Sugar, great PR clients, the anatomy of an M&A deal, the joys of ruthless efficiency and what happens when influencer deals blow up in your face. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New technology such as AI, remote working services and team-working software allows independent premium talent to compete with big monolithic agencies. Premium talent also knows that many of today’s creative and advertising agencies are responding to briefs that won’t fix the company’s problems. John Caswell is premium talent. A youthful veteran of the advertising industry, John now spends his time as a confidential creative advisor to big global corporations. His experience means that he can address all sorts of unique business problems with a myriad of creative solutions, from advertising, brand and eCommerce, to artificial intelligence, content and digital marketing. John understands that any company set up for success today is doomed to fail in the future. He knows that the winners are the companies that set themselves up for success in the next 5-10 years and he helps them get there. This strategy includes advertising and creative agencies. What does a visionary agency look like? What does a visionary CMO need to succeed? This is a fascinating interview with a man who provides solutions for tomorrow's leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1960's author Alvin Toffler began discussing the theory of Future Shock, a human condition brought about by the rapid change of multiple areas of life; business, domestic, familial and financial. How prophetic his subsequent book 'Future Shock' turned out to be. The 21st century is seeing a manifestation of all the things that Toffler predicted - and then some! Included in his predictions is the paralysis felt by decision-makers and a failure to move with the shift in process. In this show, Keith Smith, host of The Fuel podcast, highlights some of the words of wisdom from previous guests to illustrate the point that while we may all be facing Future Shock, it's always possible to immunize yourself from it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A real tale of inspiration, determination and motivation as I sit down with the leader, the brand ambassador, the genius behind The Black Farmer brand – Mr Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE. His story begins as part of the Windrush generation, coming from poor farming stock in Jamaica with his parents, as part of Britain’s shambolic attempt to rebuild the country after World War II. Left to fend for themselves in a strange country, thousands of miles from home, with little or no support from the host nation, Wilfred’s parents settled in one of Birmingham’s poorest districts, but there was a glimmer of hope in the form of a small allotment, which Wilfred tended to help supplement his family’s food. He dreamed of becoming a farmer His education was from the school of hard knocks. He battled racism, otherism, prejudice in business, climbing the ladder at the BBC and going on to become a marketing and broadcasting expert. He achieved his original dream, going on to create The Black Farmer organic sausages, burgers, meatballs, bacon, chicken, free range eggs and cheese, which has now become a £10m creation. He was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire – a royal appointment), he’s written a book on overcoming fear for failure and most of all, he beat cancer. He’s now working on his latest project - a series of farm shops in deprived communities, bringing healthy natural artisanal brands to food deserts. He’s an awesome man who champions the underdog. And he’s here giving his unvarnished truth in this thoroughly entertaining, frank and forthright interview for grown ups. Wilfred's LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/theblackfarmer/ Company website https://www.theblackfarmer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the greatest minds in the world of advertising is on the show to explain how we can recapture our creative essence and make the business of marketing the sexy, inspiring innovative, funny, thought-provoking, engaging and compelling business that attracted us to it in the first place. He also explains how great creative is better for the planet. Importantly, he's also here to tell us how we can all join his masterclass called 'The Business of Creativity'. The link to sign up is in the show notes for this show at www.thefuelpodcast.com. The free press of podcasting Learning from history Game changing works of art What one advert John Hegarty holds up as an example of the complete big idea Why companies need creatives at the top How to win a pitch Why brainstorms are boring Diversity Hiring the best What Sir John would like on his gravestone And why you don’t put a tow bar on a Ferrari.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you winning enough business? And when you do win business, is it regular enough and is it the right kind of business? Have you been ghosted? Are clients not revealing budgets until the last minute? Have you had your pitch ideas stolen? Above all – how do you know how much business to win? All these questions and more are addressed in the new blockbuster PR agency new business report from the PRCA. ‘Pitch Forward’ is an astonishingly detailed survey of PR agencies around the UK on the critical issue of new business. The report gets up close and personal with PR agencies on their new business habits and more importantly, those of their clients and prospects. Debbie Little is the PRCA’s ambassador for growth, heading up its Matchmaker service which helps clients find the right agency partner and in conjunction with 3 Gem Research & Insights and PR Software company Muck Rack, Pitch Forward covers every aspect of the pitch process and analyses what works, what doesn’t and how to make sure that you pitch to the right companies at the right time, regularly. This is a fascinating journey through one of the most secretive aspects of agency leadership.   Show notes Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com 3 Gem: https://www.3gem.com Debbie Little’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiejackson2017/ PRCA’s new web site: https://www.prca.global/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are on the cusp of a fundamental shift in the role that journalism plays in our lives. Terms like “Fake News” exist to downplay scandal, social media has unchained hate and negativity and allowed those with the most money to have biggest voice and to punch down on anyone who speaks out against them. Public Relations stands at the vanguard of democracy right now, defending free speech, diversity, climate change and exposing hypocrisy and cruelty. As Chairman of PRovoke Media, Paul Holmes is the figurehead for the world’s public relations business. If you need to know what’s what in the increasingly influential world of public relations, anywhere in the world, then you’d better speak to Paul. Show notes: Paul Holmes’ LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-holmes-4255475/ Provoke Media: https://www.provokemedia.com The Ivan Fernandes LinkedIn article: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ivanfernandes1_strategy-wpp-accenture-activity-7276729033378136064-3gVp? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keeping the conversation going. New research – and evidence from hundreds of thousands of client and creative agency pitch processes, shows that it can take up to 21 months for a pitch to take place from the initial meeting of a prospect. So what tips can you learn to help keep the client engaged, other than sending them annoying “Just checking in” emails every few weeks or risking being accused of stalking them at their kid’s school plays? The PRCA – Public Relations and Communications Association, recently held its inaugural New Biz Fest conference, where hundreds of new business experts and those thirsty for knowledge gathered together to share their tips and experiences. The Fuel podcast was there and I invited my friend and RockstarCMO Ian Truscott on for a live podcast, where we discussed what tactics work best when you’re trying to hold a client’s attention over this incredibly long journey. Ian shared his best practice advice for anyone working in PR agencies on how to turn the initial spark of a meeting into a flame that burns brightly and longly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creative agency procurement expert Tina Fegent explains how her process helps CMOs navigate their marketplace and get the right solution and the best value.   We discuss the power of independent agencies and how they can compete against the big HoldCo agency networks.   Why diversity is an agency superpower, how to increase the odds of getting on the short list, the importance of creativity, how procurement solves business problems, agency remuneration models, whether public sector work is worth chasing and the efficiencies of artificial intelligence. Tina’s LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-fegent-fcips-2103573/ Tina Fegent Limited: https://tinafegent.com/ Tina Tells – latest edition: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update urn:li:activity:7311144893765087233/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can the world’s richest man - Elon Musk, get away with treating the US government like a startup, throwing out Nazi salutes and behaving like the citizens of the world are under-performing employees in one of his  companies, with no damage to the Tesla brand? How much damage can one man cause for his shareholders and does he really care? Rachel Konrad, Esben Pedersen and Craig Davis were all early employees in Musk’s fledgling Tesla business. They knew him in the early days, before most of us got to know him. So has he always been the computer game end-of-level boss we all know now? Is there a charming side to Elon, or is he a 21st century Bond villain through and through? How much hurt can moving fast and breaking politics cause to his companies and does he really care? Three experts give their opinions on what he was like, how he won them over, and how he’s screwed us all over and made Tesla one of the most toxic brands in the world. Most importantly – they suggest how Elon can get things back on track. This is an incredibly revealing show that everyone who defends the man should listen to. It’s got all the facts you need to make a sound judgement on whether they were really Nazi salutes, whether he’s hell-bent on efficiency or self-enrichment and most importantly whether he has ours or his own best interests at heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices