Mark Ritson on why everyone is wrong about Sydney Sweeney, the 3 rules of creativity & why strategy always comes before tactics
Returning guest and everyone's favourite marketing professor, Mark Ritson, is back. As usual, Mark comes out firing with some no nonsense advice to all marketers. He talks about AI taking over his Mini MBA, leaving Marketing Week, why pricing is the most important P and some rules for creativity. Sit back and soak up the knowledge from Mr Mark Ritson.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:06 - Why Mark Ritson sold Mini MBA02:12 - Mark Ritson leaving Marketing Week04:19 - Jon’s favourite AI use case08:07 - Will AI take over Mini MBA?11:38 - What marketers think is different to what customers think12:58 - Mark Ritson on that Sydney Sweeney ad16:15 - The Creative Dividend: what makes great marketing in 202527:45 - Why marketers need to be involved in the 4 Ps30:30 - Why pricing is so important (and why marketers should be involved)38:28 - The absence of strategy and what to do about it42:38 - What has surprised Mark Ritson most in 202543:09 - Why AI is being marketed so poorly49:58 - The power of synthetic data
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55:29
Deliciously Ella: how Ella Mills turned her personal brand into a global success
Ella Mills is the co-founder of Deliciously Ella, which began in 2012 as a simple blog sharing healthy recipes. What started online quickly grew into bestselling books, a #1 mobile app, and eventually a retail brand of healthy snacks. In 2024, Deliciously Ella was acquired for an undisclosed sum and today Ella is building her next venture, All Plants.Her journey is inspiring, and in this episode we explore every milestone: from securing her first Starbucks listing, to navigating a failure that nearly sank the business, to proving how an “average” person can create a truly global brand.Ella's podcast, The Wellness Scoop:https://open.spotify.com/show/7F6YqGJ06UEuD7qG81tFHwTimestamps00:00 - Intro01:01 - The Deliciously Ella founding story06:16 - When did the Deliciously Ella blog start to take off11:22 - Dealing with overnight attention and success13:33 - How can an average student become so successful?15:03 - How to nail a successful book launch17:16 - Scaling a personal brand21:08 - What’s it like running the business with your husband?24:00 - Going from recipe blogs to making retail products24:53 - How Deliciously Ella landed in Starbucks33:18 - Building out the product range35:04 - Behind every success is a bunch of failures41:07 - Managing risk vs return when scaling a startup45:29 - How to make products that are successful in retail49:53 - Why Ella took over a new brand after selling Deliciously Ella52:30 - Where is the plant based market headed?56:22 - Why Ella started a podcast?
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1:00:29
That s**t will never sell - Baileys inventor on how innovation works - David Gluckman
David Gluckman, the man who invented Baileys and author of That S**t Will Never Sell, joins us to share stories from his legendary career in brand creation. From the birth of iconic drinks (including Purdey’s, Aqua Libra, Cîroc and Tanqueray) to lessons on creativity, innovation, and risk-taking, David reflects on what it really takes to bring bold ideas to life.Timestamps00:22 - The founding story of Baileys04:32 - Naming Baileys12:18 - How Purdey’s and Aqua Libra began22:48 - Starting Cîroc and Tanqueray33:26 - Principles of innovation
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43:53
How brand can become your company’s greatest asset - Jonny Bauer
Jonny Bauer has helped transform some of the world’s biggest brands, from revitalising Axe (Lynx for UK listeners) at BBH to building strategy from the ground up at Droga5. In this episode, Jonny shares why brand can become a company’s greatest asset, what he learned moving from agencies to private equity at Blackstone, and how to bring brand to the front of the P&L. Plus, how to win CEO buy-in, build long-term strategy, and the case studies that prove the power of brand-led growth.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:58 - Why we never celebrate the strategy behind good campaigns04:03 - What Jonny is most proud of from his time at BBH06:27 - Transforming Lynx / Axe brand09:34 - Building strategy from the ground up at Droga515:23 - Best strategy outcomes at Droga517:47 - From ad agency to private equity28:39 - Learnings from Blackstone on running a successful business32:34 - How Blackstone approaches marketing33:50 - How to bring the brand up to the front of the P&L37:06 - How to get brand buy in from your CEO40:11 - Leaving Blackstone to use this approach on other clients47:17 - Successful case studies
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52:25
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52:25
Fernando Machado on turning creativity into a competitive advantage
Fernando Machado is one of the world’s most celebrated CMOs, known for game-changing campaigns like Burger King’s “Moldy Whopper.” In this episode, Fernando shares the work he’s most proud of, why surprising campaigns cut through, and how creativity drives real business growth. We also discuss the most innovative non-advertising ideas from his career, what it takes to be an influential CMO, and his advice for startups looking to scale through bold marketing.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:30 - What campaigns has Fernando been most proud of throughout his career07:57 - The Moldy Whopper Campaign16:55 - Why surprising campaigns are effective20:52 - The most creative non-advertising things in Fernando’s career36:05 - How to be an influential CMO41:46 - Fernando’s advice to marketing startups51:39 - The Lions Growth MBA
Brasil