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Champagne Strategy

Champagne Strategy

By Hybrency

Uncovering the secrets behind world-class commercialization strategy for senior executives - garnished with tech & Champagne. Learn from people who've bridged the strategy gap between planning, execution and measurement. They'll have battle scars to show, skin in the game and money in play. Most aren't famous but there's zero commercial agenda here, so heeding their wisdom is priceless. Listen to an episode if you dare, but you've been warned. There's no going back. Keep taking your blue pills - or press play
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Dr Alison Macintyre - How to create motivated, high-performance teams in a modern, remote world - S1 Ep14

Champagne StrategyOct 14, 2020

00:00
57:44
John James - Live interview from SXSW Sydney 2023 - article series, modern state of the industry and more

John James - Live interview from SXSW Sydney 2023 - article series, modern state of the industry and more

Brain Hurt Scale = 3/10. A live recording of that time I was invited by James Pember to speak at the inaugural SXSW Sydney 2023. Note: this is a repost with permission of an episode of the Own The Moment podcast by Komo Technologies.

James interviews me on-stage in front of 70+people and I try to answer a series of questions completely impromptu.

James is a product leader and host of a podcast run by martech firm Komo Technologies. They have a podcast called 'Own The Moment'.

Reposting here because I think the questions and answers will be of interest to you all.

There were many things I wish I had said or rephrased or prepared for, but I suppose that's the nature of live interviews.

What do you think?

Mar 04, 202426:13
Dale W. Harrison - Exposing the hidden incentives behind B2B purchases. Understanding procurement and buying committee dynamics - S5 Ep2

Dale W. Harrison - Exposing the hidden incentives behind B2B purchases. Understanding procurement and buying committee dynamics - S5 Ep2

Brain Hurt Scale = 5/10. No one in B2B buys based on value. Procurement and buying committees don't operate how you think they do. And why do 50%+ of B2B purchases end in a no-decision?

If you want your career to be occupied with creating ads, rely on correlation, work status and manipulate company politics to get ahead. Nothing wrong with that, it's fine. Go for it. You will do well.

But if you actually want to affect revenue and profit, this is an episode you can't miss.

Dale and John reveal some of the dirty secrets that lie hidden deep within the industry. Use this rare information to get ahead as a challenger brand and succeed in the marketplace if you want to.

Learn the history of Salesforce's success. The one that doesn't get talked about.

Learn why some of these academic 'laws' of marketing actually work or don't work in real life.

Why should you be really skeptical about the propositions ABM vendors and demand-gen platforms sprout?

What lies do marketing heads and vendors tell you which you should actually ignore?

Start listening to get head.

Or be left behind.

Feb 05, 202401:28:54
Colin Lewis - How to be an effective marketer. Executive director-level thinking - S5 Ep1

Colin Lewis - How to be an effective marketer. Executive director-level thinking - S5 Ep1

Brain Hurt Scale = 2/10. Racing car driver, Marketing Week columnist, retail media speaker and coach to marketing directors. Colin Lewis joins us for the first episode of 2024.

While we were supposed to talk about retail media, this was one of those rare chances to tap into someone's mind that's experienced a depth and breadth of experience that's exceedingly rare.

Colin's worked in multiple countries. Reinvented his specialty many times over. Put his money where his mouth is with his own businesses and worked for others to pay the bills. Big and small brands. For decades.

Colin oozes stoic wisdom in a discussion that everyone from all angles within the industry can appreciate. We explore everything from marketing fundamentals to direct response and brand advertising.

So get involved and start learning.

Up your game.

Start thinking like,

a director

Jan 30, 202401:08:36
Part 5.3 - Actually Thinking Different about Think Different - Apple's real growth factor revealed

Part 5.3 - Actually Thinking Different about Think Different - Apple's real growth factor revealed

Brain Hurt Factor = 4/10. The conclusion and penultimate episode of a 6 part series which explores brand campaigns. Questioning whether Apple's famous Think Different brand campaign was as successful as everyone thinks it is.

This episode starts with a short recap of where we left off in 5.2. Then goes into revealing THE key growth factor behind Apple's explosive growth. Before discussing the genesis story behind this entire brand campaign. A story which was difficult to discover.

Full of snippets of quotes from Steve himself, YouTube videos, experts in the field and other podcasts.

By the end, you'll be able to walk away with a clear view of what the campaign did and didn't achieve. And - WHY it was created in the first place. Which will be likely different to what you believe it is.

Make sure you at least listen to or read 5.1 and 5.2, if not all the episodes from part 1-6.

Very red pill.

Consume now with caution.

Dec 20, 202346:05
Part 5.2 - Thinking Different about Think Different - What exactly did it do? - S4 E22

Part 5.2 - Thinking Different about Think Different - What exactly did it do? - S4 E22

Brand hurt scale = 6/10. This is a direct follow on from the previous episode 5.1 which continues the story behind Apple's famous Think Different campaign.

Here we go much deeper, analyzing the campaign's impact on Apple financially, both short and long term. Which is hard in audio form because a lot of the visuals are missing. But you'll learn ways you can properly assess any brand campaign and call out brand marketers who think they've delivered value, but haven't. Four expert opinions and three reputable studies are cited which you can use to support your argument either way.

So was Think Different really one of the best brand advertising campaigns in history? Exactly how did it impact the company for better or for worse? Ultimately, it's up to you to decide but find out by having a listen and come to your own conclusions by the end.

*For more details and visuals go to the Brandingmag website to access the full article.

Dec 06, 202342:30
Part 5.1 - Thinking Different about Think Different - S4 Ep21

Part 5.1 - Thinking Different about Think Different - S4 Ep21

Brand hurt scale = 2/10. The episode everyone has been waiting for is here. This is the story behind the famous Apple Think Different campaign. Touted as one of the best brand advertising campaigns in history. But is it?

This is the first of three parts which explores the history of this campaign and analyzes whether it was as successful for the company as everyone makes out.

Deeper analysis will follow in 5.2 before we explore the genesis story and implications from those findings in 5.3.

For more details and helpful visuals, go to the Brandingmag website to access the full article.

But for now, sit back, relax and have a listen

Nov 30, 202335:08
Part 4 - What does a brand campaign do? 8 pros and 8 cons - S4 Ep20

Part 4 - What does a brand campaign do? 8 pros and 8 cons - S4 Ep20

Brain hurt score = 3/10. If you've been listening to the series so far, you should know what a brand campaign is, where they came from and how advertising and branding works.

So what does a brand campaign do? Or not do?

In part 4 of the Brand Campaign mini-series we explore 8 legitimate reasons for a brand campaign and 8 red-flags you need to be aware of.

By the end of this episode you'll have a very robust filter through which to make an informed decision if you're considering buying into the idea of a brand campaign or rejecting it.

16 for and against reasons are given that include quotes, practical explanations and excerpts from interviews with practicing experts.

At the end we summarize part 1 through to 4 and set the scene for the episode everyone wants to listen to - an analysis of Apple's famous Think Different brand campaign where everything you've learnt so far will be put into practice.

But before we get to the protein, you need to eat your greens.

Come on...have a nibble.

What are you waiting for?

Nov 14, 202301:05:42
Part 2 - Where did brand campaigns came from? The history of advertising agencies, marketing & growth - S4 Ep16

Part 2 - Where did brand campaigns came from? The history of advertising agencies, marketing & growth - S4 Ep16

Brain Hurt Scale = 2/10. Note - this is the audio version which is an extended yet similar and different version of the written article which includes diagrams and videos. If reading is your thing go here https://www.brandingmag.com/john-james/brand-campaigns-part-2-where-did-they-come-from/ - but this audio version is more story-like so it makes for perfect listening.

Why do some people say 'performance marketing' when all really mean is Google search?

Why do digital marketers have an allergic reaction when they're asked to use an offline channel?

Why do advertising agencies love brand campaigns but hate digital?

Why is the Silicon Valley growth discipline deeply ironic?

And what's all of this got to do with Brand Campaigns!


Sometimes to understand why we use terms we need to understand history. Understand the etymology of these terms. Terms like performance marketing, brand marketing, ATL, BTL, growth hacking, growth marketing, demand generation, demand capture - oh gee I could go on all day.

Because there's reasons why all these terms exist, and why we use them - and that history is fascinating.

If this episode doesn't give you an 'a ha' moment then no episode will.


We leverage the power of memetics and research so you'll learn:

How these terms originated

Why using them is problematic

Why people who do, are unaware how their thinking has been warped subconsiously

Why DTC started in 1845 in the US - not the 90s or 2000's

Which channel American Expressed used to create an entire category (credit cards)

Why advertising agencies started in the first place, and why they still hate 'performance'.

WARNING: This episode is not recommended for those who work in the advertising industry - as it will pop bubbles and may negatively affect your ability to sell

You've been warned - listening to this episode will alter your perspective forever.

So play with caution because this is very forbidden fruit you're about to taste,

And there's no going back.


Oct 26, 202347:12
Gregory Kennedy - Confessions of two fractional CMOs - Trials, tribulations & opportunities - S4 Ep19

Gregory Kennedy - Confessions of two fractional CMOs - Trials, tribulations & opportunities - S4 Ep19

Brain Hurt Scale = 2/10. Learn all the hot topics, struggles and opportunities in the current environment from the perspective of two fractional CMO's. After shooting the breeze about coffee (Skip to 4mins in to miss the coffee talk intro) Gregory Kennedy and John sit down to talk about what they're both seeing on the ground right now.

With significant declines in the yields and measurement of various digital media over the years, they discuss different ways to move forward and embrace a revised approach to the marketing function.

What's the difference between West and East coast business culture?

Why is the crazy valuations in the recent tech boom not even comparable to what happened back in the late 90s? Why is revenue growth and positive economics so important now?

How have digital channels changed over the years?

Gregory has worked in senior marketing roles at tech companies like InMobi, TapSense, NextRoll, Sojern and Noteable.

Embrace the future. Leave the shackles behind.

This is an easy listen.

That won't leave you in a bind.

Oct 25, 202356:24
Part 3.2 - How does advertising & branding? (2 of 2) - S4 Ep18

Part 3.2 - How does advertising & branding? (2 of 2) - S4 Ep18

Brain hurt scale = 6/10. This is the second half of the former episode which will complete the audio version of Part 3's article.

In the former episode we covered in detail the first determinant of effective advertising - reach.

In this one, we explain what is 'brand' and how 'branding' actually works or doesn't work.

Then we explore the third factor which is all about making products 'easy to find and buy'.

Followed by even more myth busting at the end to put everything into a practical context.

This is an audio episode version of the first half of part 3's article published at Brandingmag - https://www.brandingmag.com/john-james/brand-campaigns-part-3-how-does-brand-advertising-work/

But some people wanted the audio version.

So here you go


Oct 21, 202341:43
Part 3.1 - How does advertising & branding work? (1 of 2) - S4 Ep17

Part 3.1 - How does advertising & branding work? (1 of 2) - S4 Ep17

Brain hurt scale = 7/10. Isn't it funny how we all think we know how advertising works, but very few of us know about the scientific side. Even fewer have married up science with the practical considerations of what it's like in an applied work setting. Until now!

After learning about what brand campaigns are in part 1 and understanding the etymology. We were then left with a gaping hole. How does brand advertising work?

And to know how brand advertising works, we first need to understand how all advertising works.

What is 'reach'? How do you know if you have it or not?

What is 'brand'? How do you know if your ad had branded or not?

What is 'advertising'? How do you know what is and isn't advertising?


This is an audio episode version of the first half of part 3's article published at Brandingmag - https://www.brandingmag.com/john-james/brand-campaigns-part-3-how-does-brand-advertising-work/


But some people prefer audio.

So here you go audiophiles

Oct 20, 202335:12
Part 1 - What is a brand campaign? (Audio Version) - S4 Ep15

Part 1 - What is a brand campaign? (Audio Version) - S4 Ep15

Brain Hurt Scale = 4/10. Here's a quick synopsis of the first part of six. An article series that tries to answer a very basic question. What is a brand campaign?

Go to https://www.brandingmag.com/john-james/brand-campaigns-part-1-what-exactly-are-they/ to read the full article which includes a lot of useful diagrams, videos, links and extended explanation that doesn't make it into this quick 18-minute synopsis.

Part 2 is also fresh off the press. So if this perks your interest, follow your nose and read that article also to get the rest of the juicy details.

But, if you're more of an audiophile and want some added commentary, this will give you something the written versions don't.

Including the story of how it all started and why it's got everyone in a bit of a tizz.

See you on the other side

Oct 04, 202318:26
Raj Nathan - Pitching the power of music - Sonic branding, events and can't sleep content - S4 Ep14

Raj Nathan - Pitching the power of music - Sonic branding, events and can't sleep content - S4 Ep14

We'll spend thousands of dollars a month on ads yet routinely underinvest in the quality of the creative. Even the biggest agencies do it. They cheapen out on the quality of the audio track. But great music can make or break a movie or TV series. It can also be the difference between advertising and promotions that your audience either remembers or doesn't remember.


Raj has recently taken this to the next level. Investing his own money into the production of an entire rap album. I haven't met too many companies who have done that before.

Even more interesting is that this album talks about a sector which most would find very boring indeed - B2B SaaS!

I this hair-brained creativity gone wild or is there method to the madness. This is something we just had to get the scoop on.

It doesn't' matter if you like music, rap or Raj's tracks or not. You'll learn about a few mediums all rolled into one. It starts with audio aka sonic branding, then goes onto how to craft better webinars, then a sales pitch in the context of startups seeking funding, and finishes with events.

But don't worry, there's strategy throughout as we discuss how he inserts audio into branded content for maximum gain. And by listening to the full episode, you'll start to understand how all of these things link together - after all - this is one of the hallmarks of good strategy - a coherent set of actions.


And yes, you'll also learn how to pitch your startup to investors using his trademarked Que Pasa method. You'll learn how to take your events to the next level. And some of the secrets behind creative production if you wish.

But, the more important learning here is exactly how Raj uses this music he's produced to drive value and achieve business goals. And that story is a very interesting one. One that no one else has discussed with him - until now.


Want to be GOAT to Market?

Yes

I do

I do

I do


Sep 26, 202353:56
Anthony Garone - Exposing the murky world of Ghostwriting - S4 Ep13

Anthony Garone - Exposing the murky world of Ghostwriting - S4 Ep13

You know all those famous authors and people on social media with posts that are wildly successful? You may be surprised to learn, it's probably not them. Most don't even manage their own accounts. But, who's work then are we really reading? Who's DM's are we really slipping into?

Today we're going to delve into the murky world of ghostwriting. And it reminds me of that famous scene from Fight Club - because....

It appears, the first rule of ghostwriting is that you don't talk about ghostwriting.

And while, today's guest is very tight-lipped about the people he manages, we do get him to spill some beans and expose some of the dark secrets within the industry.

And this is all very Wizard of Oz

From a hip-hop group who imploded after their ghost-music-writer secret was revealed on stage, to the downfall of a famous business personality who ironically, ran a ghostwriting firm.

You'll learn about juniper trees, gin, tonic and why we still treat newborn babies in a particular way.

You'll learn why chasing vanity metrics with content and social media is a futile exercise,

The difference between high and low-quality content, and much, much, more.

The perfect episode for executives and senior leaders as well as anyone in the content industry, social media folk, marketing strategists and of course those running a business.

Skip to around the 6 min mark if you want to miss the gin sipping and genesis story and I'll see you on the other side.

Sep 09, 202356:57
Matt Watkinson - Mastering your potential in an uncertain world - S4 Ep12

Matt Watkinson - Mastering your potential in an uncertain world - S4 Ep12

Brain Hurt = 6/10. Do you want your effort to translate into maximum reward without change getting in the way? If so, embracing inherent uncertainty in the world is arguably the best way to go about it.


Matt Watkinson published his third book this year which explores the concept of probabilistic thinking, systems, determinism and more.

We don't really do book reviews, but this one caught the eye of our CEO and needed to be explored.

This is Rory Sutherland-esque. In fact, they are both quite close and Rory gives a glowing review of this book.

If you don't learn something, you haven't been listening.

Start learning...press play

Sep 05, 202301:04:41
John James & Meqa Smith - Culture, brand, internal marketing and core strategy - S4 Ep11

John James & Meqa Smith - Culture, brand, internal marketing and core strategy - S4 Ep11

Brain Hurt Level = 2/10. "Great interview...I've often thought someone needed to interview you, put all of that red-pill business and marketing chat into one cohesive conversation. Your definition of marketing should actually be a front-slide of every conversation I have now."

Note: This episode best serves the interests of executives, founders, owners and senior management. But, there's takeaways for everyone, especially if you're leading a team or interested in escaping the adland bubble.

We can use terms every day and assume everyone knows what they mean. But, answering the most basic questions are sometimes the most difficult.

What is marketing? What is brand?

Do you need to have a culture built on values like sustainability, equality and saving the world?

Meqa Smith, an employer branding expert and executive recruiter interviews John and both discuss how their disciplines intersect. Together they explore how companies misinterpret the marketing function and brand. Which often leads to erroneous hiring plus unfair expectations being placed on people hired for certain roles.

Along the way basic terms are defined. Political realities are highlighted and growth constraints discussed.

Reposted with permission fom Meqa's recent foray into starting her own series of interviews on modern hiring and employer branding for companies in Australia at https://unforgettable.agency

Sep 01, 202336:44
Shay Howe - Chasing growth in the AI era - Confessions of a tech CMO - S4 Ep10

Shay Howe - Chasing growth in the AI era - Confessions of a tech CMO - S4 Ep10

Brain Hurt level = 5/10. Note: this episode is best for those interested in marketing or growth within the SaaS tech sector. Especially if you work in marketing, growth or as a senior marketing leader or founder. And even more so if that's B2B or Martech. But...

With that said, it's rare to find someone who has worked in design, engineering development, product, strategy and marketing. Even rarer again to find someone who's personally managed teams in each of those as well.

Shay Howe is the CMO of a marketing tech company called Active Campaign. Each day he's able to see-saw between strategy and tactical execution together with his team of 30. But, he says leading marketing is his most difficult and complex role yet.

Hear from the horse's mouth about the current challenges affecting all tech company's marketing and growth departments. The threat and opportunity posed by AI. The rapid proliferation and complexity within the marketing tech industry. Bridging the brand versus performance marketing challenge. Modern measurement. Team management. And the future of the marketing tech stack including a practical critique of the buzzwords and acronyms which can plague sound decision-making.

Ready to get your tech on?

Want to know what it's actually like to be a CMO inside a tech company?

Find out by pressing play.


Aug 27, 202301:10:11
Baiba Matisone - Strategists in advertising - How agencies and clients can work better together - S4 Ep9

Baiba Matisone - Strategists in advertising - How agencies and clients can work better together - S4 Ep9

Baiba’s career is varied to say the least. Starting with a bachelor of visual arts at university where she was dissuaded from pursuing a career in this field, to later attempts at breaking the small glass ceiling of male advertising strategists in her native Latvia. After some account management experience at both Ogilvy and Grey group she landed a strategist role at an agency in the Czech Republic, later working at Kantar Millward Brown. During COVID she started a community dedicated to serving fellow strategists around the world - pushing the profession forward.

Now she works mostly freelance in between guest lectures at Miami Ad School and a mix of other pursuits from her new base in Berlin. You couldn’t get someone closer to the front line in the advertising agency world who also has a healthy cross functional chunk of experience.  

Sometimes referred to as The Mark Pollard of Europe. She specializes in brand strategy and creative strategy. 

In this episode you’re going to get a good grounding in the history of strategists, formerly known as account planners. You'll learn where the role came from. Why it is needed. What the role looks like today (for better or for worse). Why you need access to one when working with an agency and all of the good, the bad and the ugly within the modern world of advertising.  

But what also leaks out are some very interesting comments about the modern state of the client agency relationship. The problems on both sides and how we can solve them together aligned in the pursuit of better work.

You'll learn how to brief better. How to tell an experienced planner from a junior one (or influencer cult follower). You'll learn which strategy frameworks you can use and which ones are overrated. You'll also learn why insights are not essential for good strategy - and much more.

As usual, many common myths will be debunked and if you don’t learn something new, you haven’t been listening. 

So what are you waiting for?

Aug 13, 202301:06:49
Jon Evans - Marketing on a shoestring budget. Turning $440 into $940 000 - S4 Ep8

Jon Evans - Marketing on a shoestring budget. Turning $440 into $940 000 - S4 Ep8

A recent article, some skeptical Twitterati and a belated Champagne film scene prompted the two Johns to join forces once again. In this episode, we put some of the doubters at bay. So if Jon Evan's recent Marketing Week article took your fancy, or you don't believe it, then you can hear the extended story of exactly how it all went down right here, right now. Listen and you might be able to pick up some tips on how to extend your budget's runway too.

A lesson in the power of constraints, creativity and Champagne.

The Uncensored CMO, uncensored again.

Listen before someone else does!

Jun 12, 202318:27
Eden Bidani - Messaging Strategy - The forgotten jigsaw piece of product market fit, PLG and growth - S4 Ep7

Eden Bidani - Messaging Strategy - The forgotten jigsaw piece of product market fit, PLG and growth - S4 Ep7

Have you ever found it difficult to brief and agency, a copywriter or a designer and get back the words you were expecting? This is really hard when you don't have a messaging strategy which sits at the top of your workflow. Working alongside your brand voice and tone, your positioning, brand story and strategic narrative.

It's the missing piece that nearly every company fails to invest in and without it, you'll experience a lot of frustration, back and forth communication, and rejected copy.

Failure to work on your messaging strategy especially affects complex, B2B or technical products and services the most. This is because the product offering is often multi-dimensional, highly intangible and technical. Saying what you and your product does can be infinitely more challenging than selling a toothbrush.

But, have no fear. You can fix most of that problem right now by listening to 61 minutes of pure messaging strategy bliss.

Today we're getting Eden Bidani, a writer turned copywriter and messaging strategist to spill all her secret sauce just for you.

To quote one of my favorite lines in Scary Movie, 'What are you waiting for.....what are you waiting for....what are you waiting for?'

Press play

Jun 10, 202301:01:57
Mike Rizzo - Marketing Operations Strategy - ignore at your entire function's own cost - S4 Ep6

Mike Rizzo - Marketing Operations Strategy - ignore at your entire function's own cost - S4 Ep6

Brain Hurt Scale = 2/10 There's a famous quote by Kleiner Perkins' OG John Doer, "Ideas are easy. Execution is everything. It takes a team to win".

If you've ever been responsible for bottom line results, you'll agree and nod because you know this quote to be true. Unfortunately, mastering the craft of execution is not politically advantageous.

Instead, most companies reward those who are seen as a big picture thinkers not those fussing with details in the weeds. So we talk about higher-level constructs like brand, strategy, mindset, buzzwords, general approaches etc. And then outsource as much of the grunt work as possible to further this image, and as a political hedge.

But, it's only when you've done the task yourself and architected operational systems, that you truly appreciate how critical the smallest details are to success. Hundreds of layered details which cascade with compounding effects that have a massive impact on the final result. And this is something that can't be solved with more tech, more planning, new frameworks, more consultants or more close-the-gap meetings.

This phenomenon is especially pernicious in the field of sales/marketing/growth. A reliance on third-party vendors (agencies) to execute the work became necessary for political survival. But over time, it's led to an underappreciation of the value and importance of operations. If you work for a large brand, halo effects also hide this importance. It's only when we move to smaller organizations do we fully understand how critical it is to success.

If we just took some time to at least know the basics, we would save a lot of miscommunication, misinterpretation, and failure downstream.

Which brings us to today's episode with Mike Rizzo, founder of the MarketingOps community since 2017.

Whether you want to call it marketing ops, growth ops, sales ops or revops it doesn't matter. Chances are the name will change again in a year or two anyway. This chat with Mike will allow us all to get a crash course in the discipline and hopefully use this knowledge to do better work.

Strangely enough, most firms, don't even have a marketing ops hire. And if they do, it's more of a technician without a broader understanding of how everything else fits together into a system guided by strategy. Then there's other marketers who are doing marketing ops without even realizing it.

So lets step down a few tiers from the business strategy or functional strategy layers and explore the operational strategy layer. With someone who lives and breathes marketing ops.

May 11, 202349:50
Ethan Decker - Busting brand myths. Separating fact from fiction and politics from science - S4 Ep5

Ethan Decker - Busting brand myths. Separating fact from fiction and politics from science - S4 Ep5

What is a brand? How do they work? How do you separate the marketing fluff from fact?

If you want to build commercial value from marketing investments this is a mandatory listen.

Listen to Dr Ethan Decker. A former ecologist who is now an applied brand science professional based in Boulder, Colorado.

Nothing more needs to be said.

Skip to the 5-minute mark if you want to skip the intros and Champagne sipping.


May 04, 202301:31:42
Mike Taylor - Is copying success a good strategy? Or should you be wary of survivorship bias? A debate - S3 Ep4

Mike Taylor - Is copying success a good strategy? Or should you be wary of survivorship bias? A debate - S3 Ep4

Brain Hurt Scale = 9/10. Seen that survivorship bias image floating around on LinkedIn or Twitter? You know, the one with the plane schematic with red dots showing the points where planes in world war 2 got shot. Followed by some sage remark by someone who goes on to say something about not falling victim to survivorship bias?

Well, blindly believing this is something Mike says to be wary of. In this debate, I'm on one side of the argument and Mike is on the other.

What comes out is not just an intellectual wank. But a conversation that teases out some key learnings which I guarantee will make you think better and make better decisions.

Whether that's choosing the best marketing agency, or financial fund or even finding advice you can trust.

As Mike says early on, "my views are maybe a little bit radical for the average".

So if you enjoy the comfort of simple thinking and heeding LinkedIn-styled platitude wisdom, this is definitely not something you should listen to.

But for everyone else, with an open mind and more brain cells than a packet of chips, get on it - and tell me what you think.

Now!

Apr 23, 202359:44
Brent Annells - Partnership and distribution strategy for services & SaaS - Step-change growth vs failure - S3 Ep26

Brent Annells - Partnership and distribution strategy for services & SaaS - Step-change growth vs failure - S3 Ep26

In practice, Brent says over 95% of all partnerships fail. But why? And what can we do to increase the odds of success? Brent Annells is a wealth of deep knowledge in the practicalities of partnerships but also much more, courtesy of his storied career. 

Starting his career in PR, grounding in core messaging and positioning strategy, it wasn't long before he was testing his chops at a startup in the early web 1.0 days just before the dot-com crash. Then he moved into the advertising agency world with roles at Cummins&Partners and DDB before reveling in Facebook's high-growth phase where he eventually became the 'Head of Brand'. Up next was a Head of Partnerships role for Uber's operations before his career continued to bloom, landing in the web 3.0 world where he is now CMO of Smart Token Labs. 

It's this multi-discipline experience across small, medium and large brands that makes him the perfect guest to slice through the heart of what works and what doesn't. And in this episode, he doesn't disappoint. 

Even if you're not specifically interested in partnerships or distribution, I highly recommend any entrepreneur, founder, marketer, or growth professional listen to this episode, because there's loads of timeless core wisdom to absorb. 

Invaluable wisdom that you can't gain by not listening. So...

Apr 16, 202348:24
Why you don't need a lot of Martech to get the job done - Core Strategy vs Tech Tools - John James
Apr 03, 202344:54
Andres Glusman - Mastering the power of tests, experiments and competitive intelligence to craft products that sell - S4 Ep3

Andres Glusman - Mastering the power of tests, experiments and competitive intelligence to craft products that sell - S4 Ep3

Brain hurt scale = 3/10. Andres Glusman was experimenting and validating products before the lean startup term was coined. It started in college selling peanuts at baseball games. Progressed to testing ads for the world's first digital agency. He was split testing Winnie the Pooh banner ads manually before ad software existed. Which led to his former agency boss getting him to solve an early traction problem for a startup called Meetup. Lashings of sales hustle and his revolutionary test-and-learn approach helped land Meetup their first round of funding and as they say, the rest is history.

But Andres' success was no accident. Raised by a family of scientists and years before behavioral economics even had a name, he combined an early interest in science with psychology and economics. Now, Andres is revered the world over as one of the OG's of the lean startup and experimentation-based product growth method.

However, in this episode we challenge the lean startup method as well as the data-driven culture favored by startups the world over. We talk about the importance of context. Using the right approach for the right stage of the business' maturity. Something full of tradeoffs and unavoidable error. But as he says, you need to, '...live with a tonne of error, because the alternative to that error is just more error'.

"You want to change behavior. Everyone is trying to get people to behave in a certain way, so understanding behavior first means you're most likely able to, but it [experimentation] can be done wrong and done too much - and I've done both. People got hooked on the sauce."

Also, find out which new product Andres is launching this week which will be a potential game-changer for the advertising world

So strap yourself in for a ride as we explore the whole dynamic between decision making and political or opinion based decision making. While weaving loads of stories from his career into the mix. There's something in here for everyone no matter how advanced your knowledge.

Peanuts....get your peanuts here

Mar 12, 202301:33:56
Bryan Williams - Building partnership ecosystems and communities that drive growth - S4 Ep2

Bryan Williams - Building partnership ecosystems and communities that drive growth - S4 Ep2

Brain-hurt Scale = 5/10. Some marketers believe Apple’s success stems from a series of emotional brand ads. Yet they ignore product strategy, distribution and ecosystems - which I would argue, is the true source of their market power.

Some marketers might know what distribution and the power of physical availability is. They may drop the term in conversations, but rarely are they exposed to it or know how to go about affecting it.  Most of us in business will be aware of distribution networks in the physical goods world. Manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. But in the service industry, it's often far more complex and subtle. And almost no one talks about it because it's hidden from sight. It's a growth-driver that firms are cagey about disclosing in public. But, probably the most powerful lever a business can pull, and very defensible once established. 

This episode is the last in what is now a three-part mini-series on building distribution networks via partnerships. And there are many forms of partnerships. This is one of the first things we discuss.

But, if you're just getting into the partnership side of things, I'd suggest listening to the first in this series, season 2, episode 3 with Ayaan and Peter from Impact on the topic of affiliates, digital partnerships and content. We go through lots of examples including large tech companies like Canva and smaller retailers. We start drawing lines to the natural connection partnerships have with communities, superfans, and advocates.

Then listen to season 3, episode 26 where we speak with Brent Annells mostly about strategic partnerships. This is all the big deals you'll make which have the potential to create step-change growth. 

In this one, we’re going to cover some of the same territory from both former episodes, but take it a step further to the upper rung of the partnership world. Where we look at scaling partnerships into systems. Specifically partnership ecosystems and communities. With examples that are most relevant to larger enterprise and SaaS tech. But even if your company is small, there's an important genesis story and lots of takeaways if you're have a less mature partnership function. This is because Bryan has created these programs from scratch. So important learnings apply to people working in a less mature partnerships function.

There’s a running joke about content marketing which says content marketing works best when marketing isn’t involved. And the core lesson here for anyone that cares, is source message credibility. I.e. a source is more trusted when the brand itself isn’t the direct source of the message.

And on that vein, partnerships, communities and ecosystems tend to work best when we create networks where other people becomes advocates and sell our product instead.

But setting up these systems requires a lot more skill and strategic thought than simply booking a few meetings and trying to sell them a deal.

Which brings us to Bryan and Xero.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should have heard about Intuit QuickBooks and Xero.

Today’s guest, Bryan was one of the original employees who kickstarted the creation of Xero’s partnership ecosystem and community. Which he started pretty much from scratch. Xero is a large multi-billion dollar public company which dominants the category of accounting software in APAC. He has since left but now advises other firms on all the dos and don’ts so they can create their own distributed partner networks.

So we go through his process in a reasonable amount of detail. By the end of the episode, you should be easily able to prevent yourself from making rookie mistakes if you’re going to pursue these growth levers yourself.

And you'll learn what a Champagne beer is

Sound good?

Click play to partner

Feb 23, 202301:16:18
Per Davidsson - Empirical entrepreneurship and the pursuit of growth vs profit - S4 Ep1

Per Davidsson - Empirical entrepreneurship and the pursuit of growth vs profit - S4 Ep1

Brain-hurt scale = 4/10. "Don't worry about profit. Just get me more growth. We can always worry about monetization and margins later." This type of statement is quite dominant within Silicon Valley culture and within modern entrepreneurship. But just how valid is this advice? Luckily, Per Davidsson, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Queensland University of Technology can answer that in detail. 

But first, what is entrepreneurship and what is growth for that matter? How do we define and measure them?

Why does the best business advice come from the people farthest away from you?

Why is buying customers almost always a bad idea?

If you want to predict the future success of a business or know your odds before you set out on an entrepreneurial journey, or even help decide whether to accept that new job at a 'high-growth' firm...this is an unmissable episode which has something for everyone. 

An easy listen which can help you understand some of the macro-laws behind business growth and profit. 

I'm now thinking I should be charging for these episodes.

Got to increase dem margins...

Feb 15, 202301:07:47
 Elisa Choy - How to predict the results of elections before they happen - A US mid-terms example - S3 Ep31

Elisa Choy - How to predict the results of elections before they happen - A US mid-terms example - S3 Ep31

This is a follow up to a former talk we had with Elisa Choy about market research and predictive AI. We heard she was gearing up to predict the results of the US midterms. This was something I followed closely this time around. Following Elisa's posts and predictions as they manifested leading up to election day. 

Here's the story of how she again, got it right. Why she got it right. The major mistakes the Republicans made. And more information on how you could use her method to predict the next election in your own country. 

Dec 07, 202216:08
Adam Posner - Does loyalty exist? Crafting world-class loyalty programs which provide commercial benefit - S3 Ep30

Adam Posner - Does loyalty exist? Crafting world-class loyalty programs which provide commercial benefit - S3 Ep30

"You're wrong - Byron Sharp says loyalty doesn't exist." said a person on Twitter recently. This statement then started a string of comments as people started to argue who was right. I found this entire argument strange, because obviously that person has not read the book from the author he was referring to. 

One of my first jobs was to research all the loyalty programs in the country and figure out how they worked, what their incentive programs offered, the value of points in fiat currency equivalent and lots more. And I discovered a global points-hacking community obsessed with documenting and exploiting some of these systems. It was fascinating. 

But those are points systems. Not loyalty programs. So if you want to learn about loyalty programs, membership programs, points programs, this is the episode for you. 

Adam is an independent consultant who has been architecting these programs for businesses large and small for the best part of a decade. And each year he puts out a state of the market report which covers the entire industry in Australia. 

So I ask all the hard questions about loyalty, and you get the answers. 

And we start with, "Does loyalty even exist?"

Want to know what he says?

Nov 09, 202249:45
Flavia Barbat - Nuclear content strategy. Branding, publishing and the future of content - S3 Ep29

Flavia Barbat - Nuclear content strategy. Branding, publishing and the future of content - S3 Ep29

Have you noticed over the past year or so, all social media content is regressing to the mean of bland, sameness? Content which appears useful at face value but isn't. Feeds and blogs full of posts that all look and sound like each other. Most are wildly popular. But when you dig beneath the surface you'll find them as unhelpful as they are helpful. 

We've all been tempted to emulate this style. But what’s being lost in this process is something much deeper. A void has been created. This proliferation of generic sameness presents an immense opportunity for the opposite. High quality, well-thought-out, useful content.

But how do you go about doing that? 

Well, Flavia did this from scratch for an advertising agency called Sapient before it merged with Publicis and Razorfish. And you'll hear the whole story of how she did this. Including details about her nucleus framework. 

And this did this on the side while consulting and running BrandingMag. She's a writer by trade, but also architected content strategy and has a firm grasp on everything brand. This is rare. So we just had to get her take on all things content.

And it's her ability to blend brand with content that gives her this practical yet strategically-grounded perspective that’s quite unique. In this episode she eloquently explains how interlinked and essential the relationship is between content and brand

But, what is brand? What critical half of brand do most people miss?

What’s content for that matter? What’s content marketing? And what’s the difference between high and low quality?

You’ll also learn how to do real thought leadership. Powerful pieces that move people versus the fluff you see plastered over Linkedin.

So have a listen and Flavia will teach you the exact framework she uses to set up a world-class content ecosystem at any company.

And there’s lots of tactical takeaways, from things like how to get time from very senior and busy people within the org to get the content you need. Through to how you can get onside, people internally so make all of this happen. 

And of course we talk about Brandingmag's genesis story and where they are heading in the future

This is deep and detailed

Are you feeling lucky punk? 

Well are ya?

Nov 01, 202259:58
Juan Mendoza - Growing a newsletter from scratch - The Martech Weekly story & applied content strategy - S3 Ep28

Juan Mendoza - Growing a newsletter from scratch - The Martech Weekly story & applied content strategy - S3 Ep28

A simple idea during 2020s lockdown has now led to Juan being invited on stages around the world, working with Scott Brinker, SVP from Hubspot and consulting opportunities galore. But it all started by creating by creating a simple blog and newsletter. A newsletter which is now one of the most trusted in the world on Martech. 

And for the first time, ever, you'll hear from the horse's mouth, exactly how he did it. This is the story of Juan Mendoza's rise to fame which has remained untold until now. 

Even if content marketing, owned media or building a media company isn't your cup of tea...there's so much more to gain by listening. 

The modern state of marketing is discussed in many facets - both from a philosophical approach, through to strategy and tactics. And what I discovered is that Juan is someone who can talk very eloquently about multiple topics, in considerable depth, on the spot. A rare skill indeed. 

A live interview serves as a very effective litmus test for wisdom. You can tap into this wisdom right now....so what are you waiting for! 

Oct 29, 202201:10:32
Jon Evans - A big and small brand CMO - critical differences and learnings that make for superior marketing - S3 Ep27

Jon Evans - A big and small brand CMO - critical differences and learnings that make for superior marketing - S3 Ep27

Brain hurt scale = 4/10. We've all heard examples of a big brand CMO starting their own business or going to work for a smaller company and it usually ends in tears. Exposed naked, without the halo effect of a big brand, including operational processes and agency support, it can be a confronting, reality-check experience at best. And a complete disaster at worst. 

So ,any marketers just stick in their lane. If they start in one sector, they tend to stick to it. If they work at a large brand, they tend to continue seeking roles at similar firms. Vary rarely do they move into completely different environments. But what's lost, is this opportunity to test their own assumptions and uncover marketing first-principles.

I'm a personal fan of Jon's podcast, the Uncensored CMO. And we've had a few LinkedIn chats over the years. But when I found out about his own personal experience where he transitioned as the CMO of a large CPG/FMCG firm to the first and only marketing hire at a small regional juice company - the story was so fascinating I just had to get it recorded. 

And as we go deep into Jon's career experiences, what washes out of this discussion is pure gold. 

It's an easy listen and entertaining story. But hidden throughout for the keen listener, are critical pieces of wisdom that any practicing marketer could benefit from.

What barbed nicknames do Ritson and Byron Sharp give each other?

What are the key differences between big brand CMO vs small brand CMOs - What three key points can large brand CMO’s take away from small brand experiences.

How did he adapt from a $7 million budget and a team of 50 - to $0 and a team of just one. 

How did he turn around a situation where he lost 15-20% of his buyers almost overnight. 

What do marketing novices and world-class experts have in common

Why was he literally blowing-up fruit with explosive charges? 

What's the story behind how he started his podcast and how it got to be one of the biggest marketing podcasts in the world.

What is the new product System 1 are releasing that could be a game changer

How we can use emotional tests to predict future behavior

What are the three reasons why everyone hates marketers?

Questions...questions...questions...so many questions.

Get the answers

Oct 15, 202201:24:10
Mike Taylor - Marketing Measurement Systems in Practice - An all-purpose guide & overview S3 Ep25 (part 6 of 6)

Mike Taylor - Marketing Measurement Systems in Practice - An all-purpose guide & overview S3 Ep25 (part 6 of 6)

Brain hurt scale 7/10. Mike Talor helps us put the last 5 episodes on Marketing Measurement into practical context. Having started a growth agency many years ago and still an active practitioner in the field, there was perhaps no one more appropriate to talk to about this topic. 

We've spoke to Elisa Choy about sentiment tracking, Jonathan Rolley about advertising media measurement, Edgar Baum about brand tracking, Michael Kaminsky about MMM and Koen Pauwels about econometrics. But often, what you should do in a perfect world, is very different to the realities of actually implementing these systems within different organizations. 

So this episode looks at them all and puts it into context. Political navigation. Firm size and maturity. Different cultures and approaches etc. 

We tap into his wisdom at how to go about it.

Oct 09, 202201:18:26
Jon Rolley - Advertising Media Measurement - How politics creates unwise choices - S3 Ep24 (part 5 of 6)

Jon Rolley - Advertising Media Measurement - How politics creates unwise choices - S3 Ep24 (part 5 of 6)

Brain hurt scale 4/10. Jonathan Rolley is an agency owner who specializes in buying media and executing campaigns for brands who actually want a measured response. Sounds crazy I know. But instead of optimizing for vanity metrics like impressions, reach, brand awareness, brand consideration, brand preference and even salience. He's more concerned about whether it resulted in purchases (the response). Hence his aptly named company, Direct Response Media. 

But ironically, because he's concerned about financial outcomes from media spend, most marketing people do not engage him. He deals primarily with CEO's, CFO's and COO's rather than CMOs. Something I can personally relate to as well. Why? Because the truth is that the bulk of CMO's don't care about sales revenue nor the true financial effect from any marketing efforts. That's hard. And it's often less fun than spinning up some creative concepts and sipping martini's  with your agency rep at a media event they invited you to. 

We explore this political dynamic which plagues marketing teams' ability to spend resources in a way that contributes to bottom line results. It's also the key reason why marketers don't get a seat at the board table. He uses multiple first-hand stories to illustrate this key point. 

In the end, we both land on a key contributing factor which determines whether a firm's marketing team stays in the land of sunshine and rainbows or ventures into the heart of business value-creation. And it's a stark difference between the two.

So if you're a marketer who wishes to move on from the land of 'brand' campaigns and active avoidance of financial accountability, and wish to learn how real marketing works - press play. 

If you dare.

Very red pill

Sep 24, 202236:23
Elisa Choy - Predict future behavior - Sentiment tracking & modern market research at scale - S3 Ep23 (part 4 of 6)

Elisa Choy - Predict future behavior - Sentiment tracking & modern market research at scale - S3 Ep23 (part 4 of 6)

Brain hurt scale 6/10. Did you know? Elisa and her firm predicted the results of the last Australian federal election weeks before it happened? And this wasn't an isolated incident. 

Contrary to popular perception, predicting future market behavior is possible. So why don't more organizations do it? This question and many more about the mysterious new wave of the market research world will be answered.

But it won't be answered by reading this text.

Start listening


Sep 22, 202201:08:11
Edgar Baum - Brand Tracking - How to make wise choices - S3 Ep22 (part 3 of 6)

Edgar Baum - Brand Tracking - How to make wise choices - S3 Ep22 (part 3 of 6)

Brain-hurt scale 9/10 - Brand tracking. You just track awareness and some other association or brand dimensions over time and if they all increase relative to your competitors, your brand wins, right? 

The famous brand tracking companies that all famous agencies use are all highly reputable, use robust measurement methodologies and wouldn't lie to our faces, would they?

The more brand awareness we get, the healthier our business' bottom line will be right?

Or.. salience and mental availability are the real brand measures we should be tracking if we want the business to earn more revenue and profit, right? 

Find out the answer to those questions and more including exposure of all the dirty tricks of the trade which occur in the market research and brand tracking industry. Subterfuge which points many sophisticated brands, who should know better, in completely the wrong direction. 

Edgar Baum specializes in connecting the world of brand and finance together. Something even the most famous firms and academics in this area don't do. 

The orthodox view in the field of marketing is the assumption that the bigger the brand, the bigger and more successful the business. But this relies on a key assumption that only a marketer trained in mathematics and finance would be able to refute. 

Sounds juicy, doesn't it?

Well, what are you waiting for? 

Dive in if you dare

Sep 20, 202235:10
Michael Kaminsky - Modern Marketing Mix Modelling - How to make wise choices - S3 Ep21 (part 2 of 6)

Michael Kaminsky - Modern Marketing Mix Modelling - How to make wise choices - S3 Ep21 (part 2 of 6)

Brain-hurt scale 10/10 - Marketing Mix Modelling or MMM for short is, to paraphrase Zoolander, 'So Hot Right Now'. It seems every day I see another firm pop up with an AI, ML-powered MMM product that claims to be the silver bullet that will fix our iOS14-induced digital attribution void and transport us back to measurement nirvana. But, as you'll find out by listening to this episode, Caveat Emptor. 

In order to make wise choices in this area, it's first necessary to understand some of the basics of MMM. What it is and how it works. What it does, what it doesn't do. It's strengths and weaknesses. How to set it up. What data-sources and metrics to use. How to optimize and improve them over time. And how to judge one MMM vendor from the next. 

As a Reforge fan, I stumbled across Recast and again recommended them by Mike Taylor. This wasn't a planned interview, so you'll have to excuse the poor quality, but I trust the depth of the conversation will make up for it. And I found it so interesting that I thought I'd share it with you all. It should give you a really good crash-course in the world of MMM and help you make wiser choices if you're in the market to implement one of these systems in your organization. 


Sep 17, 202222:25
Koen Pauwels - Econometric models & theory vs humans & practice. Mastering measurement and context for marketing success - S3 Ep20 (part 1 of 6)

Koen Pauwels - Econometric models & theory vs humans & practice. Mastering measurement and context for marketing success - S3 Ep20 (part 1 of 6)

Brain-hurt scale = 9/10. Every day, we hear about new studies in the field of marketing and growth. Industry whitepapers. Academic theories. This law. That law. An industry group finds TV is better than Facebook. The next week, another group finds the exact opposite. Byron vs Binet. Galloway vs Gary V. This study vs that study. It's exhausting, now to sit here and even write about it.

Unfortunately, for the rest of us. Everyone is so busy selling their angle, what gets lost in all this radio ga ga is the truth. Then again, does anyone really care underneath?

Many famous commentators have built successful personal brands off the back of other people's work. They cherry-picking findings, write an article or two, publishing a blog, post on the socials, wrap it up into a few keynote speeches, and cash out by selling online courses on the side. And these are often very entertaining people. Talented writers and fantastic speakers. They know how to capture our attention, keep it and stay top of mind. 

And we'll admit. Some of these findings can sound really good. They can feel right. They might even reinforce our beliefs or suspicions. They're easy to understand and communicate to others. They simplify complexity.

But, if you're trying to get closer to the truth in order to make well-informed decisions, there's often just a lot of noise we have to wade through first to get to the answer.

So, what works and what doesn't? What's valid and what's just paper-pushing academia or industry lobby hogwash. What's popular thought and what's true? 

Well, we though we'd ask Koen Pauwels some of these questions. 

His career is interesting to say the least. He started as econometrician. Then mixed this knowledge with marketing and became revered for creating accurate econometric models as an early pioneer of BI dashboards. This was almost a decade before digital dashboard systems hit the mass-market.  But perhaps best of all, he's got a lot of personal experience wrapping all of these academic concepts into actions which businesses can actually use to pre-test their ideas, measure effectiveness and make better decisions. What he found, and what we also know in practice is that context, really, really matters. And the variability of different contexts is often skipped in the broader marketing industry debate. 

What works for one business in one territory in one geography, in one product category. Can be completely different to another company operating within the same parameters. Why is that? Especially if there are pretty concrete, broad-brush laws that should apply? Even if you read into EBI's work, you'll notice quite a lot of variation within laws that broadly hold true. Ignoring these edge cases, or variance is a critical mistake. It doesn't necessarily disprove laws, but it's really important to understand all the variables that are at play. This requires delving a bit deeper than all famous industry commentators do. 

So strap yourself in and marketing-geek out with this episode. 

Learn about beer and Champagne. 

Learn how the tradition of spraying bottles of bubbly during car races first started. 

Learn the political reality of marketing decision-making. 

Sort the academic paper chaff from the wheat. 

But most of all, tap into Koen's deep expertise bridging the gap between marketing theory and practice. 

Ready?

Aug 30, 202201:07:28
Karen Nelson-Field - Putting PHD's into Practice - Categories and Entrepreneurship - S3 Ep19

Karen Nelson-Field - Putting PHD's into Practice - Categories and Entrepreneurship - S3 Ep19

Brain-hurt scale = 6/10. If you work in the world of advertising or media, especially in Australia or the UK, I'd be surprised if you haven't heard of Karen Nelson Field. 

Fresh from an escapade sipping rose and snacking on caviar on the French Riviera, we’re actually not talking to her about attention & advertising measurement. Sorry to disappoint. But, that's been covered in depth already.

Instead we're talking about categories and applied marketing/entrepreneurship. All about how she's put theory into practice and the gulf between the two. 

As a former academic and researcher at the Ehrenberg Bass Institute, we were especially interested to hear her take on the latter. 

What motivated her to strike out on her own and start Amplified Intelligence?

How has she crafted her personal brand over the years? 

Why focus on the area of attention measurement and where does she believe the firm is heading in the future?

In this episode you'll learn how different an understanding Marketing theory and laws is, versus actually implementing this knowledge in a business. Crafting a product offering and creating a category from scratch.

Some famous industry commentators like to commentate & criticize from the sidelines. Whereas Karen has put her money where her mouth is. A lot do not.

We explore categories. Product categories, market categories. Category creation. Do categories even exist anyway? How bound are we by them? Can we stretch, distort, move outside or even create our own entirely?

Along the way, you'll hear her entrepreneurial story which hasn’t been covered in detail before today. 

So come behind the scenes. 

Behind what you probably know about KNF and discover a different side. 

A deep business intellect which many haven’t explored. 

Until today.

Until you press play.

Aug 25, 202245:09
Patrick Campbell - From no marketing knowledge and $0 to a $200m exit - The Profitwell growth story - S3 Ep18

Patrick Campbell - From no marketing knowledge and $0 to a $200m exit - The Profitwell growth story - S3 Ep18

Brain-hurt scale = 7/10. Patrick Campbell's story is fascinating. From rural Wisconsin to the NSA and then bootstrapping a tech company to a recent $200m sale. Sounds crazy until you learn how his mind works and the sharp business intellect that's feeding success. 

In a world of social media influencers and industry commentator journalists, we can easily listen to conflicted advice. The truth isn't a dominant voice, so it gets lost. So today, you can hear first-hand from someone who has grown a business from scratch and all the ways they did it. What worked, what didn't. What is timeless, evergreen sage advice. And what wouldn't work as effectively today. 

And the TL:DR version of this episode is - if you adopted Patrick's business mindset, you'd save a large degree of wasted effort. 

One of the most important points we touch, is the dangers of buying into a playbook that's worked for another firm and trying to apply it without considering context. 

And the whole conversation weaves throughout the history of his business, from the genesis of Price Intelligently > Profitwell > Paddle. And all the things the team did to grow it in the early days. Versus how it ticks along today. 

Included is:

- how he thinks - how he approaches growth strategy that works. His growth mindset approach to marketing

- how he sits on $24bn/year of data from subscription businesses, and can tap into that accurate sample to base what he says in this talk with fact - not opinion 

- churn - is it only bound by macro brand factors or is it more complex than that?

- how to choose the right marketing freelancers or vendors - and how to assemble an effective team

- the dangers of playbooks and 'copy/paste' marketing

- the best ratio of planning to execution

- how he approaches which channels to use for growth. How it's changed over time and his current advice

- the difference between content marketing verses content creation

- attribution - measuring the right things with your marketing spend

- decision-making & hierarchies

- competitive intelligence

- first-principal thinking

- quilting 

Wait what? 

Listen

Aug 21, 202248:46
Benjamin Dennehy - A crash course in sales - the lost art of prospecting - S3 Ep17

Benjamin Dennehy - A crash course in sales - the lost art of prospecting - S3 Ep17

Brain-hurt scale = 5/10. When was the last time you saw a startup's GTM strategy include sales prospecting cold calls? Pretty much never. Most early-stage startups and shy businesses skip this crucial step. Instead preferencing an introverted, passive, direct response style approach. Which includes ads on digital channels targeting in-market buyers. In this episode, you'll find out why this is often a big, big mistake. 

Unless you've been living under a rock, we've all seen that scene at the end of The Wolf of Wall Street where Jordan Belfort uses the 'sell me this pen' routine to teach people about one particular sales fundamental.

A very simple but key to great sales which nearly everyone gets wrong. 

People who think they can sell, immediately start talking about the pen. Its color, the shape, the finish, the ink, it's cost. Basically verbalizing to the person they are selling to, all the reasons why the pen is awesome and why they need it. 

Good salespeople know better than to do this. 

Instead, they start asking questions and identifying problems the prospect has which the pen can solve. This requires, empathy, a brain and above all, a deeper understanding of why people buy.

Isn’t it funny, in our lives, how often do we do the opposite. 

This is why orthodox sales behavior is all wrong.

We all start explaining things about our product and how good we think it is, instead of the customer and their situation.

It seems so obvious, but this simple oversight causes billions upon billions of wasted sales and marketing resources every year.  It causes salespeople to believe they can sell (when they can't) and marketers to think they're doing effective marketing when they're not. And this can cause the sales and marketing function to quickly devolve into a volume-based shouting match where everyone is hoping the market will listen. Most of the time, the market doesn't care because you're sounding just like everyone else who wants to sell them something. They look at these companies and instantly form the opinion that they just don't get it. They don't understand them, and what they want. 

So how do you make them care? How should you sell?

Today, we’re talking with Benjamin Dennehy to clear up this mess. He helps train sales teams and consults to companies all around the world. Self-branded as the UK’s most hated sales trainer, part-time LinkedIn male model, Trump hat aficionado...He’s got personality, he’s got the right words, but above all he knows sales, because he actually does it.

So if you’ve ever wanted to sell, you need to listen to this episode.

Maybe you’re trying to convince a manager of your idea. Maybe you're trying to convince the kids to get in the car. Maybe you're trying to get a hotter partner on the dating circuit. Or selling yourself on the corner downtown…Whatever it is. You'll get a crash course in how to do it properly by listening to the next 59mins.

I was literally laughing out loud while editing this yesterday. Ben's entertaining and this chat is an easy listen. It’s not technical. It’s wildly frank. Funnily enough, there’s no shortage of sales gurus out there, who are so good at selling, they have everyone fooled. But most can’t sell, personally.

Ben can. And that’s why we’re talking

What is sales?

What’s the difference between sales and a transaction?

What’s the difference between an AE, SDR, BDM?

What’s the best sales software to use?

What are the critical missteps people make in sales that you should avoid?

And what’s his sales process?

It's like this

Aug 15, 202259:49
John James - Marketing for revenue vs cake decoration comms - Tim Beanland interviews via the Experts Blueprint podcast - S3 Ep16

John James - Marketing for revenue vs cake decoration comms - Tim Beanland interviews via the Experts Blueprint podcast - S3 Ep16

Brain-hurt scale = 5/10. The microphone is reversed

John sprawled on a green sofa, which burns your retinas. 

They talk and Tim extracts

Viral cat videos on TikTok. Cake decoration. Channel envy. Visual bias. The principal agent problem and agency relationships. 

Marketing vs growth vs sales. Content strategies that work. Measurement and metrics. Strategy planning vs execution. 

Tim Beanland interviews John James for his Experts Blueprint podcast - uploaded here for your convenience.

If you want your marketing to affect bottom-line growth instead of pumping out endless 'creative' that's 'on-brand'.

This is the episode for you. 

Let them eat cake

or generate cash

The choice is yours

Aug 02, 202239:50
Jesse Ouellette - Cold email secrets - generate high-margin revenue from world-class sales outreach - S3 Ep15

Jesse Ouellette - Cold email secrets - generate high-margin revenue from world-class sales outreach - S3 Ep15

Brain-hurt scale = 9/10. SEO is dead. Email is dead. Facebook is dead. It's all about inbound not outbound now. If I had a dollar for everyone saying something is dead, I'd be a rich man. Unfortunately, many will follow this advice based on the assumed credibility of the brand saying it. Most of the time, they are just positioning themselves as an alternative to the 'dead' thing, and pushing their own agenda. Smart operators don't fall for this hubris. 

Cold email isn't dead. It just needs to be done properly. It has to be done in a particular way so your emails bypass junk filters which are as sophisticated as ever. Do you want to learn how to do this? Jesse Ouellette will teach you the basics in this episode. 

In the current atmosphere of marketing budget crunches - email remains the cheapest, most scalable, most automated and most effective ways to generate revenue - especially for B2B companies.

But, you've got to do it right. Get your copywriting right. Get your infrastructure right. And then build a test-learn-optimize system which supports the effort with constant oversight. 

Just a warning though - it's best if you have some kind of technical understanding of how email works (even at a basic level) otherwise, portions of this interview may go over your head. So make sure you know what a domain is. Know what a junk mail filter is. Know what a server and host is...etc. 

When you listen to the whole thing, you'll quickly discover, there are far more people who pretend to know how this works, but very few who actually do underneath. 

Jesse is one of the latter.

Interested in his craft? Go here https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesseoue_the-cold-e-mail-master-inbox-strategy-activity-6954125572365021184-RYIw?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web

Jul 18, 202242:25
Adam Hamilton - Innovation & New Product Development (NPD) Strategy - S3 Ep14

Adam Hamilton - Innovation & New Product Development (NPD) Strategy - S3 Ep14

Brain-hurt scale = 7/10. "Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two--and only two--basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business." Peter Drucker. 

Innovation always seems to make the list of one of the top priorities for businesses. It's always something management talks about and employees want to attach themselves to, but more often than not, the brutal truth is that they completely suck at it. 

Therefore, innovation typically remains an elusive buzzword at best, or at worst, a department that fumbles along like an awkward teenager on a first date trying to get some action. And after a failed attempt or two, they're forced to rely on M&A or side investments in startups (paying for action). It's a much surer bet. 

How do you do it properly? How do you avoid failure? What skills do you need to do it well?

Today we’re talking to an innovation consultant Adam Hamilton. 

And while officially, this chat is about innovation and new product development, the takeaways are relevant and broad for nearly every senior thinker. Especially applicable to anyone in any role who is trying to make something new a success. And this is why having exposure to great innovation has such wide application to so many different roles. 

Maybe you're thinking of starting a business. Or you're an early stage startup trying to get product traction. Or a later stage tech company trying to extend your product line. Maybe you work in product management or growth. Maybe you are launching a new campaign or Go to Market strategy. Maybe you are slowly realizing that real marketing is much, much more than just advertising promotions. 

Innovation at its core, when done well, is about, as Adam puts it, 'product problem fit'. And in a larger sense, 'product-market fit'. 

This is really, really hard. 

But as you'll soon find out, learning this skill set is very multidisciplinary but quite essential if you want to understand how business really works at it's most fundamental level.

And you won't get this knowledge from anyone in finance. Your CFO, finance director or accountant. You won't get it from your marketing agency who are more concerned with scalable, billable ad spend. You won't get it from executives who have never started a business or owned something right through to the outcome. You won't get it from management consultants who are so detached from the realities of true market forces.

You will get it from speaking to real entrepreneurs and business owners. You will get it from really experienced, strategic marketing professionals who have been around the block. Adam is the latter. 

He has worked for massive FMCG companies, small startups and government. He does brand strategy as well as general marketing and product strategy. He was an early adopter of the Ehrenberg Bass Institute's work. And he combines a lot of these principles, mixes it with his own direct experience, work in marketing comms, marketing, innovation, product, B2B, B2C, B2G and everything else in between. And he applies these for businesses of all size as a consultant.

Underneath, most companies will admit that their innovation isn’t working very well and there's a couple of main reasons for that. So If you want to avoid innovation mistakes and learn how to do it properly. You need to listen to this episode.

I think no matter sort of what skill level you're in, whether you want to start a business, whether you just want to do better work within your department - it doesn't matter. If you have any sort of exposure with the market and want to learn how to extract value from it - this episode is for you.

Jul 14, 202201:16:50
Ted Wright - Revenue success sans advertising - Word of Mouth marketing - S3 Ep13

Ted Wright - Revenue success sans advertising - Word of Mouth marketing - S3 Ep13

Brain-hurt scale = 5/10. Great products sell themselves and advertising is just the price you pay for a bad product right?

Word of Mouth Marketing or WOM. Is it even a channel? Can you really grow without spending money on advertising? Can you enhance the natural rate of WOM?

The TL:DR answer is Yes. Yes and Yes. 

Right now, budgets are getting crimped and the heat is on for high-cash burn marketing channels. And there’s nothing higher cash-burn than advertising.

So how do you grow a brand and sell your product without advertising? 

Everyone knows the most powerful growth-driver is word-of-mouth. It’s especially critical for higher-involvement, more complex, higher priced products/services which require a lot of trust. There are lots of products and services which we don’t exactly purchase after seeing a few ads. Especially if your brand is less known. 

For finance, invasive medical, real estate, estate planning, and accounting...this is especially the case. 

WOM hits at the core of great marketing. In fact, it’s a great barometer of organic growth as well as the degree of product-market fit you have.

But is it fixed? Is it just a the result of upstream activity? Can we use it as a growth channel? Is there even a playbook to make it work?

Ted Wright, former Booze Allen consultant, ex-Delta Airlines global brand manager, Lecturer at Wharton, Founder and CEO of WOM marketing agency Fizz spills the beans. 

In this episode, you’ll learn how important it is to go back to basics. Understand your core offering. Identify those who are most likely to recommend your product to others and then, put in place a program to enhance this natural process.

But there’s 3 factors necessary before this holy grail of marketing will work.

And there’s 3 product categories where it’s almost impossible.

We also delve into a bit of attribution and channel strategy. Especially the problems with spending money on channels which claim to contribute to sales, but don’t. Something which can be easily overlooked when presented with a good-looking MMM report or a fancy digital attribution dashboard.

In this episode, you'll find out:

- how New Zealand sauvignon blanc became something from nothing.

- which two simple Viagra ads originally catapulted the drug into popular culture

- what the difference is between WOM and referrals, advocates, super fans and influencers

- why getting your story right so critical

- the difference between truth vs authenticity in your brand story

- why brands who pay Kim Kardashian for social exposure almost never use her again

- the parallels between WOM and Einstein's comments on dark matter

- what rasterization is

- why you should follow Steakumms on social media


And finally, Find out why, word of mouth is this podcast’s most powerful growth channel.

All these questions and more will be answered in this interview.

Just remember to tell at least one other person about this episode or Ted is going to mark me down!

Jul 07, 202201:15:36
Edan Krolewicz - Data for customer acquisition - The light and the dark side of the global data industry - S3 Ep12

Edan Krolewicz - Data for customer acquisition - The light and the dark side of the global data industry - S3 Ep12

Brain-hurt scale = 8/10. We've all heard of the data breach scandals. Cambridge Analytica. Hackers holding customer databases to ransom, demanding Bitcoin payments. Platforms sharing your data with other companies who you weren't even aware of. GDPR privacy crackdowns in Europe. Senate enquiries in the US. Customer lists being stolen by employees and used to start new businesses. Data was once described as 'the new oil. But, in a world awash with data, what data is valuable and what isn't. 

So today, we're lifting the lid on the entire industry. Especially what all of this means for people who want to use data to acquire new customers and grow companies. 

If you've ever worked in B2B you know, getting your data right is often make or break - especially in the early days. Sales needs high quality, enriched prospect lists. And marketing or growth want accurate audience data to warm these people up/ They want to preserve precious funds and not be forced to rely on the default, broad (and sometimes intentionally inaccurate) targeting parameters that all the ad platforms want you to use. 

And the smaller your target market is, the more accurate these data need to be. Albeit, this is less of an issue for larger B2B brands and most B2C companies. But, regardless of whether you are B2B or B2C, large or small brand, it always pays to have high quality data instead of poor quality data. 

So how do you go about doing this? Where do you get it from? What tools can you use? How can you be sure, in a rapidly shifting employee market, that these data are even accurate? 

Today we talk with MIT grad data scientist and startup founder, Edan Krolewicz who has been working in this field his entire career. He's compiled data, sold it, architected and build systems for collection, verification, filtering and usage. And he's also used it for growth - personally. So he was the perfect person to find out all the basics we need to know. 

But we also needed to go a bit deeper. What a lot of other discussions miss, is how to use these data for the customer acquisition process. And if you know me, I'm not afraid to get a bit tactical. So this episode extends really nicely from the Willem Paling episode (s3 ep2) where we talk more generally about data for mostly business level strategy purposes (segmentation/targeting). So if you listen to this episode, it will follow on very nicely from that one. Today, we start at targeting and then follow through to execution for sales and marketing. 

And stay tuned because we're working on another upcoming episode where we will continue on from this level of execution and go deeper into cold email outreach.

So what is customer data?

How do you build lists ensuring quality (accuracy and recency)?

How do you enrich your existing data? 

How does the dark, shady side of the data industry operate? What's legal. What isn't and what's grey?

What are ABM platforms and how much can be automated? What are the tradeoffs?

How do we get the basics of email outreach right and how does everyone get it wrong?

What are typical email deliverability, response and conversion stats for these campaigns?

What should we look out for when choosing the good data providers from the bad?

In this area, you need to choose wisely. 

To make informed, world-class decisions. 

You need to first consult with an expert.

And that's just one click away! 

Jun 30, 202253:60
Malcolm Auld - Direct Mail and Marketing first principles - How digital marketing leads us astray from effectiveness - S3 Ep11

Malcolm Auld - Direct Mail and Marketing first principles - How digital marketing leads us astray from effectiveness - S3 Ep11

Brain-hurt scale = 6/10. "I very frequently get the question: 'What's going to change in the next 10 years?' And that is a very interesting question; it's a very common one. I almost never get the question: 'What's not going to change in the next 10 years?' And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two -- because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time." Jess Bezos. 

In a rapidly changing marketing landscape it's very easy to get distracted by everything new. It's exciting. It's buzzworthy. It has political capital (to an extent). 

This has led to an explosion in different digital media, and tech tools. All claiming they have the secret sauce to effective marketing. So why do so many of these investments fail to translate reliably into commercially valuable outcomes? 

Therefore, what's more interesting to me, are the fundamental parts of marketing which don't change. Because, if you understand those, you can apply them to everything you do. Any channel. Any execution, any context - and be confident that it will be somewhat successful.  

So, today we're talking with Malcolm Auld.

"Omg John why are you talking to a 'boomer'?" 

Shock horror ladies and gentlemen - people with lots of experience, often know what they are talking about. 

So who better to talk about the first principles of great marketing and direct mail, than the person who published the first book in the world outside of North America on email marketing. He's been there for the first dot com, and now here for the second. He’s worked in some of the largest agencies in the world and the smallest. Started his own agencies. Lectures at University. Worked in senior marketing and board positions for both large and small businesses. B2B, B2C, B2G. Product and services. Online SaaS and traditional. Digital media and traditional. You name it, he’s done it. And yes, he's not a millennial, futurist, Web3.0, cryto-bro, cyber hustler. Thank god. 

In this episode, you'll find out interesting things like:

What is direct marketing? What is direct mail?

Why DTC is a concept that is over 150 years old and which company pioneered the format.

Why A/B testing is also a decades old concept used in the advertising industry by another 'boomer' exec. 

Find how the historical tussle between the direct marketing and brand advertising agencies started, and why it continues to blindside marketers to this day - to the detriment of everyone.

Find out why digital marketers would benefit from studying direct marketing inorder to prevent making mistakes and spending time discovering things which have already been discovered. 

Why should retailers cease offering free delivery?

Why you should still send printed bills and invoices to your customers instead of electronically?

Why do some of the biggest, fastest growing tech companies use direct mail to acquire and sell to customers, including Amazon, Google, PayPal, Ubereats, Dinnerly, Doordash, Sonos, and Hellofresh, -

Which form of direct mail is the fastest growing marketing channel in North America, second only to TikTok?

What led to the bomb squad blowing up one of Malcolm’s direct mail pieces on prime-time TV?

Which channel did David Ogilvy use the most to acquire new clients for his agency?

Do people still read long form copy or are they too time poor?

Why is understanding the Hemingway and Flesch reading scores critical to your success in selling anything, to anyone?

And sure the topic is Direct Mail or Direct Marketing, but there’s so much more gold in here for new marketers, junior marketers, senior marketers and everyone else in between.

Ignore the wisdom espoused in this episode to your own detriment. 

Jun 15, 202201:07:10
Bryant Graves - How strategy could/should or doesn't apply to your job. The future of business strategy and consulting - S3 Ep10

Bryant Graves - How strategy could/should or doesn't apply to your job. The future of business strategy and consulting - S3 Ep10

Brain-hurt scale = 8/10. Strategy has become such a buzzword these days. More often, just a prefix added to job titles to make it sound more attractive, not whether the job requires real strategy acumen or not.

Everyone seems to be acting 'strategic'. But what does that even mean?

Who better to unpack all these questions than someone who just finished working for one of the largest companies in the world.

Today we’re talking to Bryant Graves. Ex-senior strategy manager at Walmart, now in charge of Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy at Snowflake.

Back in Season 2 we spoke with Karim from Cascade which gave us a great overview on the modern state of Strategy. So listen to that first if you haven't already done so. In this episode, we needed to dig a little deeper into the business strategy weeds.

Bryant has worked for VC firms, for consulting firms, for Ancestry, one of the world’s largest retailers (Walmart) and now one of the most profitable software firms in the world (Snowflake).

With such breadth of exposure across all business functions, different-sized firms, different sectors, he’s the perfect person to help us unpack some of the curly questions we had.

What is real strategy, what isn't strategy? Is it just a vision or mission statement?

What are the different layers? From corporate to business, operational and functional - and how do they apply to our role?

What are the hallmarks of a good strategy person vs an junior?

How can you use some of these principles to determine which companies are good or bad when looking for a new job?

Why is the traditional management consulting sourced strategy function waning and what’s replacing it?

Why does a lot of strategy fail when it comes to implementation?

Is strategy a few people in a board room meeting once a financial year - or is it more dynamic and changeable?

What tools should we be using? PowerPoint and Excel?

What caused Instagram to rip apart their whole organizational structure and rebuild it in just 3 months to respond to a competitive threat.

What should we be measuring and how?

Waterfall or agile - which is better?

What core part of the business do people overlook when mistaking Walmart for a pure retailer?


Get a Boba-tea, and press play

Jun 10, 202201:06:44
Ronsley Vaz - Podcast content production frameworks and leveraging owned-media - S3 Ep9

Ronsley Vaz - Podcast content production frameworks and leveraging owned-media - S3 Ep9

Brain-hurt scale = 5/10. Vayner Media, Zac Efron, Paris Hilton, Graeme Turner, Chris Voss - these are the sorts of people that Ronsley works with. And to say that he's learnt a few things or two would be an understatement. He's all about using content strategically - for maximum gain.

And yes, we talk under the guise of podcasting a little, but also far broader. By listening all the way through, you'll be able to absorb the best way to create a strategic content framework which can be applied to any brand. Especially service and SaaS. You'll be able to use these fundamentals for the creation of all content. Including social media posts, blogs, news articles, video production, audio and more.

Ronsley Vaz has been involved with some of the biggest podcasts in the world. Growing his first, Bond Appetite, back in 2014 from scratch into millions of downloads was no easy feat. Branching out, he started 4 more while creating a conference and advisory offering to boot. He’s a strategic thinker who blends commercial reality with creativity. A very rare skill indeed.

Ex computer scientist, former chef, and finance professional. His career trajectory is indeed unusual.

Coming up later this year is the largest podcast conference in the APAC region. 

What do great podcasts and restaurant menus have in common?

What are the three very different audiences which many podcasters assume is one?

What three things will get you more listeners for your podcast?

How do you best repurpose this content for distribution and promotion?

What infrastructure and systems do you need to put into place so it supports your sales funnel?

What’s the trick to getting famous people on your show?

How do you best attract and execute sponsorship arrangements?

And what is the one critical thing that businesses miss out on if they don’t have conversations?


How do you create great content that actually had business value? Listen on

Jun 03, 202244:04