SBP 155: The Barber's Brief - Who’s Really Running Marketing Now?

In our latest episode, Marc and Vassilis discuss the evolving landscape of advertising and marketing, focusing on the impact of AI technologies. They explore how AI can outperform human copywriters in ad creation, the implications of Amazon's layoffs due to AI automation, and the changing nature of marketing jobs.

The conversation also delves into the ethical concerns surrounding hyper-personalization in advertising, Google's new JourneyAware bidding strategy, and the importance of brand priming in consumer decision-making. The episode concludes with a creative Christmas campaign that exemplifies the blending of advertising and entertainment.

Key Takeaways:

• AI can outperform human copywriters in ad creation.
• Amazon's layoffs signal a shift towards AI automation.
• Marketing jobs are evolving due to AI advancements.
• Hyper-personalization in advertising raises ethical concerns.
• Google's JourneyAware bidding focuses on user context.
• 84% of purchases are decided before shopping begins.
• Word of mouth is a powerful influencer in marketing.
• Creative campaigns can effectively engage consumers.
• AI is reshaping the advertising landscape.
• Marketers must adapt strategies to leverage AI technologies.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates

02:45 - AI in Advertising: A Game Changer

05:29 - The Impact of AI on Job Markets

08:26 - The Future of Advertising: Automation and AI

11:27 - Hyper-Personalization in Digital Marketing

14:05 - Google's Journey-Aware Bidding: A New Era

17:03 - Conclusion and Future Implications

21:15 - The Complexity of Incremental Outcomes

23:15 - Marketing Moments: Understanding Consumer Decisions

28:14 - Influence and Receptivity in Marketing

32:21 - Creative Advertising: Blurring Lines Between Entertainment and Marketing

News Links:

Can genAI actually write better paid search ads than humans?

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nico-neumann-3021b32_can-genai-actually-write-better-paid-search-activity-7394635382283239424-vTRH/

Amazon lays off hundreds across its ad tech, analytics, and sales teams — and says AI is the reason.

https://www.marketingweek.com/amazon-layoffs-ai/

Will AI mean better adverts or 'creepy slop'? By MaryLou Costa

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4y4z169go

Google Tests “Journey-Aware Bidding” — Search Gets a Little More… Emotional?

https://searchengineland.com/google-tests-journey-aware-bidding-to-optimize-search-campaigns-464729

The Marketing Moment

How Humans Decide - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jameshurman_under-16-of-people-will-buy-your-product-activity-7394639418369880066-Biih/

Ad of the Week

Waitrose serves up festive romcom starring Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson

View ad here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWeYKBXmCRs

Phil (Wilkinson) meets Keira at a Waitrose cheese counter, their shared love of food sparks a quirky romance.

Classic rom-com beats: meet-cute, food montage, surprise domestic gesture (turkey pie under a tea towel) and a playful nod to the iconic cue-card scene from Love Actually (“Please say you don’t have cue cards”)

Directed by Molly Manners; emphasises food as the love-language centerpiece.

Why it stands out:

It blurs the line between advertising and entertainment, leaning into narrative, character and emotion rather than straightforward product-first messaging.

It leverages star power (Knightley) plus comedic contrast (Wilkinson) to create “pop” and shareability.

It uses the insight that food & shared meals = emotional currency in rom-coms (and by extension, in festive retail ads) — the brief treats the supermarket not just as backdrop but as the catalyst for connection