The WARC Podcast

Biprorshee Das, India Editor at WARC and author of the 'What's Working in Festival Marketing' report, joins Rica Facundo to explore the high stakes of festive marketing. They discuss how brands can create meaningful connections instead of adding to seasonal noise. Biprorshee highlights effective storytelling, the innovative use of technology, and fresh, frugal creativity. They also examine the blend of tradition and modernity, suggesting that festivals should be experiential rather than discount-driven, turning marketing into a cultural celebration.

Angela Voss, CEO of Marketing Architects, specializes in television advertising and marketing effectiveness. Joined by Alex Brownsell, WARC Media's Head of Content, they discuss the often-overlooked power of TV as a full-funnel channel. They emphasize the importance of evidence-based marketing and how TV can drive both immediate sales and long-term brand memory. With shifting viewing habits and the rise of streaming, they tackle the measurement gaps and advocate for a balanced investment in brand and performance for optimal ROI.

Les Binet, an expert in advertising effectiveness, and Alastair Macrow, former Global CMO and CEO of McDonald’s UK & Ireland, discuss the critical balance between efficiency and effectiveness. They reveal that budget matters significantly more than creative ROI. Alastair shares insights on transitioning from marketing to leadership, emphasizing the importance of using effectiveness language in boardrooms. They explore how smaller brands can compete through strategic regional campaigns, while also advocating for bravery in investing for long-term growth.

This episode features Dom Charles, Managing Director at Wavemaker UK, who shares groundbreaking insights on influencer effectiveness, highlighting their strong short-term ROI and lasting brand impact through trust and creator fit. Roscoe Williamson from MassiveMusic reveals that engaging music can boost ROMI by up to 32%, emphasizing its role in increasing perceived product value. Finally, Will Lion discusses AI's role in creativity, warning against sameness while advocating for its use as inspiration to enhance brand distinctiveness.

Tomas Gonsorcik, Chief Strategy Officer at DDB Worldwide, discusses the need to treat strategy as a talent-driven service. Joe Burns, Strategy Lead at Agency Quality Meets, highlights the challenges of free thinking in the age of AI, urging strategists to redefine value. Elizabeth Paul, CSO at the Martin Agency, emphasizes building trust and the importance of strategic depth over hurried tasks. Together, they explore how to reclaim strategic work, navigate change, and preserve human creativity, all while adapting to an evolving marketing landscape.

Join Siddhant Lahiri, Head of Strategy at Forsman & Bodenfors Asia, and Steve Walls, a seasoned planner at Moon Rabbit, as they explore the evolving role of strategists. They discuss the alarming trend of strategists becoming 'invisible' and how the industry is prioritizing process over creativity. The duo proposes embracing uncertainty to ignite innovation and emphasizes the importance of collaboration within creative teams. They also tackle whether AI could replace strategic thinking and share insights on how to foster bold ideas while ensuring client confidence.

In this engaging discussion, Tom Morton (strategy consultancy founder), Suzanne Powers (co-CEO of AllAnd), and Faris Yakob (co-founder of Genius Steals) dive into the current landscape of agency strategy. They analyze the alarming trend of agencies cutting strategy roles and the implications for the industry. The trio debates the need for agencies to redefine their strategic value and explore opportunities for independent strategists. They also examine the rising importance of systems thinking and the necessity for clarity in a world filled with uncertainty.

Charles Wigley, a seasoned planning and strategy expert, shares insights from his career and his influential work, '100 Things a Planner Should Know'. He emphasizes the importance of defining problems before seeking solutions. The conversation explores his work on the James Squire beer campaign and highlights the value of ethnographic research in understanding audiences. Wigley also discusses cultural nuances from his time in Asia, the need for brands to stand for something, and the significance of creativity in evolving advertising landscapes.

In this discussion, James McDonald, Director of Data, Intelligence, and Forecasting at WARC, shares insights on the continued dominance of the 'triopoly' of Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta, expected to grow their ad market share significantly. He reveals an upward revision in global ad spend, driven by robust retail spending amidst economic challenges. The conversation explores how online platforms capture nearly all growth, with TikTok's rise fueled by retail investments. James highlights the mixed outlook for media and publishing, while also identifying key sectors thriving in the ad market.

Sorin Patilinet, a marketing effectiveness practitioner and former lead at Mars and PepsiCo, shares insights from his book, Marketing Effectiveness. He discusses the transition from engineering to marketing, advocating for a structured, data-driven mindset. Sorin distinguishes between marketing and advertising effectiveness, emphasizing the four Ps as essential tools. He also explores the importance of consumer insights in product development, strategic pricing, and the role of effective data in shaping marketing strategies.