Future Proof

As a professional sailor, sailing round the globe, Ellen MacArthur made a revelatory realisation about the wasteful nature of our (centuries-old) linear economy. Ten years on, the Foundation seeks to connect organisations with the right resources to become “restorative and regenerative” rather than “consumptive and extractive”. But what is the economic argument, beyond the social and environmental ones, about moving to a circular economy? Where can brands get started, and how has COVID-19 chivvied them along? And what are brands doing right now to innovate and make sustainable change? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the difference between being “color blind” and being “color brave”? Why does it matter? How can brands be braver when it comes to inclusion, diversity and equity? And what is it about this moment in time that has brought color bravery to the fore? Felipe Thomaz (Associate Professor of Marketing, Saïd Business School) speaks to Melissa Hansberry and Stephen DiMarco from Kantar, about this ongoing work – research into color bravery – and the role of brands in shaping and ultimately improving society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As consumer preferences and brand promises shift towards a more sustainable approach – considering and minimising our environmental impact – what changes can we all make to reduce clothing and apparel waste? And how can brands get involved? Eshita Kabra-Davies set up fashion rental app By Rotation in 2019, to allow people to rotate their wardrobes, enjoy luxury brands cost effectively, and reduce their carbon footprint. As the app evolves and the renter and lender numbers grow, she has plenty of interesting insights about what can and should change in the world of fashion, the habits and requirements of modern shoppers, and the importance of community as you build a business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane and Andrew speak to Jorge Ruiz, Head of Marketing Science at TikTok, about why the app is seeing a surge in popularity, and why it’s ideal for these uncertain times. What is special about the short-form video platform? Why has it been particularly important during COVID-19 lockdown periods? And how can advertisers get involved? Kantar data shows that TikTok has broad appeal, and Jorge discusses why it’s so attractive to so many types of audience, gives examples of engaging campaigns, and explains the best way to approach using the platform.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the fear and uncertainty posed by a global pandemic, Ascential – the company that runs Cannes Lions – this year made the difficult decision to cancel the festival. But what does that mean for the business, for the advertising industry, and for the world of events? We hear from Philip Thomas, Chairman of Cannes Lions and president of Ascential Marketing, on the difficult decision to cancel the event, and the awards. He discusses the digital events they will be running in June instead (Lions Live), the value of having close customer relationships, and what is happening to creativity and brand ‘purpose’ as we address the COVID-19 crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you produce radio in lockdown? When you have committed to keep broadcasting 24/7? Kantar’s Jane Ostler spoke to Steve Parkinson, MD of Bauer Media’s national radio brands in the UK, about the steps they’ve taken, the technology they’ve relied on, and what happens next for the commercial radio stations that are now broadcasting from people’s homes. Steve touches on some of the challenges – like reconsidering obituary procedures, and helping advertisers get the tone of their campaigns right – and the important role of radio during difficult times. With consumption on the rise, how has their approach (to programming, scheduling, news and music rotation) augmented to fit our new daily routines? And what changes (to this very resilient media format) are likely to persist? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Walker Smith speaks to Joel Benenson, founder and CEO of the Benenson Strategy Group, a leading political and corporate strategist, and formerly American ‘Pollster of the Year’. As the US enters election season, and faces the huge challenge of a global pandemic, how is the relationship between politics and business changing? Joel talks about the state of US politics and levels of polarisation, the affect on brands and the changing nature of customer demand, and the importance of employee sentiment – and measuring that accurately – in building strong brands. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much would you tell a chatbot? Tara Prabhakar interviews David Wright and Karlien Kriegler, innovation specialists at Kantar, about the work they’ve been doing around conversational AI and the fascinating results of some client projects in this space. Describing the (fast) evolution of chatbots, David and Karlien explain how new approaches to research – featuring chat, AI, natural language processing and some human insight – can bring together the best of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and gives us richer insights into consumer behaviour, sentiment and reasoning. What’s the right persona? Why does context matter? How do you get the right balance of friendly and probing? And what’s next? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you create content that people really need, and want to read? The smartest route is to start with search data, and use the insights to write engaging evergreen articles. This is what Sergey Lesnikov, Senior Global Digital Marketing & Ecommerce Manager at Philips, did with his team and partners Mavens of London in order to create the Male Grooming Experience Center, a digital hub for useful content around male grooming. Tara Prabakhar asks Sergey what inspired the idea, how it was done, what made it so successful, and the role of AI in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Professor Andrew Stephen chats to Jane Ostler, Daren Poole and Andy Brown, media and creative experts from Kantar, to find out what the coronavirus means for media and advertising. What happens if brands stop advertising? How are our consumption habits changing? And what makes a good piece of creative at this time?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.