Ahead of the Game

In March 2020, top UK insurance brand Direct Line went ahead with a planned reboot of its successful brand. With a continued focus on the messsaging of the brand as "fixers", the character of Winston Wolf was replaced with a group of superheroes. Host Will Francis quizzes Mark Evans on their decision to change something that already worked, and how it panned out during a pandemic. They also look at why brand is so central to everything you do online and how it is perceived by your public, stakeholders, and your employees.  Mark Evans is Director of Marketing and Digital at Direct Line Group and runs his own podcast, The Places We'll Go Show.  The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

How different is B2B Marketing to B2C? Should you use the main channels differently? How can you be creative in a business landscape? Host Will Francis chats with Linda Mullen, a veteran of B2B Marketing and Global Director of Digital and Partner Marketing at Fenergo, about marketing in regulatory industries, and how, at the end of the day, talking to other businesses means talking to other people. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

How can we best use LinkedIn as a marketing and sales tool to grow the reach and reputation of business and the people who run them? Host Will Francis gets a full low-down on this from Dawn McGruer, founder of Digital Consort and author of Dynamic Digital Marketing. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!.

Conversational Commerce (C-Com) is about using smart automation and conversational tactics in your marketing. Host Will Francis chats with expert Paul Ace of Amplify C-Com about how the conversation should work as a deft balance of human vs automated experience, how it applies through the funnel both for B2B and B2C, micro-commitments, and, as always, the importance of data. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Does one misspelled tweet cause a crisis? How do you keep control when a crisis hits on social media? In this episode, host Will Francis hears from social media trainer and founder of Small Wonder, Julie Atherton how to spot, evade, manage, and survive a social media crisis. And, how to emerge from it wiser and stronger. Julie's eBook on the same topic goes into even greater detail on preparation, with checklists, examples, and sage advice on how to prepare and manage a social media crisis. Download it today.   The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Have we now reached the point where the average internet user accepts that good content is worth paying for? Host Will Francis and digital marketing expert and author Clark Boyd dissect the emergence of email newsletters and subscription services, and the rise of the "passion "economy", such as the popularity of Patreon.  The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

In this episode, host Will Francis captures some insights and tips on the world of copywriting from three experts from diverse backgrounds. Pamela Foley of AOU Creative talks about the magic of writing effective copy for SEO. Tom Doorley, columnist and writer, offers sage advice on how to improve your writing. Kerry Harrison of Tiny Giant discusses the impact AI is already having on copywriting. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Is the app Clubhouse worth the hype around it? How are podcasts evolving? When will voice search be fully functioning? Host Will Francis chats with digital marketing expert and author Clark Boyd all about the rise of audio in the digital and social media landscape. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Is now a good time to specialize in your career? Should you change jobs or move up in your current job? How can you make your profile stand out? Host Will Francis discusses the realities of job searching in 2021 and evergreen career advice with Morgan Cummins (TalentHub) and Paul Farrer (Aspire). The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Ever feel stuck for ideas for your brand’s blog or Instagram posts? Host Will Francis chats with digital marketing trainer Andrew Davis about how anyone can be creative. From testing your ideas to reusuing content across different platforms to making your audience get involved, you’ll be inspired after this episode. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!