Call To Action

This week we’re leading the frontline charge against agencies not advertising themselves by catching and conscribing long-serving ad man, David Moore.  A creative director and copywriter living in the land of beef and corn, he’s written ads for dog wormers, mainframe computer channel extenders, and $1000 dollar steaks. He even named the tallest, fastest roller coaster in the world.  Lauded on LinkedIn for sharing ads for advertising agencies, David is dead set on reminding us all that agencies have an obligation to advertise themselves, yet inexplicably few do.  Lend us your ears for a caffeine-fuelled chinwag on writing 500 TV commercials in 3 years, why agencies won’t advertise themselves, winning and losing a client in 24 hours, how to retain creative talent when your clients aren't big sexy brands, cover songs, why you shouldn’t be afraid to lean on precedent, and a shed load more. Plus, Giles somehow manages to crowbar in Richard Cheese. ///// Follow David on Twitter and LinkedIn  Here’s Kingswood and Palmerston  And David swears by the One Show annuals  Timestamps (01:47) - Quick fire questions (03:03) - His first-ever job as a photographer (06:44) - Writing 500 TV commercials in 3 years (11:03) - What he’s learned from wearing practically all the agency hats   (14:38) - Why aren’t ad agencies advertising themselves? (15:44) - The Four Horsemen of the “Adpocalypse” (22:40) - Should your ad agency hire an ad agency?    (24:35) - What hiring a consultant can do for your business  (32:16) - Just because it’s not the way you’d do it, doesn’t mean it’s wrong (35:18) - The connection between cover songs and advertising  (39:35) - Listener questions from Derek Walker, Carolyn Barclay, and Jake Sanders  (48:07) - 4 pertinent posers  David's book recommendations are:  Where the Suckers Moon by Randall Rothenberg A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters by Dan Nelken  /////

Wi-re-du doo doo push pineapple shake the tree as we catch the messaging expert helping brands sing with a hula melody. This week, it’s Diane Wiredu (doo doo*).  Founder of Lion Words, Diane is laser focused on customer research and brand strategy. She’s a top writer getting SaaS and B2B companies to simplify their message, attract more perfect-fit customers and get better results from their marketing. She roars to us on her favourite Dave, her penchant for hotel lift music (and people with pointy ears), the legendary Jacqueline Wilson, stacking shelves, her love for languages, a pandemic pivot to copywriting, fighting the ‘fluff’ in B2B and SaaS, approaching and justifying research, putting buyer personas in the bin, the “so what?” test, over preparing, and a treasure trove more.  *Good luck getting that one out of your head.  ///// Follow Diane on LinkedIn  And check out Lion Words  Timestamps (01:54) - Quick fire questions (05:35) - First ever job (07:22) - Studying languages and her pandemic pivot   (13:09) - Finding the ‘fluff’  (16:08) - Research > strategy > tactics  (19:03) - Justifying the research phase with clients (20:36) - Should you chuck your buyer personas in the bin?   (24:55) - Why customer interviews are king  (29:47) - Building your messaging strategy post-research (33:35) - Balancing customer vs competitor insights   (37:41) - Listener questions (h/t Dave Harland) (47:06) - 4 pertinent posers  Diane's book recommendations are:  Different by Youngme Moon  Alchemy by Rory Sutherland  Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling  Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson  /////

This week, we said pspspsps to tempt and catch the c̶a̶t̶ man behind US Ad Agency of the Year, Mischief, Greg Hahn. Dubbed a “legend who deserved to be a legend” by George Tannenbaum, Greg has produced creative work that works for decades, winning pretty much every award in the ad land arsenal in the process. But, more importantly than that, he’s one of our most important industry voices, talking the talk as Mischief walks the walk.  He talks to us on his first job knocking on stranger's doors, why he sacked off journalism, cutting his teeth in print and out-of-home, how to deal with the pressure to perform, saying no to work, bringing the joy back to ad land, why his agency Mischief meows, finding the most interesting problem, the story behind Tubi’s Super Bowl hijack, 80s hair metal, and more. ///// Follow Greg on LinkedIn Check out his agency Mischief Here’s why Mischief meows And make sure to watch that Tubi Interface Interruption Super Bowl ad Timestamps (01:45) - Quick fire questions (02:43) - First-ever jobs (07:55) - Cutting his teeth in print and OOH   (12:25) - Why he says no to work  (13:59) - Bringing the joy back (17:14) - Why Mischief is a brand not just an agency (22:26) - Don’t bark, meow   (29:59) - Listener questions (33:15) - Tubi Super Bowl hijack  (37:11) - 4 pertinent posers  Greg's book recommendations are:  The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Alchemy by Rory Sutherland  The Creative Act by Rick Rubin  Hit Makers by Derek Thompson Nothin’ But a Good Time by Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour /////

When life gives you Lemon, make lemonade. So, this week, we catch and squeeze a glass full of tasty topics from creative super brain, Orlando Wood. Chief Innovation Officer at System 1 group and author of Lemon and Look Out, Orlando is dead set on delving deep into the links between advertising, psychology, and the creative arts. He talks to us on interviewing unsuspecting passengers on the Eurostar, advertising as a barometer to society, art history, how a dazzling artform became a dreary science, left and right brain hemispheres, whether advertising is changing for better or worse, legends like Gossage, Bernbach, and Bullmore, humour, his favourite painting, what he thinks of ‘content’, and more. ///// Follow Orlando on LinkedIn Get your mitts on his books Lemon and Look Out And, if you’re an IPA member you can get a wedge off by buying directly from them (Lemon and Look Out) This month we’re supporting the award-winning School of Communication Arts to make the very best creative education available to all. They’ve launched a huge sale across their best-selling courses for agency creatives to fuel diversity in the industry - 20% of sales will go to Brixton Finishing School, all further profits will feed into SCA’s scholarship programme for 2023. Head here to see the courses for sale from only £150 per person. Timestamps (01:57) - Quick fire questions (03:29) - First ever job and first proper job in marketing  (07:40) - Advertising doesn’t exist in a vacuum (09:52) - The parallels between art and advertising  (12:30) - Studying history and how it helps with advertising (14:39) - His books Lemon and Look Out   (23:05) - The left and right hemispheres of the brain  (25:40) - Advertising in the 1950s  (33:24) - “Humour gets in under the door while seriousness is still fumbling at the handle” (38:42) - Listener questions  (49:39) - 4 pertinent posers  Orlando's book recommendations are:  Madison Avenue USA by Martin Mayer  When Advertising Tried Harder by Larry Dobrow  Methods of the Mad Men by Mike Everett /////

Matt Watkinson, CX consultant and author of Mastering Uncertainty, discusses turning uncertainty into an advantage, the impact of COVID, fear of failure, luck, affordable loss, and more. He shares insights on personal growth, embracing uncertainty for innovation, and the importance of building strong relationships. The podcast also covers book recommendations for sales strategies and gratitude for shared wisdom.

This week, we opened wide and said 'aaaah-nd welcome back' as we once again caught Better Brand Health author, Jenni Romaniuk. Research Professor and Associate Director at that conveyer belt of marketing minds, the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Jenni has advised many of the world’s biggest brands and authored what’s now a trilogy of true industry bibles. 3 years and 1 new book better, we snared Jenni for a second Call To Action chinwag on penning Better Brand Health, pomegranate trees, marketer’s frustrations around brand tracking, shiny new metrics, brand rejection, attributes, memory, charming condiments, healthy cars, a rant on Net Promoter Score, $3 hot dogs, a salacious soft p*rn novel, and a quick fire question she answered with a third alternative which was to gouge her eyes out with a spoon... ///// If you haven’t already, you’d be a fool not to fill your ear canals up with Jenni’s first cameo on Call To Action, here. Find Jenni on LinkedIn Get your grubby mitts on a copy of Better Brand Health Here’s Jenni’s other two brilliant books; Building Distinctive Brand Assets and How Brands Grow 2 And enjoy her current favourite ad, Go A Moe’s, if you’re after a serious earworm (or $3 hot dog) Thank you to everyone who has lent their ears and their brains for over 100 episodes of the Call To Action® podcast. It’s a real privilege. Please do share and review the podcast to help more marketers feel better about marketing.  Timestamps (01:54) - Quick fire questions (05:00) - Why she wrote Better Brand Health (11:32) - The frustration marketers feel with brand tracking  (15:17) - Chasing shiny new metrics  (18:09) - Is tracking brand health easier than we assume? (20:53) - A lesson on brand rejection (25:43) - Is there a case for not tracking brand health?  (29:01) - Attributes and memory (40:22) - Listener questions  (50:50) - 4 pertinent posers (55:40) - The salacious soft p*rn version of Better Brand Health Jenni’s book recommendations are: Slow Horses by Mick Herron A Scandalous Life by Mary S. Lovell  The Meaning of It All by Richard Feynman   /////

This week, we thought Phuket and sailed the Thai seas to catch marketer and problem solver, Lisl MacDonald. With over 30 years of experience in the business, Lisl cut her teeth in London with BT, Virgin, and Ogilvy, before her sense of adventure and curiosity took her to Asia to set up her own consultancy. Obsessed with interrogating ideas, she is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and chairs judging panels for the prestigious MSS Star Awards. Lisl talks to us on her unusual upbringing on a tiny Scottish island, her ‘white coat and condom’ phase, learning whilst doing at BT, moving to Asia, what kept her in Thailand, finding her job being advertised in The Sunday Times, being the only backpacker with Estee Lauder sun cream, realising that you are not the cultural baseline, her experience as a woman in the industry, ego, complacency, solving oddly shaped problems, and tons more. We also wade through a shedload of overwhelmingly good listener questions we had in (including one from Call To Action alumni Rory Sutherland). ///// You can find Lisl on LinkedIn She wants you to watch this case study for TMB And keep your eyes peeled for her book that’s coming soon Thank you to everyone who has lent their ears and their brains for over 100 episodes of the Call To Action® podcast. It’s a real privilege. Please do share and review the podcast to help more marketers feel better about marketing.  Timestamps (01:53) - Quick fire questions (03:51) - Her first-ever jobs on a tiny Scottish island (05:31) - The 'white coat and condom' phase (09:02) - Learning whilst doing at BT (18:12) - Moving to Asia in a dramatic fashion (21:27) - How to succeed working in Asia (28:30) - Differences she sees in the trajectory of the industry nowadays (38:31) - Being a woman in the industry   (49:31) - Listener questions (including one from Rory Sutherland) (55:36) - 4 pertinent posers  Lisl’s book recommendations are:  Delusions of Brandeur by Ryan Wallman  How to Build a Better Business Plan by Alastair Thomson  Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg Hex by Jenni Fagan   On Connection by Kae Tempest The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu  /////

The Lannisters send their regards this week as we catch Game of Thrones and After Life actor, Tim Plester, for a right royal chinwag.  All-round stellar chap (off-screen anyway), Tim is best known for selling drugs to Ricky Gervais in Netflix’s After Life and slitting Cat Stark’s throat in Game of Thrones. But alongside his film and TV exploits, Tim has made documentaries capturing the weird-and-enduring folk customs of our Sceptred Isle, won the National Student Playwright of the Year Award and featured in over 70 adverts. Yes, that’s right, he was once one of the 118-118 runners.    Tim doesn’t sell Giles any drugs, but does talk to us on stealing comic books, Nativity plays, having an interesting face, ads bleeding into culture, Nobby’s (and Rowan’s) nuts, writing versus acting, getting the role in After Life, dipping his toe into ad land, his Morris dancing journey, why the Red Wedding stunk, and tons more.  ///// Here's Tim’s website Follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram Check out Way of the Morris and The Ballad of Shirley Collins Southern Journey [Revisited] is on Now TV Backyard Village is on Apple TV and Amazon Love Me Till Monday is on Amazon and iTunes And finally, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself and Shadow & Bone are on Netflix Thank you to everyone who has lent their ears and their brains for over 100 episodes of the Call To Action® podcast. It’s a real privilege. Please do share and review the podcast to help more marketers feel better about marketing. Timestamps (02:28) - Quick fire questions (05:00) - Stealing comic books and his first ever job   (11:57) - Getting an agent and having an interesting face  (14:58) - Writing vs acting  (19:43) - Acting in ads (118-118, AIB bank, Nobby’s Nuts) (27:50) - Getting the role in After Life (after not getting the role in The Office)  (40:45) - Dipping his toe into ad land  (45:31) - Being a Morris dancing convert   (58:28) - Advice for copywriters  (01:03:35) - Game of Thrones and The Red Wedding  (01:14:39) - 4 pertinent posers  Tim’s book recommendations are:  Herzog on Herzog by Werner Herzog A Guide for The Perplexed by Werner Herzog Pilgrim At Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard  The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes  The Trespasser’s Companion by Nick Hayes  He also recommends a couple of films:  Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths by Alejandro Iñárritu Haulout by Maxim Arbugaev and Evgenia Arbugaeva /////

This week Glover’s in the air(waves), everywhere I look around, as we catch Joe from The Marketing Meetup for a positively lovely chinwag.   The kind of guy who gives marketing a good name, Joe Glover is the smile behind a growing community of marketers that’s currently 25,000 strong. At weekly events, his community hears from Oscar nominees, disabled rights champions, and marketing heroes such as Ritson, Rory, and many of the world’s best-known marketers. Lend us your ears as we talk Cantona, self-worth, salary, “inventing” the marketing funnel, how growth enables impact, why he never gives advice, shooting for the States when he should’ve shot for the moon, building a brand with love and kindness at its core, how he built the most welcoming community in marketing, and so much more. ///// Follow Joe on Twitter and LinkedIn Check out The Marketing Meetup Join their online or in person events And get your grubby mitts on their newsletter  Here’s Joe’s choice cut of TMM Talks to treat yourself to: Why your website visitors are not converting by Mary Owusu How to deliver great presentations, speeches and pitches by Max Hoppy How to break away from billable time and charge for creativity by Giles Edwards How to launch a business or project you love by Sophie Cross How to find the right marketing messaging by Diane Wiredu Thank you to everyone who has lent their ears and their brains for over 100 episodes of the Call To Action® podcast. It’s a real privilege. Please do share and review the podcast to help more marketers feel better about marketing. Timestamps (01:42) - Quick fire questions (04:25) - First ever job and first job in marketing (08:51) - Thinking he invented the marketing funnel (14:04) - Why he started The Marketing Meetup (16:25) - How he created a seriously welcoming community (24:16) - The origin of ‘positively lovely' (30:20) - The future of The Marketing Meetup (38:19) - Listener questions (48:38) - 4 pertinent posers Joe’s book recommendations are: The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor E Frankl  /////

This week, we took one giant leap to catch aspiring astronaut turned account manager, Faizan Ali.   Currently Account Director at VMLY&R, Faizan is a loud and proud advocate for account managers worldwide. Having cut his teeth at Saatchi, JWT, and Hogarth Worldwide, he shares stellar advice on LinkedIn on how to calm storms, massage egos and help sell the work.  Tune in for an out-of-this-world chinwag on all things account management; why it’s both extremely hard and very simple, the qualities of a good client partner, what to do when s**t hits the fan, why agencies need to realise what added value it brings, the best way to deal with client briefs, the wording of the job title itself, having a point of view, timesheets, job specs, ego and tons more.    ///// Follow Faizan on Twitter. And on LinkedIn for a choice cut of stellar account management advice.  Here’s a few to whet the appetite:  3 QUESTIONS IN 3 MINUTES As Account Managers, we wear many hats Listening is an Art GOOD ACCOUNT MANAGER vs GREAT ACCOUNT MANAGER Listen to Call To Action with Nick Ellis for tips on creative briefing, his “womb room”, making the world’s most boring advert for a sex toy client and loads more.  And here’s Nick’s talk from ZeeMelt on Account Management.  Thank you to everyone who has lent their ears and their brains for over 100 episodes of the Call To Action® podcast. It’s a real privilege. Please do share and review the podcast to help more marketers feel better about marketing.     Timestamps (01:42) - Quick fire questions (02:50) - Starting a social media agency at university  (08:57) - First account management role at JWT (10:41) - Why account management is extremely hard but very simple (13:00) - Agencies need to realise what added value account management brings (17:32) - Handling mess and politics as an account manager (20:40) - Dealing with client briefs  (26:30) - Account Manager or Client Partner? (28:20) - Listener questions  (34:28) - 4 pertinent posers  (38:56) - How to navigate problems to do with ego  Faizan’s book recommendations are:  Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt  Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris  Strategy Is Your Words by Mark Pollard  /////