Champagne Strategy

Brain Hurt Scale = 6/10. Republished with permission of an interview John James did with Cognism's Jamie Skeels on The Loop podcast. The Brandingmag articles caused quite a stir and Jamie was keen to dig a little deeper into some of the issues it raised for practitioners. How do we target people to build brand and sales at the same time? Which channels should we use? How do we sell these campaigns (or not) to senior directors and executives? What are the red flags or reasons not to invest in a brand campaign? Is John the antichrist when it comes to brand advertising? All important questions that are answered in this guest interview. Nice one gov-ner!

Brain Hurt Scale = 3/10. A live recording of that time I was invited by James Pember to speak at the inaugural SXSW Sydney 2023. Note: this is a repost with permission of an episode of the Own The Moment podcast by Komo Technologies. James interviews me on-stage in front of 70+people and I try to answer a series of questions completely impromptu. James is a product leader and host of a podcast run by martech firm Komo Technologies. They have a podcast called 'Own The Moment'. Reposting here because I think the questions and answers will be of interest to you all. There were many things I wish I had said or rephrased or prepared for, but I suppose that's the nature of live interviews. What do you think?

Brain Hurt Scale = 5/10. No one in B2B buys based on value. Procurement and buying committees don't operate how you think they do. And why do 50%+ of B2B purchases end in a no-decision? If you want your career to be occupied with creating ads, rely on correlation, work status and manipulate company politics to get ahead. Nothing wrong with that, it's fine. Go for it. You will do well. But if you actually want to affect revenue and profit, this is an episode you can't miss. Dale and John reveal some of the dirty secrets that lie hidden deep within the industry. Use this rare information to get ahead as a challenger brand and succeed in the marketplace if you want to. Learn the history of Salesforce's success. The one that doesn't get talked about. Learn why some of these academic 'laws' of marketing actually work or don't work in real life. Why should you be really skeptical about the propositions ABM vendors and demand-gen platforms sprout? What lies do marketing heads and vendors tell you which you should actually ignore? Start listening to get head. Or be left behind.

Brain Hurt Scale = 2/10. Racing car driver, Marketing Week columnist, retail media speaker and coach to marketing directors. Colin Lewis joins us for the first episode of 2024. While we were supposed to talk about retail media, this was one of those rare chances to tap into someone's mind that's experienced a depth and breadth of experience that's exceedingly rare. Colin's worked in multiple countries. Reinvented his specialty many times over. Put his money where his mouth is with his own businesses and worked for others to pay the bills. Big and small brands. For decades. Colin oozes stoic wisdom in a discussion that everyone from all angles within the industry can appreciate. We explore everything from marketing fundamentals to direct response and brand advertising. So get involved and start learning. Up your game. Start thinking like, a director

Brain Hurt Factor = 4/10. The conclusion and penultimate episode of a 6 part series which explores brand campaigns. Questioning whether Apple's famous Think Different brand campaign was as successful as everyone thinks it is. This episode starts with a short recap of where we left off in 5.2. Then goes into revealing THE key growth factor behind Apple's explosive growth. Before discussing the genesis story behind this entire brand campaign. A story which was difficult to discover. Full of snippets of quotes from Steve himself, YouTube videos, experts in the field and other podcasts. By the end, you'll be able to walk away with a clear view of what the campaign did and didn't achieve. And - WHY it was created in the first place. Which will be likely different to what you believe it is. Make sure you at least listen to or read 5.1 and 5.2, if not all the episodes from part 1-6. Very red pill. Consume now with caution.

Brand hurt scale = 6/10. This is a direct follow on from the previous episode 5.1 which continues the story behind Apple's famous Think Different campaign. Here we go much deeper, analyzing the campaign's impact on Apple financially, both short and long term. Which is hard in audio form because a lot of the visuals are missing. But you'll learn ways you can properly assess any brand campaign and call out brand marketers who think they've delivered value, but haven't. Four expert opinions and three reputable studies are cited which you can use to support your argument either way. So was Think Different really one of the best brand advertising campaigns in history? Exactly how did it impact the company for better or for worse? Ultimately, it's up to you to decide but find out by having a listen and come to your own conclusions by the end. *For more details and visuals go to the Brandingmag website to access the full article.

Brand hurt scale = 2/10. The episode everyone has been waiting for is here. This is the story behind the famous Apple Think Different campaign. Touted as one of the best brand advertising campaigns in history. But is it? This is the first of three parts which explores the history of this campaign and analyzes whether it was as successful for the company as everyone makes out. Deeper analysis will follow in 5.2 before we explore the genesis story and implications from those findings in 5.3. For more details and helpful visuals, go to the Brandingmag website to access the full article. But for now, sit back, relax and have a listen

Brain hurt score = 3/10. If you've been listening to the series so far, you should know what a brand campaign is, where they came from and how advertising and branding works. So what does a brand campaign do? Or not do? In part 4 of the Brand Campaign mini-series we explore 8 legitimate reasons for a brand campaign and 8 red-flags you need to be aware of. By the end of this episode you'll have a very robust filter through which to make an informed decision if you're considering buying into the idea of a brand campaign or rejecting it. 16 for and against reasons are given that include quotes, practical explanations and excerpts from interviews with practicing experts. At the end we summarize part 1 through to 4 and set the scene for the episode everyone wants to listen to - an analysis of Apple's famous Think Different brand campaign where everything you've learnt so far will be put into practice. But before we get to the protein, you need to eat your greens. Come on...have a nibble. What are you waiting for?

The podcast explores the origins and significance of terms like performance marketing, brand marketing, ATL, and BTL. It delves into the history of advertising agencies and marketing campaigns, and how they have evolved over time. The podcast also discusses the emergence of growth hacking and the shift towards focusing on brand purpose and values in advertising. Overall, it provides insights into the fascinating history of these terms and their impact on the industry.

Brain Hurt Scale = 2/10. Learn all the hot topics, struggles and opportunities in the current environment from the perspective of two fractional CMO's. After shooting the breeze about coffee (Skip to 4mins in to miss the coffee talk intro) Gregory Kennedy and John sit down to talk about what they're both seeing on the ground right now. With significant declines in the yields and measurement of various digital media over the years, they discuss different ways to move forward and embrace a revised approach to the marketing function. What's the difference between West and East coast business culture? Why is the crazy valuations in the recent tech boom not even comparable to what happened back in the late 90s? Why is revenue growth and positive economics so important now? How have digital channels changed over the years? Gregory has worked in senior marketing roles at tech companies like InMobi, TapSense, NextRoll, Sojern and Noteable. Embrace the future. Leave the shackles behind. This is an easy listen. That won't leave you in a bind.