The Immortal Life of Agencies

Eidra's Co-CEO: How pragmatism drives growth – Måns Hosk

Today’s guest is Måns Hosk, Co-CEO of Eidra, the Swedish consultancy collective that’s grown from five founding businesses into a 1,500-person organisation spanning Europe and the US. Måns shares how Eidra was built around a simple idea: modern client challenges rarely fit neatly into a single discipline. He explains how strategy, creativity, technology, data and AI have been brought together to solve broader business problems, while maintaining the specialist expertise clients still value. The conversation explores what integration looks like in practice, why overwhelming clients with capability is rarely effective, and how Eidra’s ‘bring a friend’ approach has helped build deeper, more valuable relationships. Måns also reflects on AI, organisational change, and why Scandinavian values such as collaboration, pragmatism and humility have become important advantages. HIGHLIGHTS: [02:38] What is Eidra? [08:06] All about solidarity [11:05] The challenges of integration [12:54] Applying pragmatism [16:06] Starting with transformation [21:11] Bring a friend approach [30:36] New superstars vs obsolescence [31:46] The Scandinavian advantage [35:07] Eidra’s next chapter MORE ABOUT MÅNS HOSK: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/m%C3%A5ns-jacobsson-hosk-9123044/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/m%C3%A5ns-jacobsson-hosk-9123044/] Website: eidra.com [https://eidra.com/] HOST SOCIALS: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinbonn [https://linkedin.com/in/robinbonn] Twitter: twitter.com/robonn [https://twitter.com/robonn] MORE ABOUT CO:DEFINERY: Website: codefinery.com [https://codefinery.com] Book: Market of One [https://marketofone.agency] Mentioned in this episode: Get Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire Is your agency  really as differentiated as you think? And have you fully embraced the commercial disruption that AI is bringing? To find out, take five minutes to complete Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire. It's quick, free, and thought provoking, and you get a tailored report with practical guidance for sharpening your competitive edge. Visit codefinery.com/dq [https://the-immortal-life-of-ag.captivate.fm/dq]

Huge's CEO: When everything changes all at once – Josh Campo

Today’s guest is Josh Campo, CEO of Huge. And if you think your to-do list is long, you might need to reconsider. On top of the wider market disruption, Josh is overseeing all manner of change – still fresh from exiting IPG, Huge is navigating PE-ownership, integrating with Hero Digital and continuing its productisation journey. On the integration with Hero, he explains why successful integration requires a complete rebirth of culture, not just simply blending two organisations together. Pragmatic, candid and optimistic throughout, Josh also explores Huge’s much discussed productisation journey, the decline of time-based pricing, and why agencies must move beyond selling “done” and focus instead on outcomes, speed and commercial value. HIGHLIGHTS: [02:37] Navigating four transformations [04:07] Rebirth of culture [06:56] Rebuilding from common ground [11:20] Delivering on the promise [15:50] Why productisation matters [22:26] The declining value of ‘done’ [30:08] A future without timesheets [31:33] Procurement needs a new story [37:30] The future belongs to excellence [42:02] Speed is of the essence MORE ABOUT JOSH: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joshcampo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshcampo/] Website: hugeinc.com [https://www.hugeinc.com/] MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: Madison Avenue Makeover: The transformation of Huge and the redefinition of the ad agency business: amazon.com/Madison-Avenue-Makeover-transformation-redefinition [https://www.amazon.com/Madison-Avenue-Makeover-transformation-redefinition/dp/1911687646] HOST SOCIALS: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinbonn [https://linkedin.com/in/robinbonn] Twitter: twitter.com/robonn [https://twitter.com/robonn] MORE ABOUT CO:DEFINERY: Website: codefinery.com [https://codefinery.com] Book: Market of One [https://marketofone.agency] Mentioned in this episode: Get Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire Is your agency  really as differentiated as you think? And have you fully embraced the commercial disruption that AI is bringing? To find out, take five minutes to complete Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire. It's quick, free, and thought provoking, and you get a tailored report with practical guidance for sharpening your competitive edge. Visit codefinery.com/dq [https://the-immortal-life-of-ag.captivate.fm/dq]

Koto’s CEO: How client-centricity drives growth – James Greenfield

Today’s guest is James Greenfield, Co-Founder and CEO of Koto, the globally recognised branding agency working with companies like Netflix, Spotify and Google. James explains how listening closely to client needs has shaped the agency’s evolution, remaining anchored in brand, but also delivering high quality campaigns and digital products. The conversation also explores how Koto’s buyer landscape is changing, with CEOs now far more involved in decisions traditionally owned by marketing teams. James unpacks the growing importance of consistency across fragmented customer journeys, and why brand increasingly plays a central organising role. Alongside this, he reflects on leadership, creativity and the discipline required to move from practitioner to CEO, offering a clear and optimistic vision for how agencies evolve. HIGHLIGHTS: [03:04] How client-centricity drives growth [07:02] Changes in how clients buy [11:04] Why brand drives survival [14:37] Internal versus external reality [16:39] The cobbler’s children problem [19:28] Three pillars of Koto [21:54] Closing the execution gap [27:12] Qualifying the right clients [30:20] How AI supports not replaces [38:51] Life as a CEO [40:50] Creativity over quarterly numbers MORE ABOUT JAMES: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/james-greenfield [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-greenfield-74416921/] Website: koto.com [https://koto.com/] HOST SOCIALS: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinbonn [https://linkedin.com/in/robinbonn] Twitter: twitter.com/robonn [https://twitter.com/robonn] MORE ABOUT CO:DEFINERY: Website: codefinery.com [https://codefinery.com] Book: Market of One [https://marketofone.agency] Mentioned in this episode: Get Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire Is your agency  really as differentiated as you think? And have you fully embraced the commercial disruption that AI is bringing? To find out, take five minutes to complete Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire. It's quick, free, and thought provoking, and you get a tailored report with practical guidance for sharpening your competitive edge. Visit codefinery.com/dq [https://the-immortal-life-of-ag.captivate.fm/dq]

Parakeeto's CEO: The simplest path to profit – Marcel Petitpas

Today’s guest is Marcel Petitpas, CEO of Parakeeto – the agency profitability specialists. He brings a clear and often counterintuitive perspective on how agencies actually make money. Marcel challenges one of the industry’s most deeply held assumptions, arguing that most agencies don’t have a revenue problem, they have an operational one. Through the lens of what he calls “indigestion, not starvation”, he explains why growth alone rarely fixes profitability, and how flawed frameworks around utilisation, margin and pricing continue to hold agencies back. The conversation explores the shift away from time-based billing, unpacking how abstraction, risk and value shape modern pricing models. Marcel also demystifies value-based pricing, highlighting why Finance shouldn’t be leading and what it really takes to command a premium with sophisticated buyers. Grounded, practical and refreshingly direct, this episode offers a sharper way to think about sustainable profitability. HIGHLIGHTS: [03:53] The cycle of insolvency [07:12] Solving the profitability puzzle [13:38] Pricing starts with margin [19:47] Forecast before measurement [23:32] Shifting the client dynamic [26:40] Deliverables versus real value [30:21] Risk adjusted decisions [36:00] Outcomes over everything [40:29] What drives pricing power MORE ABOUT MARCEL: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcelpetitpas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelpetitpas/] Website: parakeeto.com [https://parakeeto.com/] HOST SOCIALS: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinbonn [https://linkedin.com/in/robinbonn] Twitter: twitter.com/robonn [https://twitter.com/robonn] MORE ABOUT CO:DEFINERY: Website: codefinery.com [https://codefinery.com] Book: Market of One [https://marketofone.agency] Mentioned in this episode: Get Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire Is your agency  really as differentiated as you think? And have you fully embraced the commercial disruption that AI is bringing? To find out, take five minutes to complete Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire. It's quick, free, and thought provoking, and you get a tailored report with practical guidance for sharpening your competitive edge. Visit codefinery.com/dq [https://the-immortal-life-of-ag.captivate.fm/dq]

Accenture's Head of Innovation: The changing face of innovation – Enda King

Today’s guest is Enda King, Head of Innovation for Communications, Media and Technology at Accenture. Having also worked in media, advertising and brand, he offers a rare perspective on the convergence of agencies and consultancies. Enda describes how innovation has shifted from long-term strategy decks to faster, more adaptive thinking based on experimentation, collaboration and real-world testing. He explains why clients no longer look for fixed answers but for the capability to continuously sense, adapt and respond in an uncertain environment. Drawing on his journey from Carat and TBWA, to Ogilvy and Redscout, he also explores the growing importance of human judgement, curiosity and asking better questions. This is an optimistic yet grounded conversation about embracing ambiguity, building resilience, and redefining how value is created in a rapidly changing world. HIGHLIGHTS: [02:39] Endless possibilities [04:16] Leveraging creative thinking [07:18] Confidence in uncertainty [08:58] Media roots and curiosity [09:48] Brands shaped by culture [16:31] Failure as valuable learning [19:43] Innovation as team sport [30:44] Think like an antagonist [32:14] Delivering speed and certainty [36:44] An opportunity for better ideas MORE ABOUT ENDA: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kingenda [http://linkedin.com/in/kingenda/] Website: accenture.com/us-en [https://www.accenture.com/us-en] HOST SOCIALS: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinbonn [https://linkedin.com/in/robinbonn] Twitter: twitter.com/robonn [https://twitter.com/robonn] MORE ABOUT CO:DEFINERY: Website: codefinery.com [https://codefinery.com] Book: Market of One [https://marketofone.agency] Mentioned in this episode: Get Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire Is your agency  really as differentiated as you think? And have you fully embraced the commercial disruption that AI is bringing? To find out, take five minutes to complete Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire. It's quick, free, and thought provoking, and you get a tailored report with practical guidance for sharpening your competitive edge. Visit codefinery.com/dq [https://the-immortal-life-of-ag.captivate.fm/dq]