Lytt til Call To Action

This week we have been exclusively watching 'Magic Mike', shaking a Magic 8-Ball and listening to '24k Magic' by Bruno Mars (which is just awful) in order to win the slightly nervous attention of Adam Ferrier, founder of Thinkerbell; the thinkers, tinkers and practitioners of ‘measured magic’.  A psychology brain sat on top of some sturdy strategy bones, Adam is a rare voice of reason in the largely barmy brand world – as well as being the chief sceptic when it comes to the industry obsession with ‘the customer’. He’s also the author of more superb books, including ‘The Advertising effect: How to Change Behaviour’ and supplements all this talk-talking with some serious walk-walking through his work that brings marketing science and creative thinking together.  In this episode Adam shares his expertise on brands who forget how to be brands, why every business problem is a behaviour change problem and the forgotten benefits of simply fitting in. This episode is very proudly dedicated to Anne Young.    /////    Follow Adam on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamferrier/?originalSubdomain=au] Timestamps 09:16 - The impact of D&AD annuals on Adam's career choice 11:19 - Transition from forensic psychology to marketing 16:12 - The perils of customer obsession 22:57 - Balancing brand and customer needs 25:11 - The importance of consumer research Adam’s Book Recommendations are: Stop Listening to Your Customers [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stop-Listening-Your-Customer-Ferrier/dp/0730370577/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0] by Adam Ferrier: The Advertising Effect: How to Change Behaviour [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Advertising-Effect-How-Change-Behaviour/dp/0195593928/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3RFGC9BB730HA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.my2-AVIWxwIGbhBMhQ2_MQ.3WO3Vk5otnfJp0A3OO-fFGnMC0y9TTrm1u7c23-ultA&dib_tag=se] by Adam Ferrier:  Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loves-Executioner-Irvin-D-Yalom-ebook/dp/B00AG8HJ4G?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lGFoZLlyGsRSmsZahbA8GyeQ54JZMYPW9rO7g3xphv5_XP8Y_ZS53SKdS6--vctzuT5E2gdF0K6VUPYDkcZi8XA4qHutOG_] by Irvin Yalom:  Existential Psychotherapy [https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0465021476?ref_=ast_author_ofdp] by Irvin Yalom:  Here and Now: Tales from the Heart [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hour-Heart-Irvin-Yalom/dp/0349436711/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LE15E9KWzYI371gAr6WKGg.1Wfp7bBuIVjH4IDxzrln9ChvfZEZgs2kAIKM7JT6iw0&qid=1744626829&sr=8-1]  by Irvin Yalom:  /////

This week we went around slurping muddy water from puddles in order to win the sympathy of Shane Stewart – brand man, running man and fizzy drink saviour. Chief brand brain at XOXO soda, Shane has built his career around launching and marketing drinks that do good stuff for your innards, while looking extremely cool on your outtards. Before shaking up the canned drink business with XOXO he helped create a large and loyal community of slurpers for Moju, a ginger and turmeric shot that’s a bit like unleashing a troop of helpfully energetic monkeys inside your tired old brain. And, as well as bringing better branded bubbly beverages to Britain and beyond, he’s even found the time to launch Step by Steppers, a marvellous running club designed to help people dealing with grief to feel less alone. This episode is very proudly dedicated to his Dad. ///// Follow Shane on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-stewart1/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/officialshane/] Step by Steppers Run Club [https://www.instagram.com/stepbysteppers/] Timestamps 03:14 - Shane's Early Career in Hospitality 05:08 - Cultural Significance of Pubs in the UK 07:29 - Importance of University Experience Over Degree Choice 08:50 - Shane's Interest in Brands and Marketing 10:57 - Shane's Time in Australia and Farm Work Experience 13:04 - Transition from Hospitality to Marketing 14:40 - Working at Northern Block Ice Cream 16:05 - Joining Moju and Creative Job Application 18:22 - Continuous Learning and Mini MBA 20:19 - Transition to XOXO Soda 23:37 - Challenges and Opportunities in the Functional Soda Market 25:21 - Product Range and Flavor Development at XOXO 29:27 - Psychological Aspects of Product Taste and Health Benefits 31:12 - Listener Questions: Startups vs. Big Brands 34:47 - Listener Questions: Convincing Retailers to Stock Products 39:42 - Introduction to Step by Stepper Run Club Shane's Book Recommendation is: The Chimp Paradox [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chimp-Paradox-Management-Programme-Confidence/dp/009193558X] - Prof Steve Peters /////

This week we positioned our most powerful fan at the rear end of a corpulent bull in hopes of snaring the attention of legendary bullshit fighter, Alex Smith A strategist who’s set himself the mountainous task of extracting all the nonsense from business strategy, Alex is very much a breath of a fresh air in a field that can, at its worst, smell a lot like somebody’s done a poo… on a dead crab… in the drains of an abandoned laundrette… and then set it on fire. He is the author of a bestselling book on strategy, titled, with Alex’s typical disregard for fluff, No Bullshit Strategy. In those pages – and through Alex’s wildly popular LinkedIn posts – he makes a compelling case for businesses to look more closely at the decisions they make and wheedle out the ‘anti-strategic’ ones that are causing 99% of all pickles. So, in true Alex fashion, we probably could have just said something like ‘he helps businesses get stuff right, more of the time’ instead of all that nonsense about the crab and the laundrette. Ah well. This episode is dedicated to Alex’s wife who is the engine and foundation underneath everything.  ///// Follow Alex on LinkedIn. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-m-h-smith-26182816/] Timestamps: (03:26) - First Jobs and Failures (06:19) - Reflections on Being Fired (08:53) - Finding the Right Fit (10:46) - The Challenge of Entering Advertising (12:24) - Polishing the Pig: Agency Work (15:36) - The Importance of Unique Value (19:08) - Theory vs. Practice in Strategy (20:26) - Defining Business Strategy (22:03) - Value Generation in Business (24:16) - The Role of Communication (28:04) - The Hierarchy of Business Strategy (30:28) - The Role of Founders in Strategy (32:10) - Navigating Corporate Structures (36:15) - The Myth of the Legendary Founder (40:05) - Mediocrity vs. Strategy (42:58) - Learning from Established Brands (45:11) - Applying Strategy to Personal Business (47:30) - The Shift from Freelancer to Entrepreneur Alex's Book Recommendations are:  Zero to One [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zero-One-Notes-Start-Future/dp/0753555204/ref=asc_df_0753555204]by Peter Thiel Incerto Series [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Incerto-Fooled-Randomness-Procrustes-Antifragile/dp/059324365X/ref=asc_df_059324365X] by Nassim Taleb Elon Musk [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elon-Musk-Walter-Isaacson/dp/139852753X/ref=asc_df_139852753X] by Walter Isaacson  Steve Jobs [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steve-Jobs-Exclusive-Walter-Isaacson-ebook/dp/B005J3IEZQ] by Walter Isaacson  The Matter with Things [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matter-Things-Brains-Delusions-Unmaking/dp/1914568060]by Ian McGilchrist /////

This week we released AI from the punishment cupboard in which we’ve been keeping it in order to win the approval of author, marketing super-brain and AI believer Paul Dervan. As the Head of Brand Marketing at Miro, Paul has been busy bolstering his reputation as one of the industry’s smartiest pant-wearers when it comes to marketing effectiveness. Miro is just the latest stop in a marketing career you could only possibly describe as both distinguished and glittering (glittinguished?) and has seen Paul tackle the marketing challenges on behalf of everyone from O2 to Telefonica to the National Lottery in Ireland (scooping, along the way, the title of Ireland’s Marketer of the Year in 2022.) He’s also the author of Run With The Foxes, a superb book about marketing, mistakes and making much better decisions. This episode is very proudly dedicated to Peter Field. Peter has had a huge influence on Paul’s career both as a mentor and advisor. ///// Follow Paul on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldervan/]. Timestamps: 03:45 - First Job and Proper Job 05:10 - Early Career in Marketing 07:34 - Career Path and Focus 09:30 - Paul's Sweet Spot in Marketing 11:00 - Writing the Book: Run with Foxes 13:27 - Learning from Mistakes 15:51 - Mistakes and AI in Marketing 18:08 - Decision-Making Process 20:40 - Classical vs. Modern Marketing 22:22 - AI's Impact on Marketing 25:06 - Practical Applications of AI 30:05 - Advanced Uses of AI 33:08 - Synthetic Research 34:28 - Skepticism vs. Cynicism 36:42 - Curiosity and Experimentation 39:27 - Admitting Mistakes 43:27 - Listener Questions: Embedding Chapter One  Paul's Book Recommendations are:  Ogilvy on Advertising [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ogilvy-Advertising-David/dp/1853756156/ref=asc_df_1853756156] – David Ogilvy The Anatomy of Humbug [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anatomy-Humbug-Think-Differently-Advertising/dp/1784621927/ref=asc_df_1784621927] – Paul Feldwick Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Decoded-Science-Behind-Why-Buy/dp/1119673089/ref=asc_df_1119673089] – Phil Barden /////

This week we shredded our vision board and fed it to some ornamental carp, purely to win the approval of author, critic and quite possibly the world first demotivational speaker, Patrick Freyne. Before becoming the enormously popular columnist and critic for the Irish Times, Patrick spent his 20s chasing the rock star dream. But while the life of big hair, hard drugs and tight trousers wasn’t to be, it did give Patrick the time and space required to be one of the creative world’s leading authors, thinkers and sense-talkers. His book ‘Ok, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea’ is a glorious celebration of curiosity, experimentation and letting your heart lead the way. And now he’s on a mission to dismantle the cult of ‘Big P’ productivity and remind people that ‘maximising your potential’ is a poor substitute for living your life.  This episode is dedicated to Patrick’s wife Anna Carey, who has been his biggest influence. She also has an amazing funny romance fiction book coming out later this year called Our Song [https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/anna-carey/our-song/9781399742399/].  ///// Follow Patrick on X [https://x.com/patrickfreyne1] and Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/patrickfreyne.bsky.social] Timestamps:  01:32 - The Concept of Demotivational Speaking 07:36 - Patrick's Early Jobs and Musical Aspirations 09:08 - The Influence of Music on Patrick's Life 12:04 - The Importance of Curiosity in Career Paths 15:18 - Exploring the Idea of 'Stupid Ideas' 17:14 - The Impact of Burnout and Productivity Culture 20:40 - Finding Peace in Accepting Average Productivity 22:37 - Cultural Expectations and Work-Life Balance 25:31 - The Role of Technology in Productivity Anxiety 30:17 - The Dangers of Measurable Metrics 32:03 - Writing Techniques and Approaches 36:30 - The Importance of Rhythm in Writing 39:01 - Listener Questions: Generational Perspectives on Productivity 42:57 - Antidotes to Hustle Culture and Finding Balance 45:27 - Final Thoughts on Productivity and Well-Being Patrick's Book Recommendations are:  The Fourth Time We Drowned [https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Fourth-Time-Drowned-Shortlisted/dp/0008445575] – Sally Hayden  Commonwealth [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Commonwealth-Ann-Patchett/dp/1408880369/] – Anne Patchett A Visit from Lagoon Squad [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Visit-Goon-Squad-Jennifer-Egan/dp/1780330960] – Jennifer Egan /////