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Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for October – we’ve chosen six key articles, and a podcast. Additionally, this month, we bring you ‘Our Eight Observations from last week’s Adforum Summit’ which took place in Paris. Curated for you – to enhance your marketing performance – all our monthly reviews are available on our website. www.haiconsulting.com 

Our October highlights:

1. Our top pick this month is a compelling and concise report on ‘How to Grow your Brand’. It’s an Intuit Mailchimp report of 47 pages, well chaptered, that can be downloaded here. With multiple authors, this is a must read for mid-market companies.

Here is the link: https://downloads.ctfassets.net/yzco4xsimv0y/4YncvZliOguzZGlrnh5DdB/6235e72c372b9257b366f957a9569075/TL_How_to_Grow_Your_Brand.pdf

2. Secondly, we have picked Mark Ritson’s piece this month on brand consistency. Mark has written a number of articles this month, we picked his best. Consistency is the Marketer’s secret weapon.

Here is the link: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-consistency-secret-weapon/

3. Thirdly, we pick an article from the magazine version of Harvard Business Review – on ‘Is there a better way to link sales and marketing’. For companies that are inhibited by siloed customer data – digital customer hubs can help.

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/11/a-better-way-to-link-sales-and-marketing

4. Fourthly, we like what Charles Vallance, one of the founders of VCCP has to say in ‘the longer and the shorter of it’, he talks about the industry meeting the plateau of productivity, yet we are just about to see the next AI shift in advertising development.

Here is the link: https://www.vccp.com/news/2024/oct/charles-vallance-in-campaign-the-longer-and-the-shorter-of-it

5. Fifthly, there is a good report out on Advertising Production this month entitled – What Clients Want From Advertising Production Today, by the APA, it covers how clients should engage production and why.

Here is the link: https://www.a-p-a.net/2024/10/news/apa-in-house-report/

6. Sixthly, whilst the Guinness Rugby is now in full flow. There are many that are opting for a lighter tipple. I am actually a fan of the Guinness 0.0 as a rugby session drink, but is there a rise in the non-alcoholic drinking culture.

Here is the link: https://creative.salon/articles/features/the-rise-of-non-alcoholic-drinking-culture

Media: 

We attended a McCann Central/UM seminar this month which included a presentation by Richard Shotton on Applying Behavioural Science. He has an excellent book out called ‘The Illusion of Choice’. A really good session and a good read for your next long flight. https://ss-usa.s3.amazonaws.com/c/308496593/media/1943670fc5841654e87598582545248/1356867_Media_Event_EAST.pdf

Podcast: Whilst we may all be time constrained – with post-election overload – this Podcast is definitely worth a listen – with Nils Leonard – on the task of building brands that people actually wished existed. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ioO3tPqTRlJKDcHEoZxfK?si=798f9c5dabf94bef&nd=1&dlsi=5db68da037c447fc

Time for the Work:  It’s congrats to McCain’s and AdamandEve/DDB this month. The IPA Effectiveness Awards winner is a case study in the marketing fundamentals that most brands ignore or forget – and it’s brilliant because of it. https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-mccains-teach-nothing-new/

Back to Henley:

Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Louise Jackson from the Highwayman. https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/community-news–all-districts-/192877/lets-get-down-to-business.html

 Our Eight Observations from the Adforum Summit in Paris:

An amazing Adforum week – meeting with key European agencies in Paris – leading consultants were brought together from the UK, US, Europe, Latam, South Africa and Australia, to hear from the leaders of the holding companies, global networks, branding, design, luxury and comms agencies.

1. There is a paradigm shift, in the economics & effectiveness of advertising – new orchestrators of marketing growth are being driven by AI, machine learning and human input. We saw an abundance of new digital transformation technologies.

2. Fast and first, – innovation and speed is being led by digital transformation AI enablers who are showing how AI is wrapped into everything. Holding companies are not moving fast enough when it comes to AI.

3. Ideation is key, AI ideas are more important than agency fee efficiency at the moment. AI gets you to a good creative starting point, but creativity still needs a human touch. The robots are not taking over everything.

4. Advertising creative work would appear to have become functional rather than blockbuster. Ideas need to exist in more than 50 channels, 9/10 people see social media as multi channel – it’s a mindset. There continues to be a drive on ROI.

5. Agencies are building internal management systems to ‘weaponise’ agency deliverables and marketing effectiveness – including the AI tools to share work and function better internally together.

6. No more WFH – four day weeks – or hybrid work – winning agencies are leaning hard into pitching: investing – inputing – prompting – sharing – and delivering outstandingly in multi channels.

7. The best way to be different is to be yourself, there are choices that fit different client aspirations between holding company operating models.

8. Holding companies are financially shaping for the future, some media transparency issues remain.

With an ‘Adforum Intermediary’ running a ‘perfect pitch process’ we can be the orchestrators of change. We are here to help you, or quite simply help answer any of your questions.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for September – we’ve chosen four key articles, two substacks, and a new podcast. Curated for you – to enhance your marketing performance – all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/

Our September highlights:

1. Our top pick, we pick a piece from the Boston Consulting Group. Marketing, sales, and service organizations are going all in on AI. Company leaders are making sizable investments and launching pilot projects based on the expectation that AI- and GenAI in particular – will be a cornerstone of re-shaping those functions in the coming years.

Here is the link: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/bold-ai-ambition-for-b2b-marketing-sales-service

2. Secondly, we’ve gone for a piece from McKinsey and it’s on B2B this month. Titled An unconstrained future: How generative AI could reshape B2B sales. Sales is one of the oldest known professions. The fundamental expectations of a seller’s role – building trust-based relationships, finding opportunities to create value for customers, and creating experiences that minimize friction – have remained constant over time. What’s new are the tools available to help sellers become more productive, especially with the rapid emergence of generative AI (gen AI) in recent years.

Here is the link: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/an-unconstrained-future-how-generative-ai-could-reshape-b2b-sales

3. Thirdly, we have picked an interesting piece from the Harvard Business Review, October /November Magazine edition on the new rules of Teamwork. Not that long ago, teams were typically composed of people with similar skills working in the same place. Their efforts were based on the idea that by working together in a well-managed process, they could deliver replicable results. Today, companies of all types are called on to demonstrate integrated, cross-functional, project-based teamwork in their operations

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/09/new-rules-for-teamwork

4. Fourthly, we like the Moving Tribes Substack, it is always a good barometer for UK Retail performance, written by Ian Shepherd this blog covers the current mixed signals in the UK Retail market.

Here is the link: https://movingtribes.substack.com/p/mixed-signals

5. Fifthly, from the Harvard Business Review digital version this month, on why people will pay a premium to complete a task sooner. Traditional economic theory holds that people should always prefer to receive money as soon as possible and postpone paying debt as long as they can. Yet, a recent series of studies found that people are often willing to pay more money if it means they will finish a goal sooner. This is because the mental cost of an unfinished task can outweigh financial gains. The researchers offer insight into how to use their findings to boost motivation on your team.

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/10/research-why-people-will-pay-a-premium-to-complete-a-task-sooner

6. Sixthly, we like the Creative Salon Substack and the weekly updates which are gathering momentum. This piece focuses on the levers of effectiveness. The chief strategists at adam&eveDDB (‘maestros’) know a bit about building brands. Here they debate the levers for effectiveness.

Here is the link: https://creative.salon/articles/features/salon-conversations-a-eddb-effectiveness  

Media: We attended the Future of News presentation at Stagwell last week, hosted by Goodstuff, and chaired by Mark Penn and James Townsend it was a fantastic journos panel event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z8MiPcSHjo

Podcast: Whilst some people question whether podcasts are fully listened to the end – this one hosted by Ben Fennell, is another belter from the Growth House here in Henley, its a good series, this one is on cheerfulness and adversity. https://shows.acast.com/thegrowthhouse/episodes/cheerfulness-and-adversity

Time for the Work: It is congrats to Virgin Media O2 and VCCP for their work creating the third chapter of its ‘To Better and Beyond’ campaign ‘Walrus Whizzer’ in a bid to highlight the freedom that better broadband brings. Love it, a boating theme, humour and memorability in one. https://creative.salon/articles/work/vccp-virgin-media-o2-walrus-whizzer

Back to Henley: Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Emerald Brown, who is a Mother and Entrepreneur and runs a company called ODD manufacturing luxury garden furniture. https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/let-s-get-down-to-business/192164/let-s-get-down-to-business-emerald-brown.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, agile growth plans, resourcing structures and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – do let us know, if we may set up a catch-up meeting in your diary.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for August – we’ve chosen four key articles, a blog, and a new podcast. Curated for you to enhance the performance of your marketing – all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/

Our August highlights:

1. Our top pick this month is from Mckinsey on ‘The versatile leader’: How learning to adapt makes   CEO’s better. Leaders benefit from seeking out diverse experiences, displaying deep curiosity, and knowing when to speak up, it’s a good read.

Here is the link: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-versatile-leader-how-learning-to-adapt-makes-ceos-better?cid=eml-web

2. Secondly, Sir John Hegarty, and Orlando Wood of System One delivered an insightful presentation on the Next Creative Revolution – with host Jon Evans.  Last year brands spent upwards of $750 billion globally on advertising. It’s estimated that only 6% of it is truly effective. As an industry, our creative output seems to be in decline.  They address the need for change in creative output? It’s evidenced from System One, they highlight salesmanship & showmanship, the grasp of left and right brain thinking. It highlights a course titled Advertising Principles Explained, creative work that will work harder for you. Their seminal point – cut budgets by 10% – and try to be 30% more effective.

Here is the link: https://youtu.be/8DioAGZSNLE

3. Thirdly, ‘Keeping Strategy Simple’, it’s a great piece from the Harvard Business Review. Few companies have a clear idea of where strategy making ends and execution begins. As a result they develop strategic plans where they’re not required and fail to develop strategic plans where they are. To help prevent this happening to you Graham Kenny offers a few do’s and don’ts.

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/08/keep-strategy-simple

4. Fourthly, we like a Retail flavour for our clients, and we pick an unusual piece on a retail shopping trends report from TikTok on ‘bending reality.’ Thanks to Simon Andrews and our colleugues at Fix Lite.

Here is the link: https://issuu.com/tiktokforbusinesseu/docs/what_s_next_shopping_trend_report_-_eui?

5. Fifthly, given it was August – the Digital Native substack took a well earned break, however their top 10 most read essays of the year are definitely worth a another read, authored by Rex Woodbury, it’s a great substack to follow.

Here is the link: https://www.digitalnative.tech/p/top-10-most-read-essays-of-2024-so?

6. Sixthly, we came across this new Blog by Tim Mason, the CEO of Eagle Eye and the former CMO of Tesco. Treating people the way they would like to be treated.

Here is the link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/blog-5-applying-golden-rule-business-lessons-from-team-tim-mason-xxuwe/

Media:  As people return back to business, what’s in store for the rest of 2024, buckle up…beyond a painful Budget – Creative Salon has a very well written feature including all the key industry metrics. https://creative.salon/articles/features/september-2024-back-to-business-marketing-advertising

Podcast: We continue our theme with a monthly Podcast – this one is on how to incorporate Influencers into your Marketing Strategy. https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/08/how-to-incorporate-influencers-into-your-marketing-strategy?

Time for the Work: It’s congratulations this month to Guinness and AMV BBDO for their new Premier league sponsorship for Guinness 0.0. Great work from a great client, they have be consistently good at what they do. https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/08/16/ad-the-day-guinness-rolls-out-global-campaign-mark-premier-league-sponsorship

Back to Henley: Our Weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Hugo Loudon, Founder of Heritage Tree Services. https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/let-s-get-down-to-business/191840/let-s-get-down-to-business-hugo-loudon.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, growth plans, resourcing structures and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – do let us know, if we may set up a catch-up meeting in the diary to help you.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for July – we’ve chosen five key articles, a blog, and a new podcast. Curated for you to peruse in your downtime, all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/ This month we also bring you the Mckinsey and Media Leader Summer annual reading list.

Our July highlights:

1. Our top pick this month is a case study on how ‘not to do it!’ with Nike – its epic saga of value destruction, brilliantly written up by Massimo Giunco. Nike was once the Agency go to client case history – five years on it is rarely seen – the big seven tech companies have replaced it with case study envy.

Here is the link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/nike-epic-saga-value-destruction-massimo-giunco-llplf/

2. Secondly, we always grab a copy of the Harvard Business Review and this month’s edition has a great article on how CEOs build confidence in their Leadership. Believing the conventional wisdom that CEOs have roughly 90 days to prove themselves, many new CEOs get into trouble by launching bold initiatives before they’ve won the support and trust they need to effect change. According to a study of nearly 1,400 CEOs, earning people’s confidence actually takes two years.

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/07/how-ceos-build-confidence-in-their-leadership

3. Thirdly, with thanks to the Advertising Association they have published their inaugural report on AI from its taskforce. It’s a compelling read, full of facts. The new report includes case studies of AI in action and 12 point ‘Checklist for Responsible AI Adoption’

Here is the link: https://adassoc.org.uk/our-work/advertising-association-publishes-inaugural-report-from-ai-taskforce/

4. Fourthly, we had to pick this piece from Mckinsey on Business Book recommendations. As so many head off on holiday what will you be grabbing this month for your downtime holiday read, there’s some stimulating book goodies here.

Here is the link: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/annual-book-recommendations

5. Fifthly, it’s a good piece from the Media Cat magazine written by Ben Essen – the Global CSO at Iris Worldwide. ‘Fame is no longer just for Big Brands.’ By definition, brand fame means ‘communicating with mass audiences’ with ‘universal meaning’, according to Marketing Society analysis.

Here is the link: https://mediacatmagazine-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/mediacatmagazine.co.uk/fame-is-no-longer-just-for-big-brands/amp/

6. Sixthly, we have become a bit of a fan of the Off to Lunch blog written by Business Insider. There are some really interesting points of view presented in it, and as a free blog well worth subscribing.

Here is the link: https://139679465.hs-sites-eu1.com/revolut-banking-licence-a-fintech-milestone?

Media: The Media Leader has also produced a Summer reading list. Agencies are well advised to take some rest and recharge as September looks likely to be the start of  a busy pitching season, particularly for media. https://the-media-leader.com/whats-on-your-summer-reading-list/

Podcast: We thought it was time for a monthly Podcast – this one is from the Growth House – where Ben Fennell interviews Michael Johnson.- Respect the Fundamentals and Embrace your own Style– straight after the Olympics it’s a good listen.https://shows.acast.com/5e7b0b500162cb8327ec3395/episodes/669662d8712e200e62a49fc7?

Time for the Work: It’s congratulations this month to the AA, MSQ’s the Gate, and Goodstuff for the latest AA campaign It’s ok, I’m with the AA campaign. https://marcommnews.com/the-aa-takes-its-ok-im-with-the-aa-to-the-next-level/

Back to Henley: Its been a busy summer – Regattas, festivals, and the Olympics, none more important than the Traditional Boat Festival, see below. If you’re heading this way over the Summer, please do get in touch.Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Barbara Laithwaite, a local grape grower and the owner of Wyfold. https://henleystandard.co.uk/news/business/190575/let-s-get-down-to-business-barbara-laithwaite-cbe.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, growth plans, resourcing structures and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – so do let us know, if we may set up a catch-up meeting in your diary for September.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for June – we’ve chosen four key articles, two blogs, and a new podcast. Curated for you to peruse in your downtime, all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/ This month we also bring you our edited highlights from Cannes.

Our June highlights:

1. Our top pick this month is a compelling piece from the Harvard Business Review on how major retailers are today, most notably Amazon, are creating and operating their own advertising platforms – and they’re making millions doing it. McKinsey estimates that by 2026, retail media will add $1.3 trillion to enterprise values in the U.S. alone, with profit margins between 50% and 70%. In this article, the authors introduce readers to the main kinds of retail media, discuss three strategic challenges that they present, and provide guidance for effectively managing those challenges.

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/06/how-retailers-became-ad-platforms

2. Secondly, we had to pick this piece from Mckinsey. If you think you know consumer behaviour, think again. Amid massive shifts in the consumer landscape, companies can’t afford to rely on yesterday’s consumer insights. Here are nine trends that merit close attention.

Here is the link: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/state-of-consumer

3. Thirdly, with thanks to Tina Fegent for highlighting this article. A recent Gartner study found that 71 percent of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) lack sufficient budget to fully execute their plans. With their purse strings tied, many marketing leaders are being forced to explore new routes to success. At this time, many have been looking to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support more efficient growth, with more than forty percent of international marketers reporting AI has helped increase revenue and enhance performance.

Here is the link: https://newdigitalage.co/technology/generative-ai-in-digital-marketing-how-to-cover-the-bases-and-end-up-on-the-winning-team/

4. Fourthly, we have become a fan of Ian Shepherd’s  substack called ‘Moving Tribes’ – this piece is on figuring out a strategy for change. He writes a blog on where next? His substack is definitely one to watch.

Here is the link: https://movingtribes.substack.com/p/where-next

5. Fifthly, we have become a fan of Sir John Hegarty’s blog on the business of creativity – this one is on how best things in life which come free. So sign up now and you could be on a worldclass creativity course.

Here is the link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-things-life-free-sir-john-hegarty-q1iae/

6. Sixthly, we had to pick this piece on ‘Expiration Dates’ from Rishad Tobaccowala’s – the Future does not fit in the Containers of the Past. It’s edition 201 and it’s a great read.

Here is the link: https://rishad.substack.com/p/expiration-dates

Media:  Well with Sainsbury consolidating all media buying into one Media shop – PHD were the eventual winners. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/campaigns-13-most-read-articles-june-2024/1878610

Podcast: We thought it was time for a monthly Podcast – this one is from the Uncensored CMO where Jon Evans interviews, probably one of the industry’s best worldwide Account men – it is David Boscawen, and Cadbury’s new comer Gui Ferreira https://uncensoredcmo.com/136

Time for the Work: It’s congratulations to Lucky Generals and GDK this month, for their new campaign ‘Doners worthy of the daylight.’ It was great working with GDK, Lucky Generals and Goodstuff through the pitch process and it will be great to see how this one rolls out too. It’s great when one’s client’s work, is being spotted by another in Sheffield. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/german-doner-kebab-brings-doners-darkness-first-work-lucky-generals/1877451

Cannes Highlights: There was a great sense of pride and togetherness at Cannes this year as agencies prioritised helping each other, rather than outdoing each other. And there was different energy, there was room for the Independents, and a focus on creativity, but the outstanding pitch again was Stagwell’s Sports Beach, pickle ball, sports stars aligned – such a great idea – Ryan Linder- take a bow.

Back to Henley: If you’re coming to Henley Festival this week, or the TRAD next, please do get in touch. Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Sophie Javadi-Babreh of Thames Carpets. https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/business/190159/lgdtb24624.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, growth plans, resourcing structures and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – so do let us know if we may support you and your teams.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for May – we’ve chosen five key articles, and a new blog. Curated for you to peruse in your downtime, all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/ This month we also bring you the highlights from the Adforum Worldwide Summit held in New York.

Our May highlights:

1. Our top pick this month is a compelling piece on client’s cutting budgets?  Gartner’s Annual CMO Spend Survey Reveals 2024 Average Budgets Have Fallen by 15%, As CMOs Pursue Growth in the ‘Era of Less’. Average marketing budgets have fallen to 7.7% of overall company revenue, down from 9.1% in 2023, according to a Gartner, Inc. survey of 395 CMOs and marketing leaders.

Here is the link: https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-05-13-gartner-cmo-survey-reveals-marketing-budgets-have-dropped-to-seven-point-seven-percent-of-overall-company-revenue-in-2024

2. Secondly, we have picked the latest Forrester Wave Q2 Report for Commerce Services. This report shows how each provider measures up and helps technology, marketing, and digital business leaders select the right one for their needs. It’s the one study that tracks where each of the holding companies are headed.

Here is the link: https://reprints2.forrester.com/#/assets/2/2625/RES180822/report

3. Thirdly, it’s a seriously good piece on ‘art and creativity being unleashed’ by Rishad Tobaccowala’s series – ‘The future does not fit in the containers of the past’ It is an excellent read. Here he unleashes how AI will change the world.

Here is the link: https://rishad.substack.com/p/art-and-creativity-unleashed?

4. Fourthly, we had to pick a short article by Mark Ritson this month. The effectiveness expert Peter Field and author of The Long and the Short of It explains how pre-testing has led to more effective ads, focusing on emotional response.

Here is the link: https://www.marketingweek.com/peter-field-pre-testing-marketing-effectiveness/

5. Fifthly, Sir John Hegarty has a new blog on the business of creativity and it’s well worth following. A bulletin for big ideas and better business.

Here is the link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/banish-word-original-from-your-organisation-sir-john-hegarty-btm4e?

6. Sixthly, we had to pick this piece in Contagious.com and we have also picked the following book below by Michael Farmer. At the end of January, Interpublic Group (IPG) announced that Huge’s chief product officer, Lisa de Bonis, was replacing Mat Baxter as CEO of the agency. For anyone who had read Madison Avenue Makeover, this was a big deal.

Here is the link: https://www.contagious.com/news-and-views/mat-baxter-on-reinventing-the-creative-advertising-agency-business-model-at-Huge

Book Alert: We picked up a copy of Michael Farmer’s latest book Madison Avenue makeover. Its an interesting read given Baxter presented their bold vision to the Adforum in 2022. Michael Farmer’s book is a fly-on-the-wall account of Baxter’s efforts to save Huge from stagnation by reinventing the digital agency as a growth acceleration company that sold creative services as fixed-price products. The book highlights the most successful agencies know creativity devoid of results for clients does not grow a business. The riveting story of Huge’s journey through its transformation, with a revised mission, a new line of fixed-price products, and a single global organization that would permit Huge to help its clients accelerate their top line growth rates. What Baxter failed to do was to understand his customers needs – and failed to ask what his client’s really wanted.

Media: Hot off the press, we came across this great piece on Goodstuff and their new business learnings. https://the-media-leader.com/20-things-we-learned-from-20-years-of-goodstuff/

Podcast: We thought it was time for a monthly Podcast – this one from Ian Millner is simply superb Entrepreneurs in the Wild – Global ad agency founder Ian Millner’s on a mission to tap into the alternative mindset of the entrepreneur. Each week he invites a new guest to join him on a journey to the Wild Side and discuss exactly what made them challenge the status quo. From ‘What’s your why?’ to the future of AI, join Ian exploring the future of creative entrepreneurship. https://www.audible.co.uk/podcast/Entrepreneurs-in-the-Wild/B0D154Z9T7

Time for the Work: It’s congratulations to Marmite and DDB New York this month, for their Marmite Smugglers ad. It’s a piece of business that everyone in the agency wants to work on, and well… you either love it or hate it! Alex Lubar we are a fan! https://www.ddb.com/creative/smugglers/

Our Adforum Highlights: This year, 32 Intermediary/Consultants from across the world, met in New York at the Adforum Worldwide Summit – with 26 agencies from across all marketing disciplines. Not surprisingly, AI was the centre of focus. Faster, better, cheaper – it’s now possible to have it all. Each consultant was asked for their key three findings for the week, and we asked ChatGPT to synthesize your answers.

So here is the result:-

*Impact of AI on the Industry*
The seminar participants widely agreed that AI is set to radically transform the industry. AI is already influencing operations and production, and its role will expand to include real-time strategic improvements. This technology will both disrupt existing structures and create new opportunities, leading to significant changes in industry dynamics. There is a consensus that agencies must embrace AI to remain competitive, as those that fail to adapt risk obsolescence.

*Importance of Creativity and Talent*
Despite the rise of AI, creativity remains a central element of the industry. Agencies with strong strategic and creative talents, particularly those that understand and integrate new technologies, will continue to thrive. The unique human element in creativity and strategic thinking is irreplaceable, underscoring the ongoing need for high-quality talent and innovative thinking.

*Evolution of Agency Models and Structures*
The traditional agency model is under pressure, with a clear trend towards the consolidation of services and the integration of multidisciplinary offerings. Holding companies are underperforming, with independent and innovative agencies gaining ground. Models like MediaMonks that combine creative and technological expertise are seen as well-suited for the future. Additionally, there is an increasing focus on cultural relevance and community engagement as key strategies for connecting with modern audiences, particularly younger generations like Gen Z.

Overall, the industry is poised for a significant transformation driven by AI, but the human touch in creativity and strategic thinking, as well as the evolution of agency models, will play crucial roles in navigating this change.

Are ‘thirty two’ Consultants better than ‘one’? I wholly believe so. But, you can ask me for a more detailed presentation of what we learnt – and it’s fascinating.

Back to Henley: If you’re coming to Henley Royal Regatta, or the Henley Festival this summer, please do get in touch.Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Jo Bausor, the CEO of the Henley Festival. https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/let-s-get-down-to-business/189425/lets-get-down-to-business.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, growth plans, resourcing structures and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – do give us a call for a catch-up to see how we can help you and your teams.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for April – we’ve chosen four key articles, a webinar and a podcast. And in case you missed it, we have also attached again the link to Zoe Scaman’s thesis on Strategy in the era of AI. Curated specifically for your sector, all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/

Our April highlights:

1. Our top pick this month is a piece from the Harvard Business Review – April edition. Michelle Taite explains ‘How One Marketing Team Made AI Part of Its Daily Work’. In today’s always-on environment, AI tools can help marketers optimize and personalize their campaigns quickly and efficiently. But AI alone won’t yield meaningful campaigns. Impact-driving work requires both human ingenuity and machine speed — a combination marketers can’t fully embrace without daily practice. This article discusses how one team experimented with used AI to complement their creative marketers on various tasks, and how it resulted in their most impactful campaign to date.

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/04/how-one-marketing-team-made-ai-part-of-its-daily-work?ab=HP-hero-featured-image-1

2. Secondly, we have picked this webinar by Mark Ritson, which he did at the end of March though we didn’t get the link until April. Mark has been brand vociferous for some time, but on 26th March, Mark attempted a world-first Mass Consulting Rally. Thousands of marketers came together as Mark led them through a series of diagnostics to work out exactly what they should focus on for marketing success in 2024.

Here is the link: https://mba.marketingweek.com/ritsons-mass-consulting-rally/

3. Thirdly, it’s a seriously good piece on Effectiveness, headlined by Laurence Green and Thinkbox. This immense new study brings together the econometric databases of Ebiquity, EssenceMediacom, Gain Theory, Mindshare, and Wavemaker, to create the most comprehensive analysis of advertising effectiveness to date. Collectively it has examined £1.8 billion worth of media spend across 141 brands and 14 categories. You can now what the sessions and download the slides.

Here is the link: https://www.thinkbox.tv/news-and-opinion/events/the-new-business-case-for-advertising

4. Fourthly, we’ve become quite a fan of the Moving Tribes substack and particularly its views on Retail. Ian Shepherd curates this one, its his home for writing, sharing content and other digital things, and in this piece he looks at ‘stealthy business.’

Here is the link: https://movingtribes.substack.com/p/stealthy-business

5. Fifthly, we pick a piece from the Creative Salon on the integration of Creative and media agencies or the reimaging of the Full Service agency. The move aims to bridge the gap between creative and media agencies, providing end-to-end marketing solutions. It was one of the boldest and biggest agency structural moves of recent times, reuniting media and creative.

Here is the link: https://creative.salon/articles/features/sarah-golding-t-pm

6. Sixthly, we pick a podcast from the Uncensored CMO, John Evans curates ‘a CMO Masterclass’ he interviewed Craig Inglis this month, on how John Lewis redefined emotional advertising. Craig highlights the role that marketing plays in driving positive change, by shinning a light on everything special. He discusses the role of the CMO – perception versus reality.

Here is the link: https://uncensoredcmo.com/130

Media: Brian Jacobs’ and his colleagues experience in media, market research and advertising ensures that clients make the most of the services that they buy, as well as being well placed to assess new opportunities. Calling for greater transparency – they also produce the Cog Blog which is an interesting media read. https://www.bjanda.com/blog/advertising-who-cares/

AI Special: We had this as our Top Pick last month and because feedback was so good – we decided we should include it somewhere again. This is Zoe Scaman’s thesis on Strategy in the era of  AI. A must read! https://www.canva.com/design/DAF_JFMQSX0/a_RRBMuSZ3Z9w-sKGgZe9g/view

Time for the Work: It’s congratulations to the RSPCA and AMV BBDO this month, for a spot ‘For every kind’ you might not have seen it due to the size of budgets, but we just loved it. https://www.rspca.org.uk/-/news-rspca-launches-for-every-kind-campaign-to-rethink-animals-in-200th-year#:~:text=The%20For%20Every%20Kind%20campaign,hit%20to%20call%20for%20Respect.

Back to Henley: I hope you had a good Bank Holiday weekend, the Town is getting ready for regatta – the boats are re-appearing on the river. Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Richard Pinches, a photographer and videographer, who runs Meadows Farm Studios in Henley. https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/business/188539/lgdtb14424.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, growth plans, resourcing structures, and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – do give us a call with any questions we can help you with.

Next month, we will bring you the AI highlights from the Adforum Worldwide Summit from New York.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for March – we’ve chosen five key articles and a podcast this month. Curated specifically for your sector, all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/

Our March highlights:

1. Our top pick is a brilliant Field Guide on AI, written by Zoe Scaman, sent to us by start-up agency – Narratory Capital in New York. It is an interesting thought leadership guide and an authoritative read for any AI novice. Zoe specifically looks at using AI for strategy development. It’s down to earth, it’s 82 pages, and highly recommended explaining absolutely everything AI.

Here is the link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF_JFMQSX0/a_RRBMuSZ3Z9w-sKGgZe9g/view

2. Secondly, – we have picked a podcast from Mckinsey this month, titled ‘Analyzing the CEO-CMO relationship and its effect on growth.’ CEO’s acknowledge the expertise and importance of chief marketing officers and their role in helping the company grow, yet there’s still a strategic disconnect in the C-suite. Here’s how to close the gap.

Here is the link: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/analyzing-the-ceo-cmo-relationship-and-its-effect-on-growth?cid=eml-web

3. Thirdly, – we pick a piece from the Harvard Business Review on Growth titled ‘Put Marketing at the Core of Your Growth Strategy’. Companies that make the decision to put marketing at the core of their growth strategy outperform the competition, according to McKinsey research. Specifically, both B2C and B2B companies who view branding and advertising as a top two growth strategy are twice as likely to see revenue growth of 5% or more than those that don’t (67% to 33%).

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/03/put-marketing-at-the-core-of-your-growth-strategy

4. Fourthly, – it has to be procurement. ‘Marketing procurement seeks better metrics.’ WFA research shows that teams are looking at creative and production as well as media in their bid to identify savings for 2024. Many company target setters fail to understand marketing, increasing barriers between procurement, marketing and the rest of the organisation.

Here is the link: https://wfanet.org/knowledge/item/2024/03/28/Marketing-procurement-seeks-better-smarter-metrics-in-2024

5. Fifthly, – we attended a webinar this month by Mckinsey on: ‘What matters most and it includes eight CEO priorities for 2024’. A good read and the report can be downloaded.

Here is the link: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-live/webinars/what-matters-most-eight-ceo-priorities-for-2024

6. Sixthly, – we just had to pick a piece from the Rishad Tobaccowala’s series – ‘the Future Does Not Fit in the Containers of the Past.’ This month it’s edition 190, – it’s his free Sunday thought letter – and it’s on ‘Squeezing Time’.

Here is the link: https://rishad.substack.com/p/squeezing-time

Retail: There were some big stories in retail this week – how retailers are navigating sluggish demand, how AO and Currys are beginning to defy their critics, but we also came across this Linked In thread by Richard Lim (sent to us by MovingTribes.com): What’s happened in retail this week’ he posts on Linkedin, which is definitely worth watching out for. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-lim-42527726_whats-been-happening-in-retail-this-week-activity-7180266201741193216-11M1?

Marketing Risk: Les Binet, head of effectiveness at A&E/DDB has delivered a huge amount of work on creative & media effectiveness. In his latest You tube series he looks at risk and what marketers can do about it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oW2QdcU3fno&si=dvjrWDTqJHzpGJbB

Time for the Work: It’s congratulations to British Airways and Uncommon London this month for an iconic OOH campaign. British Airways colleagues feature at the forefront of the campaign, in both the TV advert and the out of home imagery, from

flight crew, cabin crew, engagement centres to the airline’s head office. The campaign simply goes from strength to strength. https://mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/19269 And here is the System One report. https://testyourad.system1group.com/report/f833f7a0-abe8-4cba-ade4-38a9bb16213e

Back to Henley: Spring is in the air – the river is subsiding – the regatta tents are beginning to emerge. Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Steve O’Connor – the Director of the River & Rowing Museum in Henley. https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/business/188290/lgdtb28324.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, growth plans, resourcing structures, and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – do give us a call with any questions we can help you with.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for February – we’ve chosen five key articles and a podcast this month. Curated specifically for your sector, all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/

Our February highlights:

1. Our Top pick this month and a great read, is a piece from Rishad Tobaccowala’s series – the Future Does Not Fit in the Containers of the Past. It’s edition 186, The Rise and Fall of Giants. When companies like AT&T, IBM, General Electric and General Motors were the world’s leading organizations in the 20th century, it seemed as if they might always occupy their lofty positions.  Few could envision the emergence of new, dominant companies and industries.  Apple, Google, Amazon and others rose with astonishing speed to become leaders in their categories. Will this new era of the four shifts of power, demographics, mindsets and technology bring about a tectonic change in the corporate landscape?

Here is the link: https://rishad.substack.com/p/the-rise-and-fall-of-giants

2. Secondly – we pick the Investor Chronicle piece by Jennifer Johnson. Best-selling products give companies an edge – and, as prices rise, branding has never been more vital to keep consumers buying. Brand loyalty is one of the great enigmas of business: it’s tricky to build, perhaps even more difficult to maintain, and it can be lost in an instant. For companies in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, to take just one example, it can also be the difference between outperforming their peer group and falling behind.

Here is the link: https://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/ideas/2024/02/29/the-companies-with-brand-power

3. Thirdly, we pick this piece from the HBR. The future of marketing is Intergenerational. Demographics suggest that Americans over the age of 60 will soon become a larger consumer group in terms of income than 20-to-34-year-olds, yet companies still position their brands as if the bulk of the market is people under the age of 40. The answer, however, is not to shift marketing strategies from one generation to another. Research has suggested that boundaries between generations are fuzzy, if not arbitrary.

Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2024/02/the-future-of-marketing-is-intergenerational

4. Fourthly, we’ve picked this piece from the Creative Salon this month, on the learnings from Surfer.  What makes a great beer ad? Reach, Frequency, Emotion, Creativity and Conversational Currency we say. Bafta winning director Jonathan Glazer’s seminal ‘Surfer’ spot for Guinness is a quarter of a century old this year. What can it teach us today?

Here is the link:  https://creative.salon/articles/features/guinness-surfer-learnings-qotw

5. Fifthly, why is no one in advertising talking about sustainability anymore. Last year was the hottest on record, and climate disasters claimed tens of thousands of lives and cost billions of dollars. So why does it feel like the climate crisis has fallen off marketers’ agenda? Sent to us by Tina Fegent, it’s from Contagious and it outlines some of the pressures facing Marketeer’s

Here is the link: https://www.contagious.com/news-and-views/why-is-no-one-in-advertising-talking-about-sustainability-anymore

6. Sixthly, we had to pick this excellent podcast this month. He’s the agency leader who always tells us – he is ‘just getting warmed up’ – Ian Millner is the Chair and Co-Founder of Iris Worldwide, a leading marketing agency, doing extraordinary things and operating as an alternative to the ad-led supergroups. This is a conversation with ideas and people at its core, and it’s clear that part of Ian’s success is down to his passion for enabling cultures driven by creativity and curiosity. He explains how he set up the business and how Iris has created value for a lot of people.

Here is the link: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lets-do-the-right-thing/id1543009996?i=1000647666724

Media/AI: It’s AI for a change this month – and despite the jargon in this webinar – its insightful on the differences between ChatGPT V’s Gemini. Which one produces better content (and how to make the best use of each platform). Sent to us by fractional Marketing consultant Matthew Gaunt, it highlights how Neil Patel has worked with so many different companies.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WuQHSOtzi0

Time for the Work: It’s congratulations to Cadbury’s and VCCP again this month for their ongoing Cadbury work. Cadbury’s Easter campaign, enables people to hide chocolate eggs for their loved ones, and it returns – with a twist. https://creative.salon/articles/work/cadbury-worldwide-hide-vccp-2024

Back to Henley: Henley featured on the programme ‘Roux down the River’ on the Food Network this month. We have a new Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in Caroline Newton – a great local choice. Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs. It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Nigel and Jo Eddon, partners in Honeys of Henley. They are bee farmers who produce seasonal honey and are passionate about it.  https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/business/187224/lgdtb19224.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, resourcing structures, and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – do give us a call with any questions we can help you with.

Kind regards,

Will

Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for January – we’ve chosen five key articles and a podcast this month. As we start the year we focus on growth and relevance. Curated specifically for your sector, all our monthly reviews are now available on our website. http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/

Our January highlights:

1. Our Top pick this month is a piece from McKinsey, 2024 and beyond: Will it be economic stagnation or the advent of productivity-driven abundance. Hoping for a soft landing in 2024 won’t mitigate current risks or raise business performance and living standards longer term. If companies pursue the three-sided productivity opportunity, they can do both.

Here is the link: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/2024-and-beyond-will-it-be-economic-stagnation-or-the-advent-of-productivity-driven-abundance

2. Secondly, we had to pick the latest from Julian Douglas – the ‘British make the Best Advertising in the World’, is a piece he did for the Creative Salon. In his new role as the UK Advertising Export Group chair, Douglas wants British advertising to embrace its excellence with lashings of creative swagger.

Here is the link: https://creative.salon/articles/features/julian-douglas-vccp-uk-advertising-exports

3. Thirdly, we pick a piece by retail guru Tim Mason, he additionally has a new blog called the Golden Rule this month. Retail marketing centres on devising innovative strategies to engage customers and enhance offerings and interactions to shape desired behaviours and outcomes. With the rapid rise of AI and machine learning, retailers can do what was previously impossible – achieve true one-to-one personalisation and do it cost-effectively and at scale.

Here is the link  https://retailtimes.co.uk/eagle-eye-three-technology-trends-shaping-retail-marketing-in-2024/?

4. Fourthly, we pick Rishad Tobaccowala, Edition 179 – Strategy is “Future Competitive Advantage”. This definition works both at the level of the firm and at the level of the individual. What will the future look like? How will the marketplace change with evolving customer needs and expectations? Who will the competition be not just now but in the future? Relative to these future needs and competitors what advantage will we or our firms provide? It is simple way to understand and apply strategy. Here is the process laid out on one page on how every firm and individual can apply strategy including some key questions and approaches.

Here is the link:  https://open.substack.com/pub/rishad/p/strategic-myopia?

5. Fifthly, are we witnessing the end of the CMO? No, and stop asking. Mark Ritson gives us his view – Marketers should cease pontificating about the validity of CMOs and their time in post, and start focusing on how to do the job better. It’s a good read.

Here is the link: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-end-cmo-no/

6. Sixthly, we’ve picked a superb podcast done by The Growth House. A series that explores leadership, teamship, and growth. Ben Fennell – founder and CEO – interviews Richard Phillips this month, one of the world’s leading coaches in personal communication, presentation and media skills. Authenticity – understanding yourself – growing on your terms, there are some great learnings here.

Here is the link: https://shows.acast.com/thegrowthhouse/episodes/communication-and-impact

Media: “The Future 100: 2024” an indispensable VML guide to the coming year. It’s a bumper edition includes bespoke research, expert predictions, and a new “Innovation” section that looks to an exciting new future beyond 2024. It can be downloaded here https://bit.ly/48WEt2a

Time for the Work: Well it’s congratulations this month to Cadbury and VCCP and a shoutout specifically for Dave Boscawen and the Cadbury’s marketing team, who have consistently driven this creative work forward. https://www.marketingweek.com/cadbury-200-years-consistent/ And here is the System One report. https://testyourad.system1group.com/report/23262200-51c1-49a0-9f2c-2a2b97be9e96?categoryIds=394

Back to Henley: The flood waters have been – and gone. The countdown is on! With less than 150 days to go, the 2024 Henley Royal Regatta is gearing up to bring the spectacle and spirit of world-class rowing right back to the River Thames. Our weekly column in the Henley Standard continues where we interview local entrepreneurs.  It’s called Let’s Get Down to Business. We were delighted this month to interview Alan Wilson who is the Co-founder and Director of the Henley Distillery – the makers of Henley Gin. https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/business/186190/lgdtb7124.html

We are here to help you with your agency ecosystem, resourcing structures, and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance – do give us a call with any questions we may help you with.

Kind regards,

Will