In this episode…

We hear from two impresarios of flagship marketing festivals – Matt Scheckner, Global CEO of Stillwell partners, the  producer of Ad Week Europe, and Phil Thomas, Chief Executive Officer and President Ascential Events and Chairman of Cannes Lions. They talk about how the evolution of event business models and  the pressures of delivering value to an audience while pleasing sponsors.

We also learn how they deal with crisis in the moment, the guests that most delighted them and why working with rapper T.I. was a painful experience.

About the guests:

Matt Scheckner is Global CEO of New York city based boutique consultancy Stillwell Partners and Executive Director of Advertising Week and Advertising Week Europe

Stillwell is the producer of Advertising Week, the world’s largest advertising / marketing / media industry summit. The Week takes place in New York City, London, Tokyo, Mexico City, Sydney and Johannesburg.

From 2006-2008, Matt served as Consigliere at Yahoo!, where he produced the very first digital Upfront, “Broadband on Broadway” in 2007 and managed the corporation’s relationships with Madison Avenue. For more than a decade Matt owned and ran Empire Sports & Entertainment, a New York City-based marketing and strategic consulting firm.

Phil Thomas Chief Executive Officer and President of Ascential Events & Chairman of Cannes Lions at Ascential.

He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Lions Festivals at Ascential Group Limited for a decade and has held a number of titles at Ascential Group since 1990, including Managing Director of EMAP Australia, FHM Worldwide and EMAP Media, where he held overall responsibility for the management of titles such as Shots, Screen International and Broadcast.

He began his career as a journalist, working on newspapers and magazines before moving into publishing.

In this episode…

Gordon Young, Editor-In-Chief, The Drum

In this special episode we interview Gordon Young, the entrepreneurial editor-in-chief of trade media brand The Drum interviewed by Propeller Group Founder Martin Loat. He explains how he started in publishing, the origins of The Drum empire and the value the magazine still has as a catalyst for events and what he now regards as the competition. We also hear how Gordon managed to outmanoeuvre an angry Scottish High Court judge and how comedian Omid Djalili landed him in hot water with RBS.

About the Gordon Young:

Gordon Young is editor-in-chief of trade and co-founder of media brand The Drum. He is driven by a core belief that marketing has the power to change the world – hopefully for the better.

Parent company Carynx Group was founded in 1984 and over the years the company has launched several trade magazines spanning sectors as diverse as architecture and law. However, it was a marketing-focused magazine called ScotMedia that outlived them all, later regenerating into ‘The Drum’. The brands ecosystem has grown since it launched in Scotland in 1985 to include a host of live events including the DTA, Drum Marketing, DADI and MOMA Awards as well as the Recommended Agency Register. It has a presence in Glasgow, London, New York and Singapore.

In this episode…

The CEOs of Guardian Media Group and of the Financial Times – David Pemsel and John Ridding – sit down with Propeller founder Martin Loat to discuss how they are protecting quality journalism via their respective business models, their varied paths to the top job, their decision-making processes and their most awkward business moment.

Listen in as they reflect on the challenges of working with naturally sceptical journalists and how they intend to bring diversity and fresh perspectives into their organisations.

About the guests:

David Pemsel is CEO of Guardian Media Group and has held the roles of Commercial Director, Marketing Director and Deputy CEO at GMG. He is also a former ITV Director of Marketing and former Managing Partner at advertising agency St Luke’s.

John Ridding is CEO of the Financial Times and former Editor and Publisher of the Financial Times, Asia. He has also held the roles of Deputy Editor and Managing Editor at the FT.

 

In this episode we hear from two champions of workplace diversity with a background in marketing – Helen Tupper is a former Microsoft marketer and founded career development company Amazing If, while Sky’s Head of Women in Leadership Tamara Kaye has worked in marketing in production. Listen in as they discuss why Sky insists on a 50/50 gender split shortlist for senior roles, why it’s okay for a manager not to have all the answers to hand when faced with a sensitive problem and the challenges of handling a diverse team.

About the guests:

Helen Tupper is co-founder of career development company Amazing If, curator of the Squiggly Careers podcast and columnist for Marketing Week. She is also a former Microsoft marketer.

Tamara Kaye is Head of Women in Leadership at BSkyB UK & ROI. She is also a former Planning Controller at Sky’s Marketing Group and worked in production for many years.

Mark Ritson, Columnist and Marketing Consultant

In this special episode we interview controversial columnist and marketing consultant Mark Ritson on his views on agencies, tribalism in marketing and why ‘Fearless Girl’ should not be an award-winner. Mark also discusses his attitude to wealth, his love of sports cars and jam, and a disastrous meeting with clients in which he ‘spilled his guts’.

About Mark Ritson:

Mark Ritson is Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Melbourne Business School. He has a PhD in Marketing from Lancaster University and has taught on the MBA programs at several business schools.

Mark has worked globally as a private marketing consultant on brand strategy, market research, segmentation, CRM, marketing communications, brand acquisition, brand valuation and brand extension. He has served as in-house professor for luxury group LVMH on brands like Dom Perignon, Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer. He has written a weekly column on branding for Marketing Week for more than a decade. On three occasions he has been judged the Business Columnist of the Year at the PPA Press Awards.

David Wheldon, CMO at The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, President of World Federation of Advertisers

Bob Wootton, Consultant, Former Director of Advertising & Media ISBA

In this episode we listen to two highly experienced marketing practitioners discuss the changing role of the CMO, the end of the ‘lead agency’ era and the danger of seductive digital metrics. We hear about the need for authenticity in leadership, how an ex-black hat hacker alerted the WFA to the extent of online ad fraud and the dangers of not asking what the real “nitty gritty shit” of a new job might be.

About the guests:

David Wheldon is Chief Marketing Officer for The Royal Bank of Scotland Group and serves as President of the World Federation of Advertisers. He is a council member of the Marketing Group of Great Britain and a Marketing Society Fellow. In his extensive career he has worked both client-side and agency-side, holding senior roles at Coca-Cola, Vodafone and Barclays. He started his career at Saatchi & Saatchi, held positions such as President of BBDO Europe and CEO of Tempus Partners and set up Team Vodafone for WPP.

Bob Wootton is founder of Deconstruction Consulting, a media columnist, experienced agency hand and a former long-serving Director of Advertising & Media for ISBA.

Andy Nairn, Founding Partner, Lucky Generals

Alison Hoad, Chief Strategy Officer, BBH

In this episode we hear from two superstars of account planning – Andy Nairn of Lucky Generals and Alison Hoad of Bartle Bogle Hegarty talk about their work, the changing nature of the planner’s role and the need for big emotional brand ideas as the discipline celebrates its 50^th anniversary. We also learn the dangers of handing a project to unsupervised social media whizz-kids and how an ant-eater can ruin a pitch. Andy is co-founder of LG and Alison is Chief Strategy Officer of BBH.

About the guests:

Andy Nairn is founding partner of Lucky Generals, a winner of 24 IPA Effectiveness Awards and he’s helped teams win a slew of creative awards including the Cannes Advertiser of the Year, BTAA Grand Prix and ITV Ad of the Decade (it was Hovis), Campaign Press Grand Prix and Campaign Direct Grand Prix. His is a former Convenor of Judges for the awards and a regular commentator on planning and advertising in media.

Alison Hoad is Chief Strategy Officer at Bogle Bartle Hegarty and a former Vice Chairman for Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R. She is chair of judges for the 2018 YouTube Works for Brands Awards and has served as a Convenor of Judges for the IPA Effectiveness Awards. She started her career as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble managing Ariel and Vidal Sassoon,

Mark Benson, CEO of MPC

John Payne, Managing Director of RSA Films, Asia

In this episode we listen to two people with bags of experience in the world of production and storytelling discuss the new creative assets brands need in a multiplatform world.

MPC is a partner of the New Directors’ Showcase, which presents the best international young directorial talent and launches at Cannes Lions each year. Ridley Scott curated the showcase this year and we hear Mark and John talk about the sourcing and development of new talent.

And as both work in the entertainment industry, their chat would not be complete without some entertaining stories of mishaps and mischief, so listen out for John’s tale of an unexpected TV appearance in bondage gear.

About the guests:

Mark Benson is CEO of Academy Award-winning creative studio MPC. He started out, as many do in the production industry, as a runner, has worked as a post producer on famous ads, such as Anchor Butter’s “Dancing Cows” and Reebok’s “Dream Team”, and has led the company’s expansion into multiple territories.

John Payne is Managing Director for Asia at film and commercials production company RSA Films – the company founded by filmmaker Ridley Scott. He ran RSA’s music video production company Black Dog Films and later expanded the RSA Films business into Hong Kong and Shanghai. He heads up development at the recently formed Ridley Scott Creative Group, which aligns all RSA companies in one network.

Kathryn Jacob, CEO of Pearl & Dean

Michael Brunt, Publisher of The Economist

In this Dog ‘n’ Bone special, recorded at the Cannes Lions festival, we listen to Kathryn and Michael enjoying a relaxed chat about the challenges facing ‘traditional media’ – including the fact that the reality of the cinema experience means it cannot deliver mobile data to brands.

We hear how cinema and print can help drive change in social attitudes and how this ties-in with The Economist’s plans to celebrate its 175^th anniversary. We also learn why Insect Ice Cream makes for a great marketing campaign and the dangers posed by a rogue handbag during an important client meeting.

About the guests:

Kathryn Jacob is CEO of cinema sales house Pearl & Dean and is steeped in media, having worked at the Daily Telegraph and Virgin Radio. Kathryn is a champion of workplace diversity and equality and is co-author of The Glass Wall: Success Strategies for Women at Work. She is a member of the Government Expert Group on Body Confidence and the Advertising Association Council and a former President of Women in Advertising and Communications.

Michael Brunt is Publisher of The Economist and has worked at the media owner since 2006 in a variety of roles. He started his working life in agencies with stints at McCann Erickson and EHS Brann.

Nick Manning, Senior Vice President, London, at MediaLink

Carl Erik Kjærsgaard Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Blackwood Seven

In this episode we hear two tech and media specialists discuss the role of “Mad Men, Media Men and Maths Men” against the backdrop of the Cannes Lions festival.

The pair discuss the importance of data aggregation, the concerns around measurement and how businesses should make sales outcomes their hard KPI.

Nick and Carl speculate on the future role of media agencies and the new sources of competition, such as digital ecommerce players dabbling in media sales.

About the Guests:

Carl Erik Kjærsgaard is Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Blackwood Seven, the Danish AI-driven media management platform. He has some Mad Man in his DNA, with roles at creative agencies including CEO for Nordics at Grey Group.

Nick Manning is well-known to the UK media community as the co-founder of Manning Gottlieb OMD and latterly the Chief Strategy Officer at Ebiquity. He joined MediaLink as Senior Vice President in London in April this year.