Is marketing becoming less strategic? Marketing strategy was once the linchpin of business growth. Today, it’s being pushed to the margins. Across the industry, there’s a growing consensus: marketing is losing its strategic heart – traded in for dashboards, data loops, and tactical churn. But why is this happening? And what does it mean for […]

From gut to guidance: Why marketing needs a culture of intelligence, not more data The tools are smarter, the feeds are faster, and analytics are more abundant than ever. Yet, in the relentless pursuit of more data, we’ve overlooked something fundamental: the ability to turn signal into strategy. Despite all the dashboards, decision-making remains paralysed. […]

A Vision for the Post-Device Era I often find myself imagining what marketing could become – not just in five years, but in fifty. Not simply another iteration of martech or the next wearable, but a deeper evolution: a world in which marketing is no longer a discrete function, but an ambient layer of consciousness […]

Bots Faking Consumer Engagement in Digital Advertising The digital advertising ecosystem is increasingly compromised by bot-driven fraud, wherein automated programs mimic human behaviours to falsely inflate metrics such as impressions, clicks, and conversions. This phenomenon not only distorts campaign performance but also siphons billions in advertising budgets (Juniper Research, 2023). This paper collates empirical case […]

A Critical Examination of Digital Authenticity, Ad Fraud, and Brand Strategy The internet was once imagined as a space of democratised connection – a boundless frontier of human expression, creativity, and discovery. But in recent years, a fringe theory known as the Dead Internet Theory has gained traction, arguing that much of the web today is no […]

Rethinking Value in a World That Ignores Too Many There’s something unsettling about the word “underserved.” It sounds oddly polite—a harmless label for something that is anything but. Because let’s be honest: this is about exclusion. Systemic, structural, often deliberate. People left out, overlooked, or simply not considered. And as marketers, that should make us pause. We […]

At its core, marketing is about demand – what people want, need, and are willing to spend their money on. Yet, as we stand on the precipice of deepening economic inequality, demand itself is under threat. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, as of 2025, more than 1 in 5 people (21%) in the UK […]

Equality Economy: A Marketer’s Vision for a Fairer, Thriving UK As a marketer, strategist, and educator, I’ve spent my career analysing how economies shape consumer behaviour, industry trends, and brand strategy. Marketing doesn’t exist in a vacuum – it thrives, or struggles based on the economic systems that govern wealth distribution, purchasing power, and social mobility. And right […]

The Evolution of Marketing: A Customer-Centric, Sustainability-Driven Discipline The statement above is in a slide from a recent presentation to a group of profesional planners, it encapsulates the journey of marketing from its traditional roots to its contemporary, digital-first incarnation. There are versions where you can just trim it to specific channels but that is […]

Comet Omnicom-IPG Strikes: marketers face uncertain future The recent merger between Omnicom and Interpublic Group (IPG) represents a seismic shift in the advertising industry, one that will be an extinction level event for many marketers and is sadly indicative of things to come. While it claims to reflect the industry’s adaptation to technological advancements and […]

Are Companies Equipped to Tackle Social Inequality? Marketing significantly influences societal norms and consumer behaviours, playing a pivotal role in both perpetuating and mitigating inequality. Here is my case for the prosecution: Perpetuating Inequality: Mitigating Inequality: These examples demonstrate that marketing holds the power to either reinforce existing inequalities or serve as a catalyst for […]

Creative Marketers Who Put It All on the Line In the world of marketing, signing off on a plan is more than a procedural step—it’s the ultimate act of belief. When marketers put their signature on a strategy, they’re doing more than approving it; they’re committing their reputation, credibility, and accountability to its success. This […]

Strategy First, Tactics Second: The Key to Marketing Success In the chaotic 24/7 realm of digitally enhanced marketing, the role of strategic planning cannot be overstated. It serves as the backbone of successful campaigns, ensuring that every initiative aligns with overarching business objectives and resonates with the target audience. However, in an era dominated by […]

Ethics in Marketing: It’s Not What We Say, It’s How We Act In today’s world, where consumers demand more accountability from businesses than ever before, marketing cannot merely be about what we say – it must be about what we do. Actions, not words, define a brand’s credibility and values. The growing focus on ethical […]

Patagonia’s Guide to Eco-Friendly Brand Presence In today’s age of climate anxiety and the endless pursuit of a clean conscience, one brand stands head and shoulders above the rest in delivering eco-friendly solace. Patagonia, the outdoor apparel heavyweight, has made it its mission to “save the planet” through the noble act of selling premium-priced jackets, […]

What you need is more important than what you want In a world where success is often measured in monetary terms, the value of the individual is frequently overlooked. The relentless pursuit of wealth has overshadowed the importance of self-worth, leading many to equate their value with their financial status. However, as we continue to […]

The digital sphere, driven by an obsession with ephemeral mobile engagement of time poor target audiences, is saturated with content that follows tried and tested formats: listicles, how-to guides, and bite-sized video content dominate. The assumption is that consumers of digital content have the attention span of goldfish and think thinking is too much like […]

The importance of making a good first impression in an interview cannot be overstated. Although skills, qualifications, and experience are crucial factors for employment, the initial impression you make can serve as a gateway – or an insurmountable barrier – to showcasing those attributes in the first place. Essentially, making a positive first impression can […]

Keep Calm and Avoid Emotional Burnout It’s easy for marketing professionals to find themselves confronting emotional complexities such as fear, confusion, and even despair. Whether it’s the fear of a campaign failing, the confusion arising from rapidly capricious consumer behaviours, or the despair felt when ROI doesn’t even come close to meet expectations, these emotions […]

In the ceaseless whirlwind of deadlines, lectures, and consultancy projects, the quest for work-life balance often feels like a mirage in a digital desert. Yet, here I am, pausing to put pen to paper, not a marketing strategy or an academic paper, but a poem. Yes, you read that right – a poem. This is […]

I’ve spent decades in the advertising and media industry, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen colleagues—talented, passionate individuals—suffer from anything ranging from burnout to complete emotional and physical breakdowns. When NABS and Mind released their recent survey on mental health in our industry, I wasn’t surprised, but I was deeply alarmed. […]

Cracking the Code of work-life balance In the world of marketing, I’ve observed a common thread that binds professionals of all ages together – a struggle to cope with the relentless pressures that come with the territory. It’s a field that demands all of you, often without showing the appreciation that you deserve. Personally, I’ve […]

The Beneficial Psychology of Being a Constructively Lazy Marketer: Harnessing Minimal Effort for Maximum Gain In a world that often glorifies the “hustle culture,” the term “lazy” gets a bad rap. It’s often associated with a lack of productivity, a lack of ambition, and a lack of results. But what if we told you that […]

To be honest, this one is for my wife who would sack me at a moment’s notice for the charismatic Hollywood superstar known for his blockbuster movies and relentless dedication to his craft, doing his own CGI-free stunts (yeah right), and strange association with the Church of Scientology. (That last bit was me working hard […]

In the world of football (or soccer, as our American friends call it), Pep Guardiola is a name synonymous with innovation, strategy, and relentless pursuit of excellence. As the famed manager of Manchester City FC, Guardiola has consistently pushed the boundaries of football tactics and strategy. But what if this visionary coach were to step […]

In moments of quiet reflection about the future, immersed in the profound narratives delineated in “The Coming Wave” by Mustafa Suleyman, I felt a profound, but fleeting, awakening to the intricate tapestry of interconnections weaving personal growth, professional development, and the burgeoning landscape powered by artificial intelligence. Suleyman’s compelling insights prompted an immersive exploration that […]

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, to the grand spectacle that is the “symphony” of commerce – where the good ol’ marketing tunes you once knew have been given a futuristic remix, thanks to the magical rise of social media and the digital cacophony. Picture this: a masterpiece of confusion, resembling the avant-garde compositions of […]

Sinek seems wasted on the overwhelmed In this dynamic age, where digital possibilities continuously transform our ways of engagement, a curious paradox emerges. Whilst technology is making bounds, certain aspects of marketing management seem entrapped in antiquated methodologies. This contradiction pushed me to revisit the teachings of visionary thinkers, especially Simon Sinek. Re-immersing myself in […]

What happens when you combine the ceaseless chatter of a guilty conscience with the cold logic of artificial intelligence? After a lifetime’s experience as a copywriter, it’s a sensation that can haunt every waking moment and wind up that remorseful voice in my head that urges me to confront my misdeeds every time I poke […]

Can artificial intelligence improve actual intelligence? I have been lecturing and running workshops on the growth of automation, marketing technology for over 30 years and on the potential and application of AI for the past 5 rapidly evolving years. My university colleagues describe me as an academic practitioner. I am still figuring out if that […]

Back on GPT again and this time focusing on some big questions, based on books that question our relationship with AI: Do androids dream of electric sheep? GPT “Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” is a science fiction novel written by Philip K. Dick. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where most animals have […]

I used to be a futurologist for the Institute of Digital Marketing and enjoyed speculating about what was coming down the pipeline for us marketing professionals. Most so called big ideas came and went as soon as the hype budget ran out of steam, but a few have come into reality and one looks like […]

I’ve just completed a Carbon Literacy Course and was blown away by the thought that it’s not up to someone else to save the world from carbon emissions.  The science that explains the need to reduce carbon emissions on an individual, community and global basis is irrefutable. Since the industrial revolution, the world has begun […]

Regulation be damned Despite the introduction of regulation in the form of The GDPR and The EU and ICO flexing their punitive muscles by handing out record fines for data protection infractions, the conduct of companies such as Cambridge Analytica, Facebook and Google has raised doubts in the minds of consumers regarding the importance product […]