Business of Marketing

Paul Evans Chief Positioning Engineer V2RSION.COM

Positioning is no longer just about standing out. It's about being found.
In this episode of The Business of Marketing, recorded live at Advertising Week Europe, Justin Cooke sits down with Paul Evans, Founder and Chief Positioning Engineer at V2RSION, to explore why positioning has become one of the most important strategic disciplines in business.
Drawing on leadership experience at Microsoft, Vodafone, Bacardi and Nestlé, Paul explains why AI has fundamentally changed how businesses are discovered, shortlisted and chosen. As buying journeys increasingly begin with machines rather than people, positioning has become a growth strategy rather than simply a marketing exercise.
They discuss why product advantages disappear faster than ever, why founders should rethink positioning as a living operating system rather than a one-off exercise, and how businesses can build a competitive advantage that technology alone cannot replicate.
If you're a founder, CEO, CMO or growth leader trying to stand out in an increasingly crowded market, this conversation offers a practical framework for thinking differently.

Andrea Sexton, CEO of Ledger Bennett

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, John Horsley sits down with Andrea Sexton, CEO of Ledger Bennett, to explore why B2B marketing needs to move beyond obsessing over the measurable 40% of the funnel and start investing in the moments that shape buying decisions long before prospects become leads.
Andrea shares why the industry's fixation on MQLs, attribution and short-term performance is holding brands back, how AI is changing the buying journey, and why the future belongs to marketers who understand human behaviour as well as technology.
Whether you're a CMO, demand generation leader or B2B marketer, this conversation challenges many of the assumptions that have shaped marketing over the past decade.
Topics include:
Why B2B marketing has become too focused on what it can measure
The growing importance of brand in complex buying journeys
How AI and LLMs are changing vendor discovery and buyer behaviour
Why buying groups, not individual buyers, should shape marketing strategy
The shift from campaign thinking to always-on demand generation
Why content distribution matters more than simply creating content
The future skills every modern B2B marketer will need
A thought-provoking discussion on building brands that are remembered long before buyers enter the market, and why human insight remains marketing's greatest competitive advantage.

Graham Field, Chief Revenue Officer at Outra

In this episode of Business of Marketing, John Horsley sits down with Graham Field, Chief Revenue Officer at Outra, to explore how the relationship between data, AI and revenue is reshaping modern marketing.
From the early days of programmatic advertising to today's AI-powered marketing stack, Graham shares why the brands that win won't necessarily have the biggest media budgets, but the best understanding of their customers. Together they discuss first-party data, privacy, decision intelligence, commerce, and why marketers need to stop chasing short-term metrics at the expense of long-term growth.
Whether you're leading marketing, revenue, data or digital transformation, this conversation offers practical insights into building a smarter, more connected marketing organisation.
Topics include:
Why first-party data is becoming every brand's competitive advantage
How AI is transforming marketing, commerce and decision-making
The balance between short-term performance and long-term brand growth
Why data quality matters more than data quantity
Lessons from Shopify, MediaCom and the evolution of digital marketing
The future of privacy, identity and customer intelligence
A thoughtful conversation on where marketing is heading next, and what leaders need to do to stay ahead.

Harry Davies VP of marketing strategy, investment and effectiveness, Sage

In this episode of Business of Marketing, John Horsley sits down with Harry Davies, VP of Strategy, Investment & Marketing Effectiveness at Sage, to explore why so many organisations still measure the wrong things, and what truly drives long-term growth.
Drawing on experience spanning government, Google, Amazon and Sage, Harry explains why marketing effectiveness is about far more than advertising, why brand investment is making a comeback, and how marketers can balance short-term revenue pressures with long-term business growth.
The conversation also dives into AI's impact on marketing, account-based marketing, buying committees, customer journeys, and why the future belongs to marketers who combine academic rigour with relentless curiosity.
In this episode you'll discover:
Why cost per lead is one of marketing's most misleading metrics
How to balance brand building with demand generation
Why marketing should influence the entire customer lifecycle
What AI will automate and where human creativity still wins
How Sage is adapting to AI search and LLMs
Why marketers should spend more time listening to customers
The marketing science every modern marketer should understand
A thoughtful conversation packed with practical insights for CMOs, marketing leaders and anyone looking to build more effective marketing.

Kahlen Macaulay Head of Sports & Media Partnerships, International at Snap Inc

How Sport, Technology and Culture Are Reshaping Fan Engagement | Kahlen Macaulay , Snap
What does it take to keep the next generation of sports fans engaged?
In this episode of The Business of Marketing, John Horsley sits down with Kahlen Macaulay, Head of Sports, Media & Partnerships International at Snap, to explore how technology is transforming the way sport is produced, distributed and experienced.
Drawing on leadership roles at the International Olympic Committee, ESPN, Pulse Live and Snap, Karlyn shares why today's sports organisations must think like media companies, how creators have become partners rather than competitors, and why fandom is increasingly being built through culture, community and conversation.
The discussion covers the changing behaviour of younger audiences, the role of augmented reality in live sport, the creator economy, the attention economy, and why the future of sports marketing sits at the intersection of sport, fashion, music and technology.
In this episode you'll discover:
Why sports organisations must evolve into media businesses.
How Snapchat reaches and engages younger sports fans.
Why creators are becoming an essential part of sports marketing.
The commercial opportunities created by AR and immersive experiences.
How the World Cup is becoming a cultural event beyond the matches themselves.
Lessons in leadership, curiosity and building a career across sport, media and technology.
Whether you work in marketing, sport, media, partnerships or digital innovation, this conversation offers valuable insights into where fan engagement is heading next—and what brands need to do to stay relevant.

Renaye Edwards, Global COO and Managing Director of Ammunition

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, John Horsley speaks with Renaye Edwards, Global COO and Managing Director of Ammunition, recorded live at Advertising Week Europe.
 
Renaye discusses her journey from client-side marketing to agency founder, exit and global agency leadership. She shares why marketing must remain the voice of the customer, how agencies can move beyond output to outcomes, and why brand, demand and performance need to work together.
 
They also explore the rise of commercially minded CMOs, the problem with short-term lead generation, the growing role of AI in content and discovery, and why reputation, revenue and relationships should sit at the heart of modern marketing.

Nick Beck, Founder and CEO of Tug

What happens when search, media, AI and commerce start collapsing into one connected ecosystem?
 
In this episode of The Business of Marketing, John Horsley sits down with Nick Beck, Founder and CEO of Tug, to explore how modern marketing is being reshaped by AI search, creator culture, performance marketing and the growing importance of brand.
 
From launching Tug out of the basement of Vice Magazine to building a global agency across London, New York, Berlin, Toronto, Singapore and Sydney, Nick shares a candid view on what has changed in marketing over the last two decades, and what still matters most.
 
A conversation about search, AI, data, creativity, trust, performance marketing and why human judgement still matters in an increasingly automated world.
 
Topics include:
Why search has become one of the most important conversations in marketing again
The rise of AI search, AI assistants and the future of discoverability
Why over-optimising performance metrics can damage long-term growth
The balance between brand building and short-term performance
How AI is changing decision-making inside agencies and brands
Why relatability may matter more than “authenticity”
The explosion of creator-led marketing and micro influencers
Why agencies may become more important again in a fragmented media landscape
How brands can balance global consistency with local relevance
 
“The big idea is still the rocket science.” - Nick Beck
 

John Rudaizky, Global Chief Brand and Marketing Officer / CMO at EY

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke sits down with John Rudaizky, Global Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at EY, to explore the future of brand building, creativity, leadership and AI at enterprise scale.
John shares the story behind EY’s iconic “Better Questions” platform, why emotion matters more than ever in B2B marketing, and how AI is reshaping marketing organisations, creativity and customer engagement.
A wide-ranging conversation covering brand transformation, purpose, creator culture, leadership, the evolving role of the CMO, and why the future belongs to marketers who combine creativity with courage.
Topics include:
Building one of the world’s leading professional services brands
Why the best B2B marketing is emotional, not rational
The thinking behind EY’s “Better Questions” platform
AI, creativity and the future of marketing organisations
The changing role of the CMO in the boardroom
Leadership, culture and building confidence inside large organisations
Why brands still need human insight in an AI-driven world
“This is an era of being humble and learning like never before.” - John Rudaizky

Nishma Patel Robb, Founder and CEO of Unmissable

What does it mean to become truly unmissable in an age of AI, algorithms and collapsing trust?
In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke sits down with Nishma Patel Robb, Founder and CEO of Unmissable, former Google marketing leader and former President of WACL, to explore visibility, storytelling, trust and the future of personal brands.
After a decade helping shape Google’s reputation and commercial growth in the UK, Nishma now works with founders and senior leaders to build trust-first personal brands that create real resonance, influence and commercial impact.
A conversation about authenticity, executive visibility, AI, creator culture, human storytelling and why the future belongs to people who can genuinely connect.
Topics include:
Why trust and authenticity are becoming modern marketing superpowers
What brands still get wrong about earning trust
The rise of executive visibility and personal brands
Why most LinkedIn “personal branding” feels performative
AI, storytelling and the future of human creativity
Why creators and communities are reshaping media
Building visibility for women in business and media
How founders and leaders can go from invisible to unmissable
“True unmissability is about resonance, trust and connection.” - Nishma Patel Robb

Stephan Pretorius, CTO of WPP

What happens when one of the world’s largest communications groups starts rebuilding itself around AI?
 
In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke sits down with Stephan Pretorius, CTO of WPP, to explore how AI is transforming marketing, creativity, production, agency models and the future of work itself.
 
From agentic workflows and AI-generated production to the changing economics of marketing services, Stephan shares a rare inside view into how WPP is adapting at global scale and what brands need to understand next.
 
A conversation about technology, creativity, commercial intelligence, AI adoption, organisational transformation and why the next five years may fundamentally reshape the marketing industry.
 
Topics include:
How AI is changing the way consumers search, discover and buy
Why production and content creation are being radically transformed
The rise of agentic workflows and AI-powered marketing operations
How WPP is rebuilding teams, workflows and services around AI
Why the future belongs to smaller, multidisciplinary teams
The shift towards output-based commercial models
AI, trust, governance and the future of creative work
Why the next decade of marketing may look nothing like the last
 
“It’s the first time I’ve had to look at technology not just in terms of how it changes marketing, but how it changes the nature of work itself.” - Stephan Pretorius