Episodi

  • Our take on marketing, strategy and insights in 2026

    Our take on marketing, strategy and insights in 2026
    Jan 20 2026
    The tables have been turned in this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast, as Adam and Laura get a taste of their own medicine in the hot seat. Izzie MacDonald, Global Cultural Insights Capability Lead at PepsiCo, takes on the role of host. Izzie has years of research and insights experience at Touchstone Partners and with almost a decade under her belt at Pepsi. Adam and Laura give their views on where marketing, strategy and insights might be heading in 2026, and the adaptations that will be needed to get us there. They also reveal their New Year resolutions, both professional and personal, for the year ahead. Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:08) Career Journeys in Marketing and Strategy (09:27) The Future of Agency Models (15:48) The Role of AI in Innovation (23:26) Importance of Context in Client Partnerships
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    27 min
  • Why ambition will help us be better marketers in 2026, with Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society

    Why ambition will help us be better marketers in 2026, with Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society
    Jan 6 2026
    Ambition is the watchword for The Marketing Society in 2026: “Ambition for our businesses, our careers and our country.” In this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast, we welcome Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Marketing Society, for a conversation not to be missed by anyone working in marketing who has ambitions for a great year in 2026. We discuss the growing role of CMOs, why leading marketing teams is more like rugby than football, and why we all need to make more time for learning. Sophie also shares her views on why personal ambition isn’t about “killing yourself at work”, but should focus on how it fits in with the rest of your life goals. Sophie spent years working in marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, Coca Cola and agency side, before becoming a CEO and published author. Reading list: “Superfast, Lead at Speed” by Sophie Devonshire https://www.amazon.co.uk/Superfast-Lead-speed-Sophie-Devonshire/dp/1473661862 “Drive” by Dan Pink https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drive-Daniel-H-Pink/dp/184767769X “It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be” by Paul Arden https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Not-How-Good-Want/dp/0714843377 "The Whole Marketer" by Abby Dixon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whole-Marketer-successful-fulfilled-marketer/dp/1911671057 CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (01:01) Defining Ambition for 2026 (04:13) Global Perspectives on Ambition (09:57) Building Ambitious Foundations (14:20) The Role of Technology and Human Connection
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    29 min
  • 2025’s Christmas Ads: Which ones will drive sales?

    2025’s Christmas Ads: Which ones will drive sales?
    Dec 16 2025
    “It might not necessarily be the most emotional response ad, but I think it will be one of the most effective.” In this festive episode of The Persuasion Game, Media Effectiveness Expert, Matt Stockbridge helps us unpick the effectiveness of the Christmas adverts in 2025. From John Lewis telling the story of a teenage son connecting with his father, to JD Sports’ user-generated clip sequences, major brands have taken different approaches in 2025. The question is: which will be most effective when it comes to sales? Matt is perfectly placed to help us answer that question, having previously worked on brands including Danone, Cadbury and Innocent. He talks about the need to grab people’s attention, the art of product placement and the power of generating an emotional response. From everyone at The Forge, Merry Christmas and see you in the New Year! CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (05:45) Sainsbury’s: https://youtu.be/QaF1my5h-Os?si=vb5FgcseZ56KCtWU (10:15) John Lewis: https://youtu.be/dc5S4IV_NeA?si=1MIyrA2xCBRvQnYl (18:49) Marks and Spencer: https://youtu.be/EWGYQL0KMoI?si=pCGDrAY8v4pDChZ4 (22:43) Waitrose: https://youtu.be/wWeYKBXmCRs?si=UZHjSlbrsMn4JVfv (24:09) JD Sports: https://youtu.be/aCsvYgOcXz4?si=vpGgsDLHkzWEtGGU
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    30 min
  • Unlock brand growth with marketing's secret weapon, with Richard Shotton

    Unlock brand growth with marketing's secret weapon, with Richard Shotton
    Dec 2 2025
    “Behavioural science is the most relevant field out there for a marketer. If you are in marketing, you are in the business of behaviour change.” Our guest on this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast is Richard Shotton, a behavioural science expert and author of The Choice Factory and Hacking the Human Mind. Richard shares some of the principles of behavioural science and how they can be used marketing teams to grow their brands. He has an incredible wealth of knowledge and enough real-world examples to fill a book (or three). Among them, how Monzo and Aperol use ‘social proof’, how Kraft understood the say-do gap and how ‘making it easy’ can transform a brand’s fortunes. Hacking the Human Mind: https://www.waterstones.com/book/hacking-the-human-mind/michaelaaron-flicker/richard-shotton/9781804091326 The Choice Factory & The Illusion of Choice https://www.astroten.co.uk/the-choice-factory Richard’s newsletter: https://astroten.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6ad73155a84f0c05285e72212&id=4a2da629fc Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:03) The Power of Making Things Easy (07:48) Social Proof and Its Impact (13:09) The Say-Do Gap (19:20) AI and Behavioural Science
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    29 min
  • Rebranding an icon, with Chris Willingham, CMO, Brompton Bicycle

    Rebranding an icon, with Chris Willingham, CMO, Brompton Bicycle
    Nov 18 2025
    “It’s about understanding what people actually want to engage with. 99% of people aren't interested in your brand for most of their waking lives.” Our guest on this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast is Chris Willingham, Chief Marketing Office at Brompton Bicycles. Chris has had a remarkable career, previously working on accounts including Playstation, Sony Electronics, and Cadbury. Now at the iconic Brompton, he is leading the company through a brand refresh, aimed at talking to a younger, more diverse, and more global audience. And it’s doing it by harnessing the love of the brand that exists among its current customer base. Chris says the ‘Life Unfolded’ campaign marks a shift from talking about the impressive engineering of the bikes and focussing instead on the customer benefits - something that resonates in most markets around the world. He talks about the power of emotions, being authentic, and his dream of manufacturing the first genuine Back to the Future style hoverboards. Brompton - Life Unfolded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqRybgafMBc Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (04:24) The Brompton Brand: A Global Perspective (07:54) Engaging the Brompton Community (12:15) Balancing Functional and Emotional Benefits (21:58) Urban Mobility and Future Innovations (23:56) The Power of Purpose
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    29 min
  • How a film transformed Johnnie Walker’s prospects, with Stephen White, Diageo

    How a film transformed Johnnie Walker’s prospects, with Stephen White, Diageo
    Nov 4 2025
    Our guest on this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast is Stephen White, Senior Vice President, North America at Diageo. He is an expert in transforming teams, brands, innovation pipelines and businesses and has spent years working in different markets, all around the world, doing just that. Stephen shares stories and learnings from across his 20+ years leading teams at Diageo including: brand turnarounds; managing global and local dynamics; and transforming underperforming teams. One example Stephen shares is how a short film starring Robert Carlyle helped reframe the iconic whisky brand Johnnie Walker “we spent the amount of money we would've spent on an external film, on an internal audience, we then subsequently had 9-10 years of consistent growth.” Johnnie Walker “The Man Who Walked Around the World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ6aiVg2qVk Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (03:00) Key Innovations at Diageo (09:32) Building Trust and Empathy (14:29) Breaking Down Organisational Silos (20:31) Leveraging AI and Future Trends
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    29 min
  • Why 80% of innovations fail, with Shafik Saba, Global Lead, Front End Innovation, Haleon

    Why 80% of innovations fail, with Shafik Saba, Global Lead, Front End Innovation, Haleon
    Oct 21 2025
    Our guest on this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast is Shafik Saba, Global Lead of Front End Innovation at Haleon. He says, when it comes to innovation, you need to obsess over your brand’s core. Far too often, marketers and innovators get distracted by new extensions to their brands, which stretch the brand too far and lead to disaster. Not enough innovation is focused on driving the business that brought success in the first place. Shafik shares his tips for striking the right balance between innovating your core and stretching into areas you authentically belong in. Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:22) From Automotive to Healthcare Innovation (11:55) Balancing Core and Expansion (22:16) Consumer Insights and Empathy (23:38) Shopability and Design
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    27 min
  • Creator marketing is booming - what’s in it for you? With Fiona Hughes, Creator Marketing Expert

    Creator marketing is booming - what’s in it for you? With Fiona Hughes, Creator Marketing Expert
    Oct 7 2025
    “The creator economy is worth about 250 billion right now. That's set to almost double in the next two years.” Our guest this week on The Persuasion Game podcast is an expert in one of the most exciting areas of marketing at the moment. Creator marketing is big business and there are huge opportunities for brands that get it right. But there are also potential pitfalls. Fiona Hughes has spent over 10 years leading creator marketing across some of PR’s biggest agencies. She shares some of her experience in an area that is seemingly only going to grow and grow. We discuss what makes a successful creator-brand collaboration, how new channels are opening up genuine two-way conversations between brands and their customers, and why you might need to check your risk appetite before diving in. Further Reading: Creator economy growth stats: Business Insider and Goldman Sachs Brand-direct deals are the largest source of income for creators: Goldman Sachs Case study: Edelman/Dove, Canada keep the grey: #KeepTheGrey | Edelman Case study: Edelman/Ajinomoto MSGs: Ajinomoto: #CancelPizza | Edelman Case study: Edelman/Hellman’s mayo hack: Hellmann's UK: Mayo Hack | Edelman Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:18) Understanding the Attention Economy (05:58) The Role of Creators in Brand Communication (11:25) Courting Controversy (15:15) In-house Content Creation (18:59) AI and Authenticity in Creator Marketing
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    24 min