This week, we got into a thumb-war-to-the-death with our inner critic in order to lure over legendary copywriter, speaker, coach, author and all-round good Canada goose egg Dan Nelken.

The alphabetical genius behind the bestselling Self Help Guide for Copywriters, and his 5-star online course ‘Writing Under Pressure’, Dan has made it his mission to rescue writers and brands all over the world from the malign influence of the dreaded inner critic – a character that Dan describes, with characteristic politeness, as a ‘ding dong’.

The true Canadian king of creativity (shut your face Reynolds) Dan chats to CTA about the importance of creating stuff that’s just for you, the long-game of any creative career, how to gain and maintain creative confidence, and of course his own grapplings with an inner critic he calls Alan.

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Follow Dan on LinkedIn 
Visit Dan’s site 
Jerry Seinfeld's interview with Tim Ferriss, the interview every creative should watch

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Timestamps
(02:05) - Quick Fire Questions
(04:05) - Dan's Early Jobs
(04:53) - From Forklift Truck Driver to Copywriter
(06:45) - Finding His Path into Copywriting
(08:36) - First Copywriting Gig at Cosset and Breaking through with McDonald's
(12:02) - Value of Getting Lost
(13:21) - The inspiration behind “Writing Under Pressure”
(17:59) - Creating a Course On Writing Headlines
(21:03) - Response to the Book
(22:40) - Maintaining Creative Confidence
(24:09) - Confronting Your Inner Critic
(26:07) - Structure in Creativity
(29:07) - Creativity Closer to Math(s) than Magic
(31:04) - Importance of Structure in Creativity
(32:39) - Most Creatives Hate Brainstorming
(36:57) - Naming Alan, the Inner Critic
(39:21) - The Joy of Creating for Yourself
(42:46) - Impact of Creating on Social Media
(43:40) - Audience Questions
(48:20) - Four Pertinent Posers

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Dan's book recommendations are:  
A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters by Dan Nelken 
Hey Whipple, Squeeze This  by Luke Sullivan
Mind Management, Not Time Management by David Kadavy

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This week, we went fishing in a Levi’s Creek to catch TED speaker, co-author of ‘The Creative Nudge’ and enthusiasm enthusiast, Kevin Chesters.

His Twitter bio says he’s a “tall bald bloke from Penzance”. And whilst that might be true, it does rather undersell the fact that perched atop that tall body, and in that bald bonce, are some serious smarts.

For Kevin is a Chief Strategy Officer, formerly strategy head at Ogilvy, Wieden + Kennedy, Saatchi, Dentsu, with a client-side cameo at BT, a visiting lecturer in creativity at several universities, a TEDx speaker, co-author of ‘The Creative Nudge’ and an absolute advocate for walking in stupid and talking in smarts. 

We discuss his journey from his beginning manning boying a vegetable stall, flirting with journalism, getting past ‘A’ in the careers dictionary, the importance of fostering creativity in all fields (including muddy ones), executional skill, breaking category norms, sifting through the interesting to find useful, enthusiasm, neurodiversity, walking in stupid, finding the world endlessly fascintating, big agencies, little agencies and so much more.

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Kevin’s website 
Follow Kevin on LinkedIn
Here’s his book, co-written with the brilliant Mick Mahoney
His TED Talk
Levi’s – Creek by BBH, 1993

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Timestamps
(03:17) - Kevin's early jobs and first steps in the advertising industry
(07:34) - His initial lack of interest in advertising and his pivot from journalism
(10:04) - The impact of iconic ads like Levi's Creek on Kevin's career
(19:04) - The value of diverse experiences in building a successful career
(23:03) - Defining creativity and its importance in business and life
(27:37) - Breaking category norms
(31:06) - The concept of bravery in marketing
(34:42) - Bringing Fresh Perspectives to Meetings
(36:38) - Practical tips for fostering creativity in the workplace
(45:05) - Listener questions including Mark Earls about the role of enthusiasm
(47:08) - The impact of neurodiversity on Kevin's approach to strategy

Kevin’s book recommendations are: 
The Creative Nudge: Simple Steps to help you think differently by Kevin Chesters and Mick Mahoney
The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage
Legacy by James Kerr
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
The Rebuilders by Sara Tate & Anna Vogt (Sara’s appearance on Call to Action® https://gasp.agency/media/call-to-action/sara-tate)

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It’s been 5 years since Call to Action® captured our first of what’s now over 130 heroes and allies from the industry front lines to have a chin-wag with. To celebrate, we’re rereleasing a choice cut of our favourite episodes as part of a ‘Best Of’ series. 

In February 2022, we stuck a fake shark fin on our back and lurked in the waters off Adelaide to catch the attention of one of the industry’s most respected researchers; Prof. Karen Nelson-Field. 

Hell-bent on fighting the broken media ecosystem as founder and CEO at Amplified Intelligence, Karen is also an author and alumni of the world-renowned Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. When she’s not binge-watching Home & Away (yes, she’s still a fan), Karen’s research into the measurement of attention has made her a global authority on media effectiveness.

Point your ears this way as Karen talks on her 10 years at Ehrenberg-Bass, skateboarding cats, myth-busting Facebook likes, going viral, why attention is an important metric, how to measure it and more. And strap in as Karen finally answers the red-hot question of whether our attention spans really are becoming shorter than a goldfi-

Oh, look, some links… 

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Follow Karen on LinkedIn 
And on Twitter 
Here’s her website
And, Karen kindly dedicates this episode to the bullshit-detecting bulldog himself, Bob Hoffman

Grab yourself her books:
Viral Marketing: The Science of Sharing 
The Attention Economy and How Media Works 

Timestamps
(01:50) - Quick fire questions
(03:15) - First jobs and early fascination with advertising 
(08:40) - What she learnt about media from cinema 
(14:00) - Her time at Ehrenberg-Bass 
(15:45) - Myth-busting Facebook likes 
(19:15) - A deep dive into the attention economy 
(25:30) - Are our attention spans really getting shorter? 
(30:00) - Single piece of advice to marketers to better understand attention
(34:30) - Listener questions 
(38:15) - 4 pertinent posers 

Karen’s book recommendations are: 
Play Bigger by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead & Kevin Maney
That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph 

Feel better about marketing with Episode 81 of Call to Action® with Professor Karen Nelson-Field. 

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This week, marking our Half Century 50th episode (not out), we’ve caught and bowled Facebook’s Head of Strategy, and cricketer, Shekhar Deshpande.   One of the world’s great strategists, Shekhar spent nearly two decades at the creative agency J Walter Thompson, across Bangalore and London, prior to joining Facebook. He’s had work awarded at Cannes, performed judging duties for the Effies, and worked with clients including Nike, Unilever, Shell, Diageo and Mondelez.    Shekhar shares stories of his 19 years at JWT, running away from and towards things, how a cricket match in Guildford helped change his life, working at Facebook, the importance of expressing your feelings and the future of strategy.    If that wasn’t enough, in the final over, he knocks us for 6 with career advice from Calvin & Hobbes, delivers a glorious googly on why he detests pitches, and loads more. Howzat?
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Follow Shekhar on LinkedIn  And on Twitter  Watch ‘Being the Best Strategist You Can Be’ on ISOLATED Talks  Here’s his WARC article on the Future of Strategy    Shekhar’s book recommendations are: Roots by Alex Haley  The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan  Illusions by Richard Bach  Born a Crime by Richard Noah (Audiobook)  We Need to Talk About the British Empire by Afua Hirsch (Podcast)  Alchemy by Rory Sutherland (Audiobook) 

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Wielding a witch’s wand, we hot-footed aboard the Hogwarts Express for a magical chat with Founder of Bodacious and strategy’s own Severus Snape, Zoe Scaman, this week.  

Zoe’s love for sci-fi and strategy has sent her searching around the world for the next shiny thing, working for the likes of Droga5, Ridley Scott Creative Group, and Adidas. She’s developed a TV series for a huge fashion label, branded a celebrity or two, and is the go-to-guru for expertise on brand planning and entertainment strategy. 

In this episode, she adds magic and mojo to topics like avoiding university, Sydney’s strategy scene, PPC for porn sites, agencies ‘sausage factory’ problem, world-building and what-if planning, fetishizing frameworks, why the smartest people ask stupid questions, and a treasure trove more. 
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Follow Zoe on Twitter  And check out her Substack  Here’s Bodacious  Her out of this world ISOLATED Talk  And her article on breaking our non-fiction addiction    Zoe’s book recommendations are: Hollowpox Trilogy by Jessica Townsend  Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens  Daring Greatly by Brené Brown  Dare to Lead by Brené Brown Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik  Uprooted by Naomi Novik  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig  How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

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This week, we fired up the big screen and laid bait of a reminiscing watch of Wales’ glorious 3 – 1 Euro 2016 victory over Belgium to catch the best thing since sliced Bara-Brith; MediaCom’s Global Digital Director, Andrew Spurrier-Dawes.  

Arguably Wales’ finest export since Huw Edwards, ASD has worked with stellar brands like Mars, Sky, Tesco and eBay. Described by Rory Sutherland as ‘MediaCom’s polymath’, he still finds time to be an IronMan, Campaign 30 Under 30 winner, co-host of two successful podcasts, keen photographer and family man.

He talks to us on missing a McDonald’s armed robbery by 30 seconds, why his first boss called him a c*nt, why ads should be more expensive, advice for onboarding clients, why the internet is f*cked, clicks, China, his struggles with mental health, and loads more. You’d be a fool not to fill your ear canals up. Iechyd da.

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Follow ASD on Twitter Or drop him a line Here are more of his favourite books
And his ISOLATED Talk
He also co-hosts two successful podcasts; Connected, where he talks to the greatest names in marketing, technology and beyond, and Echoes of Glory, a podcast dedicated to Tottenham Hotspur

ASD’s book recommendations are:
48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
The Hero with A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
Undisputed Truth: My Autobiography by Mike Tyson
Sweat the Technique by Rakim 

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They say you should leave an audience wanting more, but sod that, as this week we are giving you a huge double helping of more, as it is part 2 of our chat with George Tannenbaum.    One of the most highly awarded, revered and talented copywriters and creative directors on the planet, George is a freelancer who was previously Executive Creative Director and Copy Chief at Ogilvy for over 10 years, and has worked with huge brands like IBM, Boeing, PayPal and General Motors.   Allow your ears to be bent by George’s blissful yet biting NY tones, as he talks on subjects such as the state of copywriting, what he would do if he was Joe Biden, rediscovering his love for advertising, what he would banish from the industry, his time at Ogilvy including his last assignment working on the Boeing account, clickbait and how to write a good headline and more. Go tune in, you lucky, lucky people.   Oh. And that’s not to mention a perfectly timed comedic cameo from his wife.

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Follow George and Le Agency Holding Company CEO on LinkedIn George is on Twitter Here is his Ad Aged Blog And his Website Here are the AdHouse Classes 

George’s book recommendations:
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson Caste by Isabel Wilkerson 
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We’ve pulled a network agency worm out of the Big Apple and used it as topic-bait to catch one of advertising’s biggest fish this week; the one and only George Tannenbaum. One of the most highly awarded, revered and talented copywriters and creative directors on the planet, George is a freelancer who was previously Executive Creative Director and Copy Chief at Ogilvy for over 10 years.   George has worked with huge brands like IBM, Boeing, PayPal, and General Motors, writes a hugely influential marketing blog called Ad Aged, and has a charming if alarmingly deluded French alter ego called ‘Le Agency Holding Company CEO’ who holds up a satirical mirror to the holding company era.   Listen to George chat and vent eloquent fire on a variety of subjects such as his family’s settlement in the U.S, his early career, working and learning from Ron Rosenfeld and Len Sirowitz, the NY agency scene in the 80s and 90s, what the industry has become, ageism, his time at Ogilvy, why he hates the Yankees, and tonnes more. So much more, that this is the first of a two-parter.   And the whole thing kicks off with an unmissable cameo from Le Agency Holding Company CEO. So what you waiting for? Go listen.

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Follow George and Le Agency Holding Company CEO on LinkedIn George is on Twitter Here is his Ad Aged Blog And his Website   George’s book recommendations:
The Saddest Words by Michael Gorra

And the rest will be in Part 2, so be sure to listen in 😉

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This week we’ve trawled and traversed all 50 US states in a 27-foot-long hot dog to catch former male cheerleader, Assistant Tour Manager to Britney Spears, mentee of Magic Johnson & ad land’s most diverse and disruptive Diversity Officer; Doug Melville.    Another chapter of his remarkable CV tells us that as the first-ever Chief Diversity Officer of TBWA\North America, Doug has driven TBWA’s supplier diversity efforts to over $250 million in spend with female and diversely owned-and-operated businesses in the creative space…and still found time to interview Snoop Dogg.     He talks to us on that giant wiener (!!), studying at the University of Magic Johnson, touring with the Princess of Pop, nailing your diversity strategy, valuing progress over PR, how brands can take a stance on social issues, and loads more.
Anyone who simply wants their company or agency to produce better, more diverse work should bend their ear hither now.

/////   Follow Doug on Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram  Check out his diversity platform One Sandbox  And delve into any of his 3 brilliant TEDx Talks: Improving your diversity IQ  Being A Male Cheerleader Changed My Relationships with Women  Digital Breadcrumbs - 12 steps to online success  And why not? Here’s Britney’s ...Baby One More Time 
Doug’s book recommendation is: Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill    /////

This week, armed with a first-aid kit and copy of Bushcraft 101 we head through the hinterlands of Gloucestershire to catch Sarah Townsend for a chinwag.    As a freelance copywriter, Sarah has over 20 years’ experience traversing the tumultuous territory of self-employment and now she’s written the book on it. Boasting over 100 5-star Amazon reviews, Survival Skills for Freelancers provides practical advice on the nuts and bolts of freelance work.    She chats to us on a load of topics, including the struggles of freelancing before (and after) social media, how to avoid isolation, burnout, the dreaded ‘comparisonitis’, the importance of boundaries, tips for working from home and tonnes more. Plus, there’s talk of copywriters who charge by the word and how a tomato could be your secret productivity weapon.   Pause Man vs Wild, fire up the Trangia and enjoy.

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Follow Sarah on Twitter  And LinkedIn  Here’s her book Survival Skills for Freelancers  Pick up a copy on Amazon  Check out Sarah's copywriting website and sign up for her newsletter     Sarah’s book recommendation is: On Writing by Stephen King 

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This episode is a Call to Action first as we’ve landed a supersized bumper catch; the power couple Alex Jamieson & Bob Gower.

Alex was one of the co-creators and co-stars of the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me, and is also the best-selling author of 5 books, a highly-sought-after wellness expert and success mentor, and has also been interviewed by Oprah.   Bob is the amazing author of Agile Business: A Leader’s Guide to Harnessing Complexity, as well as an in-demand speaker and consultant, working with leaders at huge multinationals like Chanel, Ericsson, and Ford. They talk to us on their early careers, how they met, their new book Radical Alignment, what it was like to work together, the writing process, behavioural change work with people and organisations, their All-In Method, and more.

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Check out Alex & Bob’s book Radical Alignment (out August 11th) And the Radical Alignment website Here’s Alex's website, LinkedIn and Instagram And Bob's website & LinkedIn Read more on John Gottman's Four Horsemen And don't miss AOC's speech on sexism in Congress

Alex and Bob's book recommendations are: The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss Systemantics by John Gall Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows

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We’ve lurked stage left disguised as a Victorian wench to nab musical theatre fan and exceptionally talented writer gem Higgins this week. 

A creative problem solver and a strong mental health advocate, gem rules ‘The Twitters’ with her unrivaled gift of creating the perfect GIF for any moment. She can also read an entire book in one bath soak (one can only imagine how wrinkly she would get if she took War & Peace into the tub).

She talks to us on the inspiration behind her hugely popular ‘Sit Fucking Still’ donation to the ISOLATED Talks fundraising campaign, paper cutting as an artistic medium, Twitter as a community, her mental health and dealing with exceptionally tough times, the writing process, papier-mâché turds, how shit Slack is and so much more. So run a nice hot bath, listen, get wrinkly, and enjoy.

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Follow gem on LinkedIn On the Twitters And Instagram Here is her Medium profile  And her ISOLATED Talk Check out her website Where you can specifically see how she likes to stick googly eyes on things   gem’s book recommendations are: Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk Unleash the Power of Puerility by Mark Denton The Cost of Living & Hot Milk, both by Deborah Levy  The Lonely City by Olivia Laing Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene  Rootbound by Alice Vincent  Coming Undone by Terri White 

gem is a voracious reader, and you can see all the books she has read in recent months here

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We’ve lurked in the wings of the Café De Paris, Piccadilly to catch the hugely successful entrepreneur and former burlesque dancer Paulina Tenner this week.    Paulina is the founder of Grant Tree, an open culture company that pioneered an open salary scheme to help tech start-ups navigate the complex world of government funding.   She talks to us on her ‘vomit edit’ writing process for her new book; ‘What the Business Leader Learnt From the Stripper’, Open Culture and Holacracy, how she got into burlesque and what it brought to her business chops, why today’s leaders need to be more of a C.U.N.T., blagging a position as a company director when barely out of UCL and tonnes more. Put your fishnets on, boys and girls, and have a listen.

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Follow Paulina on LinkedIn
On Twitter
And she’s also on Instagram
Here is her website & book
And her ISOLATED Talk
Watch Freddie Mercury and Queen perform The Show Must Go On

Paulina’s book recommendations are:
Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux
In Over Our Heads by Robert Kegan

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This week, we scoured wardrobes far and wide to catch a man who has dressed rock icons, Sapeurs of the Congo, a blue monster for Ed Sheeran, and even ‘plug boy’ from the Sainsbury’s Christmas ad; Mr Gammon.  

Costume designer, fashion stylist, and distinctive English gent, Mr Gammon is the go-to guy for creatively styled costumes. Whether it’s dressing The Rolling Stones, elegant men of the Congo, Usain Bolt, a school nativity like no other, or mum and dad in jeans and a t-shirt; no cast is too vast, nor celebrity too big.

We wag chins on his first ever job with an alcoholic called Malcolm, his first proper job dressing Adam Ant, making and selling bermuda shorts at school, being a colourful punk, what he loves about being on set, how a joke about needlework changed the trajectory of his life, managing expectations, where ‘Mr Gammon’ came from, taking 25 suitcases to film Guinness ‘Sapeurs’, making jackets for Mick Jagger, drawing as ‘creative offsetting’, and a treasure trove more. 

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Find Mr Gammon on Instagram
Here’s his website 
Loving You is Killing Me by My Life Story 
And a choice cut of Mr Gammon’s best work: 
Guinness Sapeurs 
Sainsbury’s The Big Night 
The brand new Carlsberg spot 'Curious Beginnings'
And DJ Shadow - Rocket Fuel ft. De La Soul

Timestamps
(02:09) - Quick fire questions, Doctor Who, and the reality check The Rolling Stones gave him 
(08:14) - First jobs, making bermuda shorts, and designing for Adam Ant 
(16:05) - His time at the Royal College of Art 
(20:30) - The ‘common good of the shoot’ when you’re on set 
(27:55) - Dealing with the opinions and emotions of different people on set
(39:39) - His new work for Carlsberg 
(41:35) - Listener questions 
(46:30) - 4 pertinent posers 

Mr Gammon’s book recommendations are: 
Small Trades by Irving Penn 
Michel the Giant: An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie
Learning to Love You More by Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher 
The Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux
The Financial Times Weekend Edition

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We’ve laid down lures of cool Friday drinks to catch the ‘Pharrell Williams’ of statistics; happiness expert Nic Marks.

Nic is the CEO and Founder of Friday Pulse, helping organisations understand employee wellbeing, as well as being a leading statistician and TED speaker, and is arguably best known for his work in creating The Happy Planet Index; the first global measure of sustainable well-being. He’s worked with The British Government and The Kingdom of Bhutan and has been featured in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and Wired.

He talks to us on the drivers of happiness, how businesses can measure and monitor happiness, Aristotle, shining toilet brass, tips for managing teams during the pandemic, how to have a good Zoom call, neuroscience and loads more. It’s packed like a pandemic second date picnic hamper (too soon?) so go consume until your ears are content.

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Follow Nic on LinkedIn  And on Twitter  Check out his personal website  And the website for Friday Pulse which helps companies measure happiness, and is free for all organisations with under 1000 employees during the COVID-19 crisis.

Nic’s book recommendations are:  21 Letters on Life and its Challenges by Charles Handy  Becoming Myself & Love’s Executioner by Irvin D. Yalom   The Strange Order of Things  by Antonio Damasio Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts   Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell 

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We’ve cast a net off the coast of Adelaide this week to catch one of the globe’s greatest researchers and Sci-Fi fans, Jenni Romaniuk. Jenni is Research Professor and Associate Director (International) at that conveyor belt of marketing stars, the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, where she has advised many of the world’s biggest brands.
She is the author of two must-read books; Building Distinctive Brand Assets and How Brands Grow Part 2, co-authoring the latter with industry legend Professor Byron Sharp, as well as being an engaging and entertaining keynote speaker at global industry conferences.
She chinwags to us on her first job as a talented mixologist in a football club bar making fruit cups, her two books, how to build mental availability, best practices for managing and measuring distinctive brand assets, and tonnes more. You’d be a fool not to fill your ear canals up.

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Follow Jenni on LinkedIn. Check out her books: Building Distinctive Brand Assets and How Brands Grow Part 2. Here is the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute’s website.
Book Recommendation:   A Scandalous Life by Mary S. Lovell 

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An internationally acclaimed copywriter and author who is partial to some wolf nipple chips (who isn’t?), Ryan Wallman is Creative Director and Head of Copy for Wellmark, a Melbourne-based creative agency specialising in healthcare.   He has written for numerous industry publications, including Marketing Week, and is a co-author of the bestselling marketing book Eat Your Greens. More recently, Ryan smashed out his own masterpiece; The Drum Roses award-winning satirical scalpel that is Delusions of Brandeur; a hilarious, piss-taking how-not-to-guide for getting on in the marketing industry.
  Praise for the book has been knockout:   “I love this book. Anything I spend my time on, I either have to learn something or be entertained, with this book I get both.” – Dave Trott   “Not only is this a marvellous book – but no one but Dr. Wallman could have written it.” – Rory Sutherland   Ryan chirps to us on the origins of Delusions of Brandeur, rumours of a sequel, what the world of medicine can teach marketing, the work of the Wellmark agency and the vital role Twitter played in his career change. His claims of being a world-class whistler are also put firmly to the test. Get your ears out and listen.

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Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. And on Twitter. Here is his agency Wellmark’s website. Check out his book, Delusions of Brandeur, including some top merch and a Monty Python inspired video of supreme silliness. The ISOLATED Talk from Gem Higgins.
Book Recommendations:

Alchemy by Rory Sutherland  The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton
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We’ve laid an intricate trap of clever beer and wine based nudges this week to catch Richard Chataway, Vice President of the BVA Nudge Unit UK, founder of the Communication Science Group (CSG) and quite simply one of the most talented behavioural science practitioners in the world.    He chats away (sorry) on a load of topics, including an early temping job at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’s examinations (written, ahem) department, direct marketing, behavioural science and how it can help in the Coronavirus crisis, the writing of his new book ‘The Behaviour Business’, his past roles for the UK and Australian governments, ethical issues around nudging and tonnes more interesting stuff. And his passion for Ipswich Town.   Go listen now and discover why stellar brands like IKEA, Google, Sainsbury’s and Starbucks have looked to him for behavioural science guidance.

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Follow Richard on LinkedIn. And on Twitter. Here is the Communication Science Group’s website. And the BVA Nudge Unit website. Here is his book, The Behaviour Business. And the associated podcast.

Book Recommendations:

Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter  Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely  Decoded by Phil Barden  The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar  Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman  Where Did It All Go Wrong by Eaon Pritchard The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton  Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

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We’ve masqueraded as a waiter with dreams of Hollywood this week to catch LA’s finest CX designer Matt Watkinson.

Matt is co-founder and CEO of Methodical and an internationally renowned author, speaker, and consultant on customer experience and business strategy, speaking at events for the likes of Microsoft, Salesforce, American Express, and the FBI. His first book, The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences, won CMI’s Management Book of the Year, and his second book, The Grid, was shortlisted for 2019’s Management Book of the Year.

He talks to us on his very unique early career path (he has never actually been employed), how designing an award-winning website for Argos launched him into the UX and ultimately the CX stratosphere, 10 CX principles to follow, his books, his frustrated dreams of being a pianist and so much more. Go gorge and enjoy.

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Follow Matt on LinkedIn. And on Twitter. Here is Methodical’s website.
Watch Matt's COVID-19 Business Battle Plan and support ISOLATEDTalks.com.   Matt has written two books: The Grid The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences 
Book Recommendations:

Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows
The Nature of Technology by W. Brian Arthur
Financial Intelligence by Karen Berman
Mastery by Robert Greene

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We’ve cut a cheeky round hole in the ice to catch former figure skater and strategic consultant and business leader Liana Dinghile, this week.

A proud Londoner with a mix of Sicilian and Scottish heritage, Liana works with Tonic Creative Business Partners, having previously been at Siegel + Gale and Dragon Rouge. She has helped guide some of the world’s most successful organisations, working with the likes of Bayer, Sainsbury’s, British Airways and Hewlett Packard.

She talks to us on her early career as a figure skater, how she got into the industry with TUI, making the move from client to agency side, what makes a good strategy and examples of brands that nail it, positive work cultures, her love and knowledge of wine, and barrels more.

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Follow Liana on LinkedIn And her agency, Tonic Here is Tonic’s website Liana is also a member of the BIMA Mentoring Council

Book Recommendations:

Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda
Rise by Gina Miller

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This week we’ve laid bait of tempting language to snare the exceptionally talented writer and founder of the language strategy agency That Explains Things, Nick Parker.   A one-time creative director, magazine editor, keynote speaker, children’s book author, Viz cartoonist and crystallised-piss-on-door-hinges remover, Nick now helps fellow copywriters, agencies and brands like BT, PWC, Tesco and Spotify define brand tone of voice.   He talks to us on a treasure trove of topics, including his first paid job creating a cartoon strip for Viz, tips for writing, useful words, authoring child fiction, how to define tone of voice, how to run a good workshop and more. You’d be a fool not to let us bend your ear ‘ere.

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Follow Nick on LinkedIn. On Twitter.
Here is his agency website. And his ‘find your own tone of voice’ kit, Voicebox. And Nick's book The Exploding Boy and Other Tiny Tales.

Book Recommendations:

Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

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This week we’ve landed in the docklands of London to catch the baby-faced assassin and CEO of NY Collective, Nicole Yershon, who ignites fires of change consulting huge brands like Ford, British Airways and Pizza Hut.   Heralded by The Drum as one of the 25 most influential women in the British digital industry over the last 25 years, she talks to us about her early career and how she went from selling blouses from a stall on Petticoat Lane to working with industry legend Dave Trott at GGT.   But that’s not all. She also dives into her time at Ogilvy & Mather and a rather ingenious way of generating R&D budget for their London Digital Innovation Lab that involved pimping out Rory Sutherland, her Fearless Manifesto, the work of The NY Collective, her best-selling Amazon book Rough Diamond and a whole lot more.

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Follow Nicole on LinkedIn. On Twitter. On Facebook. And on Instagram. Find out all about the NY Collective. And Nicole’s best-selling book.

Book Recommendations:

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari  Rotman Management Magazine  One Plus One Equals Three, Creative Blindness, Predatory Thinking and Creative Mischief by Dave Trott
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This week we’ve muscled past the marketing mafia to shakedown the Don of decision science; Phil Barden. His client-side chops cover working for T-Mobile, Unilever and Diageo, until a run-in with two Germans and a flash mob flung him headfirst into the world of neuroscience and understanding human behaviour. As MD at decision science consultancy DECODE Marketing, he’s written 'Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy', a best-seller with stacks of praise from the likes of Rory Sutherland.    Phil gives us the lowdown on why he got into decision science, Tropicana’s failed redesign, the emotional side of Cillit Bang, scoffing Jaffa Cakes straight off the production line and tonnes more. There’s unmissable insight for brand mobsters managers too.   /////   Follow Phil on Twitter. And on LinkedIn. Or drop him a line. And check out DECODE Marketing. Decoded – The Science Behind Why We Buy by Phil Barden. The Blogfather sunk his teeth into the Mouldy Whopper debate last week with help from Phil’s WARC article on the putrid patties.    Book Recommendations:   How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy, Copy, Copy by Mark Earls Alchemy by Rory Sutherland 

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We’ve lurked by the theatre stage door this week to catch Charlie Russell; the West End and Broadway star of the smash hit show, The Play That Goes Wrong. Together with her long-standing friends in the Mischief Theatre company, she has appeared in a hit parade of great shows, including The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Groan Ups, while Mischief Comedy have recently aired their first TV show on the BBC; The Goes Wrong Show.

Charlie talks to us on a huge repertoire of subjects; getting into drama school, the beginnings of Mischief Theatre, how Improv theatre works, what makes a good comedy actor, how pain is integral to great comedy, the difference between performing on TV and theatre, taking the show to Broadway, and what it was like to meet and work with the Hollywood director JJ Abrams.

So, exit stage left pursued by a bear and go listen.

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You can follow her on Twitter. And check out all the Mischief Theatre shows. And the BBC’s The Goes Wrong Show. Which is now available on Amazon. Her agent is Chloe Brayfield at AHA (Amanda Howard Associates). She has also appeared on Griefcast. The group’s great outdoor media is done by JHI Marketing.

Book Recommendations: 
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy  If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë  The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë  His Dark Materials Trilogy by  Phillip Pullman

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It’s been 5 years since Call to Action® captured our first of what’s now over 130 heroes and allies from the industry front line to have a chin-wag with. The show is still very much like Pokémon Go, with the single but vital exception that it’s not a short-term bandwagon of shite. And to celebrate, we’re rereleasing a choice cut of our favourite episodes as part of the ‘Best of’ series. 

In September 2020, we pulled a network agency worm out of the Big Apple and used it as topic-bait to catch one of advertising’s biggest fish; the one and only George Tannenbaum. 

One of the most highly awarded, revered and talented copywriters and creative directors on the planet, George was Executive Creative Director and Copy Chief at Ogilvy for over 10 years. He has worked with huge brands like IBM, Boeing, PayPal, and General Motors, writes a hugely influential marketing blog called Ad Aged, and has a charming if alarmingly deluded French alter ego called ‘Le Agency Holding Company CEO’ who holds up a satirical mirror to the holding company era.

Initially released as a two-parter, this is the full, director’s cut. So strap in for an hour and 20 minutes of George’s blissful yet biting NY tones as he talks on subjects such as the agency scene in the 80s and 90s, ageism, the state of copywriting, rediscovering his love for advertising, his time at Ogilvy including his last assignment working on the Boeing account, how to write a good headline, and tons more. 

And the whole thing kicks off with an unmissable cameo from Le Agency Holding Company CEO. So what are you waiting for? Go listen.

Feel better about marketing with Episodes 46 and 47 of Call to Action® with George Tannenbaum. 

Follow George on LinkedIn
Here’s his Ad Aged Blog
And his website
George’s book recommendations:
The Saddest Words by Michael Gorra
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson 

This week we’ve rowed up the Thames with a wine-laced bait to catch Kerry O’Connor, Co-Founder at Tonic Creative Business Partners. Kerry has many specialities, including marketing strategy, PR, and belting out power ballads to huge crowds for charitable causes. She’s mostly worked agency-side for the likes of Ogilvy, Publicis, Imagination and Dragon Rouge, yet also has client-side chops from a stint with what is now Virgin Media.

She talks to us on a vast array of information nuggets, including: working at Ogilvy (where accounts included Ford and IBM), overcoming stigma to get into the industry, big agencies Vs small agencies, client side Vs agency side, business development & strategy, positioning, the pitch process, defining growth and singing as part of a Queen tribute act in the Islington Assembly Hall to over 900 people! There’s so much packed in, it’s a veritable sardine can of an episode. Enjoy.

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Follow Kerry on LinkedIn
Tonic’s LinkedIn Page
Tonic's website

Book Recommendation:

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

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This week we’ve snuck up the Thames to Ogilvy’s offices to catch Shelina Janmohamed; the bestselling author of Love in a Headscarf (a memoir about growing up as a British Muslim woman), and the Vice President of Islamic Marketing at Ogilvy- The world's first bespoke consultancy for building brands with Muslim audiences.She also, somehow, still finds time to write for the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and the BBC, and was named one of the UK’s 100 most powerful Muslim women.   She talks to us on how brands and agencies can understand the Muslim population better to create better ads and comms, writing books, how writing ‘Be Nice’ on her index finger helps her be a better person, how being a mother has improved her efficiency x10, the social healing power of chips, working on the iconic Motorola RAZR and more.

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Follow Shelina on LinkedIn
On Twitter
On Facebook

Her books/reports are:
Love in a Headscarf by Shelina
Generation M by Shelina
The Great British Ramadan from Ogilvy.

Book Recommendation:
Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

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This week we’ve packed our plasticine and carried out a search of The Avon to pick up Bristol’s finest maker of noise, Gavin Strange. By day, Gavin is Director and Designer at the beloved Aardman Animations, the Academy Award winning studio behind Wallace & Gromit, and by night he indulges in passion projects, drenching them in fizzy, fuzzy energy as he morphs into his alter-ego Jam Factory.

A serial tinkerer whose capacity for fun bursts through his beanie, Gavin is also an author, toy inventor and speaker. He talks to us candidly on this, having car parts thrown at his head, pixels, plasticine and what Morph is really like, the unlikely crossover of Maya Angelou and Dragon Ball Z, why we need more wonky things, and a whole lot more.

Embrace your fizz and fuzz. Listen and you won’t be disappointed.

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Gavin/JamFactory Links:   Follow @JamFactory on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn  And visit his website. (https://www.jam-factory.com/) Gavin’s directorial debut, The Amazing Maya Angelou And his brilliant talk at The DO Lectures   Animation Recommendations:    Adobe Creative Cloud (with student discount) Stop Motion Studio Blender   Book Recommendations: 

Do Fly: Find Your Way. Make a Living. Be Your Best Self by Gavin Or for more fizzy, fuzzy energy… listen to the audio version Feck Perfuction by James Victore Draplin Design Co: Pretty Much Everything by Aaron Draplin Why? How? What? The First Big Book of Art by Brosmind
Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions by Guillermo del Toro Anything and everything by Shepard Fairey
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We’ve put a tasty worm on our line and cast it into the Big Apple to catch Zenith Media’s Exec VP & Head of Innovation, Tom Goodwin.   The best thing to come out of Sheffield since Sean Bean, Tom has worked with a list of clients that reads like the FTSE 100, including Microsoft, BMW, FOX and Emirates, and he is also the bestselling author of the ground-breaking book, Digital Darwinism.   Tom talks to us on tonnes of topics, including the evolution of tech and what excites him, his experience working at TBWA, metrics & short-termism, programmatic, selling Ribena to the North of England and a whole lot more.

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Links:   Follow Tom on LinkedIn  On the Twitter And here is his website   Book Recommendations:    Re-imagine by Tom Peters Disruption by Jean-Marie Dru  Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

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We sneaked up the river Liffey in a Viking long boat and kidnapped arguably Ireland’s greatest marketer for a natter; Colin Lewis.    Colin’s vast experience and multiple industry awards come from a career that includes working at iconic brands like BMI, 118118, Thomas Cook and CityJet, and from working all over the world, from Australia to Hong Kong, Japan, and the UK and Ireland. He’s also a speaker, lecturer and teacher, educating brands such as Unilever, Facebook, Ryanair, and Heineken.   This pod is packed with nuggets of golden insight as Colin talks to us on strategy, friction, robot car racing, the value of teaching and education in marketing, how to truly be market orientated, turning into a grumpy old man, and lots more.   We also assume he has an exclusive membership for The Long Room Library at Dublin’s Trinity College, as he is one of the best-read people we’ve ever spoken to, and he’s shared tonnes of tomes below.

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Colin Links:   Follow Colin on LinkedIn And on Twitter Read his Marketing Week articles And check out his website   Book Recommendations:    Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt  How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp  The Creativity Code by Marcus Du Sautoy Vanished Kingdoms by Norman Davies Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries, Jack Trout, Philip Kotler  Deep Work by Cal Newport Competitive Strategy by Michael E. Porter Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield 

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We’ve lurked in the waters of San Francisco Bay to catch arguably the most outspoken and controversial voice in the industry; the bullshit detecting bulldog, Bob Hoffman.

He is the acerbic wit behind the highly popular ‘Ad Contrarian’ blog, named one of the world’s most influential marketing and advertising blogs by Business Insider, and is the author of four Amazon Number 1 selling books about advertising. Bob’s commentary has appeared in the likes of BBC World Service, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and Forbes.

He talks to us on his early career as an adult fiction writer (!!!), ad fraud, his experience of client and agency side, the great danger of tracking and surveillance in online advertising, the de-valuation of creativity, his writing of a new book and so much more.

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Bob Links:   Follow Bob on LinkedIn On the Twitter Here is his AdContrarian blog And his website You can also check out the details on his 4 published books here   Book Recommendations: 
The Anatomy of Humbug by Paul Feldwick The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton  One Plus One Equals Three by Dave Trott   Predatory Thinking by Dave Trott The Big Book of Rants by Rich Siegel Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz  Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

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This week we dug out our knickerbockers and legged it up the fairway to catch an ex-golf pro with one of the strongest drives in the industry, Di Wilkins. She joined the agency Critical Mass 21 years ago and never left. As CEO, Di has created a genuinely special work culture rooted in Canadian values and best showcased by an avalanche of industry accolades this year, including Best Agency to Work For and Employer of the Year.

Di explains that what she lacks in polish, she makes up for in heart. And we guarantee that after this episode there’ll be a queue of Call to Action listeners from here to Canada vying to be her friend. You can listen to her talk candidly on the benefits of being “absolutely clueless", the silliest thing she’s done with a JPEG, pioneering customer-centricity before it was vogue and a whole lot more.

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Di:
Follow Di on LinkedIn.   Critical Mass: On the Twitter.
On the Facebook. On the LinkedIn.
On the Instagram.
On their Website.
Book Recommendations: She’s also recommended a few of the 100+ books a year she reads for you to enjoy: The Great Alone Kristen Hannah The Three Year Swim Club Julie Checkoway I heard you paint houses Charles Brandt

*Di dedicates her show to a rock-star of Critical Mass, Isabella Rodrigues. Di would love Isabella to know that thousands of Critical Massers are behind her, as is everyone here from the Call to Action team.*

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This week we’ve got our large sea-going vessel out of dry dock once again to go across the pond to catch Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson; author, speaker and professor of Management at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business.    Stefanie has come a long way since discovering in her first jobthat a children’s ball pit is the most disgusting place on earth. She is now one of the world’s leading authorities on improving diversity and inclusion in business and has published over 70 journal articles and book chapters for the likes of Harvard Business Review and Journal of Applied Psychology.    Stefanie has achieved stellar coverage with media giants such as The Economist, The Guardian, Time and CNN, while her learning partners on diversity and inclusion include Netflix, Starbucks and P&G, amongst many other household brand names.   She talks to us on defining bias, the ABC’s of how to break it, how businesses can improve diversity and inclusion, leadership, her life as a professor, swing dancing at a Mexican wedding and a whole lot more.

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Stefanie:
Follow Stefanie on LinkedIn.
On the Twitter.
And on Instagram.
You can pre-order her new book Inclusify.
Watch Stefanie's brilliant talk at Nudgestock 2019.
Stefanie’s website.

Book Recommendations:
The Person You Mean to Be by Dolly Chugh
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Alchemy by Rory Sutherland 

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This week we’ve laid bait of Guinness and Rosé to snare the man who launched his agency from his front room whilst sitting in his pants, the day after he called his old boss a ‘cock’. It can only be Paul Mellor.   Taking the piss out of the industry whilst on the piss with our podcast host Giles, it’s a wonder how they actually finished with a fully recorded episode. Paul takes us on a riotous ride on how he went from working in a coleslaw and potato salad factory (yep, you heard that right) to running one of the best brand and ad agencies in London. Topics and targets rattled through also include; why advertising is shit and how it can be better, Pot Noodles, how brands can achieve genuine stand out by risk taking, and the wildly successful ‘Take Fucking Risks’ speaker series Paul founded, with guests like Bob Hoffman, Dave Trott, Cindy Gallop, and Grace Dent.   The first Call to Action podcast to require a health warning, the fumes from this episode alone could damage your liver whilst also serving as a slap about the face to start you smashing up anything bland and beige, and to just start taking some fucking risks.
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Paul:
You can follow him on LinkedIn.
And his agency Mellor&Smith on the Twitter.
And we’ll give you their website for a full house.   Book Recommendation: Life’s A Pitch – Then You Buy by Don Peppers
Creative Blindness by Dave Trott
One Plus One Equals Three by Dave Trott
Creative Mischief by Dave Trott
Damn Good Advice by George Lois
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield
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This week we’ve only caught a cold (well, it is that time of year), but much more excitingly we’re putting out a bite-size Call to Action pod blast to exclusively announce details of our very first live Call to Action podcast event. It’s like a cranked-up Question Time, taking place in a pub to booze-fuel the debate and replacing the politicians with talented peeps who aren’t afraid to tell it like it is.

Join us for a riotous and fun night for our first-ever live event. It will be a cocktail of much-loved regular Call To Action pod features alongside lively debate of hot 2019 topics in the marketing and advertising industry, all in an amazing and intimate venue.

We’re laying on a pub-grub buffet and a couple of free drinks, all covered under the cost of a ticket, while everyone also gets a Call To Action goodie-bag to take away too. Think you have a question to stump our panel? They’re well up for a challenge, so submit questions by emailing hello@calltoaction.co or dropping us a message on the usual Call To Action channels.

The panel in need of questions to get stuck into is:

Vikki Ross
The forthright and exceptionally talented copywriter and founder of #copywritersunite, Vikki travels the world telling businesses how to talk.

Paul Mellor
Notoriously mouthy, Paul is a professional rule breaker and co-founder of the agency Mellor&Smith and creator and compère of the Take Fucking Risks events.

Brian Macreadie
One of the best and most vocal B2B Marketers in the country. Brian has over 12 years’ experience as a head of marketing, has worked for Telcom giants like AT&T and has nabbed over 60 Industry Awards.

Kirsty Montgomery
A remarkably honest jargon destroyer, Kirsty is a Director of CRM who has worked for the likes of Staples, Sky, Hilton and Hunkemöller, giving the panel further client-side chops.

Ryan Wallman
Known as Dr Draper in the Twittersphere, Ryan is a master Creative Director and Head of Copy who specialises in healthcare, and will be making a Jedi Force ghost style cameo.

For tickets, and full details, head over to the Pubcast event listing.

///// TIMINGS /////

Doors open at 6:00pm. Time to grab some grub and a drink and settle in. No admittance after 6:30pm, no matter how hard you bang on the door. There will be plenty of time at the end for a mingle or ‘networking’ if you want to call it that.

This year marks 5 years since our maiden episode launched in 2019. And to celebrate Call to Action® turning 5, we’ve asked the …Gasp! team to rummage through all 130 episodes to re release some of their favourites. 

In June 2020, we cast a net off the coast of Adelaide and caught one of the globe’s greatest researchers, Jenni Romaniuk, for her first of two Call to Action® appearances. 

Jenni is a Research Professor at the conveyor belt of marketing stars, the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, where she has advised many of the world’s biggest brands. She’s also authored what’s now a trilogy of true industry bibles; How Brands Grow 2, Building Distinctive Brand Assets, and Better Brand Health. 

In one of our most listened to episodes of all time, you can hear all about Jenni’s first job as a talented mixologist, how to build mental availability, context, memory, metrics, and more. If you work for a company with a brand logo, font or colour scheme, this episode is as close to essential listening as you’re going to get to understand how to build, measure, manage and, crucially, protect distinctive brand assets. 

Feel better about marketing with Episode 39 of Call to Action® with Professor Jenni Romaniuk. 

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Follow Jenni on LinkedIn.
If you haven’t already, you’d be a fool not to fill your ear canals up with Jenni’s second cameo on Call To Action®, here.
And check out her books; Building Distinctive Brand Assets, How Brands Grow Part 2, and Better Brand Health.

Timestamps
(01:55) - Quick fire questions
(04:30) - First job behind the bar at a football club 
(07:00) - Getting a phone call from Byron Sharp and landing a job at EBI 
(12:30) - How Brands Grow 2 and Building Distinctive Brand Assets 
(17:05) - How to build mental availability 
(24:10) - The link between context and memory  
(31:25) - Best practices for managing and measuring distinctive assets
(45:35) - Listener questions 
(52:40) - 4 pertinent posers 
Jenni’s book recommendation is: 
A Scandalous Life by Mary S. Lovell 

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This week we’ve travelled to a galaxy far, far away to ensnare Brian Macreadie; B2B Marketing’s self-styled Yoda.   Brian’s stellar career includes a period as Marketing Director for Media and Sport at Getty Images,marketing communication roles at large telecoms companies such as AT&T, and over 12 years’ experience as head of marketing at several international law firms. More highly decorated with medals than Ryan Giggs, Brian has over 60 prestigious B2B industry awards,and is so highly thought of that he often sits on the judging panels themselves, including being 3-times judge at the B2B Marketing Awards.   He talks to us on his time in the Defence sector, his move to Marcoms, the pressures faced working in B2B, his encounters with the Sith (Digital Snake Oil Merchants), tips on how to write B2B marketing emails the B2B client-side impression of agency side, tips for briefing agencies and a whole lot more.

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Brian's Links: Brian on LinkedIn Brian on Twitter Brian's Website
Archived article What do client side marketers look for when working with an agency?
The 4 brand lessons I learned from 19 topless northern men by Brian
The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford

With thanks to our good friend, the supremely talented Ollie Mines for his golden toned recital.

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We’ve tracked a trail from London to Sydney and back again this week, to catch our latest podcast guest Jane Evans. Many are billed as being ‘brutally honest’, but Jane wrote the rule book on “not giving a f*ckery.” Jane has worked for some of the biggest agencies on the planet, including JWT and Ogilvy, before setting up her own agency Giant Leap, where clients included Revlon, Maserati and a bevy of beer breweries.

But arguably her greatest work is being done now, running Janee; a part-advertising agency, part-activist organisation that is fighting for gender equality and diversity in advertising and society, and giving a voice to a new breed of superwomen. She talks to us candidly on this, the heyday of the Ad Industry in Australia, how Martin Sorrell then f*cked it all up, what makes great ads work, why modern beer ads don’t work, being a Mum, and a whole lot more.

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Jane and Uninvisibility:
Jane on Twitter
Jane's Website
The Uninvisibility Project
Instagram @Uninvisibility Twitter @Uninvisibility Uninvisibility on Facebook Jane Evans on LinkedIn
Book Recommendation:  Business As Unusual by Anita Roddick   
Jane dedicates her show to the amazing Verna Wilkins, founder of Tamarind Books. Here is one of the publications that the pioneering Verna wrote herself.

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This week we’ve gone over The Pond to catch Designer, Author, Speaker, Teacher and all-round cool dude and professional hell-raiser, James Victore. Part Yoda part Darth Vader, his often-controversial yet striking work is exhibited all around the world, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and has appeared on the covers of Esquire and Time Magazine.

He’s also worked for clients such as Adobe, Mailchimp and Moet & Chandon, and recently captured all his learnings in his new book, Feck Perfuction. He talks to us on his early career, designing posters, designing book jackets, his influences, his creative Texas retreat, his workhorse typefaces, what to do with shit clients, having a "God damn opinion", and a whole lot more, so go have your ears bent now (in a good way).

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James Online: Instagram @JamesVictore Twitter @JamesVictore Website 
James Links/Books: New York City Department of Probation project case study  Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss? by James Victore Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life by James Victore  Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace  This is Water by David Foster Wallace

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This week we’ve snuck up The Mersey, Viking raid style, to nab Liverpool’s finest anti-bullshitcopywriter, Dave Harland. Having massive fingers hasn’t held back Dave from writing magic copy. He talks to us on how he made the bold move to working freelance after a 10-year stint at Park Group Plc, (ending up as Head of Copy), his early job as a football reporter, how his fascination with writing persuasive copy developed, his key tips for writing good copy and plenty more besides.   A massive fan of Liverpool F.C, Alan Partridge and Scrabble, as well as being a talented poet, the podcast includes a stunning reading of Dave’s poem ‘Dogs’, written for his Nan when he was aged just 13. Lend us your ears. You won’t be disappointed.

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Dave Harland Links:

Twitter @wordmancopy

Dave’s LinkedIn

Dave’s website

Dave Plugged:

Tom Albrighton’s website

#copywritersunite

Dave's Books:

One Plus One Equals Three by Dave Trott

Creative Blindness by Dave Trott

Predatory Thinking by Dave Trott

Now Try Something Weirder by Michael Johnson 

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This week we’ve pinpointed the exact location of what3words CMO Giles Rhys Jones for a good chinwag. Awarded the Cannes Lion Grand Prix for Innovation, Giles talks at length about this amazing global addressing phenomenon that is used by entities as diverse as pizza delivery companies and emergency services, as well as some of the world’s largest automobile companies like Mercedes and Audi.

Giles also reveals nuggets of interest from working agency side at Saatchi & Saatchi and Ogilvy, where clients included HP, Unilever and British Airways, as well as what it takes to set up an agency, the secret for getting good press coverage, and a whole lot more. Go listen, sit back and enjoy.

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Company
what3words

Books
The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky
Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

Giles
Gymnasium
LinkedIn Profile
Instagram Profile

Article
What3words: The app that can save your life (BBC)
The Blogfather discovers W3W in June 2015

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This week we’ve caught the world’s only Global Tech Ethnographer and the woman that made Qualitative Data sexy; Tricia Wang.

She created that job title herself, as part of always looking to question then smash convention throughout her career. Her fieldwork has featured in publications such as TechCrunch, Wired and The Guardian, she’s worked with Fortune 500 companies, and is a go-to keynote speaker, having stolen limelight at the likes of IBM, Proctor & Gamble, Nike and TED.

She chats very openly to us on her early career, Ethnography, Big and ‘Thick’ Data (that’s the sexy part), her now-infamous period at Nokia, the current state of marketing, diversity and inclusion, and a whole lot more!

Go listen, as this podcast redefines the term ‘unmissable’.

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Social
@TriciaWang Twitter
@TriciaWang Instagram
Slack Ethnography Hangout

Book Recommendations
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time by Baratunde Thurston
Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design by Kat Holmes
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
New Dark Age Tech by James Bridle
Coders by Clive Thompson
Non-Bullshit Innovation by David Rowan
Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna

Talks
The human insights missing from big data by Tricia Wang, TedxCambridge
The End of an Error: How Marketing Mistook Clicks for Customers (and how we can get them back) by Tricia Wang, at Nudgestock 2019
The ABCs of Breaking Bias by Dr Stefanie K. Johnson, at Nudgestock 2019

Article
Marketing Research. Make some time for it. It needn’t be costly, you just need the right approach by The Blogfather, Gasp.

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This week we’ve caught The King in the North. Nope, it’s not Jon Snow, but one of Sheffield’s finest, Lee Davies. OK, he may not actually rule the North, but he’s certainly one of the most talented designers and creative directors in any part of Westeros the UK, for that matter.

He modestly calls himself ‘a right mess’, but growing up in a cultural backwater in Cheshire didn’t hinder him rising up to design great work for the creative brand communications agency Peter & Paul for 12 years, where clients have included the likes of Channel 4, Unilever and the V&A.

He lets us know all the details about his way of working, what makes for an effective creative process as a designer, brand identities, his passion and talent for writing, Behavioural Science, Signalling, Sheffield and a whole lot more.

Any budding designers, or anyone who simply wants their company or agency to produce better creative work, should bend their ear hither now.

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Instagram Peter & Paul

Twitter Peter & Paul

Twitter Lee Davies

How To by Michael Bierut

Made To Stick by Chip & Dan Heath

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

A Technique for Producing Ideas by James W. Young
 
The Anatomy of Humbug by Paul Feldwick

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This episode is the most eagerly anticipated ‘Part 2’ since The Godfather movie series, as we resume our chat with The Don of Behavioural Economics in 2019; the one and only Rory Sutherland.

Rory Sutherland is a copywriter-turned-behavioural science expert and torch-bearer, and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. He’s been President of the IPA, Chair of the Judges for the Direct Jury at Cannes, and has entertained millions via his unrivalled TED Talks.

Rory writes regular columns for The Spectator, and is the author of two books: The Wiki Man and the recently published Alchemy, The surprising Power of Ideas which don't make Sense.

He talks on subjects even more wide ranging than Part 1, including: Nudgestock, Shakespeare as a behavioural economist, Psychological hacks for parents, Comedy, The Pratfall Effect with Vicars, Sloe Gin, and a whole lot more.


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Rory's Links (complete version available in Part 2 to follow)
Twitter: @RorySutherland
Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense by Rory Sutherland
Nudgestock 2019 speaker videos
Complexity and the Art of Public Policy by David Colander & Roland Kupers
Success and Luck by Robert H. Frank
The Darwin Economy by Robert H. Frank
Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Naked Jape by Jimmy Carr & Lucy Greeves
The Mating Mind by Geoffrey Miller
Genes in Conflict by Robert Trivers 
River out of Eden by Richard Dawkins

Gasp Links
Signalling by The Blogfather
Effectiveness by The Blogfather
Be Different by The Blogfather

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This week we’ve caught the uniquely and multi-talented author, poet, and podcast presenter, Giles Paley-Phillips. Giles is the award-winning author of children’s books including The Fearsome Beastie and Little Bell and the Moon, and talks to us on his motivations for writing, how he got published, and also some tips for those who have their own dreams of being a writer.

He delves into his role as a co-host on the British Podcast Awards nominated ‘Blank’ podcast alongside comedian Jim Daly, where stellar guests have included Gary Lineker and Louis Theroux. He also very generously and openly talks about his childhood, how his career developed, and his time on the road in a rock band, including a performance at the Glastonbury festival. Go listen and enjoy!

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Episode Links

Twitter: @eliistender10

BLANK podcast

One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days by Giles Paley-Phillips

The Fearsome Beastie by Giles Paley-Phillips

Little Bell and the Moon by Giles Paley-Phillips

So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by John Ronson    A Game of Thrones Series by George R.R. Martin    Mentors by Russell Brand    Waiting For The Punch by Marc Maron

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This week we’ve caught Ogilvy UK’s and Behavioural Science’s finest, Rory Sutherland. It’s an hour of Rory. What do you expect? If it’s a jam-packed, entertaining chinwag on all things advertising, marketing and psychology then come tuck in.

For those for whom this will be a first dose of Rory, he is a copywriter-turned-behavioural science expert and torch-bearer, and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. He’s been President of the IPA, Chair of the Judges for the Direct Jury at Cannes, and has entertained millions via his unrivalled TED Talks.

Rory writes regular columns for The Spectator, and is the author of two books: The Wiki Man and the recently published Alchemy, The surprising Power of Ideas which don't make Sense.

He talks to us on a ton of topics, including; Direct Marketing, Measurement, Efficiency V’s Effectiveness, the state of the modern Ad Agency, Harry Potter, and the need to establish marketing as its own form of unique science.

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Rory's Links (complete version available in Part 2 to follow)
Twitter: @RorySutherland
Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense by Rory Sutherland

Gasp Links
Signalling by The Blogfather

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This week, we posed as a wide receiver to catch ad land’s premier Super Bowl pundit, Andrew Tindall, to tell us which of this year’s cohort of cost-the-earth commercials were MVPs…and which fumbled the ball.   

A man who hadn’t slept in days, we snared Andrew straight from System1’s Super Bowl “war room”. After spending the past week testing the ads our industry can’t help but get sweaty about year on year, he’s here to tell us what “won” the Super Bowl and why. 

An award-winning marketer with a commercial background at some top notch FMCGs, Andrew leads System1's global partnership strategy and growth, seeking out the world’s best ads and why they work to unlock the potential of their world-leading effectiveness database.

He talks to us on Young Apprentice being a way of "getting out of Huddersfield'', studying medicine for 3 years, wanting to work in alcohol, how System1 predicts creative potential and effectiveness, his mentor, colleague and friend Orlando Wood, why effectiveness is relative; outperform your category, the hierarchy of evidence, the brilliant Jenni Romaniuk, creativity as the UK’s greatest export, and lots more. Plus, of course, the Super Bowl winners and losers, including Michelob Ultra, Messi, using celebs, mayo cat, T-Mobile and Pfizer. 

Touch down on the play button. You won’t be disappointed. 

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Follow Andrew on LinkedIn 
Find out more about System1 and their ad effectiveness predictors 
The only four slides you need for Super Bowl 2024 ad insights from System1
Here’s Andrew’s Super Bowl piece in The Drum 
And his personal favourite Super Bowl ad of 2024, Foot Washing
Plus Mr P by Pringles 
And if you haven’t seen them, watch 2024’s top scoring Super Bowl ads here: 
Dunkin’ Donuts, Hellmann’s, Reese’s, Oreo, State Farm, Popeyes, T-Mobile, NFL, Michelob ULTRA, Booking.com, and Budweiser.

Timestamps
(01:50) - Quick fire questions
(03:45) - First jobs, BBC’s Young Apprentice, and going from med school to marketing
(07:40) - How he ended up testing marketing effectiveness at System1 
(13:12) - How System1 predicts creative potential and effectiveness
(17:50) - Which ads “won” the Super Bowl?
(21:15) - What Michelob ULTRA did right 
(27:14) - His favourite Super Bowl ad of 2024 (and it’s one no one is talking about)
(30:45) - Efficiency and effectiveness 
(36:35) - Listener questions 
(42:00) - What US marketers can learn from the UK 
(46:30) - 4 pertinent posers 

Andrew’s book recommendation is: 
Building Distinctive Brand Assets by Jenni Romaniuk 

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This week we’ve caught Wiemer Snijders. A Dutchman with a famous banana, Wiemer is one of the most prominent figures at the forefront of Marketing Sciences.

Currently a Partner at The Commercial Works, he recently published Eat Your Greens: Fact-Based Thinking to Improve Your Brand’s Health, which features contributions from 35 of the world’s top marketers, including the likes of Byron Sharp, Mark Ritson and Bob Hoffman.

Listen to him talk on how the scientific approach is helping to turn around marketing, the possible root causes of the lack of long-term strategic thinking in the industry, and a whole lot more.

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Wiemer's Links:

Twitter: @wiemersnijders
Eat Your Greens by Wiemer Snijders
The Mind Is Flat by Nick Chaker Bad Science by Ben Goldacre It’s A Little More Complicated Than That by Ben Goldacre How To Lie With Statistics by Darrell Huff
Naked Statistics by Charles Wheelan Economics Facts And Fallacies by Thomas Saul Factfulness by Hans Rosyln Progress by Johan Norberg The Consuming Instinct by Gad Saad On Writing Well by William Zinsser

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Listen to how we nearly lost one of the finest strategic minds in the industry to the ski instructing game. Murray Calder learnt his craft managing internationally renowned Scotch Whisky brands like Macallan, Highland Park, and The Famous Grouse, and his first job in the industry saw him do everything EXCEPT marketing, giving him a great grounding and a fundamentally important first lesson.   He’s been with MediaCom Edinburgh since 2006, where he is currently Strategy Director, and numerous honours bestowed on his bonce include a period as Chairman for the IPA in Scotland. He also now dabbles in wood block printing and typesetting, so plenty to lend your ears to. Listen and enjoy.

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Twitter: @ScotStratGuy

LinkedIn: Murray Calder

Culture series by Iain M Banks

The Makery Dunbar website

The Makery Dunbar Instagram

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Armed with a fishing pole and a tasty bait of Hemmingway, we caught none other than Glenn Fisher. 

Arguably the most famous person to be born in Grimsby (by default), Glenn became a copywriter after a number of years working in the local council. For over a decade he worked with Agora, a multi-million pound international financial publisher, as Head of Copy.

He is now freelance, focussing on coaching aspiring copywriters, and has recently published his first book, The Art of the Click, which explores direct-response copywriting, which has received glowing endorsements from some of the best… including previous Call to Action guests Vikki Ross and Richard Shotton.

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Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

The Art of the Click by Glenn Fisher

History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

Great Leads: The Six Easiest Ways to Start Any Sales Message by John Forde

Books by Dave Trott, Milan Kundera and Paul Auster

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