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	Titre	Date	Durée
	What great insight looks like in the age of AI - Data Malarkey	06 oct. 2026	00:44:16
What is insight, really, and what happens when we confuse prediction with understanding? In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Zehra Chatoo, founder of Code For Good Now. They discuss insight, AI, bias, representation, and the human insight skills becoming more valuable, not less, in the age of large language models. Zehra argues that while AI is incredibly powerful at spotting patterns and making predictions, but that is only one part of insight. Genuine insight still requires human judgement, disciplined curiosity, critical thinking, and the courage to sit with discomfort rather than rush to certainty. She also explores how bias enters AI through both training data and patterns of usage, why women are still adopting AI slower than men, and why this matters for the output that the technology produces. The conversation also dives into Zehra's work with Code For Good Now, including AI adoption training, representation tools for advertising, and consultancy helping brands and agencies build more responsible, inclusive approaches to AI. In this episode, you'll learn: Zehra's definition of insight using the FREA framework Why the "Five 'Why?'s" remains such a powerful route from data to insight Why prediction alone is not insight Why LLMs optimise for certainty and speed, while insight often requires discomfort How AI adoption gaps can create biased outputs What sits behind the gender gap in AI adoption Why representation in advertising matters more in the age of AI What skills will become more valuable as AI spreads through the advertising industry Why overuse of data is one of its biggest misuses Topics we cover: What insight is and what it is not Data versus insight AI, prediction, and human judgement Bias in training data and bias in usage Fear of judgement, trust, and ethics in AI adoption "Permission to Prompt" and responsible AI usage training Representation, advertising, and the Unstereotype Alliance Working inside Meta during a period of rapid change What future skills in insight and media may look like About our guest: Zehra Chatoo is the founder of Code For Good Now, a business focused on minimising bias, amplifying culture, and unlocking human creativity in a world increasingly shaped by AI. She previously held senior strategy roles at Manning Gottlieb OMD and Meta, and also serves as a board director and trustee of UN Women UK. Links and resources mentioned: Zehra's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zehrachatoo/ Code for Good Now – Zehra's AI training start-up, on a mission to close the gender gap in AI: https://codeforgoodnow.com Zehra's keynote at the March 2026 Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) annual Insight Summit "Beyond the Prompt – video 2 at https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/videos-podcasts/ipa-insight-summit-2026/ UN Women UK, of which Zehra is a Board Trustee: https://www.unwomenuk.org Research by Code for Good Now on gender bias in AI use in building a curriculum vitae (aka resumé) for "Emily Clarke" vs "James Clarke", reported in Fortune magazine: https://bit.ly/4tRkHiH Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	Why Efficiency Is Making Us Care Less │Data Malarkey with Judah Armani	22 sept. 2026	00:50:49
What if design is not really about products at all, but about bridging the gap between the world as it is and the world we hope for? In this episode of Data Malarkey, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Judah Armani, Head of the Public Service Design Practice CIC. Judah is a collaborative designer, educator, and social entrepreneur. The two discuss design as problem solving, insight as a "liquid understanding", and the role of care, curiosity, and creativity in tackling some of society's toughest challenges. Judah's work spans public service design, education, prison reform, and systems change. From founding the world's first record label launched in prison and run by prisoners, to creating football-based learning programmes and teaching around the world, he offers a completely different lens on how data, information, and human understanding can lead to action. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Judah sees design as the connective tissue between reality and aspiration Why solving problems is something everyone does, not just trained designers How gathering information, specifying intent, and taking action underpin most problem solving Why taxonomy shapes what we can see and what we miss Why efficiency can quietly erode care if we are not careful How Judah defines insight as a "liquid understanding" Why outliers, clues, and hints often matter more than neat summaries How InHouse Records was created inside prison to reduce reoffending Why Judah sees AI as useful for summarising, but not yet for true creativity Topics we cover: Design as problem solving Retirement, mission, and a life spent solving problems Taxonomy, categorisation, and reordering information von Humboldt, Ruskin, and different ways of seeing the same world Care, efficiency, and what modern systems make us lose Socratic inquiry and the different states of knowledge Outliers, patterns, and the power of different vantage points InHouse Records and designing for social impact AI, creativity, and the limits of large language models About the guest: Judah Armani is a collaborative designer, educator, and social entrepreneur whose work focuses on social change, public service design, and reimagining systems for those most often left out. He has worked across product design, charities, education, and justice, and is the founder of projects including InHouse Records and Crossbar. Links and resources mentioned: Judah's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hodajudaharmani/ His CIC's home page - https://www.hodajudaharmani.design/ InHouse Records - https://www.inhouserecords.org/ Crossbar Education Innovation Programme - https://ifdesign.com/en/winner-ranking/project/crossbar/744665 Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	How to Turn Data Into Real Insight │Data Malarkey with Louise Twycross-Lewis	08 sept. 2026	00:38:54
What turns data into insight, and why does that distinction matter so much in media, research, and strategy? In this episode of Data Malarkey, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Louise Twycross-Lewis, Managing Partner and Head of Insight at media agency PHD. They address how insight teams move beyond "what is happening" to uncover "what it means" and "what should happen next". Louise shares her definition of insight, the practical tools and techniques she and her teams use to get there, and how AI is changing the way research teams work - from open-text analysis to identifying themes at scale. They also explore the promise and risks of synthetic data, the danger of bias in AI-trained systems, the challenge of training junior talent in an AI-assisted world, and the findings from PHD's Culture Currents research into optimism and anticipation. In this episode, you'll learn: Why insight is so much more than a hypothesis or a chart Why clear objectives and hypotheses matter before research even begins How Louise uses AI to speed up analysis while keeping humans in the lead (not just in the loop) Why human truth still matters more than efficiency alone How bias in AI systems can distort decision-making Why the industry needs to think hard about how it trains junior talent What PHD's Culture Currents research says about optimism in a difficult world Why anticipation has become more valuable, not less How brands and media can play a role across the full anticipation journey Topics we cover: Defining insight in media and communications Moving from data to story AI-assisted analysis and human oversight Synthetic data and the limits of generated research Bias, representation, and "ultra-processed" data Entry-level roles, compression culture, and learning by doing Culture Currents research and optimism Culture Current research and anticipation, eventification, and dopamine Why brands should think beyond the moment of reward About the guest: Louise Twycross-Lewis is Managing Partner and Head of Insight at PHD. She has spent her career in media research and insight, working across media owners and major agencies, and is a recognised leader in the industry as well as a champion of cultural and ethnic diversity. Links and resources mentioned: Louise's profile on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-twycross-lewis-1b655b2/ PHD's Culture Currents research and publications - https://www.phdmedia.com/our-publications/ Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	How Algorithms Are Putting Children at Risk │Data Malarkey with Andy Burrows	28 juil. 2026	00:52:45
What happens when platform design, recommendation algorithms, and commercial incentives collide with teenage vulnerability? In this episode of Data Malarkey, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks to Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, about online safety, suicide prevention, tech accountability, and the systemic failures that continue to expose children to harmful content online. Andy explains how the Foundation's research tested Instagram and TikTok through the eyes of a 15-year-old girl, why the findings were so disturbing, and how advertising, platform incentives, legal action, and regulation all fit into a bigger picture. He also reflects on Molly's story, the role of whistleblowers, the limits of self-regulation, and why the current approach to online safety remains nowhere near strong enough. In this episode, you'll learn: How recommendation algorithms can intensify harm at scale What the Molly Rose Foundation's research found on Instagram and TikTok Why harmful content and advertising adjacency is such a serious issue How whistleblowers and legal disclosures have been so important Why advertisers may be part of the problem, but also part of the solution Why Andy sees recent US court rulings as a "big tobacco" moment for tech Why self-regulation has failed and stronger, safety-by-design rules are needed Why a social media ban is not the magic bullet many think it could be How AI risks are making the online safety challenge even worse Topics we cover: Molly Russell's story and the mission of the Foundation in her name Testing harmful algorithmic recommendations Platform incentives and the economics of attention Brand safety and ad placement near harmful content Whistleblowers, disclosures, and Meta's conduct US litigation and the erosion of tech immunity arguments The Online Safety Act and Ofcom's limitations The Australia-style social media ban under the spotlight AI companions, AI slop, and history repeating itself About the guest: Andy Burrows is Chief Executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, which works at the intersection of suicide prevention, online safety, and tech accountability. He has spent much of his career representing vulnerable groups, previously working in regulation, consumer policy, and online safety, including on the Online Safety Act. Links and resources mentioned: The Molly Rose Foundation: https://mollyrosefoundation.org/ Molly vs the Machines on Channel 4 - https://www.channel4.com/programmes/molly-vs-the-machines Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	What Happens to Your Data When You Die? │ Data Malarkey with Carl Öhman	14 juil. 2026	00:51:17
What happens to your data when you die? In this episode of Data Malarkey, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes Carl Öhman, Assistant Professor in Political Science at Uppsala University and author of The Afterlife of Data: What Happens to Your Information When You Die and Why You Should Care. Carl explores one of the most overlooked questions in the digital age: what becomes of the vast trail of data we all leave behind, and who gets to control it once we are gone. From history, archives, and memory to big tech business models, digital afterlife products, environmental costs, and the politics of forgetting, this is a rich and thought-provoking conversation about the future of our digital remains. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the data we leave behind after death is a major political and ethical issue Why our so-called digital "trash" may become one of the richest archives in human history How social and digital media platforms are building unprecedented records of human behaviour Why digital afterlife products raise unsettling questions about grief, memory, and authenticity What happens when dead users start to outnumber living users on platforms like Facebook Why big tech has powerful incentives to keep hold of the data of the dead Whether regulation should include a kind of "right to be forgotten" after death - a "posthumous GDPR" Why data storage and environmental cost matter in debates about digital remains How AI and data may be creating something like a new digital theology Topics we cover: Carl's route into studying death and digital traces Digital dandruff, archives, and the value of informational leftovers Ownership, memory, and the politics of historical record The future of historical research in a world of platform-controlled archives Black Mirror, digital resurrection, and the digital afterlife industry Big tech incentives and "holding our loved ones hostage" Regulation, GDPR, and who should guard the guards The carbon footprint of storing dead people's data Carl's next book, on AI: The Gods of Data About our guest: Carl Öhman is Assistant Professor in Political Science at Uppsala University. His research focuses on the politics and ethics of AI, digital memory, and the governance of information. He is the author of The Afterlife of Data and works at the intersection of technology, politics, and culture. Links and resources mentioned: The Afterlife of Data by Carl Öhman - https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/A/bo209942751.html Carl's page at Uppsala University - https://bit.ly/4tIeXHX Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	What should marketing and communications leaders actually do with AI right now?	30 juin 2026	00:36:34
In this live episode of Data Malarkey - recorded live on stage at the 'AI for PR' conference in June 2026 - Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Pete Markey, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at the University of Nottingham. Their wide-ranging discussion covered, AI, brand relevance, trust, creative judgement, and the future of marketing. Pete has led marketing and communications across some of the UK's best-known brands, from More Th>n, RSA, and the Post Office to Aviva, TSB and Boots. Drawing on decades of experience with some of the UK's best-known and most progressive brands, he shares a highly practical view of what AI is useful for, where it creates real value, and where brands still need strong human oversight. From customer experience, creative versioning, and strategic thinking, to measurement, reputation, and the future world of work, this is a thoughtful conversation about how to embrace AI without losing what the humanity that can make brands truly distinctive. In this episode, you'll learn: Why brand relevance is still one of the most important North Stars in marketing Why authenticity matters even more in an AI-mediated world Why AI can be brilliant for speed, efficiency, and creative adaptation Why Pete draws firm guardrails around AI-generated people and brand authenticity How data and testing are reshaping the role of the CMO Why marketing leaders need to educate their boards and exec teams on AI What skills younger and older comms professionals should be building now Why AI and human craft must coexist Topics we cover: Staying relevant as a brand Trust, authenticity, and fragile public brands AI adoption at Boots and beyond Creative development, speed, and retail responsiveness The scientist, artist, and politician balance in the CMO role Measurement, eye tracking, and data-led campaign decisions AI in marketing operations and digital journeys The changing relationship between brands and agencies Entry-level jobs, future skills, and marketing careers in the AI era About the guest: Pete Markey is Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at the University of Nottingham. Across his career he has led marketing and communications for a range of major UK brands including More Th>n, RSA, the Post Office, Aviva, TSB, and Boots. Pete is known for combining strong brand thinking with a deep focus on data, effectiveness, and practical innovation. Links and resources mentioned: Pete's LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermarkey/ University of Nottingham website https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	"Real to Reel - Using Data Smarter" Data Malarkey Season 10 highlights: equality, AI, and the Four-Day Week	26 mai 2026	00:58:44
What were the standout moments from Season 10 of Data Malarkey? In this end-of-season special, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, looks back at some of the best bits, biggest ideas, and sharpest soundbites from across Season 10. This "greatest hits" episode brings together a brilliant and eclectic mix of guests and topics, from gender equality in football and inclusion in advertising, to online safety, AI, insight, the four-day week, startup success, and making sense of data in organisations. Featuring clips from Karen and Charlie Dobres, former Directors of Lewes FC, Ali Hanan, Harriet Kingaby, Ahti Heinla, Dino Delić, and Charlotte Rae, this episode is both a recap for existing listeners and a perfect jumping-in point for anyone new to Data Malarkey. In this episode, you'll hear: How Lewes FC used attention, sponsorship, and crowd-building to drive gender equality in football Why equal FA Cup prize money remains a live issue What the new ROI - "return on inclusion" - means and how it drives advertising effectiveness Why the collapse of truth online should worry all of us How Skype and Starship Technologies were built from early-stage uncertainty into category-changing, global scaling businesses What the four-day week really means, and why it can improve both wellbeing and productivity Why many organisations still struggle to communications turn data into useful action How better questions, better framing, and better internal alignment lead to better decisions Featured guests and themes: Karen and Charlie Dobres on Lewes FC and Equality FC Ali Hanan on return on inclusion Harriet Kingaby on truth, trust, and AI Ahti Heinla on Skype, Starship Technologies, and building world-changing tech Dino Delić on data, action, and why tools are not the problem Charlotte Rae on the four-day week Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	How the four-day week boosts sleep, wellbeing, and output with Charlotte Rae	12 mai 2026	00:54:53
The four-day week gets talked about a lot, but what happens when you stop talking about the theory and start measuring impact properly? In this episode of Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data, smarter - Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks to Charlotte Rae, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Sussex. Charlotte is one of the UK's leading quantitative researchers on the impact of the four-day working week. She explains how the Sussex 4 Day Week research project studies real employers, real staff, and real outcomes to understand what changes when businesses move to working time reduction. From productivity and sleep to motivation, meetings, AI, and whether the "honeymoon effect" wears off, this is a brilliant conversation about what the evidence says and where the practical challenges still sit. In this episode, you'll learn: The difference between working time reduction, compressed hours, and part-time working How the Sussex 4 Day Week programme helps businesses prepare, trial, and measure results Why productivity rose by around 8% on average in the trial period Why improved sleep appears to be linked to improved productivity How motivation and behaviour change drive better output in less time Which sectors and business sizes are best suited to shorter working weeks Why most four-day week businesses do not simply shut on Fridays How AI may help enable shorter working weeks, but only if used in a structured way Topics we cover: Four-day week models explained Measuring productivity, wellbeing, burnout, sleep, and motivation Why little tweaks often beat big grand changes The role of rest, recovery, and hobbies Sector differences: knowledge work, manufacturing, care, rota-based businesses Which non-working day businesses choose most often Long-term stickability of the four-day week Whether AI could accelerate working time reduction About the guest: Charlotte Rae is an Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Sussex and leads the Sussex 4 Day Week research project. With a background in psychology and neuroscience, she applies a rigorous, data-driven approach to studying how shorter working weeks affect productivity, wellbeing, and workplace performance. Links and resources mentioned: Sussex Four Day Week: https://sussex4dayweek.co.uk Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	Why comms teams fail, even with great tools \| Dino Delić	28 avr. 2026	00:57:25
What if the problem is not your tool? In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Dino Delić of Meltwater, the global leader in media intelligence. Sam and Dino cover data, comms, capability-building, AI, and why too many teams are still using powerful tools to produce underwhelming outcomes. Dino is sharp, direct, gloriously opinionated, and obsessed with helping people stop hiding behind "best practices" and start solving the right problem. They explore why data often fails to drive action inside organisations, how comms teams can become more strategically useful, why AI is creating both huge opportunity and total chaos, and why capability matters far more than buying the latest shiny thing. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Dino hates the phrase "best practices" Why most teams are not held back by their tools How to start with the real moment of frustration, not generic advice Why the CEO's priorities should shape your data communications strategy How to turn reporting into decision-making Why AI can massively help, but only if you know what good looks like already Why most people are still "the cat chasing the laser pointer" How Dino thinks about capability, experimentation, and constant improvement Topics we cover: Dino's background from Bosnia to Australia to the US Sales, persuasion, and making ideas land Why "tool + skills + resources" matters The difference between collecting data and using data Why AVEs and lazy measurement still hang around AI hype, maturity, and common mistakes Meltwater's Run Club, newsletter, and open learning approach Why communicators need debate, not just agreement About the guest: Dino Delić is Strategic Customer Advisor at Meltwater. He works at the intersection of communications, data, measurement, enablement, and customer success, helping teams turn information into action and become more effective, persuasive, and data-driven in the work they do. Links and resources mentioned: Meltwater's Data Driven Communications Run Club and newsletter - https://community.meltwater.com/p/ddc Follow Dino Delić on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinodelic/ Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	From Skype to delivery robots: Ahti Heinla on data, deep tech and solving the last mile problem	15 avr. 2026	00:45:47
Ahti Heinla has built category-defining tech in two completely different worlds. First, he helped architect Skype, making internet communication simple enough to spread like wildfire. Then he co-founded Starship Technologies, tackling the "last mile problem" with autonomous delivery robots that work in real streets, real weather, and with real world chaos. Along the way, Ahti shares what Estonia got right with digital infrastructure, why "small beats slow", and why he's worried the world is drifting away from facts. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Estonia became a tech flywheel, and what secure digital infrastructure unlocks The early objections to Skype and why they were reasonable at the time How network effects helped Skype spread, fast What "last mile delivery" really is, and why it's the inefficient bit What makes autonomous delivery deep tech, not "just another app" Why Starship Technologies' robots are designed to be friendly but not human The biggest data challenge Ahti sees today: people ignoring data Why post-truth worries him, even with better tools than ever Topics we cover: Estonia's digital ID, online voting, and startup culture Skype's origin story and early market timing Speed vs the establishment, network effects, culture challenges at scale Starship's view of logistics and automating the last mile Real world robotics constraints: weather, regulation, competition Data culture, machine learning, and decision-making Civic tech and environmental initiatives Post-truth, misinformation, and fact-based leadership About the guest: Ahti Heinla is the CEO and co-founder of Starship Technologies, the global leader in autonomous last mile delivery. He was also a founding engineer and Chief Technical Architect at Skype, having spent decades building software and systems that scale. Links and resources mentioned: Starship Technologies website – https://www.starship.xyz The Let's Do It World! campaign – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let%27s_Do_It!_World Citizen OS – https://citizenos.com Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	"Equality FC": Karen and Charlie Dobres on Lewes FC, equity, attention, and the imbalance in FA Cup prize money between the men's and women's competitions	01 avr. 2026	00:54:55
"Now, today is a first for data malarkey… This is the very first time that we've had two guests on the same episode. Not only two guests, but also a dynamic feminist wife and husband duo…" In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Karen and Charlie Dobres from Lewes Community Football Club about how Lewes became "the first and still the only club in the world" to equalise men's and women's playing budgets, and what it takes to shift culture, attention, sponsorship and long-term equity in football. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com External resources Karen's LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-dobres-07a54b176/ and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/karendobres/?hl=en: "I'm best found on Instagram or LinkedIn." Charlie's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliedobres/ Karen's book - B/Pitch Invasion - https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/karen-dobres/pitch-invasion/9781788405881/ : "I'm definitely best found on LinkedIn." Charlie's "If you look on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, look up "Not Small Mean."podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/4UsJkXfQQz2Og0IXBQAgYn?si=da6dd926f74e48c9 Own a share in Lewes FC - https://lewesfc.com/become-an-owner/ Equality FC in practice - https://lewesfc.com/football-for-good/equality-fc/
	Return On Inclusion: Why inclusive marketing drives growth (Ali Hanan, Creative Equals)	18 mars 2026	00:50:03
What if the biggest growth lever for brands in 2026 isn't media spend, targeting tweaks, or yet another funnel experiment … but inclusive marketing? In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Ali Hanan, Founder & CEO of Creative Equals, to unpack the data-driven business case for meaningful representation in advertising — what Ali calls the "Return on Inclusion." This is a conversation about marketing effectiveness, advertising effectiveness, brand growth strategy, representation vs positive portrayal, and how brands can do marketing for good and for growth without falling into performative box-ticking. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com What you'll learn What "Return On Inclusion" means, and how to think about it as a measurable commercial strategy Why representation alone isn't enough — and how positive portrayal changes outcomes How underrepresented audiences translate into real market opportunity (and why brands miss it) How to handle the "woke" backlash by reframing inclusion through human rights and equal treatment What AI changes in creative development — and how to avoid a "sea of sameness" Why marketing effectiveness awards and case studies increasingly link inclusion to profit and growth Key moments 00:00 Cold open + the growth provocation 00:39 Intro + Ali Hannon / Creative Equals 05:41 The core data case for inclusion 10:15 "the UK ad sector… holding the growth… back" 14:40 Positive portrayal explained 20:04 The "£800 billion" underrepresented communities point 21:13 Scorecard CTA 29:02 Human rights framing 33:06 AI, bias, and inclusive prompting 41:47 "saving 312 lives" (community impact example) 48:09 Where to find Ali / Creative Equals Follow Ali / Creative Equals Website — https://creativeequals.org Ali's LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-hanan-19b3a2 Resources mentioned UN Stereotype Alliance Effie Awards + Cannes Lions (effectiveness / inclusion lens) PepsiCo / Walkers case study Nurofen "gender pain gap" case study Book: Sex Matters
	Harriet Kingaby on AI, Advertising, and the "No-Click Internet"	04 mars 2026	00:52:23
What happens when the business model of the internet rewards attention at any cost - and AI makes it even easier to centralise power, traffic, and revenue? In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Harriet Kingaby, Co-Chair of the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN). Harriet explores how advertising incentives shape the information ecosystem, why "information integrity" matters for democracy and business, and what conscious advertisers should be asking before they partner with platforms. This is a conversation about digital trust, algorithmic discrimination, recommendation algorithms, AI search summaries, the "no-click internet", data privacy, and why transparency in advertising is foundational if we want healthier online systems. Key topics Conscious advertising and advertising ethics Information integrity and transparent advertising AI in advertising and AI-driven search summaries Recommendation algorithms and algorithmic discrimination Online harms, self-harm content, and monetisation incentives The "no-click internet" and the death of the open web UN Global Principles on Information Integrity Facial recognition and surveillance risks in advertising and the home Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com What you'll learn Why Harriet thinks the incentives behind online platforms can produce unhealthy outcomes How CAN works as a "broad church" bringing together industry and civil society What "information integrity" means in practice - and why advertising transparency is central How discrimination can show up through recommendation systems and reach Why the "no-click internet" could reshape publishing, revenue, and independent content The kinds of questions advertisers should ask when partnering with platforms and AI tools A striking example of data misuse: facial recognition embedded in TV sets for ad targeting External resources LinkedIn: Harriet Kingaby - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hkingaby/ Conscious Advertising Network - https://www.consciousadnetwork.com CAN's Guiding Principles - https://www.consciousadnetwork.com/the-guidingprincipleslandingpage/ UN Global Principles on Information Integrity https://www.un.org/en/information-integrity/global-principles The EU Digital Services Act - https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act The Molly Rose Foundation report - https://mollyrosefoundation.org/ Cambridge Analytica scandal - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c81zyn0888lt
	"Start Making Sense": Data Malarkey Season Nine greatest hits	21 janv. 2026	00:56:43
Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles hosts a best-of-Season-Nine greatest hits episode, featuring: Kelly Beaver, Ipsos UK & Ireland; Angela Balakrishnan, the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO); AI pathfinder and TED Talker, Susan Etlinger; senior comms advisor at Wadds Inc., Stephen Waddington; founder of Social for Good, Kerry Watkins; and, the Ohio State University's Professor of Story Science, Angus Fletcher. Themes include the Market Research Society's "Campaign for Better Data", ultra-processed data in the age of AI, information rights and public trust, engineering-level rigour in PR and evidence-based measurement, authentic LinkedIn strategy for nonprofits and digital wellbeing (living life 24/six), and narrative cognition with anomalies, intuition, creativity, and leadership. Chapters (mm:ss) 00:00 Intro and wrap-up setup 00:22 Kelly Beaver, Ipsos, on the Campaign for Better Data 01:08 Ultra-processed data 42:41 Tool and weapon framing 44:26 Data Commerce Conference guests 45:07 Shedding a trail of data 54:48 Thanks to guests 56:06 See you again soon Data Malarkey Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Contact: hello@usingdatasmarter.com Suggest a guest: https://www.usingdatasmarter.com/guest
	Reality doesn't obey logic — Angus Fletcher on anomalies, intuition, and innovation	07 janv. 2026	00:53:39
Professor of Story Science, Angus Fletcher, joins Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, to dig into narrative cognition, creativity, and innovation in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. Drawing on Project Narrative (based at Ohio State University) and his book Primal Intelligence, Angus explains why logic is not reality, why adults struggle with intuition, and why the most effective stories and breakthroughs start with an anomaly. We explore intuition, imagination, emotion, and common sense as core human capabilities that enable us to outperform computational optimisation and AI when the world is changing fast and low on (reliable) data. Angus shares lessons from U.S. Army Special Operations training and a NASA case study on empowering young engineers, showing how leaders can detect anomalies early, design new plans for new environments, and build cultures that reward creativity over certainty. If you care about decision making, leadership, AI vs human judgment, innovation strategy, and story science, this episode is for you. Resources and links Project Narrative (Ohio State University) - https://projectnarrative.osu.edu/ Primal Intelligence (Angus' 2025 bestselling book) - https://www.angusfletcher.co/ Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	AI, authenticity, and digital detox — Kerry Watkins on Social for Good	09 déc. 2025	00:48:25
Social for Good founder, Kerry Watkins, joins Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, to talk charity communications, nonprofit social media strategy, and building authentic engagement on LinkedIn. They cover why relying solely on a company page limits reach ("LinkedIn particularly wants people to network with other people"), how to swap broadcast posting for proactive engagement and relationship metrics, and why "people want to see real people". Kerry explains what AI is changing in social media - automatic targeting that often outperforms manual audiences, internal tools for accessibility alt-text and brand voice (GPT) - and where AI undermines trust when captions feel "too ChatGPT." We also dive into 24/six, Kerry's digital wellbeing project: digital detox experiences, learning to "sit with that uncomfortableness", and the "sparkly brain" that follows time off-grid. If you work in non-profit marketing, charity comms, or purpose-driven social, this episode is packed with LinkedIn strategy, engagement measurement, AI in social media, and digital wellbeing insights you can use immediately. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Resources and links Social for Good - https://www.socialforgood.co.uk The Social for Good Accelerator for charities and purpose-led organisations – https://www.socialforgood.co.uk/accelerator Kerry's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-watkins/ 24/six, Kerry's "side hustle" – https://www.24six.co.uk Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	Engineering rigour vs PR Malarkey - Stephen Waddington on data, stories, and measurement	25 nov. 2025	00:39:33
Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes Wadds Inc.'s Stephen Waddington to explore engineering-style rigour in PR. They discuss: elevating the function during the pandemic, building multi-source datasets for the "Pints & Profits" case study, why "synthetic audiences" are "ultimately junk," McDonaldization and repeatability, balancing numbers and narrative, and the pitfalls of AVE and proxy metrics - plus a call for all PR practitioners to contribute to Stephen's PhD research. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Resources and social media • Contribute to Stephen's PhD research: https://publicrelationsmanagement.phd • "Pints & Profits" (Brew case study) http://bit.ly/3KC7qcE • Market Research Society: "Campaign for Better Data" http://bit.ly/4pD2RyZ • Stephen's blog: https://wadds.co.uk/blog • Stephen's Substack: https://wadds.substack.com • Stephen's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwaddington/
	Data doesn't create meaning - we do	11 nov. 2025	00:40:56
Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes AI Pathfinder and TED Talker, Susan Etlinger, for a conversation about AI, meaning-making, and agency. Topics include the influx of new data types, Orwell vs Huxley (after Neil Postman' Amusing Ourselves to Death), why we're "intentionally ceding control to machines", the burden of proof for automation, inclusion across languages and models, and why "facts can't defend themselves against being misconstrued". Susan also highlights core skills for a new curriculum for the AI era: History, Statistics, and Social Sciences. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Resources and social media links Susan's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanetlinger/ TED@IBM talk: "What do we do with all this big data?" http://bit.ly/3Ioh423 Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death - http://bit.ly/3Iwrk8r Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	Empowering people through information: Inside the ICO	29 oct. 2025	00:43:38
Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles,speaks with Angela Balakrishnan, Executive Director of Strategic Communications & Public Affairs at the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) about information rights, public trust, AI, and why "data is about people". Topics include the ICO's role, rights awareness, AI priorities and consultation, practical tips (think about your digital footprint; strong passwords; MFA), and the Ripple Effect campaign ("It was one admin error") with trauma-informed research and charity partners. Resources and links - ICO website - https://ico.org.uk/ - ICO on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/information-commissioner's-office/ - ICO on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@informationcommissioner - Ripple Effect campaign - http://bit.ly/4m9o2FX Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	Ultra-processed data: the hidden risk AI can't solve	14 oct. 2025	00:30:26
In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes Kelly Beaver, Chief Executive of Ipsos UK & Ireland, to explore why the data industry is at a crossroads. Kelly shares insights from the Market Research Society's "Campaign for Better Data" - tackling synthetic data, the risks and benefits of AI to the market research industry, and the danger of what she terms "ultra-processed data". With passion and precision, Kelly explains why high-quality evidence matters more than ever. 🔍 Topics covered: The rise of synthetic and algorithmically altered data What makes data "ultra-processed" - and why that's a problem The need for transparency and representativeness Why in-person collaboration still matters Storytelling, ethics, and the future of insight Resources and links Ipsos UK & Ireland - https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk Market Research Society (MRS): Campaign for Better Data - http://bit.ly/4m5eH1E MRS Fair Data Mark - https://www.mrs.org.uk/standards/fairdata 👉 Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
	Best of Series 8: Perception, Purpose, and Persuasion - The Data Malarkey Podcast	02 sept. 2025	00:57:52
In this Greatest Hits episode, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, rounds up the sharpest, most compelling, and most insightful moments from Series 8 of Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data, smarter. From AI and ethics to storytelling with data, this episode features golden snippets of conversations with: VW's Nick Ratcliffe on marketing measurement Cambridge United FC's Mark Bonner on the need to balance the emotional and the rational in the era of sporting analytics The Great Lakes Reporter of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Caitlyn Looby, on three golden rule of storytelling from science Oxford psychology professor, Chris Summerfield, on neuroscience and artificial intelligence - and how AI and human minds are similar AND different The American Enterprise Institute's Senior Fellow, Christine Rosen, on the extinction of real-world experience And data-driven PR agency owner - Darryl Sparey from Hard Numbers - on data that actually drives communications impact (and not just vanity metrics) If you've missed an episode, this is the perfect sampler. And if you're a regular, enjoy the smartest, quirkiest moments of the season all in one go and revel in how the planets align and the dots join up to create cross-sector insights. 🎧 Stay tuned to hear what ties them all together: a passion for asking smarter questions and making more meaningful use of data.
	Measuring what matters: Darryl Sparey on comms, metrics, and making data sing	19 août 2025	00:52:31
In this episode of The Data Malarkey Podcast, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, talks with Darryl Sparey, Managing Director and Co-Founder of UK-based PR agency, Hard Numbers. A seasoned expert in communications and marketing measurement, Darryl breaks down what it really means to use data effectively in PR, how vanity metrics mislead, and why storytelling still reigns supreme. From launching award-winning campaigns to championing smarter KPIs, Darryl brings sharp insight and plenty of playful Data Malarkey to the mic. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com 🔍 Topics in this episode include: The rise of data-led storytelling in earned media communications and PR Vanity metrics vs. genuine business impact Lessons learned from building Hard Numbers What PR measurement too often gets wrong 🎯 This episode is a must-listen for marketers, comms professionals, and curious media data analysts analysts alike.
	The Extinction of Experience: Christine Rosen on reclaiming humanity in a digital world	05 août 2025	00:48:07
In this episode of The Data Malarkey Podcast, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Christine Rosen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the 2025 book, The Extinction of Experience. They dig into what happens when real-world, face-to-face experiences are replaced by screens and algorithms. Christine shares her unique journey from a bassoon scholarship to intellectual thought leadership, how teaching aikido shapes her thinking, and how she sees technology reshaping human behavior - for better and worse. With insight, wit, and depth, Christine challenges us to reconsider what we lose when digital convenience becomes the norm. 🔍 Topics include: Why boredom, handwriting, and walking matter What the "extinction of experience" means AI, screen time, and our increasingly mediated lives Martial arts, musical instruments, and embodied attention The pandemic's role in accelerating mediation Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com 🧠 This one's for anyone curious about reclaiming a genuinely human presence in an over-mediated world.
	How AI Thinks: Chris Summerfield on human brains and machine algorithms	22 juil. 2025	00:51:41
In this episode of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data, smarter – Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, talks to Chris Summerfield, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford. Chris shares insights into what makes human intelligence so remarkable, how AI models are both fundamentally different from AND similar to human brains, and why understanding cognitive science is critical for building better AI. They explore the future of AI-human collaboration, discuss Chris' long experience at DeepMind, and consider why prediction sits at the core of both artificial and human intelligence. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com What you'll learn: Why AI models both AND aren't like human brains How DeepMind trained AlphaGo to beat the Go world champion, Lee Sedol What cognitive science can teach AI research Why prediction is central to intelligence The benefits and limitations of current large language models Resources mentioned: Chris Summerfield's University of Oxford 'Human Information Processing' lab These Strange New Minds – Chris's compelling 2025 book Chris' personal webpage DeepMind and the AlphaGo documentary Want to learn more? Check out the links in the show notes and subscribe for more episodes.
	Rebuilding trust in science with Caitlyn Looby	08 juil. 2025	00:40:35
In this compelling episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes Caitlyn Looby - scientist, journalist, and Great Lakes reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. From conducting soil microbe research in tropical cloud forests to demystifying scientific communication for the public, Caitlyn's career bridges hard science and human stories. This episode explores her journey, the importance of accessible science, and how local storytelling builds trust. What you'll learn: How Caitlyn transitioned from academia to journalism The hidden world of tropical montane cloud forests and their vulnerability to climate change Why scientists must learn to ditch the jargon The role of storytelling in building public trust in science Caitlyn's three golden rules for science communication Resources mentioned: Caitlyn Looby's article in the Royal Society of Arts Journal: Trust in Science Caitlyn's TEDx talk: Building Public Trust in Science at TEDxOshkosh Stay tuned for more enlightening episodes of Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data, smarter.
	Mark Bonner on football, data, and the beautiful balance	24 juin 2025	00:45:02
In this lively episode of Data Malarkey, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Mark Bonner, Director of Football at Cambridge United. From academy coach to leading the club to shock cup victories, Bonner's football journey is anything but typical. Together, they explore the evolving role of data in football, the emotional highs and lows of managing a club, and what it really means to find balance between intuition and insight. Pep Guardiola's wild celebrations and Carlo Ancelotti's stoic eyebrow also make cameo appearances. What you'll learn: How Mark Bonner's career evolved from grassroots to head coach and back to Director of Football at Cambridge United The role of data and analytics in modern football decision-making Why balance between emotional intelligence and cold, hard stats is crucial Behind-the-scenes realities of coaching, scouting, and club leadership Resources mentioned: Cambridge United FC Mark Bonner on X Mark Bonner on Instagram Mark Bonner on LinkedIn Want to learn more about Mark Bonner or Cambridge United? Check out the links in the show notes. And remember to subscribe for more episodes of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data, smarter; where numbers meet nuance.
	Turning data into desirability: Automotive insights with Nick Ratcliffe	10 juin 2025	00:36:24
Recorded live at the DataComms 2025 conference in London, this very special episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast features Nick Ratcliffe, Customer Experience Director at Volkswagen Group UK. Host and master data storyteller, Sam Knowles, delves into how Nick and his team wield data to enhance customer experience, transform brand desirability, and prepare for the automotive industry's electric future. With a career spanning leadership roles at BT, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, Nick shares his evidence-based approach to marketing, the importance (and scarcity) of genuine insight, and a few personal stories from his eclectic selection of hobbies. What You'll Learn: • How VW Group UK uses data to be ever-more customer-centric • Why insight is more than just data - it's about action • The impact of behavioural economics and marketing science • Nick's view on the future of automotive CX in the EV era • How storytelling and science intersect in successful marketing Resources Mentioned: Volkswagen Group UK Nick Ratcliffe on LinkedIn Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard Make sure to like and subscribe for more episodes.
	Season 7 Greatest Hits: AI, Kindness & the Power of Storytelling	29 avr. 2025	00:49:19
We've reached 51 episodes and wrapped Season 7 of Data Malarkey! In this greatest hits episode, host Sam Knowles shares the most powerful moments from a season packed with insights—from AI ethics to data puppets, from psychology and kindness to practical business transformation. Revisit brilliant guests like Sylvie Delacroix, Julie Holmes, Cecilia Dones, Robin Banerjee, Adam Davidson, and Scott Taylor, all of whom shared their real-world, often surprising, insights on how to use data smarter. What You'll Learn: How to rethink AI through the lens of humility and uncertainty The ethics of online trust and virtual relationships Why businesses need to upgrade soft skills, not just systems The power of kindness in society and psychology How satire and puppets explain data better than PowerPoint ever could Special Mentions: Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard Guest Application Form Subscribe on YouTube: Data Malarkey Minimal Thumbnail Text Suggestions: 🧠 "Best of AI & Empathy" or 📊 "Greatest Hits: Data Gets Human"
	AI as an Intern, Not a Genius: Julie Holmes on Automation, Ethics & Human Impact	15 avr. 2025	00:49:00
In this energising episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles speaks with Julie Holmes, entrepreneur, inventor, and AI advisor. Julie shares her insights into how businesses can make AI work with their people – not instead of them. She dives into creative automation, ethical AI, and the dangers of dabbling without direction. From her practical UPGRADE Framework to her "intern not genius" approach to creating effective prompts for LLMs, Julie delivers a candid, actionable masterclass on the human side of AI. What You'll Learn: Why AI should be seen as an intern – not a threat. How to scale creativity and automation. What most businesses get wrong about AI readiness. The ethical responsibilities we must now embrace. How to build smarter prompts that actually deliver results. Resources Mentioned: Julie Holmes' website: https://www.julieholmes.com Julie's AI readiness assessment for businesses: https://julieholmes.com/ai-readiness-assessment-2025/ The AI prompt library and archive https://julieholmes.com/prompt/ Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com The Insight Agents' website – Sam Knowles' business, including the archive of Data Malarkey podcast episodes: https://insightagents.co.uk Rate, Review, and Follow! If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and don't forget to follow and subscribe for a new episode every fortnight!
	Truth Before Meaning: Scott Taylor on Data Storytelling & Business Impact	01 avr. 2025	00:51:54
In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, host Sam Knowles welcomes Scott Taylor, The Data Whisperer, to break down why data storytelling is the missing business skill in the world of AI, analytics, and business intelligence. Scott shares why he believes in Truth Before Meaning, the idea that businesses need clean, structured data before they can extract meaningful insights. He also explains why tech jargon is holding the data industry back, why business leaders don't care how data works, and how he's making the world of data more relatable through Data Puppets. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The biggest mistakes data leaders make when presenting to executives Why data management is the foundation for AI success How to tell data stories that business leaders actually understand The origins of Data Puppets and why humour matters in data Resources Mentioned: Scott Taylor's book: Telling Your Data Story (Amazon) Scott's YouTube Channel: The Data Whisperer Data Puppets: www.datapuppets.com Scott's 2024 Big Data London keynote – "Data is the new bullsh*t" www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LRVF-1nGPQ "The Little Red Data Hen" www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBFwiGN3XK0 The DataVengers: www.datacated.com/datavengers Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Join the Conversation: Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Follow the podcast for more insights on data, storytelling, and business communication. Connect with Us: Scott Taylor: LinkedIn \| MetaMeta Consulting Sam Knowles: https://insightagents.co.uk Rate, Review, and Follow! If you enjoyed this episode, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. It helps us reach more people who care about data and storytelling!
	The Science of Kindness & Finding Joy in Data \| Prof. Robin Banerjee on Psychology & Empathy	19 mars 2025	00:51:57
Is kindness just a "soft" concept, or is there real science behind it? In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement at the University of Sussex. Robin's research explores the psychology of kindness, empathy, and human connection, revealing how data can unlock powerful insights about our social world. From leading the BBC Kindness Test – a groundbreaking study with over 60,000 participants – to his work on how fiction and television shape empathy, Robin shares fascinating insights about the science of human connection. He also explains why he finds joy in data – a phrase that might just change how you see statistics forever. What you'll learn in this episode: The psychology behind kindness—what drives it, and how we measure it Surprising insights from the BBC Kindness Test How fiction and TV shape our ability to empathise The joy in data and why it's more than just numbers Why understanding human behaviour through research is so important Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:27 - Robin Banerjee's career and research focus 07:43 - What makes someone kind? 13:53 - The BBC Kindness Test: Key findings 20:02 - The psychology of human connection 30:36 - Finding joy in data 39:07 - Empathy and storytelling: fiction vs reality 45:00 - What TV tells us about our emotions 50:30 - Where to find out more about Robin's research About our guest: Professor Robin Banerjee is a leading researcher in developmental psychology and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement at the University of Sussex. His work focuses on kindness, empathy, and social development, and he is the founder of the Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness. Robin's research has been featured widely, including his collaboration with BBC Radio 4 on the Kindness Test, the largest study of its kind, exploring how people experience and perceive kindness across different cultures and communities. Resources mentioned: Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness on the University of Sussex website BBC Kindness Test: BBC Radio 4 Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Sam Knowles' website: https://www.insightagents.co.uk Join the conversation: Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Follow the podcast for more insights on psychology, data, and human behaviour. Connect with us: Robin Banerjee: University of Sussex profile Sam Knowles: LinkedIn profile Rate, Review, and Follow! Enjoyed the episode? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps us bring more thought-provoking discussions to you!
	Trust, AI, and the Future of Human Connection with Cecilia Dones	05 mars 2025	00:51:25
In this engaging episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller and host Sam Knowles welcomes Cecilia Dones, a thought leader in data, AI, and human connection. Ceci explores how technology shapes the way we interact, trust, and build relationships—both online and offline. She shares insights into AI ethics, uncertainty in machine learning, and why trust is the cornerstone of all our digital futures. From her work in AI ethics to her philosophy on leadership and adaptability, Ceci provides fresh perspectives on the best ways to navigate the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on data, trust, and what it means to be human in the age of AI. What you'll learn in this episode: Why trust in digital interactions is becoming harder to establish The role of AI in shaping human relationships and decision-making How uncertainty in AI responses from LLMs may be an advantage not a weakness The power of adaptability and why labels limit creativity Why leaders need to embrace ambiguity in the AI era Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:27 - Cecilia Dones on connections and human-centred technology 07:43 - Why trust in digital spaces is complicated 13:53 - How AI influences our relationships and decision-making 20:02 - The challenge of uncertainty in AI models 30:36 - Leadership, adaptability, and embracing ambiguity 39:07 - No Labels: Why Ceci avoids definitions and fixed roles 45:00 - The ethical dilemmas of AI, privacy, and consent 50:30 - Where Cecilia Dones is sharing her work and insights About our guest: Cecilia Dones is a data and analytics practitioner-academic, founder of 3 Standard Deviations, with expertise spanning Fortune 500 companies and academia. She specialises in AI applications, technology's impact on human interactions, and bridging data insights across sectors. Currently, she is completing her doctoral studies on interpersonal trust in digital environments. She holds degrees from NYU Stern and Columbia University. She has taught at top business schools and authors the "Authentic Interactions" newsletter on Substack exploring technology, data, authenticity, and trust. Resources mentioned: Cecilia Dones' Substack: Authentic Interactions Ceci's LinkedIn newsletter "What is a CMO to do with AI?" Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Join the conversation: Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Follow the podcast for more insights on AI, data, and leadership Connect with us: Cecilia Dones: LinkedIn \| Substack blog – https://authenticinteractions.substack.com Sam Knowles: LinkedIn Rate, review, and follow! Enjoyed the episode? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps us bring more thought-provoking discussions to you.
	From CERN to Ad Regulation: How AI & Data Science Are Changing Advertising \| Adam Davidson	19 févr. 2025	00:48:03
Check out our Data Storytelling scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com In this episode of the podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles sits down with Adam Davidson, Head of Data Science at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Adam shares his fascinating journey from CERN's Large Hadron Collider, where he contributed to the search for the Higgs boson, to leading data-driven efforts in advertising regulation. 💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode: How Adam transitioned from physics to advertising regulation, with the constant drumbeat of data science The role of AI and machine learning in monitoring online ads Why data storytelling is critical for bridging the gap between data teams and leadership How the ASA is tackling fraudulent ads and influencer marketing transparency The future of real-time ad monitoring and automation Ethical concerns around the misuse of data in advertising If you've ever wondered how AI is shaping the future of digital advertising and how regulators are keeping up, this episode is for you! 🎧 Listen now and discover how AI, data science, and machine learning are transforming the ad industry! Episode Chapters & Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction: Meet Adam Davidson 01:27 - From CERN to Data Science in Advertising 04:32 - Bridging the Gap Between Data Science & Leadership 09:14 - The AI-Powered Ad Monitoring System 14:38 - Regulating the "Wild West" of Online Ads 18:12 - The Challenge of Influencer Marketing & Hidden Ads 25:30 - AI & Automation: Real-Time Ad Monitoring 32:02 - How AI in Advertising is Evolving 39:45 - Misuse of Data: The Dark Side of AI 45:36 - Final Thoughts & Where to Follow Adam Guest Bio: Adam Davidson Adam Davidson is the Head of Data Science at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), where he leads efforts to monitor and regulate digital advertising using AI and machine learning. His career started in particle physics at CERN, where he was involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson. Adam later transitioned to data science roles at Qubit and The Economist, before joining the ASA in 2021. Now, he's using data and AI to bring accountability to online advertising, leading a seven-strong team of data scientists at the ASA who are ensuring that brands comply with regulations, legislation, and ethical marketing standards. 🔗 Follow Adam Davidson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-davison-a5624815/ 🔗 The Advertising Standards Authority https://www.asa.org.uk Key Takeaways & Quotes from This Episode 🧠 On Data Storytelling: "Data science is useless if leaders don't understand it. Storytelling bridges that gap." – Adam Davidson 🤖 On AI in Advertising Regulation: "We built an AI system that actively monitors ads in real time – catching fraudulent content before it spreads." ⚖️ On Ethical Advertising: "Influencer marketing needs more transparency. Consumers deserve to know when they're being sold to." 🚀 On the Future of AI & Automation: "Machine learning in advertising isn't new. What's new is the scale at which we can use it for good." Resources & Links 🔗 Adam on BBC2's Horizon, "The Hunt for the Higgs Boson" – www.dailymotion.com/video/x621wqk 🔗 Profile on Adam in Marketing \| Beat – https://www.marketing-beat.co.uk/2024/04/11/asa-harnessing-ai-technology/ 🔗 "Using AI to monitor the promotion of prescription-only medicines" by Adam Davison, ASA blog, 09.11.23 – https://www.asa.org.uk/news/using-ai-to-monitor-the-promotion-of-prescription-only-medicines.html 🔗 "Our Active Ad Monitoring system" by Adam Davison, ASA blog, 14.07.23 – https://www.asa.org.uk/news/our-active-ad-monitoring-system.html 🔗 "How data science is changing ad regulation" by Adam Davison, ASA blog, 17.11.22 – https://www.asa.org.uk/news/how-data-science-is-changing-ad-regulation.html Support & Connect 💬 Enjoyed this episode? Let us know! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 📢 Share this episode with colleagues in marketing, advertising, or data science. 🔔 Follow the podcast for more deep dives into AI, ethics, and advertising! 🎙 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (https://bit.ly/3YIh7I7), Spotify (https://bit.ly/3JafOfg), and our YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@datamalarkey
	How can we build an AI future which respects ethics and data privacy? With Professor Sylvie Delacroix, Centre for Data Futures, King's College London	05 févr. 2025	00:53:13
In this thought-provoking episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles sits down with Sylvie Delacroix, the inaugural Jeff Price Chair in Digital Law in the Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College London. Sylvie shares her insights into data ethics, the vulnerabilities we face in a data-driven world, and the transformative potential of generative AI. She also introduces the Centre for Data Futures, her initiative to build participatory data infrastructure that empowers individuals and communities. This is a conversation about ethics, identity, and the future of AI that you won't want to miss. What you'll learn in this episode: The hidden vulnerabilities of our daily data leaks. How AI can both limit and empower personal reinvention. Why participatory infrastructure is essential for ethical AI development. The concept of 'humility markers' in AI and their potential to transform conversations. How Sylvie's work bridges the gap between theory and practice in digital law and data ethics. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:27 - Sylvie Delacroix's journey and research focus 07:43 - The vulnerability of self in the data-driven age 13:53 - Building participatory data infrastructures 20:02 - Rethinking AI and conversational models 30:36 - The importance of humility markers in AI 39:07 - The future of ethical AI: aspirations and hopes About our guest: Sylvie Delacroix is a leading expert in digital law and ethics. As the Jeff Price Chair in Digital Law at King's College London, Professor Delacroix directs the Centre for Data Futures, focusing on participatory data infrastructure and ethical governance of AI. Her work on data trusts and habitual ethics has shaped policy initiatives worldwide. To learn more about her work, visit https://delacroix.uk Resources mentioned: Sylvie Delacroix's home page https://delacroix.uk The Center for Data Futures https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/centre-for-data-futures The Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College, London https://www.kcl.ac.uk/law Sylvie's book, Habitual Ethics?, available via Bloomsbury (open-access) https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?docid=b-9781509920440 Sam Knowles' book, Asking Smarter Questions: How to be an Agent of Insight https://asksmarterqs.com Find Out What Kind of Data Storyteller you are: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com/ Join the conversation: Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com Follow the podcast for more insightful conversations on data and AI Connect with us: Sylvie Delacroix: King's College London Profile, LinkedIn profile Sam Knowles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samknowlesdatastory Rate, review, follow, and share! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an update!
	The Smartest Data Moments from Season 6	18 déc. 2024	00:50:53
In this special wrap-up episode of Data Malarkey, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, takes us through the standout moments from Season 6 of the podcast. From neuroscience-driven storytelling to data privacy law, this compilation showcases some of the smartest and most impactful ways people are using data to improve communication, branding, and societal outcomes. Featuring insights from a diverse lineup of experts, this episode is packed with lessons and strategies for anyone curious about making data work smarter. Key Highlights: The Neuroscience of Marketing (00:02:10): Cristina de Balanzo discusses how to avoid the pitfalls of "neurobollocks" in neuroscience-driven market research. Data-Backed Simplicity in Storytelling (00:07:02): Natalia Talkowska explains how neuroscience and behavioural science enhance storytelling effectiveness in data-heavy communication. Breaking the Curse of Knowledge (00:12:26): Mike Ellicock shares tips for simplifying data communication, especially in utilities and financial services. GDPR: A Force for Good (00:18:09): Alice Wallbank defends the GDPR and unpacks its hidden benefits and costs. Levelling the Playing Field for Women Scientists (00:27:22): Ylann Schemm highlights how Elsevier uses data to advance inclusive research and health. The Science Behind Accurate Exit Polls (00:34:05): Professor Sir John Curtice reveals how academic methods have transformed election night predictions. Barbarians Rugby's Data-Driven Rebrand (00:42:00): Branding guru Bill Wallsgrove showcases how data informed a fresh, digital-first identity for the iconic club. External Links: Using Data Smarter guest application form: Submit a Guest Follow Sam Knowles on LinkedIn: Sam Knowles Catch full episodes and video content on YouTube: Data Malarkey YouTube Channel Subscribe and Stay Connected: New episodes drop every other Wednesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review! To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard.
	Unlocking Creativity: Natalia Talkowska on Neuroscience, Storytelling & Innovation	04 déc. 2024	00:48:27
In this episode of Data Malarkey, we sit down with Natalia Talkowska, founder of Natalka Design, to explore the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, visual communication, and storytelling. Natalia shares her inspiring journey and how she helps people overcome self-doubt, embrace creativity, and communicate their big ideas with impact. From her revolutionary Visualise Futures tool to the importance of breaking perfectionist habits, this episode is packed with insights for anyone looking to unlock their creative potential. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why visual communication is the future of storytelling. How neuroscience can guide effective communication. Overcoming perfectionism and self-doubt. The role of AI in enhancing creativity and connection. Natalia's personal tips for building confidence and creating impact. Links & Resources: Natalka Design Website: www.natalkadesign.com Visualise Futures Substack: visuaisefutures.substack.com Creative Brain Club Newsletter: creativebrainclub.substack.com Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling-scorecard.com Follow Natalia Online: LinkedIn: Natalia Talkowska Instagram: @natalkadesign If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform! 🎧
	How can we improve product and brand design with data? With Bill Wallsgrove, Head of Ideas at Brandad	20 nov. 2024	00:43:17
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Bill Wallsgrove, Head of Ideas at Brighton-based communications and design agency, Brandad. Bill has more than 30 years' experience working in business strategy, brand creation, and communications development. He trained at the London College of Printing and cut his teeth at the legendary design agency, Coley Porter Bell. Bill's worked in 3D design and packaging design. He is also the man responsible for the creation of the McCoy's brand of crisps. Throughout his career, Bill has been keen to share the tools of his trade with succeeding generations, both through academic and industry bodies. These include the Design Council and the University of Brighton, where today he is an honorary lecturer in the school of Art and Media. Through his wittily-named consultancy, Brandad, Bill today brings his decades of experience to a wide range of businesses and third-sector organisations, with a particular focus on start-ups in his adopted home city of Brighton, the start-up capital of Europe. Indeed, it was one of his start-up clients that named his business for him. But Bill's expertise is just as relevant to centuries-old institutions, as evidenced by his data-driven development and activation for the rugby football club, the Barbarians. Bill's approach to data-driven design is well captured by his son's description of his role as "a fashion designer for businesses". And though he's into his fourth decade of advising brands on how to stand for something meaningful in their consumers' lives – and trading as Brandad – his tools and techniques couldn't be more contemporary. An early adopter of AI – and particularly Midjourney for "30-second mood boards that might have taken days or weeks before", provided the prompts are right – Bill advocates the use of artificial intelligence. "It makes the research process more effective," he says, "it makes our jobs more focused." EXTERNAL LINKS The Brandad homepage – https://brandad.co.uk Bill's LinkedIn profile (and Bill is quite prolific on the platform) – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-wallsgrove1/ To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	How can we protect our privacy in the era of Big Tech? With Alice Wallbank, expert data privacy lawyer, Shoosmiths	05 nov. 2024	00:41:52
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Alice Wallbank, a professional support lawyer for the law firm Shoosmiths, whose clients include Mercedes-Benz, Octopus Ventures, and Travelodge. The company also specialises in working for businesses in both the property and banking sector. The Financial Times has garlanded Shoosmiths as "one of Europe's most innovative law firms", and Alice's pioneering role at the company – focused on privacy, data, and increasingly AI – is symptomatic of a business in the vanguard of a profession catching up with the broadest implications of technology. At the start of this year, Alice co-hosted an excellent 'data insights' conference – naturally hybrid, both in the room and online – which featured a keynote from Austrian activist and lawyer, Max Schrems. Schrems is famous for his successful campaigns against Facebook (and Meta) for their violations of European data privacy laws. Before joining Shoosmiths, Alice spent six years as the principal legal counsel for the cyber and information security division of the leading technology business, QinetiQ. Alice is a passionate advocate of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), describing it "as a good thing for data privacy – without a shadow of a doubt". Although first introduced in 2016 and in place since 2018, it has its origins in a 1995 directive, designed to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals from Big Tech. Alice believes this showed "remarkable foresight". One of the very few people in the UK, Europe, and the world to have read all 90,000 words of the EU's AI Act, artificial intelligence gives Alice that fabled reaction to trench warfare of "a combination of boredom and terror". There are huge potential upsides – such as radiography diagnostics – and massive downsides from a system that is "at heart a self-limiting black box" dealing in "biases in, biases out". And in a Data Malarkey exclusive, Alice is our first guest in more than 40 episodes … to sing. She dons her white stilettos, dances round her handbag, and turns the clock back to 1984 for a tuneful rendition of Rockwell's dancefloor smash, Somebody's Watching Me – for Alice, an insightful foreshadowing of data privacy issues 40 years into the future. EXTERNAL LINKS Shoosmiths home page – https://www.shoosmiths.com Alice's profile on the Shoosmiths' site – https://www.shoosmiths.com/people/cvdetails/alice-wallbank Alice's article on Ashley Madison – https://www.grip.globalrelay.com/could-the-ashley-madison-data-breach-happen-today/ Another blog from Alice, this time on the environmental credentials of GDPR. The EU AI Act – all 90,000 words of it – here Rockwell's Somebody's Watching Me from 1984 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	Sir John Curtice on Election Insights, Exit Polls, and Data Storytelling	22 oct. 2024	00:41:25
Join master data storyteller, Sam Knowles, for an enlightening conversation with Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde and senior research fellow at the National Centre for Social Research. As we navigate 2024 which has been dubbed "the ultimate election year," Sir John shares his insights on polling accuracy, political volatility, and data-driven decision-making in the UK and US elections. We explore the intricacies of his more-accurate-than-most exit polling methodology, the challenges of interpreting voter behaviour, and the future of electoral systems. Plus, Sir John reveals his secrets for communicating complex data effectively. Key Takeaways: - Sir John Curtice's approach to accurate exit polling - Analysis of the 2024 UK General Election results - Challenges of predicting the outcome of the 2024 US election - Insights on communicating data clearly and avoiding the Curse of Knowledge Thoughts on the future of first-past-the-post and proportional representation in the UK EXTERNAL LINK: https://bit.ly/4hij0FG - University of Strathclyde To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	How can we unlock human behaviour with neuroscience and behavioural science? With Cristina de Balanzo, PhD, Founder of Walnut Unlimited	08 oct. 2024	00:48:06
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, we join master data storyteller Sam Knowles, in conversation with Cristina de Balanzo, PhD, Founder and Board Director at Walnut Unlimited, as she delves into the fusion of neuroscience, behavioural science, and strategic insights to unlock human behaviour. In this engaging discussion, Cristina shares practical examples of how neuroscience informs communication strategies and marketing, and the role of creativity in human understanding. Learn how insights, human behaviour, and neuroscience come together to shape the future of marketing and communication. Neuroscience has been a constant drumbeat of Cristina's career. Before founding Walnut more than a decade ago, she was global head of neuroscience at TNS, following a nine-year stint as a strategic planner with McCann Erickson. EXTERNAL LINKS Cristina's LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-de-balanzo-ph-d-1693694/ Cristina on X – https://twitter.com/crisbalanzo Cristina's article on WARC – "The science of laughter: Why humour is serious business" – https://bit.ly/3zoTtK9 ResearchGate profile for Cristina – https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cristina-De-Balanzo To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	How can we communicate numbers clearly so that people can better understand the choices they face in life? With Mike Ellicock, Founder & CEO of Plain Numbers	25 sept. 2024	00:47:09
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Mike Ellicock, Founder and Chief Executive of The Plain Numbers Project. Plain Numbers says of its purpose: "We enable clear communication of numbers everywhere so that people can better understand the choices they face in life." This matters, because about half the adults in the UK have the numeracy skills expected of a primary school child. And one in five suffers from "maths anxiety". Plain Numbers works with all sorts of organisations to help them communicate the numbers that matter in ways that are clear, fair, and never misleading. Organisations like banks and building societies, insurers and utility companies, national and local government. Plain Numbers trains, assesses, and accredits individuals, teams, and whole organisations to communicate their data more effectively and transparently. The company's approach is both deeply practical – developing the skills that businesses need for clear and simple communication of numbers – and deeply strategic, going and gaining access to the most senior decision-makers (often Government ministers) to effect meaningful, systemic change. The progress Plain Numbers has made in just a few years has been accelerated by the introduction of the Financial Conduct Authority's rules and guidance on Consumer Duty which "sets high standards of consumer protection across financial services and requires firms to put their customers' needs first". Before founding Plain Numbers, Mike was the Founder and Chief Executive of the charity National Numeracy, which he ran throughout the twenty-teens. Prior to that he ran Numicon, an innovative, multi-sensory approach to teaching maths at primary school level, up to the time when Numicon was acquired by Oxford University Press. For seven years either side of the millennium, Mike was a Captain in the Parachute Regiment. Outside of the day job, he still takes fitness and the realisation of what's possible physically to new heights – and always through a data-driven, evidence-based lens. In 2015, Mike broke the world record for running a marathon wearing a 20lb back-pack, shaving ten minutes off the previous best by clocking a time of just 2h 56m 39s, a record that stands to this day. Next year he's aiming to row around the British Isles in under 40 days. EXTERNAL LINKS Plain Numbers home page – https://plainnumbers.org.uk The Plain Numbers in Practice report from June 2024 – https://bit.ly/4c2e0Bv Mike's LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-ellicock/ FCA Consumer Duty – https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/consumer-duty To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	How might we bring about gender equity in academic research? With Ylann Schemm, VP for Corporate Responsibility at Elsevier, and Executive Director of the Elsevier Foundation	10 sept. 2024	00:49:29
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Ylann Schemm, Vice President for Corporate Responsibility at the leading academic publisher, Elsevier, home to almost 3,000 academic journals, specialising in scientific, technical, and medical content. Elsevier describes itself as "an information analytics" business – so right up our alley here at Data Malarkey. In a career with the publisher spanning almost two decades, Ylann has been on a remarkable journey of both personal and corporate development, moving from communications to corporate relations and from there into corporate responsibility. And for more than a decade, she has been a leading figure in the Elsevier Foundation, first as Program Director – running the Foundation's New Scholars program designed to expand the participation of women in STEM – and since 2017 as its Director. Under Ylann's leadership, the Foundation is taking pioneering steps and making a tangible difference. This is manifested most clearly in the organisation's regular, data-driven reporting into gender and diversity in research. The latest, 2024 report showed that, although as many as 41% of all academic researchers today are women, this is much lower in STEM subjects. At the current rate of change, parity is not expected to be reached until 2052. Ylann was allowed to lay the – shall we say? – foundations for the Foundation's work in "a climate of benign neglect" as she found her feet and built networks and partnerships inside and outside of Elsevier. But it was with the 2019 arrival of the company's first female CEO, Kumsal Bayazit, that Ylann's work moved front and centre of the publisher's strategic vision. EXTERNAL LINKS Ylann's LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ylann-schemm-a5a3632/ Elsevier home page – https://www.elsevier.com/en-gb The Elsevier Foundation – https://elsevierfoundation.org 2024 Elsevier Foundation gender and diversity in research report – https://www.elsevier.com/en-au/insights/gender-and-diversity-in-research To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	On risk, uncertainty, and impact: how using data smarter is the fast track to success	30 juil. 2024	00:54:31
Using data smarter is an attitude of mind. It's characterised by those who choose to communicate simply, clearly, and effectively, by making sense of the signals and cutting out the noise. Above all, it's about empathy, humanity, and appreciating the likely data tolerance of your audience. After our fifth collection of six great guests, it's a wrap for Season Five of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data smarter. Your host, master data storyteller Dr Sam Knowles, picks out common themes and chooses his highlights from a lively series of conversations – recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, between February and May 2024. Thanks as ever to Joe Hickey for production support. Podcast artwork by Shatter Media. Voice over by Samantha Boffin. In Season Five, our guests included: Sir David Spiegelhalter, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge. Olivia Jensen, Deputy Director and Lead Scientist at the Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk based out of the University of Singapore. Sorin Patilinet, Senior Director for Marketing Effectiveness at Mars (who's also the Marketing Engineer). Ian Whittaker, founder of Liberty Sky Advisors, the award-winning city analyst specialising in media and marketing. John Hibbs, Co-Founder of CoEfficient, a software as a service company that helps organisations grow by measuring performance from the human perspective. And Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at Cambridge University, and director of the Autism Research Centre. Data Malarkey is taking an extended summer vacation and is having all of August off – and then some. We'll be back with Season Six on 11 September 2024 with another eclectic group of guests from an ever-more diverse set of professions. We'll be hearing from women and men at the top of their game from the worlds of publishing, consumer goods, political punditry in the wake of the U.K. General Election, journalism, neuroscience, and numeracy. As usual, their common approaches to using data smarter have lessons for us all. And we start with Ylann Schemm who is both the Vice President of Corporate Responsibility for Elsevier, the world's leading scientific publisher and data analytics company, and Director of the Elsevier Foundation. To find out how you rank as a data storyteller, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes to answer 12 questions, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	How can we make the world better and fairer for all? With Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen from the University of Cambridge and the Autism Research Centre	16 juil. 2024	00:53:48
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at the University of Cambridge, where he also runs the Autism Research Centre. Simon has been working in the field of autism for approaching 40 years and is one of the world's leading authorities on the subject. Since the mid-1980s, the research he's led and undertaken has led him to advance several different, complementary theories of the condition including: the mind-blindness theory, the prenatal sex steroid theory, and the empathising-systemising theory of autism and typical sex differences. Some corners of autism research have a somewhat shady and disreputable reputation for their misuse of data; for drawing conclusions about the general population from tiny sample sizes that the data could not warrant. Indeed, it was in the wake of the MMR scandal that the charity Sense About Science was founded in the early 2000s – to encourage researchers to present their findings responsibly and the media to report them responsibly – and Sense About Science's director, Tracey Brown, was a recent guest on Data Malarkey. By contrast with the shady stuff, Simon's research has been a shining light of empiricism and evidence-based, data-driven truth, with sample sizes sometimes in the tens or hundreds of thousands. His 2018, empathising-systemising study famously collected data from 36,000 autistic people and 600,000 non-autistic people. Described by the medical journal The Lancet as "a man with extraordinary knowledge … his passionate advocacy for a more tolerant, diverse society, where difference is respected and cultivated, reveals a very human side to his science" it is our honour to welcome Simon to Data Malarkey. A very fitting, very high-profile end to Season Five, a season bookended by two great Cambridge minds, as we started with Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter. To secure Simon as a guest on Data Malarkey, I'm delighted to say I had to drop my son Max's name. At the time of recording, Max had recently hosted Simon at an excellent event run by the recently-reborn Cambridge Psychology Society, of which Max is now President. At the university, he is studying Psychological & Behavioural Sciences. #proudfather EXTERNAL LINKS Profile of Simon on The Lancet – Psychiatry site https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(15)00461-7/fulltext The Autism Research Centre https://www.autismresearchcentre.com The extraordinary output of 750+ articles from the Autism Research Centre on PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=simon+baron-cohen&sort=date Auticon, the social enterprise on a mission to improve the employment prospects of neurodivergent people, whose board Simon advises https://auticon.com/uk/ To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	Why should you put people, love, and relationships at the heart of business? With John Hibbs of CoEfficient	02 juil. 2024	00:39:03
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by John Hibbs, the Co-Founder of CoEfficient, a company that helps organisations grow from the human perspective. It does this by gathering genuinely useful feedback from those who work for an organisation and then deploying this intelligence in the most productive way possible, to drive both individual and organisational growth. Founded on the principle that businesses are simply groups of people, CoEfficient gives hearts and minds that make up a business a voice, ensuring that they feel heard and are valued. This – John believes – is what enables businesses to serve as creators of positive change within society. CoEfficient serves all sorts of different clients right around the world, and today John is based on his native island of Guernsey. But his journey to becoming a pioneer in using data smarter to help companies grow is neither traditional nor expected. 25 years ago, he was running a personal training business that he was struggling to scale. A chance meeting with a business mentor first opened his eyes to the power of data, measurement, and evaluation. This set him on course to develop both his Monergy Flow model of growth and a thriving, scalable business that few – least of all John himself – would ever have predicted. EXTERNAL LINKS Make friends with John on LinkedIn, his preferred social media platform https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-hibbs-coefficient/ There's more about CoEfficient at https://www.coefficient-solutions.com John explains his Monergy Flow model – including the hand-drawn, periodic table version – at https://www.maddyness.com/uk/2023/08/09/the-monergy-flow-by-john-hibbs/ To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	How can you tell if you should invest in a media company? With Ian Whittaker of Liberty Sky Advisors	18 juin 2024	00:48:34
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Ian Whittaker, one of the leading financial and commercial analysts covering the media and advertising sector. Ian is the managing director and owner of Liberty Sky Advisors, has twice been the City AM Analyst of the Year – first in 2014 and again in 2019 – and he writes regularly for both the media and the financial press. He helps marketers speak the language of the CFO – the Chief Financial Officer – and is the go-to guy for understanding how the media, digital, and marketing world is performing. Ian takes a no-nonsense approach to explaining how the media category makes its money, and in a sector that's often very much at home to spin and storytelling, takes an evidence-based, data-driven approach to cutting through the hype and telling it how it is. This means he's particularly good at understanding which innovation is just a shiny new toy and which has the potential to revolutionise the world of media and marketing. Understanding whether you should invest in a media company – be it one of the mega advertising agency holding companies, one of the big tech platforms, or a streaming service – demands a knowledge of more than just the media sector. Ian tells us why understanding macroeconomic trends and geopolitics matters just as much as being able to read a balance sheet. An Oxford historian by training with an MBA from London Business School, Ian is currently studying for an MA in the History of War at King's College, London. His analytics and evidence-assessing skills from all three degrees enable him to sort the signal from the noise. "Data is the bedrock, but data is neutral," Ian says, "though there does come a time when the data talks to you and reveals the hidden truth." A hypothesis-tester and very definitely not a hypothesis-prover, he's very much against trying to force fit data into a pre-ordained world view. Ian is also a fan of the "data is the new oil" analogy – provided we realise that oil is useless in and of itself and that the value comes from what we do with it once we've zoned in the right area, mined it, and refined it. We learn the surprising truth about why Meta (Facebook's parent company) is doing so well. There's been no great recovery in its previously dominant US and European markets, which grew just 2-3% in the last quarter of 2023. The stellar performance in that reporting period was down to massive investment from just a couple of Chinese gaming companies, meaning Meta's sudden surge in value is almost certainly built on sand. EXTERNAL LINKS Ian's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianwhittakermedia/ Liberty Sky Advisors: https://ianwhittakermedia.com Learn the Language of the CFO for Success in the Boardroom – JC Decaux podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnYV7JuId1g To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	Why does marketing need to become more like engineering? With Sorin Patilinet from Mars, aka The Marketing Engineer.	04 juin 2024	00:49:10
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, your host Sam Knowles is joined by Sorin Patilinet, Senior Director of Marketing Effectiveness at Mars. Sorin is also known as the Marketing Engineer. Our conversation was recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, on 4 April 2024. Thanks to Joe Hickey for production support. Podcast artwork by Shatter Media. Voice over by Samantha Boffin. Sorin took an unusual route into marketing and has an unusually scientific approach to making every last marketing dollar count. Trained as a telecommunications engineer at university in his native Romania, Sorin applies the rigour of engineering to the not always substantial world of marketing science. In the dozen-plus years he's worked at Mars, he's routinely and rigorously put into practice the theories of the How Brands Grow marketing professor, Byron Sharp. Liverpool and Anderlecht fan, Sorin, is based in Belgium, Brussels. He's currently writing a book from the perspective of the marketing practitioner, showing how structured, systems thinking can make the "colouring-in department" label sometimes levelled at marketing a thing of the past. Marketing has changed out of all recognition compared to where it was when Sorin started his career, from 80% of ad spend on linear TV to 27 creatives on 35 platforms with no reliable or consistent, cross-platform means to control reach or frequency. Amid all this complexity, his evidence-based approach to marketing measurement is a breath of fresh air. So, too, is the ad testing methodology (Agile Creative Expertise or ACE) that Mars has developed under Sorin's stewardship, based not on claimed intention but instead rooted in actual consumer behaviour. Eye-tracking, attention, and emotion have been found time and again to trump declarative survey findings. This really works at scale, too, with insights derived from more than 800 creative executions a year. Sorin's an enthusiastic sceptic when it comes to AI, but he's keen to point out that the November 2022 appearance of ChatGPT is just the tip of the iceberg. Mars has been using AI – in the form of machine learning and deep analytics – for years. An enthusiastic modern-day Stoic and fan on Everyday Stoic, Ryan Holiday, in ten years from now Sorin hopes to be applying the rigour he's developed for marketing effectiveness to communicating the importance of grand projects such as the European Union or the United Nations to disaffected citizens. Sorin is a board member of the Attention Council and a guest lecturer at Wharton Business School. EXTERNAL LINKS Sorin's blog: "Engineering Marketing" – https://www.sorinp.com Sorin's LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/patilinet/ To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	How can experts provide the public with risk information that works? With Olivia Jensen, Director of the Institute for Public Understanding of Risk	21 mai 2024	00:50:07
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, your host Sam Knowles is joined by Olivia Jensen, Director of the Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk (IPUR) based at the National University of Singapore. Our conversation was recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, on 13 March 2024. Thanks to Joe Hickey for production support. Podcast artwork by Shatter Media. Voice over by Samantha Boffin. IPUR is a research institute that seeks to narrow the gap between people's perceptions and real-world risks, focused on the data and technology, environment and climate, and health and lifestyle. The Institute brings together basic science, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities. Olivia Jensen is a passionate advocate and deeply pragmatic practitioner in the art and science of closing the gaps that exist between expert knowledge about risk and public perception of risk. IPUR and the global risk community of which it forms an integral part aims to empower citizens and societies to make better decisions about risk. Olivia believes that risk-evidence communication is as much about getting experts to understand how and why citizens make decisions as it is about experts explaining the evidence to those citizens. In considering risk evidence communication under uncertainty, we inevitably talk about Government communication under COVID. Olivia believes that the Government in Singapore got things "just about right", clearly communicating regularly-updated data and basing its policy decisions on evidence. Sam is rather less complementary about the British Government's over-politicised use of data in its pandemic communication. One of the real challenges of risk evidence communication is looking back on events, with narratives constructed that fall victim to hindsight bias. Just because something was possible and it happened doesn't mean it was inevitable. Outside of the world of risk, Olivia is a passionate dancer, and in 2024 is learning to tango. EXTERNAL LINKS IPUR home page https://ipur.nus.edu.sg Olivia's IPUR profile https://ipur.nus.edu.sg/team/olivia-jensen/ IPUR's EdX course "Understanding and Communicating Risk" https://bit.ly/4dcqQip Understanding Risk https://understandrisk.org Risk Know How – a joint venture with Sense About Science https://riskknowhow.org To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	How can we best communicate risk in our uncertain, post-truth world? With Sir David Spiegelhalter, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge	07 mai 2024	00:53:42
In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, your host Sam Knowles is joined by one of the world's finest data storytellers, David Spiegelhalter, the statistician and public communicator of his generation. Although he claims to have been retired for five years, the Emeritus Professor of Statistics from Cambridge University is working harder than ever. Our conversation was recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, on 6 March 2024. Thanks to Joe Hickey for production support. Podcast artwork by Shatter Media. Voice over by Samantha Boffin. If anyone can be said to have had "a good pandemic", it was David. "At least I had something to do!" he quips, sharing how he quickly set up a studio at home and gave countless interviews about what the data meant and what we should do as a result. While he believes that the Chief Scientific and Medical Officers of the U.K. National Health Service usually presented complex information simply and straightforwardly to a willing and receptive public – hungry for evidence of what they might choose to do and why – Government ministers (to the very top) and their Special Advisors (SPADs) had little clue. Nothing gets David more irritated than wilful misuse of data, and several times during our lively discussion he vents considerable fury at peddlers of misinformation, under COVID and otherwise. We talk a lot about communicating risk (relative and absolute), particularly under uncertainty, with uncertainty the theme of David's imminent new book, The Art of Uncertainty (to be published by Penguin in September 2024). Away from the stats lab, we learn how David applied his data-driven smarts to winning the inaugural (and to-date only) Loop World Championship; Loop is pool played on an elliptical table with only one pocket at one of the foci of the ellipse. He also took an evidence-based approach to qualifying for the second round of Winter Wipeout, recorded a dozen years and more ago in Argentina, where David adopted the persona of Professor Risk. In addition to uncertainty, we also focus on trustworthiness. For David, those using data and statistics to communicate need to earn and constantly re-earn a reputation for being trustworthy. And just as no-one laughs at a comedian who says "I'm funny" at the start of his set, no-one trusts a person using data to communicate complex topics who says "Just trust me!". Being seen as trustworthy is a consequence of being honest, competent, and reliable. David introduces Sam and the audience to the skill of "pre-bunking", and several times warns against building data-driven narratives that push emotional levers or buttons. Data storytellers should present the evidence simply and fairly and then allow the audience to draw their own conclusions. "Treat them as if they're intelligent, but also as if they don't know anything." EXTERNAL LINKS Cambridge University personal profile page https://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~david/ David on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Spiegelhalter To find out what kind of data storyteller you are, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.
	The data planets align. The more guests we welcome to Data Malarkey – and the more different their jobs and categories – the more we're able to join the dots between how those who use data smarter do so. A look back on Season Four of Data Malarkey	09 avr. 2024	00:53:14
After our fourth collection of six great guests, it's a wrap for Season Four of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data smarter. Your host, master data storyteller Dr Sam Knowles, picks out common themes and chooses his highlights from a lively series of conversations – recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, between July and December 2023. Thanks as ever to Joe Hickey for production support. Podcast artwork by Shatter Media. Voice over by Samantha Boffin. In Season Four, our guests included: Tracey Brown, director of the charity, Sense About Science. Mark Montgomery, Vice President and International Head of Integrated Insights at Novartis. John McFall, military and civvy street logistics expert, and the founder of Supply Chain Wise. Kieran Maguire, leading football finance academic from the University of Liverpool's Management School, and co-host of The Price of Football podcast. Ian Makgill, founder of Spend Network, a database keeping tabs on the worlds' Governments' $13tn spend. And Mike Bell, data visualiser extraordinaire, who uses the iconography of the London Underground to tell the stories of bands, albums, films, and political careers at his eponymous business, Mike Bell Maps. Data Malarkey will have its usual, between-season break for a couple of weeks. We'll be back with Season Five on 8 May 2024, and there's another glittering array of guests from an increasingly diverse set of professions. We'll be hearing from women and men at the top of their game from the worlds of statistics, risk management, consumer goods, academic publishing, financial analysis, and autism research. Their common approaches to using data smarter have lessons for us all. And we start with the blockbuster guest, Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a man who had perhaps the best pandemic of any data storyteller in the public domain. To find out how you rank as a data storyteller, complete our data storytelling scorecard at https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com. It takes just two minutes to answer 12 questions, and we'll send you your own personalised scorecard which tells you what kind of data storyteller you are.

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