Podcast The Push by Jack Ferguson Episodes

Explore every episode of the podcast The Push

Dive into the complete episode list for The Push. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

	Title	Pub. Date	Duration
	S3 E61: Evolved Brand Building: The Case for Immersion as the Multiplier	30 Dec 2025	00:23:55
This episode explores disproportionate leverage and how it shows up when immersion is treated as critical brand building work, not a nice-to-have. Rather than chasing deliverables or premature answers, your hosts examine immersion as a diagnostic imperative, the strength required to defend it, and the consequences of bypassing it. This episode is co-hosted by Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and Brand Identity Designer Tutai Marongere. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why Tutai deliberately told a client the work would take “as long as it takes” How Tutai did three months of immersion without producing a single output, but then created an output that ended all debate instantly How Jack sees immersion as a way of articulating the unsaid How Tutai believes dreaming about a brand became his signal that the work was finally ready to be done How Tutai sketched a concept on a fogged-up shower screen as the result of immersion, not inspiration How Jack uses recorded customer interviews to reveal truths that transcripts and summaries consistently miss Why both Tutai and Jack believe that “when you know, you know” is a real diagnostic threshold, not a creative cliché Why both Tutai and Jack believe the brand work that lasts is always found in the details Helpful Links: - Find Jack on LinkedIn here - Find Tutai on LinkedIn here - Visit Jack’s personal website here - Follow The Push on LinkedIn here - Follow The Push on YouTube here - Follow The Push on TikTok here - Follow The Push on Instagram here - Visit The Push website here
	S3 E60: Christmas’ Brand Heritage: Ritualistic Architecture and How Brands Culturally Embed	23 Dec 2025	00:32:45
Christmas is often thought of as a seasonal moment. In reality, it’s one of the strongest examples of brand heritage and cultural embedding ever built. This episode analyses Christmas as a brand system. It examines how it formed, how it survived bans, wars, secularisation, and media fragmentation, and why its relevance continues to compound without central ownership, governance, or constant persuasion. For senior marketers, this offers an opportunity to examine endurance at the system level and understand how meaning persists when channels change, attention fragments, and authority disappears. This episode breaks down the ritualistic architecture underneath Christmas. It explores the structures that organise behaviour, repetition, and memory over time. More importantly, it shows why brands do not need to invent architecture of this magnitude themselves. They can identify, attach to, and strengthen existing cultural architectures to gain leverage, relevance, and resilience without relying on perpetual novelty or escalating spend. This episode was hosted by Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson. In this episode, Jack discusses: A clearer way to think about brand heritage as a system, not a story or origin myth How Coca-Cola strengthened Christmas’ ritualistic architecture for sustained commercial advantage How changing rituals in the West create new points of cultural leverage for brands The language and structure that recognises and explains cultural embedding Ritualistic architecture and how it creates repetition, memory, and defence over time How brands can attach to existing cultural systems rather than manufacturing meaning from scratch Identifying where your brand could embed, even without scale, ownership, or permission Helpful Links: - Find Jack on LinkedIn here - Follow The Push on LinkedIn here - Follow The Push on YouTube here - Follow The Push on TikTok here - Follow The Push on Instagram here - Visit The Push website here - Visit Jack’s personal website here References: https://www.marketingweek.com/mcdonalds-bigger-than-jesus-christ/ https://yougov.co.uk/topics/consumer/explore/brand/Coca_Cola https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ Saturnalia Sol Invictus Kalends of January Feast of Fools Feast of the Ass Washington Irving Charles Dickens Coca-Cola AI Christmas Ad Haddon Sundblom The Party Barrel Origin Story fo
	S3 E51: The Friends Theme Song: The Perfect Distinctive Brand Asset	14 Oct 2025	00:12:49
Friends was a hit sitcom released in the 90s, known for its feel-good humour and iconic characters. The show’s success is a sight to behold, maintaining popularity even to this day. Though not only was it loved by millions, but it's also a case study in superb branding. In particular, its theme song is the perfect distinctive brand asset. In this episode we break this down and discuss why. Evidence-based brand strategist Jack Ferguson is your host. He discusses: How “I’ll Be There for You” became a masterclass in distinctive branding, and how it endured for 30 years How the song’s composers capitalised on the song’s initial interest The compounding salience effect: how a single asset multiplied exposure and made the Friends brand iconic How to recognise “Friends potential" in other brands (with examples) How to design your own brand promotional flywheel, inspired by this Friends case study Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackfergusonmymm/ Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: Brand Strategist + Marketing Consultant — Jack Ferguson
	Holly Tattersall on Women in Digital, Embracing Salesmanship, and the Diversity Catch 22	25 Jan 2017	01:00:46
This episode features Holly Tattersall, Founder of Women in Digital and Digital Talent Co.In this episode we talk about how Holly built her Women in Digital network across multiple countries and wha role that plays in supporting women develop their professional careers.We also speak about the challenges Holly faced when starting her recruiting career and dealing with the stigma that comes along with working in such a field.Of particular interest is the journey Holly went on when realising it is ok to 'sell' and in fact embracing the importance of sales without shame.Holly is full of optimism and was a great guest for the podcast.I hope you enjoy!
	Matthew Kelly on the difficulties of building a company when you‘re not a salesman, firing a rockstar employee, and the importance of iterative marketing.	18 Jan 2017	01:31:43
This episode features Matthew Kelly, Managing Director of Just Media Design, a social first digital agency.In this episode we talk about how Matt started a company and got his initial clients despite hating cold calling.Matt also talks about how he had to fire an employee who was a rockstar on paper and what he learned from that experience.Of particular interest were Matt's stories around Iterative Marketing and how he applies the 'Test, Measure, Repeat' philosophy to his business and his clients campaigns.We hope you enjoy!
	Nicholas Heaney on the dangers of outsourcing Tech, dealing with social stigmas and the rollercoaster of raising capital.	02 Dec 2016	01:05:02
This episode features Nicholas Heaney, CEO and Co-Founder of Puntaa, a social betting app.In this episode we talk about the challenges of launching a Tech Startup in the Gaming Space.Nick talks about how he changed from a law career to the Startup Life, how difficult it is to deal with social stigmas in running a company associated with betting and some of the mistakes he made when trying to get the product developed overseas.Nick was very open with the challenging times he had to push through and was very forthcoming with his stories outlining the specific issues Puntaa has faced! I hope you enjoy!
	Chris Macaulay on how the Lean Startup Failed him, the pain of multiple pivots and the art of Enterprise Sales.	24 Nov 2016	01:00:57
This episode features Chris Macaulay, CEO of Advvy and Organiser of Silicon Beach Brisbane.In this episode we talk about many challenging topics including how the Lean Startup Approach to growing a Startup failed Chris and his team and what it's like to have to pivot multiple times after months of development to achieve product-market fit.Chris talks about other tough times including how he had to make good employees redundant and the 9 month challenge of finding a CTO (Chief Technical Officer).Chris' approach is quite candid and easy to listen to, he was very generous with his insights and gives us a real look under the hood of what it's like to run a high growth tech startup. Enjoy!
	Gail Creighton Davies on communication skills learned through adversity and growing up in Northern Ireland	17 Nov 2016	00:56:09
This episode features Gail Creighton Davies. Gail is Director of Rhapsodate Consulting, Co Director of Picnic and Co and Founder of the G8 Ladies.In this episode we talk about the communication skills Gail picked up after having a daughter with Down Syndrome and how she was able to translate that communication to her professional life.We talk about becoming a better listener and why that it is such a vital skill in this day and age.We also discuss what it was like growing up in Northern Ireland, this was particularly insightful, hint: It's not how most of us perceive it
	Dr Glen Richards on Financial Adversity, Surviving within your own company and Entrepreneurial Seizures.	10 Nov 2016	01:07:54
This episode features Dr Glen Richards. Glen is an investor on Shark Tank Australia, Non-Executive Director of Greencross Ltd and Non-Executive Director of 1300 Smiles.In this episode we cover politics and Glen's view on the current political climate, what it took to push through particularly hard financial times in the early days, how he survived as CEO in a company where his CFO wanted him fired, his work as an investor, avoiding entrepreneurial seizures and how he got on Shark Tank Australia.Glen was one of the most humble people I have met and it was truly an enjoyable conversation.He is particularly candid on how he 'pushed' through some very difficult times in his career. A fascinating man, I hope you enjoy this discussion.My Favourite Quotes from the episode are:"The epiphany I had as CEO was that I didn't have to know everything and that caused almost an overnight change""Performance equals freedom""You have to have some self doubt so you ask yourself some questions which helps to derisk your business as you go forward"
	Steve Baxter on Shark Tank, The NBN and the state of Entrepreneurship	26 Oct 2016	00:38:47
This episode features Steve Baxter. Steve is an investor on Shark Tank Australia, founder of River City Labs and CEO of Transition Level Investments.In this episode we cover Steve's early life, his time in the army, what it is like to exit a company, the NBN, working for Google and of course, Shark Tank Australia.It is always a privilege to talk to someone as knowledgeable as Steve. I hope you enjoy this episode. I had a great time recording it.
	Joe Fox on Marketing Ad Spends, Branding and Managing Stress	19 Oct 2016	00:58:43
This episode features Joe Fox. Managing Director of Studio Culture and Social Media Marketing expert. In this episode we cover what Joe's early life looked like, his views on all things digital marketing from Facebook to Snapchat to Livestreaming. If you are looking for some extra advice on Digital Marketing or Branding then this is the episode for you.
	Paul Davies on B2B Sales Tactics	05 Oct 2016	01:17:44
This episode features Paul Davies. Established Sales Specialist with over 15 years experience selling services. Paul isn't your stereotypical sales guy and in this episode he was able to break down how he goes about approaching new organisations without being pushy or 'salesy.' If you want some sales advice and would like to avoid the Hard Sell, then this episode is for you.
	Dr Catherine Ball on the future of Drones, Innovation Fusion and turning down Q and A	27 Sep 2016	01:06:33
This episode features Dr Catherine Ball, CEO of Remote Research Ranges and Managing Director of Elemental Strategy. In this interview we explore Catherine's vast expertise into the world of Drones, how she juggles numerous projects at once and why she turned down ABC's Q & A amongst other topics. Catherine's current passion project involves a crowd funding campaign for the Future Hear Project. This project is doing amazing work to help make 3D printing of bodily tissue and organs a reality. Specifically, the goals of this project are to create child-specific, ear prosthetics which cost less than a pair of glasses, to create tissue engineered ears which are permanently implanted into the child with full biological function and thirdly, to address hearing functionality and to develop 3D printed electronics to incorporate a hearing component to their 3D printed, life like, child specific ears.
	S3 E50: Lessons from 50 Podcast Episodes: Production Costs, Most-Downloaded Episodes and How Podcasts Attract Clients	07 Oct 2025	00:28:30
The Push has hit Episode 50 for Season 3! With 99% of podcasts not making it past Episode 20, we thought this was a great opportunity to stop and reflect. Listen in as your host Jack Ferguson shares 50 lessons from producing 50 episodes! He covers: Our podcast tech stack How much it costs to produce and promote the podcast every year What the season’s most downloaded episodes are The number of views Season 3 podcast content has on YouTube How the podcast has attracted clients Tactics that were effective for promotion, and those that weren’t How listener feedback has been utilised to improve the podcast over time How the podcast was named and the origins of the brand ‘The Push’ Decisions that have been made about the future of the podcast Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackfergusonmymm/ Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: Brand Strategist + Marketing Consultant — Jack Ferguson
	Mitch Hills on Starting a Business at 16, Building an App without investment and knowing when to quit	20 Sep 2016	01:01:59
This episode features CEO of AroundAbout App Mitch Hills.We talk about how age is no barrier when starting a business and you are never too young to start.
	Tanya Williams on Tradigital Marketing, conquering Self Doubt and the role your Digital Footprint plays in your Career	04 Sep 2016	01:03:08
This episode features COE (Chief of Everything) at Digital Conversations, Tanya Williams.We explore her expertise in tradigital marketing and how businesses need to approach this in the current business climate.
	Tres West on Lean Startup, Chasing Investment and how the Startup Ecosystem Operates	18 Aug 2016	01:09:22
This episode features one of the good guys of the Australian Startup scene: Tres West. Tres has lived and breathed Startups for the last 2 years and has some great insights to share.
	Nathan Hoad on Coding, Internal Communication and Productivity	18 Jun 2016	00:33:47
Hooray, this is my first Podcast episode and I'm excited to finally be on this platform. This episode features one of my good friends and mentors who has had amazing business success over the past 5-6 years. He is one of the best tech minds in Brisbane and is my go to man for any tech problems.We talk about a bunch of stuff in this episode from Coding and the importance of software, all the way through to tools for productivity, Remote Work and working hard vs working smart. His company he talks about in this episode is NGUgroup.comI'm excited to present this episode to you, so let's bring in one of my good friends, Nathan Hoad.
	S3 E49: Marketing’s Turbulent People Puzzle: How Recruiters Win While Marketers Burn Out (with Gerard Doyle)	30 Sep 2025	00:49:45
Marketing careers don’t stall by accident; they stall because the way agencies hire, reward, and manage talent leaves a lot to be desired. This episode is co-hosted by: - Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and - Fractal Marketing Agency Owner Gerard Doyle Here’s what the episode covers: Gerard shares a story of how a prominent brand fired an agency in the midst of a talent shortage, only for it to backfire Gerard explains why the best marketers are often the first to leave when agency redundancies hit, and what the early warning signs of an agency on the slide are. Gerard explains why junior marketers should avoid recruiters, and why senior marketers should engage them instead Gerard shares the hard truth about why agencies are often hired as a client’s “job insurance” and what that reveals about power dynamics, blame-shifting, and agency-client relationships. Jack talks about wildly overloaded marketing JDs and how it is all too common at the moment Gerard discusses how FIFA ticket purchases can be a ‘job security test’ and what it says about generational differences in career confidence Gerard talks about why he thinks pay secrecy fuels turnover, and how transparent pay could fix it Gerard discusses the importance of highlighting the quiet achievers in marketing agencies instead of rewarding the squeaky wheels Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackfergusonmymm/ Find Gerard on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerarddoyle/ Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush/ Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: Brand Strategist + Marketing Consultant — Jack Ferguson Visit Gerard’s website here: The Startup Marketing Agency for Founders and Entrepreneurs – Helping Entrepreneurs find customers for their amazing services and inspiring solutions
	S3 E48: Should You Bother Making Your Brand Unique?	23 Sep 2025	00:12:59
With 2 million businesses in Australia and most brands blending into a sea of sameness, is uniqueness even achievable, or worth chasing? In this solo episode, Jack Ferguson unpacks what the data says about meaningful differentiation (spoiler: only 5–10% of brands get there), explores why most brands blur together, and introduces the idea of “demand point constellations” as a pathway to true brand growth. If you’re a senior marketer wrestling with strategy, stakeholder persuasion, or simply trying to build something that stands apart, this episode will give you fresh angles and practical ways to think about brand value beyond the usual “point of difference” clichés. Hosted by: Jack Ferguson - Host of The Push, and Brand Strategist Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackfergusonmymm/ Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: Brand Strategist + Marketing Consultant — Jack Ferguson Studies/posts referenced in episode: Evidence concerning the importance of perceived brand differentiation: https://www.marketingscience.info/wp-content/uploads/staff/2015/08/different.pdf The myth of brand differentiation: Consumers believe that only 5% of brands are unique. What do you do if you’re in the 95%? Household brands losing ground Deloitte reports: America's Household Brands Losing Ground, Deloitte Reports Havas Meaningful Brand Survey: Inside Havas' Meaningful Brands 2023 report– adobo Magazine Brands proven to grow 5x faster when meaningfully different: Brands proven to grow 5X faster when meaningfully different: Kantar What makes brands grow like crazy? https://lnkd.in/p/gsddA6QA
	S3 E47: When Marketers Market Themselves: The Pressure to Be Perfect and Why Self-Promotion Feels Unnatural (with Chanel Clark)	16 Sep 2025	00:45:37
Building a brand is hard enough; but when you’re a marketer, the challenge intensifies. You feel the pressure to be perfect, and every misstep feels like you “should’ve known better.” Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and Founder of the Marketing Club Chanel Clark co-host this episode. In this episode, Chanel shares how leaning into authenticity and vulnerability, rather than perfection, built her credibility, grew the Marketing Club to 10,000 members, and turned simple diary-style LinkedIn posts into a fully booked consultancy and speaking opportunities with Google and SXSW. The episode covers: How Jack accidentally picked a fight on LinkedIn and went viral How Chanel and Jack’s discomfort around talking about personal achievements makes self-promotion feel unnatural How Chanel has noticed marketing professionals struggle to transition from promoting others to promoting themselves The pressure Chanel believes marketers feel to present a perfect, polished image online How Chanel launched the Marketing Club from a simple Slack community and grew it to 10,000 members in two and a half years How Chanel’s public disclosure of losing $80,000 in her first year of business became a powerful LinkedIn post Chanel’s experience running a successful consulting business for 18 months without a website How Chanel built a personal brand by documenting her marketing journey through “diary entries” on LinkedIn How Chanel overcame her initial discomfort with self-promotion by being authentically vulnerable online How Chanel became fully booked within a month of launching her consultancy How Chanel grew her profile to secure speaking slots at SXSW and Google Find links to Jack's and Chanel's online profiles below: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Find Chanel on LinkedIn here: Chanel Clark \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bethepush Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: https://jackferguson.co/ Visit Chanel’s website here: Chanel Clark - Marketing Consultant Visit The Marketing Club’s website here: The Marketing Club Follow The Marketing Club on Instagram: Instagram Follow The Marketing Club on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-club-au-nz
	S3 E46: The Marketing Objectives Paradox: Promises Get Remembered	09 Sep 2025	00:06:45
Every marketer knows the value of objectives, they help you prioritise, decide what to push, and what to park. But here’s the paradox: the very objectives that keep you focused can come back to bite when stakeholders grip too tightly to the promises baked into them. This episode is hosted by Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson. In this solo episode, Jack unpacks a story of working with a professional services client where well-intentioned objectives turned into “but you said we’d have sales by now.” From that experience came a shift in how he sets, frames, and manages objectives. He’ll cover: Why outcome-based objectives set you up for blame when factors outside your control stall sales The danger of stakeholders remembering promises, not caveats How to balance short-term tactics with long-term brand building without losing credibility What input-based objectives look like in practice (and why they’re safer) How ongoing retainers and project-based arrangements affect expectation drift If you’ve ever felt trapped between setting clear objectives and being held to outcomes you can’t control, this episode will give you a framework for balancing ambition with defensibility. Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: https://bethepush.com/ Visit Jack’s personal website here: Brand Strategist: Marketing Consultancy — Jack Ferguson
	S3 E45: Marketers vs. Client Beliefs: Why Alignment Outperforms Persuasion (with Ben Reeves)	02 Sep 2025	00:28:57
Every marketer has faced it, clients convinced marketing should be a quick fix or a single big idea. In this episode, we discuss challenges with non-marketer persuasion, and why alignment and expectation management matter more. This episode was co-hosted by Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and E-commerce specialist Ben Reeves. They discuss: How Ben’s client claimed his one “big marketing idea” worked, and whether his claim stands up to scrutiny How Ben missed out on hiring a top UX designer after a client insisted on an unnecessary last-minute “vibe check” How Ben’s retail client demanded that digital ads drove only online sales (not offline) and how he responded How Jack was asked to hire a PPC freelancer, then held accountable for results on a campaign he wasn’t managing How Ben rebuilt a company’s digital operations from scratch after realising they were running campaigns through WhatsApp chats and iMessage threads How Ben navigated his marketing role when one founder exited, roles shifted, and he had to play goalkeeper, midfielder, and striker all at once How Ben fought constant scope creep when “North Stars” kept changing How Jack and Ben discovered that much of a marketer’s work is invisible: fixing fundamentals, plugging holes, and preventing breakdowns that clients never see Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Find Ben on LinkedIn here: Ben Reeves \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bethepush Visit The Push website here: https://bethepush.com/ Visit Jack’s personal website here: Brand Strategist: Marketing Consultancy — Jack Ferguson Visit Ben’s website here: https://benreeves.co/
	S3 E44: The Referral Drought: A Service Portfolio Issue, Not a Promotion Problem	26 Aug 2025	00:06:11
For small and medium sized brands, referrals feel like the holy grail of growth; no acquisition cost, easier conversions, and a compounding return on past work. But what if you’ve done everything right and they still aren’t coming in? In this solo episode, Jack shares how a referral drought in his own consultancy forced him to look beyond promotion and into service portfolios. This episode discusses: How to calculate the odds of referrals based on your customer base size and buying cycles How “intrapurchase periods” can quietly kill referral flow Why the fix often isn’t more promotion or incentives, it’s reshaping the product or service portfolio itself How to help others refer work to you. If you’re in B2B or selling higher-priced B2C and you’re relying on referrals, this episode discusses the math to make it work. This episode was hosted by: Jack Ferguson - Host of The Push and Brand Strategist Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist
	S3 E43: Marketing Spend vs. Agency Overheads: How Pastries, Drinks Trolleys, and Ticket Clipping Bloat Your Invoice (with Gerard Doyle)	19 Aug 2025	00:34:57
When you’re paying your agency big money, how much of that is productive? And how much is pastries, drinks trolleys, and middle-management ticket clipping? In this episode, Gerard Doyle joins Jack to share the hidden economics of Marketing Agencies. We explore: Why glass-walled meeting rooms, front-desk greeters, and “free” pastries aren’t really free How bloated hierarchy and made-up titles inflate your bill without improving outcomes The silo problem: when the SEO and Google Ads specialists only talk in front of you How agency profit models push burnout down the org chart The career cost of locking juniors into narrow specialisations The importance of being a “triangle-shaped marketer” What a healthy, integrated team structure looks like If you’ve ever wondered where your budget really goes, this episode will fill you in. This episode was co-hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson And Fractal Agency Owner Gerard Doyle Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Find Gerard on LinkedIn here: Gerard Doyle \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: The Push: Overview \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bethepush Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist Visit Gerard’s website here: The Startup Marketing Agency for Founders and Entrepreneurs – Helping Entrepreneurs find customers for their amazing services and inspiring solutions
	S3 E42: Uber, Kit Kat, and Laptop Bags: A Simple Way to Explain Differentiation and Distinctiveness to Stakeholders	12 Aug 2025	00:10:44
Differentiation vs. Distinctiveness. It’s a debate that’s been looping in marketing circles for years; so what’s our take? In this episode Jack discusses the effectiveness of both concepts and shares how he talks about it with non-marketers. In this episode Jack covers: The "Laptop Bag Story" that simply explains category entry points, distinctiveness, and differentiation How Uber could have theoretically used differentiation in the beginning of their growth, before utilising distinctiveness for further growth beyond a certain size How Kit Kat’s “Have a Break” is a distinctiveness play 65 years in the making Kantar’s data on when differentiation matters most in a brand’s lifecycle The category entry points Snickers are (probably) chasing right now And A simple framework for explaining these concepts to stakeholders, jargon-free If you’ve ever struggled to simplify these distinctiveness and differentiation for non-marketers, or you want to solidify your own philosophy around these concepts, this episode will give you the stories, analogies, and data points you need. This episode was hosted by: Jack Ferguson - Host of The Push and Brand Strategist Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: The Push: Overview \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist Resources Mentioned: Defending Differentiation Video: Mark Ritson on defending differentiation - IGNITE 2023 Category Entry Points Explanations and Case Studies: Category Entry Point Examples \| CEP Case Studies And Inspiration Brand Salience Definition: How to measure Brand Salience \| Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science
	S3 E59: Positive Wastage: The Brand Growth You Didn’t Intentionally Create	16 Dec 2025	00:24:42
Most brands try to eliminate waste. This episode explains how this approach is limiting. We break down Positive Wastage, how it shows up in practice, and why it repeatedly drives brand growth, marketing outcomes, and long-term relationships, even when not intentionally planned for. Your co-hosts are: - Brand Strategist - Jack Ferguson. - Brand Identity Designer - Tutai Marongere. In this episode: Jack shares how positive wastage shows up when you build things without forcing outcomes including meetups that weren’t profitable, and being truly social on social media. Tutai shares how attending a rain-soaked business event trying to sell logos led to a complete reframe on his entire business creating far greater value than the original goal. Jack shares how brand growth often comes from indirect exposure rather than being directly engaged with, using examples like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtracks, Play-Doh’s smell, and default system sounds to explain how salience is driven. Tutai shares how a two-minute human interaction on his first day at a job turned into years of client work and ultimately introduced him to Jack. Jack and Tutai discuss how being overly outcome-focused kills upside, and how openness and participation creates brand growth that cannot be planned but can be allowed for. Helpful Links: - Find Jack on LinkedIn here - Find Tutai on LinkedIn here - Visit Jack’s personal website here - Follow The Push on LinkedIn here - Find The Push on YouTube here - Follow The Push on TikTok here - Follow The Push on Instagram here - Visit The Push website here
	S3 E41: When Marketers Hit Burnout: Navigating Boundaries, Workload, and Identity (with Chanel Clark)	05 Aug 2025	00:48:07
In this episode, Jack and Chanel discuss burnout, how marketers are susceptible to it, and how tying your identity in a high-growth brand can be addictive, but unsustainable. We cover: How running 2 sold-out events in 1 day was a burnout breaking point What it’s like to go from high-functioning to non-functioning overnight Jack’s experience with burnout after launching 14 restaurants for a brand in a year How being “the face” of a breakout FMCG brand can blur every boundary What happens when ambitious marketers have to stop The emotional fallout of stepping away from a brand that has become your identity How posting about burnout on LinkedIn turned Chanel into an accidental poster child What burnout recovery really looks like This episode was co-hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson And Founder of The Marketing Club and Independent Consultant Chanel Clark Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Find Chanel on LinkedIn here: Chanel Clark \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: The Push: Overview \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: Marketing scenarios. Relatable problems. Practical solutions. \| The Push Podcast Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist Visit Chanel’s website here: Chanel Clark - Marketing Consultant Visit The Marketing Club’s website here: The Marketing Club Follow The Marketing Club on Instagram: Instagram Follow The Marketing Club on Linkedin: The Marketing Club AU/NZ: Posts \| LinkedIn
	S3 E40: Queensland, Thrills, and Brands: How To Explain Positioning to Stakeholders	29 Jul 2025	00:05:35
Every marketer knows positioning is crucial, but explaining that to stakeholders is often met with blank stares or polite nods. In this episode, we’ll share an effective analogy that helps stakeholders get it. We’ll cover: Why most brands confuse company, brand, and product positioning, and how to untangle them The ‘Queensland Analogy’ that makes positioning land with non-marketers How to explain positioning as a driver of choice, not just communication How to make stakeholders see positioning as a commercial decision, not as a creative one Whether you’re trying to reposition your company or simply tired of fighting for strategic clarity, this episode gives you a straightforward way to make the value of positioning obvious. This episode was hosted by: Jack Ferguson - Host of The Push and Brand Strategist Find Jack on LinkedIn here Subscribe to The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here
	S3 E39: When Marketing Is Reactive: You Ship, You Pivot, You Drift	22 Jul 2025	00:37:09
In this episode, Ben and Jack talk about the chaos that comes when every campaign, landing page, or price change is a response to right now. If you’ve ever found yourself dropping everything to chase a metric, or wondering why all your “busy” doesn’t feel like progress, this one’s for you. They get into: The invisible cost of constant change Why “quick wins” often lead to long-term stagnation What happens when leaders optimise daily but plan rarely The myth of control in short-term marketing How reactive habits quietly erode your strategy Listen in and see if any of it sounds too familiar. This episode was co-hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson And E-Commerce Specialist Ben Reeves Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Find Ben on LinkedIn here: Ben Reeves \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: The Push: Overview \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on TikTok here: TikTok - Make Your Day Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: Marketing scenarios. Relatable problems. Practical solutions. \| The Push Podcast Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist Visit Ben’s website here: https://benreeves.co/
	S3 E38: Short-Term B2B Sales: A Go-To Playbook	15 Jul 2025	00:07:14
What do you do when you're under pressure to deliver B2B sales.....fast? In this solo episode, Jack breaks down the exact moves he makes when he or his clients need to drive short-term revenue. This includes practical plays that have been effective. You’ll hear: Why most of a B2B market isn’t buying, and what to do about it How to cash in on brand equity without burning bridges Where to find the 1% who are ready to buy now The three channels Jack uses when time (and cash flow) is tight Why short-term sales might mean sacrificing the “perfect” client, and why that’s ok Whether you're filling a revenue gap or appeasing a stakeholder, this episode should provide you with some ideas for your own short-term sales efforts. This episode was hosted by: Jack Ferguson - Host of The Push and Brand Strategist Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bethepush Visit The Push website here: Marketing scenarios. Relatable problems. Practical solutions. \| The Push Podcast Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist
	S3 E37: Proving Brand Drives Growth: Metrics That Change Minds (with Chanel Clark)	08 Jul 2025	00:28:36
In this episode, Jack sits down with Chanel Clark to unpack a rare achievement in modern marketing: proving that brand drives real business outcomes. Listen in and hear how: – Chanel increased brand awareness for a FMCG company by 12% in 9 months – Chanel ran one campaign so effectively, the brand tracking platform thought the data was broken – To use sentiment tracking to identify (and fix) major messaging gaps. – To use a “cinema pre-release” analogy to help non-marketers understand the concept of brand. – To leverage Zoom recordings of customer calls to win internal buy-in and sidestep opinion wars. – B2B brands can get fast, low-cost brand data. – To translate fluffy brand metrics into business outcomes stakeholders actually care about. – To make brand performance measurable, even for early-stage or challenger brands. If you’ve ever struggled to prove a brand is doing more than “just building vibes,” this episode gives you the language, structure, and story to change the conversation. This episode was co-hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson And Founder of The Marketing Club and Independent Consultant Chanel Clark Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Find Chanel on LinkedIn here: Chanel Clark \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: The Push: Overview \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: Marketing scenarios. Relatable problems. Practical solutions. \| The Push Podcast Visit Jack’s personal website here: https://jackferguson.co/ Visit Chanel’s website here: Chanel Clark - Marketing Consultant Visit The Marketing Club’s website here: The Marketing Club Follow The Marketing Club on Instagram: Instagram Follow The Marketing Club on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-club-au-nz
	S3 E36: When Marketing Transparency Backfires: Share Outcomes, Not Ammo	01 Jul 2025	00:03:31
Every marketer’s had a moment they wish they’d said less. You’re trying to be transparent. Clear. Accountable. But sometimes, transparency backfires; especially when it gives stakeholders the wrong frame to judge your work. In this episode, Jack shares a short story about a well-meaning update that led to weeks of misaligned expectations. And the simple language shift that Jack now uses to avoid the same trap. Jack will discuss: Why quantifying performance can invite binary thinking How to reframe results around resource allocation When transparency helps, and when it harms What to say when someone wants “more” with no extra budget How to keep control of the narrative without sounding defensive Whether you’re managing a demanding CEO or a curious stakeholder, this one’s about protecting your team’s focus.....and your own credibility. This episode was hosted by: Jack Ferguson - Host of The Push and Brand Strategist Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bethepush Visit The Push website here: Marketing scenarios. Relatable problems. Practical solutions. \| The Push Podcast Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist
	S3 E35: The Theatre of Pitching: How Agencies Win, Lose, and Burn Budget (with Gerard Doyle)	24 Jun 2025	00:35:09
In this episode, Jack Ferguson and Gerard Doyle break down how marketing agency pitches really work, revealing the hidden costs, internal strain, and showmanship that often wins business, regardless of the agency’s ability to deliver. Listen in and hear how: Gerard used cellophane glasses, laser-cut covers, and a 22-year-old grad to win over Coca-Cola executives. An H&M global pitch left an agency office bearing $50,000 in unrecoverable costs. A baby sock accidentally pulled out during a pitch nearly derailed a million-dollar opportunity. Too many agencies are spending tens of thousands preparing for pitches they'll likely never win. The traditional pitching model forces agencies to create elaborate "performances" that don't reflect quality of work. A fundamentally broken system causes excessive mental and emotional strain when pitching for clients. Gerard shares insider stories from his 25 years of agency experience, revealing the true cost of winning, and losing, high-stakes marketing pitches. This episode was co-hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson And Fractal Agency Owner Gerard Doyle Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Find Gerard on LinkedIn here: Gerard Doyle \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: Marketing scenarios. Relatable problems. Practical solutions. \| The Push Podcast Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist Visit Gerard’s website here: The Startup Marketing Agency for Founders and Entrepreneurs – Helping Entrepreneurs find customers for their amazing services and inspiring solutions
	S3 E34: Brand Building Buy-In: What Changes Stakeholder Minds	17 Jun 2025	00:05:05
Every senior marketer’s been there. You know brand building drives long-term growth, but the people holding the purse strings only care about this quarter’s numbers, and direct response advertising….and what ‘works’. In this episode, Jack breaks down how he shifts that stakeholder mindset. He’ll share: How to use Binet & Field’s research to reframe the short vs. long-term debate How to explain brand building boosts short-term performance What metrics stakeholders care about—and how to tie brand to them Tools that make brand building measurable and accountable How to sell the idea that brand isn’t fluff, it’s future demand Whether you're a CMO or a solo marketer, this is your playbook for getting buy-in from stakeholders who still think “brand” means “fluff” and marketers dodging “accountability.” Resources mentioned: - Binet and Field’s presentation: PowerPoint Presentation - Tracksuit: Beautiful, Affordable, Always-On Brand Tracking \| Tracksuit This episode was hosted by: Jack Ferguson - Host of The Push and Brand Strategist Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: Marketing scenarios. Relatable problems. Practical solutions. \| The Push Podcast Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist
	S3 E33: 6 Marketing Campaigns That Backfired: When Interdependencies Break (with Ben Reeves)	10 Jun 2025	00:35:30
In this episode, Jack and Ben share real marketing campaigns that backfired, and discuss how complex interdependencies across teams, tools, and timelines can sabotage best-laid plans. From production mishaps to broken sales handovers, we explore how weak links can unravel an entire campaign. Listen in and hear how: A $200,000 lead gen campaign was derailed by red tape and poor follow-up. A major production shoot was ruined by a $50 microphone. Poor lighting choices made an entire government video unusable (and what saved the project). A cyclone and a young marketer managing a food brand lead to one very misguided tweet. How subtle technical lighting details compromised an entire creative project. An agency's pay-per-lead model collapsed under misaligned ownership in the buying process. This episode was co-hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson And Ecommerce Marketing Specialist Ben Reeves Find Jack on LinkedIn here: Jack Ferguson \| LinkedIn Find Ben on LinkedIn here: Ben Reeves \| LinkedIn Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: Marketing scenarios. Relatable problems. Practical solutions. \| The Push Podcast Visit Jack’s personal website here: Jack Ferguson — Brand Strategist Visit Ben’s website here: https://benreeves.co/
	S3 E32: Marketing Partnerships: More Than Business Tinder	27 May 2025	00:31:47
Partnerships: everyone says you have to do them. But most of that advice is dangerously naive, bordering on incompetent. This episode discusses self-serving agendas and ineffectual approaches that tanked collaborations, as well as successful partnerships that drove great commercial outcomes (and why). Listen in and hear: How a software company and a diversity & inclusion service provider created a successful partnership by filling each other's gaps. How a software company and a service company thrived by filling each other's competency gaps. How partnering with drafters allowed an engineering software company to bypass 10 barriers to entry. The Accountant/Cleaner Catastrophe: One of the worst partnership ideas we've ever seen. An example of a software development company successfully partnering with UX agencies. Terrible advice a business coach publicly gave on partnerships. This episode was co-hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s personal website here
	S3 E58: Building Your Personal Brand as a Marketer: Job Proofing Yourself and Navigating a Tactic-Obsessed Marketplace	09 Dec 2025	00:14:48
Building your own personal brand as a marketer matters more than ever. It helps you stay respected, protect your career options, and operate with more authority in workplaces that often default to tactics over strategy. In this episode, brand strategist Jack Ferguson breaks down how to build a personal profile that strengthens your positioning in the job market. Jack shares: • The meeting where he’d finally had enough: The moment his internal positioning collapsed and why it pushed him to build his own brand as a marketer. • How marketing differs from finance, ops and accounting: Closed systems vs open systems, and why marketers navigate entropy, culture shifts and demand cycles instead of neat levers. • How to shut down “does this tactic work?” questions: Reframes that stop you accepting a frame that undermines your expertise. • How to position yourself within a company: Building internal buy-in, establishing standards, and preventing others from treating you like an order-taker. • How to job-proof your career: How to grow your profile and make your personal brand a market signal. • How the informal job market works: Why 70–80% of roles never hit Seek or LinkedIn, why senior roles are usually filled long before they’re advertised, and what this means for you. • Why great marketers don’t apply for jobs: How to build yourself into someone who gets the tap on the shoulder. Helpful Links: - Find Jack on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackfergusonmymm - Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush - Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok - Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram - Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push - Visit Jack’s personal website here: Brand Strategist + Marketing Consultant — Jack Ferguson
	S3 E31: A Brewery Isn’t a Pub: How Company Competency Shapes Marketing	13 May 2025	00:40:12
There is a chasm between market want and corporate can. In this episode we dissect company core competency and the impact misunderstanding this has on marketers. If you’ve ever felt there is some invisible architecture that dictates success or failure in your organisation, but can’t quite put your finger on why, it might be due to a deficit in core competence. Forget chasing trends. We discuss why superficial market appeal is a fool's errand without the intrinsic capability to deliver. From the nuanced dichotomy of breweries and pubs to the audacious (perhaps reckless) expansion of titans like Netflix, we leave no sacred cow alive…..well, almost none. We discuss: The "Adjacent Market Mirage": Listen to the story of an outsourcing company's growth mistake chasing “easy” expansion. The danger for companies lacking self-awareness: Listen to us discuss why a brewery can’t be a pub, and why there isn’t a damn thing a marketer can do about that. When Good Intentions Lead to Bad Investments (The Software Service Dilemma): Listen to us share a story of how a B2B software company's forays into adjacent services, one a surprising win, the other a costly failure, reveal the often-invisible lines of core competence that must be identified prior to expansion. Why Overestimating Your Capabilities Can Lead to Costly Failures: Listen to us talk about a Branding Agency's expansion problems after it mistook its capabilities and tried to enter the wrong market. The power of knowing your lane: Listen to us discuss how McDonald's deep understanding of what they do allows them to grow year after year, decade after decade. Fuel Strategic Growth by Discovering Your True Core (A Charity's Smart Pivot): Listen to a story how a laundry charity identified their fundamental strength to strategically expand into a different, but related service, substantiating a strong model for growth. This episode was cohosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart. Find Jack and Alex online at the links below: Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s personal website here
	S3 E30: Why Your Marketing Job Feels Unsatisfying	29 Apr 2025	00:20:04
In this episode of the podcast we dive into a fascinating concept that could explain why your marketing job feels misaligned or difficult. We explore the idea of company "orientation," how a company’s focus and cultural direction can shape your experience as a marketer. From sales-focused companies to product-driven organisations, we'll break down 4 distinct orientations and how they impact everything from internal communications to strategic decisions. Plus, we’ll discuss how understanding your company's orientation can help you thrive, or decide if it’s time to move on. We cover: The concept of every company having an orientation The 4 main orientations Why marketers should be aware of their company's orientation to decide if they can work within it or if it's time to move on. The orientation Jack believes marketers thrive in and why The misuse of AI in products, often leading to complications rather than solutions. Why Google Plus as a product was too internally focused and ultimately failed. How Zappos was customer-oriented, a marketer’s delight, and focused on customer service rather than the product. This episode is co-hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s personal website here
	S3 E29: Not-So-Rapid Fire Q & A: Senior Marketer Edition	15 Apr 2025	00:17:04
In this fun and insightful episode, we dive into a "Not-So-Rapid-Fire" Q & A session with senior marketers Alex and Jack. While the aim was to keep it quick, they got talking….and…well, it didn’t end up being that quick 😂 Alas, there are a lot of laughs as the entertainment factor is high! Questions include: - What is the best marketing advice you’ve ever received? - What is the best sales advice you ever received? - What’s your biggest frustration as a marketer? - What is the most important skill a marketer will need in 2025? - What is your biggest frustration with marketers? - What career advice would you give your newbie marketing self? Amongst others. Interesting quotes from the episode: "You can’t control your buyers; you can only influence them.” "You can’t make someone buy, but you can create the perfect environment for them to choose to." "People don’t like to be sold to, but everyone likes to buy." "Marketing isn’t about fancy tactics—it’s about cutting through the noise and getting to the truth." This episode was co-hosted by Jack Ferguson and Alex Urquhart. Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s personal website here
	S3 E28: Same Goal, Different Game: Promoting Products vs. Services	01 Apr 2025	00:15:22
We all know the goal is the same—drive results. But when it comes to promoting products versus services, the game changes. In this episode, we dive into the differences with real life examples to draw upon. After all, we all know it’s not just about the product or service—it’s about how you approach the messaging, and the strategy behind it. What we cover: A story of a software developer rebranding as an education app developer, and how that led to more sales. Why we believe industry experience helps sell to clients but doesn’t make a marketer better at their job. Different marketing strategies we’ve utilised for professional services versus product-based businesses, using an engineering company as an example. Challenges we’ve witnessed promoting service based businesses which have a broad range of offerings. Examples of successful marketing strategies for service-based businesses This episode is hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart. Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s personal website here
	S3 E27: Marketing to Your Boss: Let’s Pull Teeth!	18 Mar 2025	00:17:54
In this episode….we’re going to pull teeth….wait, wait, we mean manage up as a marketer. What is actually going on when your boss is disagreeing with you? Let's explore this oh-so familiar situation and take a look at what's really going wrong, and what we can do about it. Get ready for: - A marketer trying to expand a CFO’s view beyond PPC. - A lesson from Trevor Noah in understanding your boss - Strategies for bridging the gap between your marketing expertise and your boss's belief system - Several points of view on how to influence your boss - A discussion on your boss’s belief system and when it is too deeply entrenched - The reality of changing belief structures. How to do it and your likelihood of success. This episode is hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson And Product Marketer Alex Urquhart Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s personal website here
	S3 E26: Peddling Poison: When the product sucks, can marketing save the day?	04 Mar 2025	00:28:01
Can you truly market a subpar product and come out on top? On this episode we explore the realities of marketing a product that simply doesn’t deliver. From Crocs to Google to Santorini, we’ll explore real-world examples of brands attempting to win with a product that falls short. We will explore: - Why marketers should always be asked about product - How a bootstrapped company did very little promotion yet found success by addressing a defined market need. - How Jack shaped a product for a SaaS company, and helped it pivot from a code quality platform to a finance platform. - How a terrible product (Crocs) became popular - Why Google has failed at over 250 products - The nuances of product quality when comparing B2B to B2C customers This episode is hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson And Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s personal website here
	S3 E25: Effectively Selling Marketing Expertise; Tales, Tactics, and Frameworks!	18 Feb 2025	00:26:12
In this episode, we talk about how to sell yourself as a marketer! We’re giving you tales, tactics, and frameworks! Marketer's have unique challenges when it comes to selling our services and expertise. We are going to discuss why this happens, and strategies to overcome this! This episode is hosted by: Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart. This episode covers: - The challenges of selling marketing services due to inherent uncertainty in marketing outcomes. - Common challenges faced by both internal marketers and external consultants. - The difference between deterministic and non-deterministic services and why these matters to you as a marketer. - How cake theory applies to marketers - The challenges of working with clients and stakeholders who don't understand the complexity of marketing. - The problem with marketing PDs in 2025 - Where 90% of your success will come from as a marketer - How marketing is 80% intangibles and 20% great tangibles, and the inherent challenges that arise with that Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s personal website here
	S3 E24: Breakup Advice for Marketers; When to Leave Your Employer	04 Feb 2025	00:29:46
In this episode, we are talking about employer/employee break ups (or client/contractor break ups). The key question we are looking is: When should a marketer leave an employer or client? Specifically, we discuss: - The importance of leaving a job at the right time - Personal stories of staying in the wrong job for too long - Signs that it’s time to leave - Tribalism in the workplace - The importance of leadership in shaping company culture and how it affects you - The catch 22 of keeping professional distance from clients/employers vs caring enough to do a great job as a marketer And - Why it's useful to think about culture as the personality of leadership This episode was co-hosted by: - Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and - Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s website here
	S3 E23: Pricing Debate: How high is too high?	28 Jan 2025	00:28:10
In this episode, hosts Jack and Alex engage in a lively debate on pricing strategies. Jack argues passionately for pricing products and services as high as possible to maximize profits, while Alex presents a counterargument, drawing on real-world examples that highlight the importance of finding the right price point based on market dynamics and customer value. Jack shares stories of times when he has witnessed companies price too low. Alex shares stories of times when companies have priced too high. The discussion covers a range of topics including; - The relationship between pricing and sustainable growth - Why some customers pay more and why it matters - Stories of customers gamifying pricing models leading to company issues - The impact pricing has on customer experiences (with stories) - The warning signs you’re pricing yourself out of the market - The impact of high pricing on customer expectations - How complicated pricing could be costing you business This episode is perfect for senior marketers who contribute strategy to their conversations with clients or their internal team. Tune in to hear Jack and Alex's spirited debate and decide for yourself who makes the stronger case. This episode is co-hosted by: - Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and -Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s website here
	S3 E22: Lessons from 22 Podcast Episodes; Building Parasocial Relationships, Crafting Stories, and Repurposing Content Effectively	31 Dec 2024	00:35:50
In this special episode of the podcast, we're taking a step back to reflect on our journey over the past 22 episodes of the podcast. What started as an experiment has evolved into a valuable learning experience. We talk about the lessons we've learned from Season 3 of The Push podcast. Lessons include: - Understanding the power of parasocial relationships - The contrast between the storytelling style of Seinfeld and Game of Thrones - and how that can transform the success of your business’s content production. - The complexities of transitioning from an audio-only podcast to a video one. - The Lord of the Rings insight that demonstrates how to balance complex narratives with a digestible output - Techniques for crafting relatable and digestible content that resonates with the audience. And - The emotional benefits and personal journey of podcasting. This episode is co-hosted by: - Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and - Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on YouTube here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s website here
	S3 E57: One Brand, 28 Retail Stores Launched: Marketing Tactics Are Overrated; What Really Drives Growth	02 Dec 2025	00:09:36
In this episode, host Jack Ferguson breaks down the real drivers of revenue growth by going back to first principles. No tactics worship, just the underlying forces that move product. He talks about: - How 28 retail launches helped him isolate the true impact of tactics - You can grow revenue and still lose market share, and why many brands mistake this for promotional success. - The danger of trying to compensate for weak demand with better creative or more advertising. - What marketers should obsess over first, and why understanding category growth is upstream of every promotional conversation. About Your Host: Jack Ferguson is an evidence-based brand strategist with 15 years experience in marketing across 25 industries. Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackfergusonmymm/ Follow The Push on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Follow The Push on TikTok here: thepushmedialab (@thepushmedialab) \| TikTok Follow The Push on Instagram here: Instagram Visit The Push website here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers \| The Push Visit Jack’s personal website here: Brand Strategist + Marketing Consultant — Jack Ferguson
	S3 E21: Taming unrealistic expectations (The marketer’s survival guide (Pt 2))	17 Dec 2024	00:26:50
Unrealistic marketing expectations can cripple a business (and marketers). This episode is part of a 2-part series on how to manage what’s expected of you as a marketer. This episode is perfect for senior marketers who need to hear that you are not alone. Use the experiences we share to make your professional life a little easier. In this episode, we’ll: Use the Chicago Bulls team from 1992 to 1998 as a case study for high-performing teams, with Michael Jordan as the pinnacle player. Marketers are sometimes expected to be the Michael Jordan of their business, but can one person do it all? Discuss how a company Alex worked with spent millions of dollars on promotion that should have been stopped much sooner. Listen in as to why. Discuss why companies need to understand their core competencies and not rely on external marketers to fix fundamental issues. Talk through the advice Jack gave his friend who was buying a pharmacy and what realistic expectations he thinks are valid for marketing a small business. The importance of setting KPIs that are within the control of the sales or marketing team. The challenges for any marketer who is working across multiple departments and being integrated into every team. - - - - - This episode is co-hosted by: - Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson and -Product Marketing Specialist Alex Urquhart Find Jack on LinkedIn here Find Alex on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on LinkedIn here Follow The Push on TikTok here Follow The Push on Instagram here Visit The Push website here Visit Jack’s personal website here Visit Alex’s website here

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