The Radical Global Marketing Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Radical Global Marketing Podcast, host Steven Proud is joined by Harriet Gaywood, founder of Anoumis Communications, and one of the most experienced PR and communications leaders working in and around China today.

With more than 25 years of international experience, Harriet has held senior communications roles across Asia, including Vice President of Public Relations and International Media at Chinese tech giant Huawei. She now works with leadership teams across the region, advising on strategic communications, reputation management, and media engagement in complex, global environments.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Harriet shares hard-earned insights from decades working at the intersection of communications, geopolitics, technology, and culture, offering a candid perspective on what it really takes to operate effectively as a global communications leader in and around China.

We also explore a very different side of Harriet’s story. She is the founder of Trailing Around Asia and a recently published author of Trailing Around Asia, Mud, Sweat and Beers, a deeply personal account of trail running, climbing, and pushing physical and mental limits across China and Thailand, often at frankly ridiculous distances and altitudes.

Throughout the episode, Harriet discusses:

• What global communications leadership really looks like inside large Chinese organisations
• How international PR has evolved over the last 25 years, and where it’s heading next
• Managing reputation, risk, and credibility across markets, cultures, and political contexts
• The realities of training leaders and spokespeople across Asia
• Why endurance sports, resilience, and communications leadership have more in common than you might think

This episode is part masterclass in international communications, part personal journey, and a powerful reminder that the best global leaders are built through experience, perspective, and stamina.

In this episode of the Radical Global Marketing Podcast, host Steven Proud sits down with Tom Wells, Global Marketing Manager at Life Couriers, one of the world’s leading healthcare and life science logistics groups.

Tom’s career is anything but typical. From studying music and diving deep into audio production and coding, to building a freelance digital career, running HR, and finally landing in global marketing. His journey is a masterclass in adaptability, curiosity, and saying “yes” to opportunities.

Today, Tom helps steer the brand and marketing strategy for a business responsible for some of the most time-critical, life-saving deliveries on the planet, including stem cell transplants, radiopharmaceuticals, lab specimens, and direct-to-patient medical supplies.

We explore how Life Couriers is unifying more than a dozen specialist companies into one global brand, why storytelling and internal alignment matter just as much as external communication, and how Tom approaches marketing in a sector where failure simply isn’t an option.

Tom also shares insights on:

• How an unconventional career path prepared him perfectly for stakeholder-heavy, people-focused marketing
• The unique challenges of building a brand in a highly specialised, deeply regulated industry
• Why healthcare logistics is as human as it is high-tech
• The role of internal culture, communication, and trust when integrating teams across the world
• The future of the Life Couriers group, from advanced tracking systems to drones and global expansion
• How AI fits into modern marketing without losing the human element

This episode is a deep dive into a side of logistics most people never see, and a reminder of how marketing can shape brand trust in life-critical industries.

Bianca Blake and Prashant Mahajan are the co-founders of Klickrr.

Klickrr is a cloud-based communications platform that provides an easy-to-use, ‘done for you’ service, helping businesses send compliant text messages that cut through the clutter and connect with their customers. It is designed to help startups and mid-sized businesses enhance their revenue, make it predictable, and scale efficiently.

Bianca, who now holds the role of CEO, is a hugely experienced marketer with a rich professional background, including 15 years of global marketing experience in various sectors including pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, and FMCG.

Prashant, who now acts as Klickrr’s CTO, designed and built the Klickrr platform from the ground up, serving over 100 businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and SMEs, sending millions of SMS messages since its inception.

In this episode:

• Bianca and Prashant share their professional and entrepreneurial journey as co-founders of Klickrr.
• They discuss the key role that SMS can still play in the successful marketing and communications strategy of businesses of all sizes.
• They offer tips on how a business can set themselves up for success in advance of launching their own SMS marketing channel.
• Both talk about the own challenges behind the brand development and marketing of the Kilckrr business itself and their plans for future growth as business leaders.

Elad Hefetz is the CEO at Airfleet. Elad loves everything tech and marketing. With more than 10 years researching technologies and innovation and 7 years in marketing, he leverages tech to support marketing, and uses marketing to explain the tech.

Airfleet focuses on creating and optimizing websites for tech B2B with a buyer journey that makes sense and generates revenue.

In this episode:

Elad discusses modern B2B marketing strategies, focusing on identifying customer personas, personalizing customer journeys, and utilizing technology to optimize marketing efforts.

He outlines various methods for identifying customer personas based on website interactions. Expensive techniques involve analyzing enriched data to determine who is visiting a site, while more cost-effective strategies use simpler methods such as tracking user interactions with specific pages related to their department. This allows marketers to target users based on their behavior and presumed departmental affiliation. The discussion further delves into the non-linear nature of the buyer's journey, challenging the traditional funnel model. Elad emphasizes the importance of understanding the customer's stage in the buying process, using analytics to track and target based on multiple visits and interactions, rather than a straightforward path.

The conversation also touches on the evolving nature of content delivery, with a strong stance against gating content behind forms. The speaker advocates for making information freely available on websites to educate and engage potential customers without barriers. This approach is aligned with the changing preferences of B2B buyers who increasingly seek to educate themselves before making purchasing decisions. The emphasis is on providing value through accessible, high-quality content rather than traditional lead capture methods.

Key business tips highlighted in the discussion include:

• Utilizing customer behavior data to personalize the marketing approach and optimize customer journeys.
• Emphasizing the importance of understanding and adapting to the non-linear buyer's journey.
• Advocating for open access to informational content to facilitate customer education and engagement.
• Leveraging technology to identify and target specific customer personas effectively.
• Moving away from outdated content delivery methods like PDFs and gated content to enhance customer experience and accessibility.

Dave Beveridge is Project Director for Chaos, a provider of 3D and rendering solutions for architects, engineers, visual artists and media/entertainment companies. For his role, Dave is responsible for new commercial initiatives, largely centered on GTM.

Prior to joining Chaos, Dave was the Director of Global Strategic Marketing at Deutsche Börse subsidiary SimCorp A/S, a provider of IT solutions to large investment management institutions worldwide.  With teams in the UK, US and Asia, Dave’s mandate was to leverage data and insight to target the right personas with resonant messaging through their preferred channels. Dave’s teams describe him as a caring, driven leader with a passion for data-driven B2B Marketing and whose favourite question is “how will this help us win more deals?”. 

A native of Canada based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dave’s career and leadership journeys have gone through companies such as Microsoft, SimCorp and Lyreco. Dave has presented/delivered workshops in over 20 countries/four continents and hopes to add more to the list.

In this episode:

Dave emphasizes the importance of adapting marketing strategies to meet the evolving demands of the industry and highlights his strategic shift from product-focused to client-centric approaches throughout his career.

Dave delves into the nuances of creating effective marketing strategies in a B2B environment. He advocates for a thought leadership approach that positions a company as both knowledgeable and influential within its sector. This method not only attracts clients but also retains them by continuously providing valuable insights and solutions that address their specific needs. Dave’s experience underscores the necessity of leveraging data and insights to fine-tune marketing efforts, ensuring they are both effective and resonant with the target audience.

Throughout the podcast, Dave also reflects on the challenges and adjustments required when navigating corporate changes, such as mergers and acquisitions. He shares personal anecdotes and professional experiences that illustrate the critical nature of adaptability in leadership roles within the marketing sphere. His global perspective, enriched by working in various countries, provides him with a unique viewpoint on how to effectively manage and implement marketing strategies across different cultural and organizational landscapes.

Business and Marketing Pointers

• Emphasizing Client-centric Marketing: Transitioning from a focus on products to addressing client needs and industry insights.
• Thought Leadership: Positioning the company as knowledgeable and insightful within the industry to attract and retain clients.
• Importance of Industry Specific Marketing: Tailoring marketing strategies to cater to specific industries for more effective messaging.
• Leveraging Data and Insights: Using data to understand market dynamics and consumer behavior to guide marketing efforts.
• Adaptability in Roles: Demonstrating flexibility and resilience by adapting to various significant roles within organizations.
• Global Perspective: Gained from working in multiple countries and understanding diverse market dynamics.
• Navigating Corporate Changes: Adapting to organizational shifts, especially after mergers or acquisitions.

Kelley Valone is a seasoned marketing professional with extensive experience in demand generation, SaaS, and various marketing strategies. 

She is the Director of Global Marketing at Prove, where she oversees demand generation strategies and marketing operations.

In this episode:

Kelley discusses her career and touches on many facets of B2B marketing. Some takeaways:

• Demand Generation Evolution: Marketing professionals should recognize the evolving nature of demand generation, which now encompasses not just lead acquisition but also pipeline acceleration and customer upselling.
• Importance of ABM and Field Marketing: Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and field marketing are crucial for targeting and engaging specific customer segments effectively, especially in competitive markets.
• Brand Building alongside Demand Capture: Successful marketing strategies balance brand building with demand capture to enhance brand recognition and credibility, leading to better engagement and conversion rates.
• Customer Journey Integration: Marketing efforts should integrate seamlessly across the customer journey, from lead acquisition to customer retention, emphasizing cross-selling and upselling.
• Utilizing Digital Tools for Personalization: Adoption of digital tools that enable personalized customer interactions and streamline processes (e.g., Geo Targeting) is essential for modern marketing strategies.
• Leveraging AI and Technology: Incorporating AI and advanced technologies into marketing strategies can help understand consumer behavior, predict market trends, and personalize customer interactions, keeping companies competitive.
• Strategic Customer Engagement: During the COVID-19 pandemic, innovative virtual events and targeted engagement strategies proved effective in connecting with key decision-makers, highlighting the importance of adaptability in marketing tactics.

Nandini is an intrapreneurial Marketer and a collaborative leader with over a decade of experience in Marketing Fortune-500 brands within consumer goods, retail, and e-commerce. 

She is a global marketer having worked across Asia, Europe, and North America, and has a track record of delivering strong business performance on legacy and turnaround brands. What fires her up is having an impact on consumers’ lives, businesses, and society at large. She is a bold & brave leader, who holds the performance bar high but also leads with empathy. 

She is currently the Global Marketing Director for Smirnoff with Diageo North America. Nandini.  A strong advocate of the importance of leadership in marketing, she is also one of the peer mentors in the Marketing Leadership Masterclass with Thomas Barta & Syl Saller.  

In this episode:

Nandini's career reflects a deep commitment to the impactful blend of the art and science of marketing, emphasizing creativity and precision to influence consumer behavior positively. Nandini's journey showcases her ability to adapt to various market conditions and regulations, particularly noting the challenges and learning experiences from restrictive marketing environments like India.

In discussing marketing strategies, Nandini highlights the importance of local adaptation while maintaining a consistent global brand purpose, especially for global brands like Smirnoff. She explains how different markets necessitate unique communication strategies and how digital channels have become increasingly central in marketing across various regions. Nandini points out the significance of understanding local nuances to effectively engage consumers through appropriate channels, whether it be digital, print, or experiential marketing.

Nandini also delves into the role of agencies in creating brand-specific content, stressing the collaborative efforts between global and local teams to ensure brand consistency and relevance. She expresses enthusiasm for the evolving landscape of marketing, which increasingly integrates technology and data to enhance creativity and efficiency. Nandini's approach underscores a commitment to storytelling and emotional connection, essential for building strong, enduring brand relationships with consumers.

Here are some key marketing tips shared by Nandini:

• Emphasize both the art and science of marketing to create impactful consumer interactions.
• Adapt global brand strategies to accommodate local market nuances.
• Leverage digital and traditional media effectively to communicate brand ethos and offerings.
• Collaborate closely with agencies to ensure creative consistency and adaptability across markets.
• Utilize data and technology to improve marketing efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining a strong focus on storytelling and emotional engagement.

Dave Koerner is an award-winning marketing leader with a background in international business development and building revenue-based marketing teams. 

He has traveled to 50 US states and 53 countries, and his natural habitat consists of early to mid-stage tech companies or challenger brands.

Dave is the VP of Global Marketing at 75F -- the global market leader in building automation. The company is based in Minneapolis, backed by Bill Gates, and uses smart sensors and wireless controls to create an energy autopilot for commercial building HVAC. 

In this episode:

We delve into Dave’s unique journey through entrepreneurship, sales, and his pivotal role in marketing, particularly at 75F, a company at the forefront of building automation technology. 

Dave narrates his "three miracles" journey, beginning with a childhood passion for entrepreneurship that stood out in his family, transitioning into a successful sales career where he leveraged his experiences to excel in non-traditional environments, and finally venturing into the marketing world. At 75F, he focuses on innovative strategies for promoting energy efficiency and comfort in buildings through smart technology, despite being a challenger brand in a market dominated by skepticism towards climate change and green technologies.

Throughout the conversation, Dave discusses the challenges and strategies of marketing in the B2B sector, emphasizing the importance of being local, leveraging asymmetry against bigger competitors, and the creative utilization of video content and events to differentiate 75F. He stresses the significance of sales enablement, supporting sales teams, and the need for marketing strategies that are not just unique, but also directly counter what large competitors are doing. Dave also touches on the future of marketing, highlighting the critical need for authenticity and trust in an era where consumer skepticism is increasingly prevalent.

Dave’s insights into marketing and business development are deep and varied, offering several key takeaways for marketers and business leaders:

• The importance of empathy in understanding the challenges faced by CEOs, founders, and sales teams.
• The strategic advantage of being a challenger brand through localization, asymmetry, and innovative marketing channels.
• The crucial role of trust and authenticity in building a successful brand amidst growing consumer skepticism.
• The need for businesses to adapt and innovate in response to emerging technologies and changing consumer expectations.

His emphasis on authenticity, innovation, and strategic differentiation offers a roadmap for building impactful, trusted brands in an increasingly skeptical world.

Andy Smith is the founder and CEO of StrategiQ.

Andy is a hugely driven and insightful marketer with an interesting professional background and journey to becoming the founder and leader of an award-winning agency.

Throughout the conversation, Andy comes across as a logical and analytical thinker with an obvious enthusiasm and vision. He speaks with a lot of objectivity and clearly values accountability within the working environment he has created.

StrategiQ is a UK-based, strategy-first marketing agency founded in 2013. Andy and his team offer clients a truly personalized experience based on their ability to uncover valuable insights and competitor-beating opportunities, defining, and delivering impactful marketing strategies.

In this episode:

Andy chats about his background in retail and sales and the corporate grounding he developed during his early career. His introduction to marketing and advertising sales came from the 12 years he spent at Yellow Pages, the majority of which was working face-to-face with businesses of all sizes.

He talks about maintaining a passion for business challenges, a belief in robust business planning, and developing marketing strategies and tactics that are directly aligned with the business plan.

We discuss leadership in an agency environment and how Andy interprets his role as CEO. We also look at the career progression of his team and the importance of providing opportunities for growth and leadership.

Andy highlights the importance of achieving a balance between brand, technology, and customer experience, and how this has influenced how StrategiQ positions itself as a business.

Sean O'Brien is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with a rich background in both B2C and B2B sectors. Sean currently holds the position of Global Head of Marketing and Communication at Mott Corporation, a company specializing in precision filtration technologies. 

With a career spanning various industries, including sporting goods, safety equipment, and technology innovation, Sean brings a wealth of experience to his role. His journey began in the realm of sporting goods, working with brands like New Balance, and evolved through significant roles at Honeywell and Stanley Black & Decker, before joining Mott Corporation.

In this episode...

Sean's approach to marketing is distinguished by his ability to blend B2C storytelling techniques with B2B marketing strategies, a methodology he's passionately applied across different industries. This unique approach has enabled him to rejuvenate and enhance brand and product strategies, making complex, technical products more relatable and engaging to a broader audience. Sean emphasizes the importance of storytelling and brand building in creating compelling marketing narratives that resonate with both consumers and business clients.

In his current role at Mott Corporation, Sean is involved in multi-channel marketing strategies, including digital marketing, live events, and the development of a customer enablement platform. This platform is designed as an interactive tool to showcase the company's technologies in various applications, enhancing customer engagement and sales processes. 

Sean's efforts aim to amplify Mott Corporation's visibility globally and solidify its position in key industries like green hydrogen production, healthcare, and semiconductors. A significant part of Sean's strategy involves account-based marketing (ABM), targeting and personalizing marketing efforts for major Fortune 100 companies. This approach focuses on delivering tailored messages and solutions to potential clients within these organizations, highlighting Mott Corporation's capabilities and success stories. The objective is to penetrate these large companies more deeply by addressing specific needs and projects, thereby fostering closer partnerships and driving sales.

Lastly, Sean touches on the evolving landscape of marketing, emphasizing the critical role of AI in enhancing marketing strategies without overshadowing the need for personalized, human-centric content. He advocates for a balance between leveraging AI for efficiency and maintaining authentic, engaging storytelling that connects with the audience on a personal level. Through his leadership and innovative approaches, Sean continues to drive Mott Corporation's marketing forward, adapting to the changing market dynamics and embracing new technologies to stay competitive.