In this episode, Adam and Laura welcome back Julian Gomez to the podcast to discuss portfolio strategy, focusing on his extensive experience as CMO of Unilever's beauty and personal care business. The conversation deep dives into the importance of creativity and passion in building successful brands, how internal politics and emotions affect strategy, and the critical balance between logic and magic in decision-making.

In this episode of The Persuasion Game, hosts Simon and Adam sit down with Julian Gomez, to discuss the crucial topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in marketing. They explore Julian's wealth of experience with DEI marketing initiatives from his role as CMO for Unilever's beauty and personal care brands across 40 markets in EMEA and ANZ. They discuss the business case for representing diverse consumers, why DEI initiatives are under threat, and the challenges of leading a portfolio across diverse global markets. Packed with valuable insights and practical advice, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to better understand and implement DEI in their marketing efforts whilst avoiding the pitfalls.

In this thought-provoking episode, hosts Laura and Simon sit down with Poppy Mardall, founder of Poppy's Funerals, a company redefining funeral care with empathy, individuality, and transparency. Funeral care is an industry with some of the most deeply entrenched traditions, but Poppy’s Funerals is doing things differently. Poppy shares her approach to empowering grieving families, her dedication to offering personalized and respectful experiences, and the importance of breaking societal taboos around death.

In this episode of The Persuasion Game, Laura talks with Nick Manning, co-founder of Manning Gottlieb, and Caroline Marshall, former editor of Campaign, about the rapidly changing advertising landscape and discusses their pioneering 'Advertising: Who Cares?' initiative. This wide-ranging conversation explores the evolution of digital platforms, the impact on traditional media, and the importance of creativity in advertising.  

In this insightful episode, hosts Adam and Laura sit down with Selina Sykes, Global Lead for Digital, Media, and Commerce at Unilever. They delve into the essence of partnerships, storytelling, and leadership in the modern business landscape. Selina shares her journey from a psychology student to a leader in digital marketing, and discusses the importance of empathy and compassion when driving successful partnerships and brand transformations.

In this podcast episode, hosts Adam and Laura engage in a lively conversation with Imme Ermgassen, co-founder of Botivo, a non-alcoholic, “big sipping” aperitivo. They discuss Imme’s unique approach to brand building including breaking the non-alcoholic beverage category rules by creating a hedonistic, pleasure-focused product. She the challenges Botivo has faced in educating consumers and category buyers and the tactics she has used to create awareness and drive trial. This is a fascinating discussion with a visionary entrepreneur and brand-builder at the top of their game.

In this insightful episode, hosts Laura and Simon discuss sustainability with Joss Ford, founder of Enviral, a communications agency dedicated to combatting boring sustainability stories. Joss shares his journey into sustainability, the challenges of effectively communicating it, and the importance of integrating it into business strategies.  They explore the dynamics within NGOs and corporations, the balance between progress and perfection, and the impact of engaging creative approaches. The conversation also touches on the importance of addressing absolutist positions and fostering collaboration for meaningful change in the sustainability landscape.

In this festive episode of The Persuasion Game, co-hosts Laura and Adam embark on a Christmas special where they tackle some common festive dilemmas but with a twist - they’ll be using marketing insights from past guests.  Drawing on their discussions with previous pod guests Jane Buck, Grant Mckenzie, Paul Thomas, Katie Evans, Nick Graham and Alex O’Rourke they explore family traditions, gifting, creating an inclusive holiday atmosphere and more. Packed with practical advice, heartwarming stories, and festive cheer, this episode offers valuable tips on leveraging persuasion techniques for a joyful and harmonious Christmas.

Jane is a seasoned expert in innovation with an extensive background at major brands including Mondelez and Unilever where she launched and scaled the €1BN+ personal care brand Love Beauty & Planet. Jane discusses her unique approach to brand development, explaining how she integrates consumer insights with visionary thinking to drive innovation, how she spots patterns and opportunities, and the importance of balancing short-term actions with long-term vision in corporate settings. The conversation also covers her time co-founding and launching natural skincare brand REN which Unilever eventually acquired.

Nick shares his expertise on how iconic brands like Pepsi and Cadbury have adapted their strategies to stay relevant in a fast-changing world. They explore the power of nostalgia, storytelling, and emotional connection in creating meaningful campaigns that resonate with audiences.

In this episode, CMO Katie Evans shares how Burger King UK behaves like a challenger brand to create maximum impact with its communications versus its competitors with much larger media budgets. And she reflects on Burger King UK’s latest campaign ‘Bundles of Joy' which featured mums eating Burger King after birth - where the online conversation took on a life of its own.

In this episode, Ex-Asahi CMO Grant McKenzie talks us through the challenges he faced bringing non-alcoholic beer to market. As much an internal persuasion job as it was a consumer behaviour challenge, Grant spent 7 years making it happen. This is a must-listen for anyone working in innovation or trying to land a new strategy.

Simon and Laura are joined by Alex O'Rourke, co-founder of Locksmith and experienced marketer. Together, they explore the challenges and strategies of self-promotion and navigating societal barriers as a woman in the workplace. Alex shares her knowledge as a transformational life coach and delves into issues including the importance of creating a personal narrative. 

Simon and Laura are joined by Paul Thomas, International Insight Director and Global Head of Shopper Insight at Suntory who shares insights on the evolving premium spirits category and the consumer motivations behind alcohol purchasing decisions. Paul also shares insights on consumer planning, luxury goods spending, and brand marketing strategies.