The Push

Jack Ferguson
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MARKETING
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS

The Push is a podcast for senior marketers eager to hear honest perspectives from peers who tell it like it is. We speak directly to your day-to-day reality and don't bother with superfluous tactics you don't need. We understand that senior marketing is uniquely frustrating.   You have to sell the 'why' more than any other department.You're held accountable for results beyond your control. You're forever dealing with non-marketers who 'know better than you'.Stakeholder politics, opinions, and “gut feelings” constantly get in the way.You're so busy dealing with stakeholders, there's little time left to conceptualise new strategies and hone your craft.  We bring together senior marketers to candidly share stories, analogies, strategies, and mental models they've used.  You can use these conversations to: Explain complex concepts to non-marketers.Get more client buy-in.Explore new strategy ideas.Better articulate your existing knowledge.Explain the 'why' behind your strategy.Keep your own team engaged.Better navigate marketing politics (which are inevitable). Remember that you're not alone in your experiences. No empty buzzwords. No listicles. No generic advice.  Whether you’re in-house, agency-side, or a consultant, you’ll leave feeling empowered to speak up and lead with confidence. The Push is hosted by Jack Ferguson, a Brand Strategist with 15 years of marketing and brand experience across 20+ industries. 

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    S3 E54: Rogue Brand Building Stories feat. Bumble, Red Bull, and Jeep

    Every brand wants to stand out, but few are willing to break the rules to do it. In this episode, Jack dives into the world of rogue brand building, the unconventional, often scrappy ideas that make brands unforgettable. He explores how some of the world’s most unconventional brand strategies broke through. He covers:  • Bumble’s guerrilla campus campaign that turned curiosity into growth  • Red Bull’s early illusions of popularity and how they seeded salience  • Jeep’s illegal-looking parking stunts that embodied its “go anywhere” positioning And most importantly, how thinking beyond media habits and into your customer’s actual life can make your brand feel inevitable. Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn Here: Jack Ferguson | LinkedIn Find Jack's Website Here: Evidence-Based Brand Strategy & Marketing Consulting | Jack Ferguson Visit The Push Website Here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers | The Push Find The Push on LinkedIn Here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Find The Push on YouTube Here: The Push - YouTube Find The Push on TikTok Here: TikTok - Make Your Day Find The Push on Instagram Here: https://www.instagram.com/bethepush - https://brogan.com/blog/guerrilla-marketing-example-5-jeep-outdoor-parking/ - Red Bull Out of the Box Marketing - Bumble Early Days Brand Building

    11 min

  2. 28 OCT

    S3 E53: Marketers vs Scope Creep: When Projects Unravel, and How to Hold Them Together (with Ben Reeves)

    Every marketer has lived through a project that started smoothly and ended sideways. In this episode, co-hosts Jack Ferguson and Ben Reeves discuss scope creep. They share war stories, practical scoping habits, and mindsets that keep you sane when a client says, “Can we just add one more thing?” If you deal with unclear briefs, have underquoted projects before, or work with clients who expect magical turnarounds, this one’s for you. On this episode: Jack shares how instant quotes backfire when clients haven’t done discoveryBen shares a story of a national retailer who cut retainers from 100 hours to 30, and what broke firstHow Ben dealt with a client who ignored hours, then blamed outputJack shares a story of a prospect who wanted a full brand refresh price “on the spot”Why marketers should document everything, even internal emails and sign-offsHow to protect your boundaries without sounding defensive         And  Why sometimes letting a client learn the hard way is the most strategic move you can makeYour co-hosts: - Jack Ferguson is an evidence based brand strategist - Ben Reeves is an experienced ecommerce strategist Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackfergusonmymm/ Find Ben on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benreevesco/ 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: Evidence-Based Brand Strategy & Marketing Consulting | Jack Ferguson

    24 min

  3. 21 OCT

    S3 E52: How Play-Doh’s brand distinctiveness was discovered, not created

    Most of us remember Play-Doh from childhood, but few of us realise what makes it truly distinctive.  In this episode, Brand Strategist Jack Ferguson explores how a product known for its texture built enduring emotional equity through something far less obvious. He explores: How a brand's strongest assets and true distinctiveness can emerge accidentally, and what that means for youThe overlooked power of non-visual assets like smell, touch, and soundHow brands like Play-Doh, AFL, and Coca-Cola encode sensory memories that lastWhy marketers should pay attention to how brands are felt, not just seenWhy “transcending senses” may be the next frontier for brand distinctivenessA thought-provoking episode for senior marketers who want to build brands that stick in memory, sometimes in ways we never planned. Helpful Links: Find Jack on LinkedIn Here: Jack Ferguson | LinkedIn Find Jack's Website Here: Evidence-Based Brand Strategy & Marketing Consulting | Jack Ferguson Visit The Push Website Here: For Senior Marketers...By Senior Marketers | The Push Find The Push on LinkedIn Here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepush Find The Push on YouTube Here: The Push - YouTube Find The Push on TikTok Here: TikTok - Make Your Day Find The Push on Instagram Here: https://www.instagram.com/bethepush Play-Doh Finally Launches Play-Doh For Adults Hasbro Trademarks a Favorite Smell from Childhood: The PLAY-DOH Scent | Hasbro Smells like victory: registering scent trade marks in Australia - Trademark - Australia Meet the Exclusive Club of Trademarked Scents in the U.S.

    13 min

  4. 14 OCT

    S3 E51: The Friends Theme Song: The Perfect Distinctive Brand Asset

    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 yearsHow the song’s composers capitalised on the song’s initial interestThe compounding salience effect: how a single asset multiplied exposure and made the Friends brand iconicHow to recognise “Friends potential" in other brands (with examples)How to design your own brand promotional flywheel, inspired by this Friends case studyHelpful 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

    13 min

  5. 7 OCT

    S3 E50: Lessons from 50 Podcast Episodes: Production Costs, Most-Downloaded Episodes and How Podcasts Attract Clients

    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 stackHow much it costs to produce and promote the podcast every yearWhat the season’s most downloaded episodes areThe number of views Season 3 podcast content has on YouTubeHow the podcast has attracted clientsTactics that were effective for promotion, and those that weren’tHow listener feedback has been utilised to improve the podcast over timeHow the podcast was named and the origins of the brand ‘The Push’Decisions that have been made about the future of the podcastHelpful 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

    29 min

  6. 30 SEPT

    S3 E49: Marketing’s Turbulent People Puzzle: How Recruiters Win While Marketers Burn Out (with Gerard Doyle)

    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 backfireGerard 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 insteadGerard 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 momentGerard discusses how FIFA ticket purchases can be a ‘job security test’ and what it says about generational differences in career confidenceGerard talks about why he thinks pay secrecy fuels turnover, and how transparent pay could fix itGerard discusses the importance of highlighting the quiet achievers in marketing agencies instead of rewarding the squeaky wheelsHelpful 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

    50 min

  7. 23 SEPT

    S3 E48: Should You Bother Making Your Brand Unique?

    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

    13 min

  8. 16 SEPT

    S3 E47: When Marketers Market Themselves: The Pressure to Be Perfect and Why Self-Promotion Feels Unnatural (with Chanel Clark)

    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 GoogleFind 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

    46 min
See All (107)

About

The Push is a podcast for senior marketers eager to hear honest perspectives from peers who tell it like it is. We speak directly to your day-to-day reality and don't bother with superfluous tactics you don't need. We understand that senior marketing is uniquely frustrating.   You have to sell the 'why' more than any other department.You're held accountable for results beyond your control. You're forever dealing with non-marketers who 'know better than you'.Stakeholder politics, opinions, and “gut feelings” constantly get in the way.You're so busy dealing with stakeholders, there's little time left to conceptualise new strategies and hone your craft.  We bring together senior marketers to candidly share stories, analogies, strategies, and mental models they've used.  You can use these conversations to: Explain complex concepts to non-marketers.Get more client buy-in.Explore new strategy ideas.Better articulate your existing knowledge.Explain the 'why' behind your strategy.Keep your own team engaged.Better navigate marketing politics (which are inevitable). Remember that you're not alone in your experiences. No empty buzzwords. No listicles. No generic advice.  Whether you’re in-house, agency-side, or a consultant, you’ll leave feeling empowered to speak up and lead with confidence. The Push is hosted by Jack Ferguson, a Brand Strategist with 15 years of marketing and brand experience across 20+ industries. 

Information

  • Creator
    Jack Ferguson
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    107
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Push
  • Show Website
    The Push

You Might Also Like