Uncensored CMO

Jon Evans

The Uncensored CMO was created to explore the good, the bad and quite frankly downright ugly truth about marketing theory & practice.

  1. 1 HR AGO

    Syl Saller CBE on balancing life, leadership & making the right career moves

    Syl Saller CBE is one of the most respected marketing leaders of her generation. Former Global Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Diageo, Syl helped lead a FTSE 10 business with more than 200 brands across 180 countries. Today, she’s an executive coach and mentor, President of The Marketing Society, and works closely with C-suite leaders to develop the next generation of marketing leadership. In this episode, Syl shares what the CMO role at Diageo is really like, how to build strong relationships with CEOs and boards, and how to navigate imposter syndrome, difficult conversations, and career-defining moments. We also discuss why she left Diageo, what she’d do differently looking back, and the leadership lessons she now passes on to others. Sign up to our live event, The Calling, on April 21st here:https://event.uncensoredcmo.com/events/uncensoredcmo/2044861 Timestamps 00:00 - Intro00:53 - What’s a CMO role at Diageo really like?02:56 - How to have difficult conversations03:59 - Whats it like being on the board of Diageo?05:04 - Working with Sir Ivan Menezes, legendary Diageo CEO09:10 - How to foster a great relationship with your CEO12:38 - How Syl Saller’s childhood shaped her into the leader she is today18:57 - What would Syl Saller do differently in her career21:29 - How to deal with imposter syndrome as a leader25:31 - How to figure out your life and career plan28:08 - The toolkit for planning success31:40 - Why the challenging moments in life can have the best outcomes34:17 - Maintaining a good work life balance with a senior job38:51 - Why Syl left Diageo in 202040:11 - Why Syl Saller became a leadership coach after leaving Diageo43:10 - Three bits of leadership advice from Syl Saller

    47 min
  2. 4 FEB

    How Brewdog built a £billion beer brand - James Watt

    The last time I spoke to today's guest, James Watt, he fired me. It's the first thing we talk about in the episode, but I have nothing but respect for the man who built Brewdog into the Unicorn it is today. Through their impressive marketing stunts, focus on product quality and immense speed of execution, Brewdog successfully took on the beer behemoths and solidified its place in the industry. In this episode we talk about why James made a mistake hiring an executive team (including me), how they convinced a bank to give them a loan in the global financial crisis and how he almost lost £50m to a Russian bank account. Now, James has launched a new venture, Social Tip, a new way brands can connect with consumers. Sign up to our live event, The Calling, on April 21st here:https://event.uncensoredcmo.com/events/uncensoredcmo/2044861 Timestamps 00:00 - Intro00:58 - Why did James fire Jon?01:56 - Being in the detail and close to the customer06:07 - Brewdog founding story: how they got funding08:54 - Why Brewdog is so passionate about making a great product13:07 - How Brewdog won their Tesco listing15:58 - How a Tesco listing transformed Brewdog17:37 - The secret to an overnight success20:22 - Why constraints led to great marketing for Brewdog22:09 - Examples of Brewdog’s incredible marketing stunts27:43 - Why James changed his name to Elvis29:28 - Collaborating with copycats: launching ALD IPA31:14 - When marketing stunts go wrong33:28 - How James almost lost £50 million37:48 - James Watt’s favourite business books41:17 - How James Watt felt when he left Brewdog43:01 - Leadership lessons from James Watt about scaling46:05 - Dealing with public scrutiny47:26 - Why James started his new business: Social Tip54:03 - How to pitch your business to James Watt

    58 min
  3. 28 JAN

    How SAS went from performance to brand - Jenn Chase

    Jenn Chase, CMO of SAS, joins us to share how one of the world’s most established AI and analytics companies is reinventing its brand. From launching SAS’s first brand campaign in 25 years to shifting the organisation from performance-led to brand-led thinking, Jenn walks through what it takes to drive meaningful change inside a founder-led business. We also discuss how COVID reshaped the brand, why SAS is leaning into humour, the decision to sponsor Liverpool FC, and where AI is having the biggest impact on marketing today. Plus, Jenn shares leadership lessons, the skills every modern CMO needs, and how to build a great culture. Timestamps 00:00 - Start01:00 - What is SAS?02:11 - Being a founder led business after 50 years04:38 - Being at the company for 27 years06:03 - How Jenn became CMO of SAS07:57 - How COVID changed the brand forever08:33 - Launching their first brand campaign in 25 years09:22 - Convincing the business to switch from performance to brand10:45 - Creating an effective relationship with the finance team14:31 - What did the business think of the first brand campaign in 25 years?17:22 - How did they manage the effectiveness of their brand campaign?22:04 - Why their new campaign leans into humour24:28 - Why SAS decided to sponsor Liverpool FC27:06 - How to sell in a big idea to an organisation?32:16 - Where is AI having the biggest impact in marketing?36:25 - Leadership advice from Brene Brown39:54 - Skills to be a successful CMO42:59 - What creates a great culture45:12 - How big of a change will AI search be47:08 - The 95:5 rule

    50 min

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About

The Uncensored CMO was created to explore the good, the bad and quite frankly downright ugly truth about marketing theory & practice.

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