That's What I Call Marketing

Conor Byrne
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

That’s What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features real conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Across the episodes, we explore the ideas, decisions and tensions shaping modern marketing: how brands are built, how B2B marketing is changing, how creativity drives effectiveness, how AI is reshaping the profession, and how marketers can earn a stronger role in the business. The show is for marketers who want more than tactics. It is for people who care about the craft, the evidence, the commercial impact and the human judgement behind great marketing. If you want marketing conversations with substance, practical insight and a point of view, That’s What I Call Marketing is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4d ago

    TWICM 207: Samsung Ads’ Matt Butts on Marketing Science and the Rigour Behind Better Decisions

    Matt Butts, Head of Marketing Science at Samsung Ads Europe, joins That’s What I Call Marketing to discuss marketing science, incrementality, connected TV measurement and why rigorous testing matters more than a positive result. This episode explains how marketers can move beyond convenient metrics, design better experiments and connect advertising activity to meaningful business outcomes. Matt also explores how changing television behaviours are reshaping media planning, audience measurement and the role of connected TV. In this episode, we cover: – Why marketers often measure metrics without questioning whether they matter – The difference between basic A/B testing and genuine incrementality testing – Why the quality of the test matters more than whether the result is positive – How marketing scientists translate complex analysis into commercial decisions – How Samsung Ads measures viewing across linear television, streaming and gaming – Why reported reach can hide significant audience duplication – How incremental reach can reduce media waste and identify missed audiences – The role of connected TV data in advertising planning and measurement – Why marketers need to communicate measurement differently to CMOs, CFOs and media teams – How rigorous measurement helped one advertiser move from zero investment to a seven-figure commitment Matt argues that marketing science should not simply validate decisions that have already been made. Its role is to challenge assumptions, identify what would have happened without the advertising and give marketers evidence they can confidently use to make better investment decisions. A useful listen for marketers interested in marketing science, advertising effectiveness, connected TV, incrementality, media measurement, experimentation and commercial impact. Timestamps 01:16 How Matt found his way into marketing science 02:19 How advertising measurement has changed 03:27 Are marketers measuring things without knowing why? 04:27 Why measurement assumptions must be tested continually 05:02 Do marketers know how to test properly? 06:00 The limitations of basic A/B testing 06:17 Why incrementality is the missing part of marketing testing 07:18 The importance of statisticians, data scientists and translation 08:13 Matt’s journey to Samsung Ads 08:18 What Samsung Ads does 09:00 How television viewing behaviour has changed 10:18 Balancing audience precision, relevance and scale 11:02 Relevance without intrusive personalisation 12:19 Samsung Ads’ Total View measurement capability 12:36 Audience duplication, incremental reach and missed audiences 13:40 Why platform reach figures can be misleading 14:06 What a Head of Marketing Science actually does 14:40 Building advertiser-specific measurement playbooks 15:16 Using measurement to improve future advertising investment 15:23 How to explain incrementality to senior business leaders 15:41 Why marketers need to understand marketing science 17:00 How measurement feeds into marketing mix models 17:33 A real example of fixing incomplete advertising data 19:00 How a geo test led to a seven-figure investment 19:43 Why negative test results should not frighten marketers 20:40 Combining scientific rigour with commercial thinking 21:51 What comes next for connected TV measurement 22:00 Connecting television and mobile data 23:30 Why marketing measurement must keep pace with human behaviour That’s What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Follow the show for more conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, professors, authors, thinkers and practitioners. Find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.com Thanks to the Digital Voice for their partnership https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk/ That’s What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    TWICM 207: Samsung Ads’ Matt Butts on Marketing Science and the Rigour Behind Better Decisions

  2. Jul 17

    TWICM 206: Nectar360’s Amir Rasekh on Customer Insight, Retail Media and Agentic Commerce

    Amir Rasekh, Managing Director of Nectar360, joins That’s What I Call Marketing to discuss customer insight, retail media, AI-powered measurement and how agentic commerce could change the way people shop. This episode explains how retail media has evolved from loyalty data, targeted coupons and direct mail into a sophisticated, measurable channel spanning in-store, onsite and offsite media. In this episode, we cover: – Why customer insight remains the foundation of effective retail media – How Nectar360 connects loyalty, insight and retail media in one customer-focused system – Why brands hold retail media to a higher measurement standard than traditional channels – How Nectar360 measures incrementality and multi-touch attribution across omnichannel campaigns – How its AI-powered Pollen platform makes campaign planning, creative production and measurement faster – What agentic commerce could mean for retailers, marketers and customer decision-making – Why AI should support better human relationships rather than remove the people involved Amir also shares early results from Pollen, including 2.5 times more incremental sales from omnichannel campaigns and evidence that retail media can influence the middle and upper parts of the marketing funnel, rather than acting only as a conversion channel. The conversation also explores an important tension for marketers: technology can make retail media simpler, faster and more measurable, but clients still expect strong relationships, expertise and human judgement. A useful listen for marketers interested in customer insight, retail media, marketing measurement, AI in marketing, incrementality, omnichannel strategy and the future of commerce. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:27 Amir Rasekh’s career in retail and Sainsbury’s 04:34 Building an insight-led culture 05:00 What Nectar360 does today 06:06 Why retail media suddenly became so prominent 07:18 The fundamentals of retail media 08:52 Why measurement expectations are increasing 10:28 Introducing Nectar360’s Pollen platform 12:15 Are marketers rigorous enough when testing campaigns? 13:33 How AI accelerated retail media technology 14:21 AI audience building, creative scoring and production 14:38 Cutting creative production from weeks to 90 seconds 14:59 Early results from omnichannel retail media 16:10 Retail media as a brand-building channel 17:05 How customer shopping behaviour is changing 18:00 What agentic commerce means for retail 20:03 Will consumers shop through ChatGPT and AI agents? 22:16 Why physical stores still matter 24:00 How Nectar360’s teams are using AI 25:16 Building AI literacy across an organisation 25:47 Why clients do not want technology to replace people 26:04 Closing thoughts That’s What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Follow the show for more conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, professors, authors, thinkers and practitioners. Find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.com This Cannes Sessions episode is produced in partnership with The Digital Voice. Find out more at: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk That’s What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    TWICM 206: Nectar360’s Amir Rasekh on Customer Insight, Retail Media and Agentic Commerce

  3. Jul 14

    TWICM 205: GumGum’s Pete Wallace on Why Attention Matters More Than Ad Clicks

    What does attention actually tell us about whether advertising is working? Pete Wallace, Managing Director EMEA at GumGum, explains why clicks remain a poor measure of advertising effectiveness and how attention can help marketers connect media exposure with real brand outcomes. Pete shares how GumGum combines contextual signals, attention data, time, device and creative performance to predict the mindset of an audience. He brings this to life through GumGum’s work with the BBC and Havas on *Celebrity Traitors*, where targeting and creative changed as tension and excitement around the programme developed. We also discuss why there is no universal number of seconds that guarantees attention, how creative testing can reveal when branding should appear, and why advertising needs to respect the environment in which it appears. The conversation then moves into privacy, the value exchange between advertising and free content, the problem with ad tech companies using the same language, and why marketers need to ask more difficult questions about the technology behind their media plans. Pete also reflects on moving from agency life into ad tech and leading teams across Europe, Japan and Australia, where different cultures require different approaches to pitching, testing and decision-making. ## In this episode, you will learn: * Why attention can be more useful than clicks as a measure of advertising effectiveness * How contextual advertising can predict consumer mindset without relying on personal identity * How GumGum adapted targeting and creative during the BBC’s *Celebrity Traitors* * Why every brand may require a different attention benchmark * How creative attention data can improve branding and message placement * Why advertising works best when it respects the surrounding content * How marketers can test ad technology rather than accepting similar-sounding sales pitches * What Pete has learned from leading teams across different international markets ## Timestamps 01:38 Pete’s journey from media agencies into ad tech 03:23 The difference between agency life and working in sales 05:33 What GumGum does and how the business has developed 06:00 Using data signals to predict consumer mindset 06:55 How GumGum worked on the BBC’s *Celebrity Traitors* 08:46 Why attention has always influenced media planning 09:25 Connecting attention to business and brand outcomes 10:21 How GumGum measures attention 11:15 Why there is no universal attention benchmark 11:23 Using attention data to improve creative execution 12:45 Matching advertising to the environment around it 13:34 Why brands are asking more questions about ad technology 14:33 Where GumGum fits within the modern media plan 14:40 Why marketers need greater digital and technical knowledge 15:12 Are marketers rigorous enough when testing media? 16:00 The problem with every ad tech company sounding the same 17:00 Why campaign learning needs to feed into future activity 17:42 Leading teams across Europe, Japan and Australia 18:23 How culture changes client expectations and ways of working 20:01 Balancing global consistency with local flexibility 21:23 What international markets can learn from one another *The Cannes Sessions are brought to you in partnership with The Digital Voice.* That’s What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    TWICM 205: GumGum’s Pete Wallace on Why Attention Matters More Than Ad Clicks

  4. Jul 10

    TWICM 204: Why Simplicity Wins in Ad Tech with Limelight Founder James MacDonald

    James MacDonald, Founder of Limelight, joins That’s What I Call Marketing to discuss programmatic advertising, building a global ad tech business, AI and why simplicity still matters for marketers today. This episode explores the journey from Fleet Street advertising sales to modern programmatic technology, through a practical conversation about risk, reinvention, customer focus, remote culture and building technology that solves real problems. In this episode, we cover: – What Fleet Street taught James about sales, resilience and asking for the business – Why helping people buy is more powerful than pushing people to buy – How James identified the gap that led to Limelight – Why programmatic advertising still needs simplicity, support and better execution – How Limelight thinks about AI, interoperability and the importance of human judgement – What it takes to build and maintain a strong remote culture across a global team A useful listen for marketers interested in ad tech, programmatic advertising, AI in marketing, founder stories, sales, customer success, remote teams and building through change. That’s What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Follow the show for more conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, professors, authors, thinkers and practitioners. Find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.com This Cannes Sessions episode is brought to you in partnership with The Digital Voice. Find out more at: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk 01:38 Starting out on Fleet Street 03:19 What early sales teaches you 04:35 From eggs to advertising 06:27 Helping people buy, not pushing a sale 07:04 Mentors, mistakes and learning through failure 07:11 Starting again and founding Limelight 09:31 Finding the right business partner 10:59 Identifying the gap in programmatic 12:00 Building the Limelight platform 14:00 Taking risks as a founder 15:59 Building culture as the company grows 16:42 Running a fully remote global business 18:17 What Limelight does 20:49 How people discover Limelight 22:16 Listening to customers and building the product 23:33 AI, human judgement and interoperability 26:05 Why simplicity matters in technology That’s What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    TWICM 204: Why Simplicity Wins in Ad Tech with Limelight Founder James MacDonald

  5. Jul 6

    TWICM 203: Julia Linehan on PR, AI Search and Why Amplification Matters

    Julia Linehan, Founder and CEO of The Digital Voice, joins That’s What I Call Marketing to discuss Cannes Lions, the changing role of PR, AI search, trusted sources and why amplification matters for marketers today. This episode explores how brands, agencies and marketing leaders need to think about discoverability in a world where search, AI, content and credibility are all changing at pace. In this episode, we cover: – Why The Digital Voice describes itself as an amplification partner, not a traditional PR agency – How AI search and LLMs are changing the value of trusted, published content – Why consistency, repetition and clear messaging matter more than ever – What it takes to plan properly for Cannes Lions and create real value from the week – How Julia has built a fully remote team with strong culture, energy and trust – Why Cannes needs to stay accessible for students, publishers, creators and smaller businesses A useful listen for marketers interested in PR, brand visibility, AI in marketing, thought leadership, Cannes Lions, agency leadership and the future of discoverability. That’s What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Follow the show for more conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, professors, authors, thinkers and practitioners. Find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.com Visit the Digital voice at https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk/ That’s What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    TWICM 203: Julia Linehan on PR, AI Search and Why Amplification Matters

  6. Jun 29

    The Singles: The hot hits of June with The World Cup, Spotify, Brew Dog & The Lotto

    In the latest episode of The Singles, Conor is joined by Ed Parkin and Bella Harrison from Tracksuit to dig into four marketing stories where the headlines only tell part of the story. The episode starts with the FIFA World Cup and what it could mean for soccer in the US. Major League Soccer still has a long way to go versus the NFL, NBA and MLB on awareness, but Tracksuit data shows consideration is already moving in the right direction. The conversation gets into younger audiences, affluent consumer skews, regional growth and why feeling “for people like me” matters so much in sports marketing. Then it’s onto World Cup sponsorship. Coca-Cola, Adidas and McDonald’s show what decades of investment can do when brand associations compound over time, while Mengniu shows how sponsorship can still create warmth for a lesser-known brand. The team also discuss Spotify’s temporary 20th anniversary logo, the backlash it received, and whether marketers sometimes overreact when a strong brand plays with its distinctive assets. With 88% awareness and very strong consideration, Spotify has more room to experiment than most. BrewDog is next. Once valued at £2bn and now sold for £33m, it is a reminder that awareness can remain even when consideration, usage and preference are falling. The discussion also looks at James Watt’s new brand, Second Best, and whether founder-led challenger energy can travel from one brand to another. Finally, the episode turns to the Irish National Lottery ad controversy, after its new work closely followed a New Zealand Lottery ad scene for scene. The question is not whether the insight worked. It did. The question is what happens when inspiration becomes imitation. Tracksuit University is also featured in the episode, including how it helps marketers make the case for brand in a more finance-friendly way. Get 20% off Tracksuit University with the discount code: That’s What I Call Marketing Visit: university.gotracksuit.com In this episode: 00:00 Introduction 01:24 Tracksuit University and making brand finance-friendly 02:48 The FIFA World Cup and soccer in the US 03:47 MLS awareness, consideration and growth potential 05:25 Younger audiences, affluent consumers and regional skews 06:49 Why relevance matters in sports marketing 09:02 World Cup sponsorship and long-term brand investment 13:00 Spotify’s 20th anniversary logo backlash 16:31 Why Spotify has earned the right to play with its assets 18:21 BrewDog’s sale and brand decline 20:01 Trust, relevance and the erosion of BrewDog’s core audience 21:01 Second Best and the future of founder-led brands 23:33 The Irish National Lottery ad controversy 26:45 Distinctiveness, copying and creative shortcuts 29:07 Tracksuit University discount details That’s What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Singles: The hot hits of June with The World Cup, Spotify, Brew Dog & The Lotto

  7. Jun 27

    The Cannes Sessions - TWICM X The Uncensored CMO

    Jon Evans (Uncensored CMO) on Going Solo: Sponsorship, Podcasting as Networking & Cashflow Reality Conor Byrne chats with Jon Evans (Uncensored CMO) about leaving the CMO track to run his podcast full time, using sponsorship to fund the work and turning “being good at talking” into a career. Jon explains why podcasting is a powerful networking tool—CMOs often decline coffee but say yes to being a guest—and how it accelerates learning by speaking to experts weekly. He also shares the less glamorous surprises of working for yourself: contracts, running a business properly, cashflow, and the difficulty of getting paid on time while supporting a team. Jon stresses that success is a long grind—“seven years to have an overnight success”—and that consistency and compounding effort are what make creator-led media businesses work in marketing. That’s What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Cannes Sessions - TWICM X The Uncensored CMO

  8. Jun 25

    The Cannes Sessions Day 4 - Daily Round Up 25/06/2026

    In this episode of the Cannes Sessions, Conor Byrne takes us through another packed day on the Croisette, starting with the CMOs in the Spotlight session featuring Jill Kramer of Mastercard, Michelle Klein of Westpac, Manuel “Manolo” Arroyo of The Coca-Cola Company, and Suhayl Limbada CMO of KFC India. There were big themes running through the day: how legacy brands stay useful, why marketers need to understand the P&L, what happens when creativity meets commercial pressure, and why the best brands do not throw away their distinctive assets just because the world has changed. There is also a brilliant conversation with Maddy Cooper, Founder and CEO of Flourish, on how AI can help marketers in regulated sectors get work to market faster without creating a compliance nightmare. That matters because the future of marketing is not just more content, more formats and more channels. It is whether brands can still make sharp, responsible, commercially useful work at the speed the market now demands. The Digital Voice team were also out on the Croisette speaking to marketers including Langton McCombe from Particular Audience, Rory McDonald from Market Media at The Warehouse Group, and Alex Springer from OpenAttribution.org about retail media, incrementality, AI, ROAS, creativity, and what Cannes is really for and James Taylor CEO of Particular Audience. And, of course, there was a big moment for Ireland, with Heineken’s The Pub That Refused To Die winning a Grand Prix, plus a look ahead to the Cannes Young Lions results where Darragh Spain and Fardosa Flanagan from 123.ie represented Ireland in the Young Marketers category along with lots of amazing talent representing Ireland. 01:18 – CMOs in the Spotlight: Mastercard, KFC India, Westpac and Coca-Cola 02:01 – Why Mastercard is re-examining the Priceless platform 03:14 – KFC, Gen Z, universal truths and the role of the Colonel 04:19 – Westpac, jingles, legacy brands and speaking the language of the CFO 05:14 – Coca-Cola, creativity, behaviour and why great teams matter more than big budgets 11:28 – Spending time with Jonnie Cahill and the value of generous senior marketers 15:03 – Maddy Cooper on Flourish, AI, compliance and regulated marketing 18:29 – Inside the Cannes Lions work exhibition 21:00 – Ireland’s Grand Prix moment for Heineken 23:58 – Langton McCombe on retail media, commerce media and incrementality 26:32 – Rory McDonald on creativity, ROAS and business outcomes 29:54 – Alex Springer on attribution, AI, influence and the future of content 34:26 – Final reflections from Cannes Sessions 2026 Thanks to The Digital Voice for partnering on the Cannes Sessions. Find out more: The Digital Voice: thedigitalvoice.co.uk Flourish: flourishingworld.com That’s What I Call Marketing: follow the podcast for more conversations with the people shaping modern marketing. That’s What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Cannes Sessions Day 4 - Daily Round Up 25/06/2026
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That’s What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession. Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features real conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice. Across the episodes, we explore the ideas, decisions and tensions shaping modern marketing: how brands are built, how B2B marketing is changing, how creativity drives effectiveness, how AI is reshaping the profession, and how marketers can earn a stronger role in the business. The show is for marketers who want more than tactics. It is for people who care about the craft, the evidence, the commercial impact and the human judgement behind great marketing. If you want marketing conversations with substance, practical insight and a point of view, That’s What I Call Marketing is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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