The Marketing Update

David Perkins & Emma Handley
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  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

The Marketing Update keeps up with marketing trends so you don’t have to. We bring senior marketers weekly conversations that lead to actionable insights, ready for their next big meeting. Hosted by Emma Handley and David Perkins two senior marketers who’ve been around the block and like to keep up to date with what’s going on all-things-marketing. Expect fresh takes, trend breakdowns and marketing updates you might have missed. We noticed a gap in the market for a marketing podcast that wasn’t interviews with brands and more of a catch up with the marketing colleague you respect over a few drinks after work. Listen and subscribe for our weekly “Did you miss it?” updates and monthly deep dives. We promise to keep you in the loop and entertained at the same time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 5d ago

    The B2B Black Friday Playbook

    Black Friday is coming! Should B2B companies run Black Friday campaigns? In this episode, Emma and David unpack why Black Friday is designed for impulse purchasing, and why that clashes with long sales cycles, procurement processes, and premium positioning. Then they share their B2B Black Friday playbook, built around four pillars: • Engagement: re-engaging cold leads and prospects who said you were too expensive • Loyalty: rewarding existing customers with exclusive access, extended terms, or IRL events • Culture: using the moment to show off employee wellbeing and sustainability (think REI's #OptOutside) • Community: giving back to creators, marketplaces, and causes your customers care about Plus: a quick checklist to decide whether your business should take part in Black Friday at all. Useful links: https://www.reddit.com/r/b2bmarketing/comments/1o75xih/comment/njpdlvv/ https://web.archive.org/web/20251119144803/https://thedrum.com/opinion/black-friday-isn-t-just-b2c-how-b2b-brands-can-get-involved https://www.coredna.com/blogs/b2b-sales-promotion-strategy https://www.instagram.com/p/DCpC6xFO95D/ https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/patagonias-5-word-explanation-of-why-its-closing-its-stores-giving-employees-a-week-off-is-best-ive-seen-yet.html https://group.dhl.com/en/media-relations/press-releases/2025/dhl-reveals-black-friday-trends.html https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/10-examples-of-effective-re-engagement-emails Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Aug 26

    What is LinkedIn even good for in 2026?

    LinkedIn just turned 23, 10,000 people are applying to jobs every minute and vertical videos are here to stay. This episode, David and Emma break down what LinkedIn is actually good for right now. They take you through the jobs, feed, and ads, digging into the bigger shifts: the rise of personal posting, "this looks like AI slop" button (yes, really), and why carousels still reign supreme as the platform's top-performing format. They also get into the "loop, not funnel" approach to LinkedIn ads, why organic company page reach has cratered to basically nothing, and whether the platform's TikTok-ification is a genuine cultural shift or just an algorithm chasing engagement. If you're building a personal brand, running B2B ads, or just trying to figure out if LinkedIn is worth your time in 2026, this one's for you. Useful Links: https://creators.instagram.com/blog/instagram-trial-reels?locale=en_GB https://www.linkinbio.news/p/do-you-have-a-trial-reels-strategy https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/snap-posts-modest-q2-user-and-revenue-increases/826907/ https://www.adnews.com.au/news/snap-reports-better-momentum-in-advertising https://www.marketingdive.com/news/behind-reddit-and-youtubes-roles-in-ai-visibility/827313/ https://members.linkedin.com/creators https://www.leverdigital.co.uk/post/12-linkedin-ad-stats-you-need-to-know https://calendly.com/resources/webinars/masterclass-cold-to-closed/thank-you Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk  Find us on LinkedIn: Emma and David Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Jul 30

    What six months of marketing chaos in 2026 actually taught us

    If you thought 2026 was chaotic and you've lost the plot, we've got you. Emma and David take you through the tech updates, trends and campaigns in 2026 so far. Of course, your favourite marketing consultants wouldn't just leave you there, oh no. They will take you through what you should focus on after you've finished sippin' your aperol on your summer holiday. Hubspot report that having taste is the way to fight back against AI and have your brand stand out, but how can you keep taste at the centre of your marketing? Listen to find out! In the words of Pretty Little Marketer “be a brand, but do it casually.” Useful Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/the-risks-of-green-hushing-9084226/ https://bcorporation.uk/news-stories-and-events/news/b-corps-outperforming-ordinary-businesses-new-data-shows/ https://hubspot-state-of-marketing-2026.replit.app/ https://www.prettylittlemarketer.com/blog/2026-social-media-predictions Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk  Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Jun 30

    Why most cultural moments don't need your brand w/ Eve Macdonald

    In this episode of The Marketing Update Podcast David and Emma are joined by Eve McDonald from Kiss Branding. The three of them confabulate on brand strategy, earning a seat at the table versus just turning up with a rainbow thermos and hijacking the moment. And what small businesses can do with no budget and a lot of nerve. Emma brings her trademark commentary on Smartphone Free Childhood's latest cinema ad. While David goes full gay and talks about Patagonia vs Pattie Gonia: why a clothing brand is suing a drag queen. Useful Links: www.linkedin.com/posts/joeryrie_we-rebuilt-a-1990s-video-shop-in-slough-to-ugcPost-7471149035870130176-jJfx/ https://time.com/article/2026/06/01/patagonia-pattie-gonia-trademark-lawsuit-what-to-know/ Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk  Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. May 27

    Your marketing is running on assumptions. An audit will prove it.

    "We've never done a marketing audit where the problem was what the client thought it was."In this episode of The Marketing Update Podcast David and Emma drawn on their combined experience to preach about why and how a marketing audit will be valuable for your business. They also update you on Instagram's latest kerfuffle with followers, and an approach to unconventional product launches with Lena Dunham. Tune in for some laid back conversation that will lead to some marketing insights. Useful Links: https://on.substack.com/p/inside-lena-dunhams-substack-press Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk  Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Apr 22

    The dos and don'ts of building a website

    If there's a mistake to be made in creating or updating a website - these two have done it! David and Emma talk passionately about the good and the bad things they've learned about project managing websites. They know this episode will save you TIME and MONEY (if you listen to the whole thing). They also ask Did you miss it? Google's most recent SPAM update and being 'over-employed' (don't worry if you don't know what this mean - Emma explains it all. Useful links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2VFJ5Rw4Jo https://wildcatdigital.co.uk/blog/march-2026s-digital-marketing-news-roundup/ https://www.squarespace.com/ https://webflow.com/ https://www.wix.com/ https://wpengine.com/ https://new.drupal.org/home https://www.sitecore.com/ Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk  Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Mar 25

    Challenger brands: how disruptive messaging builds unicorns

    Tony's Chocolonely, Ordinary, BrewDog, Liquid Death, Canva. A chocolate bar, a skincare brand, a beer company, a water brand, and a design tool — what on earth do they have in common? Turns out, quite a lot. This week Emma and David get into the challenger brand ethos and why it's not just for the obvious disruptors. There are four challenger archetypes here, and one of them probably fits whatever you're selling. Also in "Did you miss it?" OpenAI's latest move and Substack's "link in bio" update on "How to create posts that move people". Grab a coffee, it's a laid-back one — but you'll walk away with actual, usable marketing insight Useful links: https://www.linkinbio.news/p/more-perfect-union-social-strategy https://openai.com/index/testing-ads-in-chatgpt/ https://uk.tonyschocolonely.com/blogs/news/its-chocolonely-not-chocoloney https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/the-ordinary-tackles-misleading-beauty-jargon-the-periodic-fable https://www.instagram.com/liquiddeath Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk  Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Feb 25

    WTF happened to marketing in 2025? And what's going to happen in 2026.

    After a brief hiatus Emma and David are back and they hoped you missed them like they missed you! In this episode they cover Oatly's UK legal battle loss, and what it means for advertisers, as well as some handy how-to guides for marketeers from PostHog. However the meat of this week's episode is the (lack of) clairvoyance for their marketing predictions of 2025. Both David and Emma discuss the state of SEO, AI, community and videos in 2025 and make predictions for the big marketing trends for 2026. Useful links: https://posthog.com/handbook/content/seo-guide https://posthog.com/handbook/growth/marketing https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gnl45g40o Connect with us: Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk  Connect with us: If you'd like to book The Marketing Update Podcast hosts for consultancy work, email hello@themarketingupdate.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-update-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

The Marketing Update keeps up with marketing trends so you don’t have to. We bring senior marketers weekly conversations that lead to actionable insights, ready for their next big meeting. Hosted by Emma Handley and David Perkins two senior marketers who’ve been around the block and like to keep up to date with what’s going on all-things-marketing. Expect fresh takes, trend breakdowns and marketing updates you might have missed. We noticed a gap in the market for a marketing podcast that wasn’t interviews with brands and more of a catch up with the marketing colleague you respect over a few drinks after work. Listen and subscribe for our weekly “Did you miss it?” updates and monthly deep dives. We promise to keep you in the loop and entertained at the same time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    David Perkins & Emma Handley
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © David Perkins & Emma Handley
  • Show Website
    The Marketing Update