In this episode of Barber's Brief, Vassilis Douros is riding solo discussing various marketing trends and insights, including the economic implications of the Calgary Stampede, shifts in Google Ads following AI integration, the impact of viral content on brand growth, MasterCard's pivot to experiential marketing, effective retargeting strategies, and Stella Artois' creative campaign for Wimbledon.

Each topic highlights the evolving landscape of marketing and the importance of adapting strategies to meet consumer needs and behaviors.

Follow our updates here: ⁠⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/⁠⁠

https://www.sleepingbarber.ca

Get in touch with our hosts:

Marc Binkley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/

Vassilis Douros: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilisdouros/⁠

Takeaways

The Calgary Stampede serves as an unofficial economic indicator.

Attendance at the Stampede is on pace to break records.

Google Ads are seeing a decline in click-through rates post-AI integration.

Longer queries are becoming more common in search behavior.

Viral content does not always correlate with brand growth.

Experiential marketing is becoming more important than traditional ads.

Generic ads can outperform personalized retargeting ads in certain contexts.

Timing is crucial for effective retargeting strategies.

Stella Artois' Wimbledon campaign creatively aligns with cultural events.

Emotional connections in marketing are essential for brand differentiation.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

00:57 - Calgary Stampede: Economic Indicator

03:14 - Shifts in Google Ads Post-AI

06:33 - The Long and Short of Advertising

07:58 - MasterCard's Experiential Marketing Shift

11:10 - Retargeting: When Does It Work?

17:36 - Stella Artois: Wimbledon Campaign Highlights

Links:

Calgary Stampede: What the 'Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth' says about the economy - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/bakx-calgary-stampede-2025-1.7577533

Google Ads data shows query length shift post-AI Mode - https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-data-shows-query-length-shift-post-ai-mode-458162

Post from Andrew Tindal about the Long & Short (form) of it - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew-tindall_advertising-marketing-activity-7346158065483718657-bp2y

Advertising is not working the way it used to’: Why Mastercard has pivoted to an experiential future - https://www.marketingweek.com/advertising-not-working-mastercard-experiential/

Marketing Moment:

When does Retargeting Work?

https://ide.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2011.12_Lambrecht_Tucker_When-Does-Retargeting-Work_311.pdf?x88505

Dressed in White for Wimbledon - https://www.famouscampaigns.com/2025/07/stella-artois-serves-up-limited-edition-white-can-for-wimbledon

From Performance Marketing To Experience Marketing

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-performance-marketing-experience-engineering-consumer-douros-hasdc