In this episode of the Sleeping Barber Podcast, our hosts Marc Binkley and Vassilis Douros engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Mitch Joel, a renowned entrepreneur and marketing expert.

They explore Mitch's diverse career journey, the evolution of marketing and agency relationships, and the impact of AI on the industry. The discussion emphasizes the importance of custodianship in brand management and the shift from speed to momentum in marketing strategies.

Mitch shares insights on the changing landscape of performance marketing and the necessity for marketers to take ownership of their roles in a rapidly evolving environment. This is an episode you dont want to miss!

Enjoy the show!

Our Guest

Mitch Joel

Entrepreneur, Investor, Speaker

Co-Founder of ThinkersOne - bite sized thought leadership from the best thinkers in the world

Former President of Twist Image Digital Marketing Agency that sold to WPP

Named to Thinkers50 Radar List

Author of Six Pixels of Separation & CTRL ALT Delete

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchjoel/

https://www.mitchjoel.com/

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/⁠

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:25 - Mitch Joel's Career Journey

12:54 - The Evolution of Marketing and Agencies

17:09 - The Agency-Brand Relationship in the AI Era

26:20 - The Shift Towards In-House Marketing

33:09 - The One-to-X Marketing Model

38:11 - The Shift from Performance to Brand Storytelling

41:16 - The Role of Custodianship in Marketing

44:59 - Navigating Brand Evolution and Change

49:54 - Emotional Engagement in Marketing

54:39 - Speed vs. Momentum in Leading Change

01:00:31 - Personal Agency in the Age of AI

01:03:05 - Post-Pod with V & Marc

In this episode of the Barber's Brief, hosts add a little twisst.

Vassilis and Marc discuss their upcoming Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity attendance. They explore the significance of the festival, its structure, and the various components that make it a premier event in the marketing and creativity space.

The hosts share their excitement about networking opportunities, notable speakers, and key themes such as AI and the creator economy.

They also touch on new award categories and their plans for media coverage during the festival.

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction

02:56 - Exploring the Festival's Structure and Events

05:58 - Key Themes and Topics of Interest

08:56 - Insights on the Creator Economy and AI

12:01 - Notable Speakers and Jury Members

15:00 - Navigating the Festival Experience

17:54 - Conclusion and Future Plans

In this episode of The Sleeping Barber Podcast, Marc Binkley and Vassilis Douros sit down with Pieter-Paul and Matt Davies from BetterBriefs to talk about one of marketing’s most overlooked tools: the creative brief.

From common pitfalls to practical fixes, they explore why so many briefs miss the mark — and what marketers and agencies can do to write ones that actually drive great work. Expect candid insights, real-world challenges, and a few strong opinions on what it takes to brief better.

Enjoy the show!

Our Guests:

Pieter-Paul von Weiler https://www.linkedin.com/in/pieterpaulvonweiler/

Matt Davies https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-davies-a7570433/

Founders of Better Briefs

former creative agency strategists

Won a couple of Grand Effies and IPA Effectiveness Award

Now they help brands create better briefs that inspire more effective work

Follow our updates here: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/⁠⁠

Get in touch with our hosts:

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

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

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Creative Briefs

07:11 Understanding the Briefing Process

13:59 Challenges in Brief Writing

20:48 The Role of Strategy in Briefs

28:12 Evaluating Ideas and Creativity

34:56 The Cost of Poor Briefs

43:47 The Power of Partnership in Marketing

48:24 The Importance of Training and Communication

52:01 Navigating the Briefing Process

55:07 The Human Element in Creative Work

58:43 Optimizing Creative Processes

01:01:12 The Role of AI in Marketing

01:05:10 Post Pod with V & Marc

Background Research & Links:

Better Breifs https://www.betterbriefs.com/the-betterideas-project