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

Welcome to another episode of The Barber’s Brief!

Join Marc and Vassilis as they dive into the latest marketing and business news, spotlight a standout case study in their Marketing Moment, and wrap up with the Ad of the Week.

Enjoy the show!

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/⁠

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:04 - Google Found Guilty of Illegal Ad Tech Monopoly

03:55 - Amount of Money Being Spent on Digital ad Spending for the Election

08:14 - ChatGPT Enhances User Experience with Shopping, WhatsApp Integration, and Improved Citations

12:12 - Video marketing spend up 20% last year as advertisers shift focus

18:18 - Marketing Moment - Should Meta Divest Instagram and WhatsApp?

23:12 - Ad of the week: Goodnights - Mission Dry

25:35 - Coming up next week.

In The News Links:

Google Found Guilty of Illegal Ad Tech Monopoly

Link: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-found-guilty-of-illegal-ad-tech-monopoly-in-court-ruling/544795/

Historic Amount of Money Being Spent on Digital ad Spending for the Election

Link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/historic-amount-of-money-being-spent-on-digital-ad-spending-for-election-says-kitchener-ont-firm/

ChatGPT Enhances User Experience with Shopping, WhatsApp Integration, and Improved Citations

Link: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/chatgpt-adds-shopping-whatsapp-search-improved-citations/545525/

Video marketing spend up 20% last year as advertisers shift focus

Link: https://www.marketingweek.com/video-marketing-spend-advertisers-shift-focus/

The Marketing Moment:

Should Meta Divest Instagram and WhatsApp?

Author: Prof. dr. Koen Pauwels

Link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/should-meta-divest-instagram-whatsapp-prof-dr-koen-pauwels-kj07e/

Ad Of The Week:

Goodnights - Mission Dry

https://youtu.be/ucPDfeLmJEY?si=_HrJrW2Nzfh3JgGP

In this episode of The Sleeping Barber, Charlotte Blank, US CMO of Jaguar Land Rover, shares how the brand balances heritage with modern luxury. She explores the power of creative advertising, the role of psychological research in understanding consumers, and how marketing science supports strategic decisions. The conversation also dives into the Jaguar rebrand, the success of the Range Rover Sport campaign with Theo James, and the need for evidence-based, data-driven marketing to justify spend and deliver a seamless customer experience.

Enjoy the show!

Our Guest

Charlotte Blank

US CMO at Jaguar Land Rover North America

Member Board of Trustees, Advertising Research Foundation (ARF)

Advisory Board Member, Penn Master of Behavioural and Decision Sciences

Harvard, MBA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-blank/

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/⁠

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Jaguar Land Rover's Marketing Strategy

02:58 Balancing Heritage and Modern Luxury

06:08 The Role of Marketing Science in Decision Making

08:58 Charlotte Blank's Unique Career Path

12:06 Behavioural Science and Marketing Insights

14:53 Understanding Consumer Behaviour Through Psychological Research

17:59 The Impact of Creative Effectiveness on Brand Growth

21:10 The Range Rover Sport Campaign with Theo James

23:55 Adapting Marketing Strategies for Different Markets

26:58 Evidence-Based Marketing and Its Impact on Performance

34:36 The Importance of Creative Advertising

36:11 The Jaguar Rebrand: A Bold Move

42:11 Understanding Consumer Psychology

48:01 Marketing Challenges and Solutions

51:25 Final Thoughts and Insights

Background Research & Links:

TEDx - Lead like a Scientist https://www.ted.com/talks/charlotte_blank_lead_like_a_scientist_experiments_are_key_to_unleashing_potential?

Sell Luxury without a product https://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/cmos-can-you-sell-luxury-without-a-product-jaguars-doing-it/

Copy Nothing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLtFIrqhfng&t=1s

Range Rover - Theo James https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwma55CDO9U

Best Q3 Ever https://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/jlr-delivers-robust-q3-financial-performance-with-best-q3-revenue-on-record/

Pause Exports to US https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/uks-jaguar-land-rover-pause-shipments-us-over-tariffs-times-says-2025-04-05/

Welcome to another episode of The Barber’s Brief!

Join Marc and Vassilis as they dive into the latest marketing and business news, spotlight a standout case study in their Marketing Moment, and wrap up with the Ad of the Week.

Enjoy the show!

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/⁠

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:28- Consumer Behaviour Insights from Amazon

04:33 - Digital Marketing and Incrementality Challenges

08:36 - NBA Viewership and Streaming Trends

12:56 - Liquid Death's Strategic Market Exit

17:16 - Peloton's Business Model Evolution

22:26 - Puma's Bold Campaign Launch

24:27 - Upcoming Episode Preview with Jaguar Land Rover CMO

In this episode of The Sleeping Barber Podcast, hosts Mark Binkley and Vasilis Douros are joined once again by Mary Kirikiri, global thought leader at Kantar. They explore insights from Mary’s CMO series, diving into future power, meaningful difference, and pricing strategy. The conversation covers how brand equity drives growth, the link between pricing power and perceived value, and why evidence-based marketing is essential for long-term success. From brand salience to pricing elasticity, this episode unpacks the tools marketers need to influence both consumers and the boardroom.

Our Guest:

Mary Kyriakidi

Global Thought Leader @ Kantar

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-kyriakidi-4a5a4a57/

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/⁠

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

01:40 Inspiration Behind the CMO Series

04:24 Mary's Journey to Global Thought Leader

05:26 Kantar's Research Focus and Paradigm Shift

09:36 Understanding Future Power and Meaningful Difference

12:01 The Drivers of Future Power

15:00 Mental vs. Physical Availability in Branding

18:01 Accelerators for Growth in Branding

22:04 Finding New Space for Brands

24:20 The Link Between Pricing and Brand Strength

24:50 Understanding Pricing Power and Elasticity

27:40 The Importance of Brand Positioning

29:02 Willingness to Pay and Perceived Differences

32:12 Aligning Brand Value with Pricing Strategy

35:01 Influencing Budget Decisions in Marketing

39:11 The Role of Brand Trackers in Marketing Strategy

Background Research & Links:

Blueprint for Brand Growth: https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/blueprint-for-brand-growth?

Some links to the diary are below:

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-what-is-the-blueprint-for-brand-growth

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/how-can-you-approach-the-cfo-to-argue-for-greater-investment-in-your-brand

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-i-am-a-small-brand-with-big-dreams-how-can-i-grow-faster

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-is-your-categorys-ceiling-coming-down-on-you

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/Diary-of-a-CMO-How-can-I-protect-my-brand-against-copycats

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-whats-the-secret-recipe-to-combat-private-label

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-whats-marketings-contribution-to-profit

https://www.kantar.com/north-america/expertise/brand-growth/brand-tracking

Welcome to another episode of The Barber’s Brief!

Join Marc and Vassilis as they dive into the latest marketing and business news, spotlight a standout case study in their Marketing Moment, and wrap up with the Ad of the Week.

Enjoy the show!

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/⁠

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:04 - Transparency, Compliancy, and Adaptability: The Three Pillars of a Strong Data Practice

03:55 - VCs Wake Up To Vibe Marketing: AI Reshaping The $250 Billion Industry

08:14 - The Next Wave of Search: AI Mode, Deep Research, and Beyond

18:18 - Marketing Moment - Fragment Forward: Five Key Trends Shaping 2025

23:12 - Ad of the week: Fiverr - Nobody Cares a 1:20 Musical

25:35 - Coming up next week.

In The News Links:

Transparency, Compliancy, and Adaptability: The Three Pillars of a Strong Data Practice

Link: https://lbbonline.com/news/transparency-compliancy-and-adaptability-the-three-pillars-of-a-strong-data-practice

VCs Wake Up To Vibe Marketing: AI Reshaping The $250 Billion Industry

Link:https://www.forbes.com/sites/josipamajic/2025/03/24/vcs-wake-up-to-vibe-marketing-ai-reshaping-the-250-billion-industry/aos/

The Next Wave of Search: AI Mode, Deep Research, and Beyond

Link: https://searchengineland.com/search-ai-mode-deep-research-453744

CEO Study on Marketing & the CMO

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2025/03/24/new-cmo-study-ceo-trust-rises-but-strategic-influence-drops/

The Marketing Moment:

Epitaph Group Unveils Thought-Provoking Stunt to Drive Change Within the Media Industry

Link: https://lbbonline.com/news/epitaph-group-unveils-thought-provoking-stunt-to-drive-change-within-the-media-industry

Ad Of The Week:

Oatly Creamers presents Fancy Parking Lot Coffee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HirRb7gD8ys&t=2s