The Campaign Podcast

Waitrose's branded podcast recently passed one billion downloads, views and listens, staking a claim as the world’s most successful branded podcast, while also receiving the most nominations for this year's British Podcast Awards. Media and entertainment are becoming more ever closer, so in this episode, Campaign digs into why branded content is on the rise, what makes it good and questions whether Dish’s success can be achieved by other brands.

The team discusses how brands don't want to "rent" their audiences, but own them, the struggle of too many chief executives wanting to be on the podcast and how branded content performs compared to other forms of media.

Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features Lucinda Rouse, multimedia editor of Campaign’s innovation team, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.

Further reading:
Aardman moves into branded content partnerships
LBC sees record quarter amid geopolitical unrest
British Podcast Awards 2026 shortlist revealed

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Since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister in July, he has been producing social media content with creators and has garnered over half a million followers in TikTok and over 700,000 on Instagram. But will a social media-focused strategy work for the PM?

Benedict Pringle, partner and global client lead at T&P and host of The Political Marketing Podcast, joins the episode this week to discuss why Burnham has chosen social media to speak to voters, the risks involved and if it will work or not.

Hosted by Campaign's tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode also includes UK editor Maisie McCabe and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.

Further reading:
What Andy Burnham's social-first strategy teaches agencies
Andy Burnham is 'proactive' towards online safety, Ian Russell says
Adland reacts as Andy Burnham reappoints Lisa Nandy as culture secretary
Could Andy Burnham's rise put the accent on regional pride in adland?
Which party won the social media election?
Alastair Campbell on combative politics, social media and who will lead the UK
‘A headache to enforce’: What does adland think of Andy Burnham’s subscription crackdown?

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WPP reported its Q2 results in the last few weeks, six months after chief executive Cindy Rose launched its three year Elevate28 plan to turn the holding company’s fortunes around. Now almost a year into her role, Rose said the network has “everything it needs” to achieve its plan, with analysts calling the results “better than expected” and a “glimmer of hope”.

In this episode, Campaign's journalists look at how Rose is “fighting” for business, whether the Elevate28 plan is actually working and how the holding company and its competitor set are doing. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features Campaign's UK editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, UK editor Maisie McCabe and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.

Further reading:
Five key charts behind WPP’s Q2 2026 results
Cindy Rose more than doubles WPP's bonus pool
Can we talk about WPP's cuts?
Is the agency sector ‘in a good place’?
Havas' Yannick Bolloré: Agency sector is now ‘in a good place’ as perceptions have ‘flipped’
Omnicom records 6.1% increase in organic growth in Q2 2026
Publicis raises 2026 guidance and reports 4.8% growth in Q2
Publicis’ Arthur Sadoun: 'We have never wanted to be an AI company'
Havas reports 2.5% expansion in Q2 but UK growth 'slightly negative'
Will Cindy Rose's plan save WPP?

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Pitching is what many call the “lifeblood” of agencies, but also the cause of their biggest strain. Almost three-quarters of adland employees have considered leaving the industry due to new-business-related stress, found research from The Great Pitch Poll 2026 published this summer, which also revealed that client expectations and demands relating to AI have increased pressure.

AI and LLMs are also impacting the search and selection process for pitches, with clients using them to suggest agencies to shortlist. This episode of The Campaign Podcast features Campaign's journalists discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching and making it more stressful.

Campaign's media editor Beau Jackson, senior reporter Eszter Gurbicz and editor Maisie McCabe. we are discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching, making it more stressful and if the process still works. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode.

Further reading:
ChatGPT is telling clients to invite my agency to pitch – it's shifting the playing field
Are clients becoming more demanding?
Can we talk about the ingredients of VCCP's new-business potion?
Netflix ad tools could see 'agentic AIs talking to each other'

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At Cannes Lions this year, the Media Lions grand prix went to Uber Eats’ “Build your own Super Bowl commercial” by Special US, a campaign which acts as a form of entertainment for the viewers. This win followed Amanda Morrissey, Global President, iProspect and Chief Growth Officer of Media at dentsu, who was a juror on the Media Lions and said on The Campaign Podcast that judging the media category was more like judging an entertainment category. Plus, Publicis Groupe acquired sports and entertainment agency 160over90 this year, which will sit in the holding company's media division.

Campaign's journalists discuss how much media is becoming more like entertainment, with insights from the jury press conferences. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode with media editor Beau Jackson, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.

Further reading:
Adidas UK wins Entertainment Lion Grands Prix for Oasis work
Cannes Lions 2026: Watch all the Grand Prix-winning work
Cannes 2026
Cannes Lions debrief: how did the UK work perform?
Cannes Lions entries rise 'reflecting strong global participation'
Mindshare New York wins Media Lions Grand Prix
Gut’s 'Handshake hunt' takes home Media Lions Grand Prix for Mercado Libre
Media Lions Grand Prix goes to Leo Burnett Sydney

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