CIM Marketing Podcast

As the Advertising Association celebrates its centenary, Ben Walker sits down with Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association, to explore 100 years of marketing and advertising evolution. We look at the past, present, and future of advertising.
Woodford reflects on iconic campaigns including his memories from the lager wars of the 80s and 90s to Orange’s “The future’s bright, the future’s Orange”, and British Airways’ “world’s favourite airline”, unpacking why simple, emotionally resonant ideas endure for decades. We also discuss why emotion beats logic almost every time, how great strategy underpins great creativity, and why the UK is a genuine creative superpower, punching far above its weight in global advertising exports.
The conversation also dives into:
How the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) evolved from a 1920s “vigilance committee” into a world‑leading regulator
The way AI is used on both sides of the battle against scams and fake ads – and why Woodford is optimistic
Why trust in advertising is now at a five‑year high, especially among younger, digitally native audiences
What AI really means for marketing talent, entry‑level roles, and capability building
The future balance between influencer-led strategies, performance marketing, and big brand-building campaigns
If you want a clear, grounded view on where advertising has come from, what’s changing right now, and how to navigate the AI era without losing the magic of creativity, this episode is essential listening.
Want to know more? Check out the CIM Content hub now for all things marketing.
 
 
Thanks for listening to this episode. You can share your thoughts and feedback in our survey now, or contact us at [email protected]

As the Advertising Association celebrates its centenary, Ben Walker sits down with Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association, to explore 100 years of marketing and advertising evolution. We look at the past, present, and future of advertising.
Woodford reflects on iconic campaigns including his memories from the lager wars of the 80s and 90s to Orange’s “The future’s bright, the future’s Orange”, and British Airways’ “world’s favourite airline”, unpacking why simple, emotionally resonant ideas endure for decades. We also discuss why emotion beats logic almost every time, how great strategy underpins great creativity, and why the UK is a genuine creative superpower, punching far above its weight in global advertising exports.
The conversation also dives into:
How the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) evolved from a 1920s “vigilance committee” into a world‑leading regulator
The way AI is used on both sides of the battle against scams and fake ads – and why Woodford is optimistic
Why trust in advertising is now at a five‑year high, especially among younger, digitally native audiences
What AI really means for marketing talent, entry‑level roles, and capability building
The future balance between influencer-led strategies, performance marketing, and big brand-building campaigns
If you want a clear, grounded view on where advertising has come from, what’s changing right now, and how to navigate the AI era without losing the magic of creativity, this episode is essential listening.
Can’t wait for the full episode on Thursday? Check out the CIM Content hub now for all things marketing.

Episode 118: In this episode of the CIM Marketing Podcast, host Ben Walker is joined by CIM Course Director and Strategic Growth Consultant Steph Inez Matthews, and Peter Gaston, innovation lead at VCCP and co-founder of AI-first agency Faith, to unpack the “AI efficiency paradox”.
AI tools like Midjourney, Adobe Firefly and Google’s Nano Banana make it easier and cheaper than ever to create content, but are we entering a golden age of creativity, or do we risk our social feeds becoming saturated with ‘AI slop’?
Together, Steph and Peter explore how marketers can harness AI for speed, scale and cost-effectiveness without sacrificing distinctiveness, brand integrity or ethical standards. They discuss how AI is reshaping creative roles, from designer to prompt engineer, why human insight still sits at the heart of effective marketing, and how smaller brands and SMEs can now genuinely punch above their weight.
You’ll hear real examples from agency practice, client-side experience and AI-first campaigns, as well as the practical realities around data security, IP ownership and client expectations. The episode does not shy away from the hard questions: bias baked into models, the risk of cognitive de-skilling, legal grey areas and the very real possibility of an 'industry disaster' if governance does not catch up.
This is an essential listen that will leave you better informed, slightly challenged and ready to set your own AI standards.
This podcast will: 
Explore how AI is affecting the creative process in marketing
Ask whether marketers are prepared for the copyright and bias risks AI presents
Examine the 'efficiency paradox' - the risk that AI improves efficiency but fosters homogeneity
Thanks for listening to this episode. You can share your thoughts and feedback in our survey now, or contact us at [email protected].

When creative production becomes as simple as writing a prompt, does the human touch become a luxury or a relic? In this episode, we're joined by CIM Course Director and AI specialist Steph Inez Matthews, and Creative Innovation Lead at VCCP, Peter Gasston as they debate whether AI is truly democratising design or simply saturating our feeds with "slop".
In this clip from our upcoming episode, Steph and Pete discuss why access to powerful technology doesn't automatically translate into becoming a YouTube star, arguing that tools alone cannot replace vision.
Can’t wait for the full episode on Thursday? Check out the CIM Content hub now for all things marketing.

In this episode of the CIM Marketing Podcast, our host Ben Walker sits down with Kelly Eagle, managing partner at Pixel Artworks, to explore how truly immersive experiences are reshaping modern marketing.
Kelly explains why the real innovation isn’t in shiny new tech, but in how you use existing technologies to tell better stories, shift behaviour, and build brand loyalty. 
From large-scale skyline installations and AR-enhanced environments to carefully measured engagement and ROI, she reveals how brands can move beyond “Instagrammable moments” to create transformative, narrative-led experiences that audiences remember long after the lights go out.
Whether you’re working on live events, brand experiences, or digital campaigns, this episode will help you rethink how immersion fits into your marketing mix, and how to justify the investment.

Want to know more? Check out the CIM Content hub now for all things marketing.
 
Thanks for listening to this episode. You can share your thoughts and feedback in our survey now, or contact us at [email protected]