Marketing Over Milkshakes

What if one of the biggest untapped growth opportunities in ecommerce was hiding in plain sight inside Google Shopping?
In this episode of Marketing Over Milkshakes, we sit down with Jared Owen, CEO of Redbrain, to unpack how CSS, Google Shopping, affiliate attribution and AI-driven product discovery are reshaping ecommerce growth for brands and retailers.
If you are looking to unlock the internet’s fastest growing marketing channel, connect with the team at RevWise https://revwise.com/
Redbrain is one of the biggest success stories in the affiliate and performance marketing space. The business processes billions of product offers every day, works with over 12,000 retailers, is eBay’s largest CPA partner in Europe, and last year alone drove more than £1 billion in sales through Google for its retail partners. Jared explains how Redbrain evolved from a price comparison and content arbitrage background into one of the most important players in comparison shopping services, and why CPA-led Google Shopping is still widely misunderstood by brands.
We go deep into the real mechanics of CSS, including what comparison shopping services actually do, why the “no cannibalisation” pitch is often oversimplified, how brands should think about cost of sale versus incrementality, and why transparency matters more than ever. Jared also shares sharp insight into feed optimisation, attribution, affiliate innovation, Google’s dominance, AI-powered commerce, LLM search behaviour and why brands need to stop relying solely on marketplaces like Amazon if they want to build long-term customer value.
KEY MOMENTS:
00:00 – Selling helicopters, £300k watches and the scale of Redbrain
01:05 – Introduction to Jared Owen, Redbrain and £1BN+ in Google-driven sales
02:32 – The Redbrain origin story and Doug Scott’s startup-style environment
06:46 – What Redbrain actually does and how CSS works in Google Shopping
10:23 – The European legislation that opened Google Shopping to CSS partners
15:11 – Cannibalisation, incrementality and the truth about CSS performance
22:19 – What makes Redbrain different from other CSS providers
23:39 – Transparency, dashboards and solving the CSS black box problem
24:53 – Why some retailers can scale without running their own Google ads
32:53 – Why too many CSS partners can damage performance
36:11 – How Redbrain decides whether a retailer is worth testing
39:18 – Expensive products, luxury clicks and strange things sold through the model
45:27 – AI, trust, creators and the future of ecommerce discovery
50:17 – LLMs, product research and what happens next to search traffic
55:19 – Will Google still dominate product search in 10 to 15 years?
58:33 – Where the affiliate industry fits into AI-powered commerce
1:00:18 – Why outcomes-based marketing is becoming more important than ever
1:06:16 – Attribution problems, GA4 and why affiliate still gets misunderstood
1:13:50 – Why CSS should sit closer to the internal paid media team
1:17:01 – Hiring, customer success and scaling Redbrain’s growth
1:18:28 – Leadership, pressure and the reality of being a CEO
1:30:09 – When CSS does and does not work for retailers
1:34:20 – Amazon dependency, brand-owned growth and the future of ecommerce
1:52:03 – The single biggest opportunity most brands are still missing

Affiliate marketing is entering its biggest transformation in over a decade. In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Clements, Country Manager at Impact, to explore how partnership marketing, influencer commerce and AI-driven discovery are reshaping the affiliate ecosystem.
If you are looking to unlock the internet’s fastest growing marketing channel, connect with the team at RevWise https://revwise.com/
Drawing on more than 20 years in the industry, Anthony breaks down the three major shifts that have defined affiliate marketing so far, from search and desktop commerce, to mobile and social, and now the next wave: agentic AI and large language models changing how customers search, discover and buy online. The conversation goes deep on why last-click CPA models no longer tell the full story, how creators and content publishers drive value beyond clicks, and why brands must rethink how they measure and reward performance marketing.
We also explore Impact’s role as one of the world’s leading partnership marketing platforms, operating across 20+ countries and processing billions of partner touchpoints annually. Topics include creator monetisation, influencer marketing, loyalty and referral models, AI-powered discovery, attribution challenges, and what ecommerce brands need to do now to stay competitive as search traffic declines and AI-driven commerce accelerates.

KEY MOMENTS:
00:00 – The Evolution of Affiliate Marketing & Rise of Agentic AI
04:02 – Personal Reputation and Industry Reflections
06:47 – Impact’s Technology and Marketing Philosophy
08:32 – Growth and Challenges in Influencer & Creator Marketing
12:34 – Referral and Loyalty Marketing Insights
15:04 – Professionalisation and Major Shifts in Affiliate Partnerships
22:51 – Future-Proofing Affiliate & Influencer Attribution with AI
24:11 – Building Sustainable Teams & Leadership in Affiliate Marketing
34:58 – Case Studies: Scaling Influencer Marketing and Transactional Insights
36:03 – Rethinking How We Measure Marketing Value
46:07 – Compliance, Curiosity & Industry Pitfalls
48:16 – Navigating Uncertainty & Career Growth
54:40 – Advice for the Next Generation of Leaders

What does the future of shopping, media and affiliate marketing actually look like in an AI-driven world?
In this episode of Marketing Over Milkshakes, we are joined by Stuart Miles - founder of Pocket-lint and Squirrel - to unpack the evolution of affiliate commerce, publisher monetisation, tech journalism, AI in media, and why trust is still the most valuable asset in digital publishing.
Having spent more than 20 years at the heart of the tech industry, Stuart has seen it all up close - from the launch of Google and the rise of the iPhone to conversations with Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and some of the biggest names in global technology. He now brings that experience into Squirrel, a platform helping publishers automate product feeds, price comparison, affiliate links, and commerce content at scale.
The conversation explores how publishers can survive in a world of zero-click search, AI-generated content, shrinking editorial teams and changing consumer habits. Stuart explains why editorial trust, storytelling, and real relationships still matter more than ever, even as AI transforms how people discover, compare and buy products online.

In this episode, we cover:
The journey from Pocket-lint to building Squirrel
How affiliate marketing has changed for publishers
Why trust is the foundation of commerce content
The real future of AI shopping and AI-assisted buying journeys
What publishers need to do to survive Google zero-click search
Why storytelling will matter more in the age of AI
The difference between good AI use and bad AI use
Founder lessons on decision-making, resilience and momentum
What brands are still getting wrong about outreach, PR and relationships

Key Moments:
00:00 – Intro to Stuart Miles, Pocket‑lint, big tech names (Steve Jobs, Elon Musk) and the future of tech and media
05:38 – From Pocket‑lint to Squirrel: how Stuart built and sold a global tech publisher then launched affiliate tech for publishers
13:19 – Inside Squirrel: 30,000 product feeds, 13 billion offers and fixing classic affiliate problems like dead links and bad pricing
21:29 – Trust, honest reviews and content strategy: avoiding clickbait, bad influencer habits and the programmatic race to the bottom
32:24 – PR vs commerce content: how publishers monetise with affiliates while still serving readers and brands
39:10 – How publishers really use AI: good vs bad use cases in journalism, writing and operations
43:26 – Meeting Elon Musk and Steve Jobs: what top founders teach us about focus, decisions and product
48:03 – Founder mindset: resilience, failing fast, making decisions and letting go as your business scales
51:53 – Future of devices and AI: AR/VR, companion hardware, quantified self and how AI will reshape shopping
59:17 – AI in commerce and discovery: boring repeat buys vs emotional purchases and the lasting role of publishers
1:05:51 – AI coding, no‑code tools and why senior human expertise still matters in development
1:20:12 – Personal lessons: being nice, long‑term relationships, leadership as removing obstacles and networking without an agenda

How do you get fired from your own company after building a £200M IPO business… and then start again?
Chairman of Huddled PLC, Martin Higginson shares how he went from launching Britain’s biggest-selling BMX magazine at 20…to scaling a mobile business to a £200 million valuation…to pioneering surplus-led e-commerce with Huddled PLC to take on Amazon!
This episode of Marketing Over Milkshakes is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, marketing fundamentals, arbitrage thinking and founder resilience.
If you are looking to unlock the internet’s fastest growing marketing channel, connect with the team at RevWise https://revwise.com/
Martin shares lessons from four decades of building, scaling, exiting - and rebuilding. With businesses across publishing, telecoms, premium rate competitions, mobile content, gaming, student accommodation and e-commerce it is clear how Martin has created the level of success that has resulted with his appearance on The Sunday Times Rich List.
You’ll hear how Monster Mob reached a £200m valuation, what really happened when he was fired from his own company, why most founders “self-harm” successful businesses, and how Huddled PLC is now tackling surplus retail, logistics arbitrage and the cost of living crisis.
In this episode you will hear:
Building and selling Britain’s biggest BMX magazine before age 21
Why strict business plans can kill startups
The power of arbitrage in telecoms and digital businesses
Scaling Monster Mob to a £200m valuation
Getting fired from your own company and rebuilding
Premium rate competitions and early internet monetisation
The Scottish Telecom IPO and the dot-com era
Founder psychology: loneliness, pressure and resilience
Why entrepreneurs struggle to let go
Surplus retail and the Huddled PLC model
E-commerce logistics, Amazon conditioning and next-day delivery
How small brands can survive against Amazon
Reducing retail waste while protecting margin partnering with the likes of Temu
Building cooperative-style scale in modern e-commerce
Key Moments:
00:00 Vegas, affiliate marketing and early premium rate competition stories
06:52 From photojournalist to launching Britain’s biggest BMX magazine
15:41 Selling his first business at 20 and lessons from early exit
18:30 The men’s magazine idea that came before its time
22:30 Premium rate competitions: the breakthrough revenue model
28:30 Outmanoeuvring competitors and scaling nationally
30:27 From weekend revenue to telecom acquisition talks
35:27 Demon Internet, arbitrage and early ISP economics
40:02 Why timing beats ideas: Malcolm Gladwell & infrastructure lessons
42:53 Avatars, online casinos and being too early to market
45:15 Launching Monster Mob and scaling to £200m valuation
48:45 Getting removed from his own company
52:23 Super Casino: live interactive TV before its time
01:02:11 Huddled PLC: surplus retail and the cost of living opportunity
01:12:57 TikTok, deal communities and performance marketing engine
01:18:33 Logistics arbitrage and competing with Amazon
01:24:10 Founder psychology: the loneliness of leadership
01:27:25 Why most entrepreneurs self-sabotage successful businesses
01:32:54 The biggest marketing opportunity brands are missing

The UK leisure travel and holiday rental market has transformed dramatically over the last decade - driven by digital demand, staycation trends, and portfolio-level brand strategy.
In this episode of Marketing Over Milkshakes, Group CCO James Shaw shares insight from within Sykes Holiday Cottages, one of the UK’s most recognised holiday rental brands, and its parent organisation, Forge Holiday Group; which manages 30,000 units, serving 3,000,000 customers annually, generating £200 million in revenue.

You will hear about building modern travel brands for sustainable growth in the leisure and tourism space - combining performance marketing, DTC strategy and data modelling, as well as a detailed breakdown on how the adoption of AI in advertising campaigns has driven CPA’s down by 40%!

In this episode, you will hear:
Scaling established travel brands in competitive domestic tourism markets
Portfolio growth across multiple travel businesses
Performance marketing in high-ticket leisure sectors
Balancing brand equity with digital acquisition
Using AI across advertising and marketing to drive CPAs down
Protecting margin while expanding reach
Leading growth at group level across multiple brands
The evolution of UK staycation demand
Long-term travel industry strategy vs short-term booking spikes

Key Moments:
0:00 – From Sykes Cottages to Forge Group: brands, scale and acquisitions
06:37 – The origin of Sykes Holidays: Clive Sykes, Yorkshire kitchen table and early growth
09:34 – Obsessing over “magic moments”: guest experience, reviews and NPS in travel
12:48 – TV ads and brand building: taking Sykes from 12% to 65% brand recall
16:24 – AI-powered TV campaigns: cutting production costs and smarter media buying
18:12 – Rational marketing: stacking highest-ROI channels and dropping what doesn’t work
21:34 – Vivid Stay: AI video walkthroughs for every holiday property at scale
25:05 – The AI journey: 70% staff adoption, AI Guardians Guild and legal framework
29:39 – Proving ROI: sprint times, chatbot deflection and AI efficiency targets
32:46 – Clickless checkout and agentic commerce: preparing for ChatGPT / Gemini bookings
36:41 – Developing conversational search for UK holiday cottages
41:51 – Competing in LLM search
46:03 – TikTok strategy: micro-influencers, viral Sykes content and social commerce
52:03 – Gavin & Stacey cottage and VIP stays: turning properties into viral moments
55:13 – Private equity, PPC and scaling Sykes: from 5,000 to 30,000 properties
01:00:50 – Skin in the game: betting life savings on Sykes
1:08:52 – Cranfield “SAS for the mind”: leadership, EQ and brutal 360 feedback
01:14:08 – Hiring for culture: curiosity, competitiveness and mindset
1:20:29 – How James structures his week: 5:30am routine, family time and energy management
01:34:57 – Best leadership book: Good to Great and the 4 Disciplines of Execution
01:39:51 – Defining leadership: creating an environment where success is inevitable