Unreasonable Marketing - lessons from the creator of the world’s #1 restaurant - Will Guidara
Will Guidara is the author of Unreasonable Hospitality and co-founder of the world’s #1 restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. He joins us to share how lessons from hospitality can be a huge competitive advantage for your brand. We discuss the power of small but impactful gestures, intelligent naivety, the 95/5 rule and investing in the things that can’t be measured but make all the difference.Will also reflects on the mindset that took Eleven Madison Park to the top, what businesses can learn from restaurants, and how applying unreasonable hospitality can turn any customer experience into something truly extraordinary.Timestamps00:00:00 - Start00:00:57 - Will’s experience writing his book00:02:11 - Getting 4 stars from The New York Times00:04:43 - What marketers can learn from Unreasonable Hospitality00:08:08 - Where did the term “unreasonable hospitality” come from?00:14:13 - Why Will is fine being “The Dining Room Guy”00:16:40 - Why Will added a beer sommelier - reverse benchmarking00:20:29 - Intelligent naivety and the advantages of youth00:23:30 - The power of small thoughtful gestures that make a lasting impact00:27:22 - The 95/5 rule - how to succeed with things that cannot be measured00:31:47 - Restaurant smart vs corporate smart00:36:50 - Why you sometimes need conflicting goals00:41:34 - Is the customer always right?00:45:55 - Turning pain points into highlights00:48:06 - How Will Guidara makes getting the bill a memorable experience00:51:38 - Why nothing in the world can replace persistence00:53:40 - Never waste a good crisis00:56:52 - What Will would do at Cannes with no budget00:59:56 - How Shake Shack kept 11 Madison Park going01:00:48 - Which fast food chains does Will admire01:03:51 - Hiring exceptional talent01:06:17 - Getting siloed teams to work together in harmony01:09:07 - What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail
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1:12:36
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1:12:36
From Tech founder to solving the social media addiction crisis - Jess Butcher
Jess Butcher MBE has built a career at the intersection of technology and consumer behaviour. She co-founded AR pioneer Blippar and has since turned her attention to a growing issue: how AI and social media are shaping our brains, behaviour, and wellbeing.In this episode, Jess shares what she’s learned as a founder, why female entrepreneurs still struggle to access funding, and why she believes brands must take responsibility for the attention economy they help create. We discuss how “More Soul, Less Scroll” is encouraging healthier digital habits, and the practical steps companies can take to drive positive change.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:41 - Jess’ background as a female founder05:56 - How Jon used Jess’ QR code startup13:19 - Why Blippar ultimately failed17:34 - The lessons from Blippar’s failure21:30 - Why female founders struggle to get funding25:50 - The characteristics of successful founders31:15 - How AI is re-wiring our brains negatively34:05 - Why social media is ruining our lives40:09 - Why is this problem getting worse if we know about it?44:17 - What ScrollAware is trying to do about the problem48:38 - Which brands are taking responsibility for this problem best?54:46 - Less Scroll More Soul sleeping bags
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58:56
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58:56
American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney campaign - what really happened with CMO Craig Brommers
Craig Brommers, CMO of American Eagle, joins us to go behind the scenes of one of the most talked-about campaigns of the year; Sydney Sweeney for American Eagle. Craig reveals what really happened, why the brand partnered with Sydney, and how they handled the extreme social-media reaction. We discuss the data behind the campaign’s success, the decision to pause before responding, and what the advertising press got wrong. Craig also shares lessons in brand leadership, navigating public scrutiny, and what it takes to be a successful CMO in 2025.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:35 - The Travis Kelce x American Eagle collaboration01:51 - Why American Eagle partnered with Sydney Sweeney03:21 - Did American Eagle know the campaign was going to explode on social media04:24 - What caused the extreme reaction to the campaign?06:08 - The System1 scores for the Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle campaign08:11 - How did it feel seeing the campaign come under so much scrutiny?11:50 - Choosing to pause instead of reacting immediately13:41 - Dealing with the personal side of some of the comments15:09 - The actual results of the Sydney Sweeney campaign16:51 - The reaction vs the media buy - what was the impact?18:11 - When Jon almost closed the London Underground with Amaretto20:53 - Did the advertising press get it wrong about the American Eagle campaign?22:14 - Craig’s advice for other marketers facing a crisis27:15 - Will American Eagle continue to work with Sydney Sweeney?28:31 - Are we entering a “Jeans Wars” era?29:40 - The product strategy for American Eagle30:51 - How important are celebrity endorsements in Fashion31:45 - What are the elements for success for American Eagle33:26 - 3 things that make a successful CMO in 202539:56 - What does a successful CMO look like?40:44 - The one thing to remember from this conversation
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43:16
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43:16
David Droga: My greatest lessons from 37 years in advertising
After an illustrious 37-year career in advertising, legend David Droga is stepping down as CEO of Accenture Song and retiring. Under his leadership, Song grew 8% to $20 billion in FY25, up from $19 billion the previous year. A fitting closing act for one of the industry’s most creative leaders.In this second conversation with David, we reflect on his career, the lessons he’s learned, and what he would do if he were starting from scratch. From creativity’s place at the heart of business to the power of simple ideas, David shares the philosophies, failures, and insights that have defined his journey.Timestamps00:00:00 - Start00:02:45 - Lessons from being CEO of Accenture Song00:06:01 - Why creativity needs to be at the forefront of businesses00:11:01 - How technology can enable creativity, rather than kill it00:18:42 - What is David Droga most proud of leaving as his legacy00:27:40 - What what David Droga do if he were starting from scratch00:29:59 - What are the traits of David Droga’s favourite clients00:34:59 - What trends are overrated and underrated according to David Droga00:40:52 - David Droga ideas that never saw the light of day00:43:58 - The business that almost came before Droga500:46:49 - The size of the idea is 50x more important than the budget00:48:10 - Droga’s best campaign on a small budget00:56:31 - Power of building on a campaign platform01:02:06 - The power of simple ideas01:07:48 - The most "Aussie" thing Droga has ever done
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1:11:54
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1:11:54
The behavioural hacks that create $Billion brands - Richard Shotton
Richard Shotton, author of The Choice Factory and the newly released Hacking the Human Mind, joins us to explore the behavioural science behind the world’s most iconic brands. From Guinness’ 119.5 second pour to Red Bull’s unconventional rise, Richard explains the psychological shortcuts that drive consumer decisions. We cover why 4-star reviews beat 5-stars, the secret behind Liquid Death’s success, and how humour, jingles, and even “concrete expressions” can help brands stick in our minds.Timestamps:00:00 - Start01:07 - Why Richard is launching a new book02:54 - Why Guinness takes 119.5 seconds to pour05:46 - Why a 4 star review is better than a 5 star review07:50 - Why the Pratfall effect is so powerful11:00 - Why Aperol Spritz has become so popular18:18 - The behavioural science behind the Liquid Death success21:06 - Why consistency works according to behavioural science27:49 - Why Red Bull succeeds while defying convention34:15 - The labour illusion; Dyson Example41:03 - Why does the “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” strapline work43:01 - Why we need to use humour more45:12 - Why has KFC dominated the fried chicken market?49:41 - The secrets behind the success of Pringles53:58 - Why jingles stick in our heads58:23 - How Apple used “Concrete Expressions”
UK