Sweathead, A Strategy Podcast

Mark Pollard

About

How do you get good at strategy? Whether you’re into brand strategy, advertising strategy, digital strategy, social media strategy, or you just love doing strategy but you get frustrated at how people use the word, Sweathead will help you delve into the practices and minds of some of the world’s most wonderful strategists. We're in our sixth year and have surpassed 1,500,000 listens! Hit SUBSCRIBE, tell your friends, and leave a kind rating. Real-time action is @markpollard and @sweathead.

You can find strategy classes and "Strategy Is Your Words" here: http://www.sweathead.com.

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488 episodes

How To Have Award-Winning Ideas - Alexandre Kazuo Kubo, Lucas Ribeiro

Alexandre Kazuo Kubo and Lucas Ribeiro are Associate Creative Directors at McCann New York. Recently, they published a guide on having and expressing award-winning advertising ideas. It's relatively rare for employed big-agency creatives to publish like this so I took the opportunity to get them to talk us through their free guide while forcing them to indulge me in my love of Brazil and Brazil funk. Their guide is here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Vv4yXzNDyDnoaAdDKTh_2W99OrzNZRy_Y_j1feoanx8/edit?pli=1#slide=id.g2ad8616ace2_0_96 Lucas is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucasantunesribeiro/ Kazuo is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandre-kazuo-kubo-33189177 Mark is here: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

44m
Apr 01, 2024
The Wrongs And Rights Of Brand Strategy Workshops - Camilla Petty

Camilla Petty recently released a workshop guide from 15 years of experience in advertising. I've run hundreds of these things and have thoughts. So we got together to discuss what makes a workshop work as well as the things that don't. You can get 25% off Camilla's guide using the code SWEATY at checkout: https://oddkid.co/store/brandstrategyworkshopguide You can find Camilla here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillagrey/ You can find Mark here: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

38m
Mar 25, 2024
Brand Strategy In Venture Capital - Michael Miraflor

Michael Miraflor is Chief Brand Officer at Hannah Grey Venture Capital. His agency life started in media agencies then lead him to MediaLink and, now, into VC. In this episode, we discuss his journey as well as what exactly he is doing right now. You can find Michael here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirateck/ You can find Mark here: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

41m
Mar 18, 2024
The Techno Mindset For Strategists - Luis Miranda, Strategist & Techno Producer

Cofounder of the Account Planning Group (APG) in Spain, Luis Miranda is a freelance strategist based in Los Angeles but also a music producer and DJ. In this episode, we see what strategists can learn from techno. Obviously. You can find Luis here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismiranda1/ You can find Mark here: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

37m
Mar 11, 2024
B2B Marketing Creativity - Carolyn Barclay and David Moore

Carolyn Barclay and David Moore run Kingswood & Palmerston. They work with B2B marketers whom they push to do interesting work. We discuss creativity in B2B advertising as well as Carolyn and David's business. You might know David from his Twitter and LinkedIn sharing of advertising made by advertising agencies to promote advertising agencies. Carolyn Barclay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-barclay-622b9712/ David Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmooreecd/ ** Make sure you check out the DELUGE of content I've been sharing on Instagram, including ebook links: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

39m
Mar 04, 2024
The Taylor Swift Conspiracy, Creative Teams, and Job Loss - Walk And Talk, Times Square

You can find these bits as essays here: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

48m
Feb 28, 2024
The Most Important B2B Marketing Ideas With LinkedIn's Ty Heath

Ty Heath is the Director of the LinkedIn B2B Institute. The B2B Institute works with some of the world's leading marketing academics to find counter-intuitive ideas that can have a ridiculous impact on B2B brands. In this interview, we discuss B2B Marketing 101. You can find Ty here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyronaheath/ You can download our "How To Do Strategy" ebook, read by 120,000+ people here: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/how-to-do-strategy-by-sweathead Our next Sweathead Strategy Accelerator happens in March, 2024. Find details at www.sweathead.com.

46m
Feb 13, 2024
The Strategy To Revive One The World’s Biggest Fashion Brands - Esprit - Ana Andjelic, Chief Brand Officer

Ana Andjelic has a PhD, has worked in many of your favorite New York advertising and digital agencies, and now has a massive role at Esprit as the Chief Brand Office and the Chief Marketing Officer. This means Ana is responsible for anything that leaves the office. I caught up with her in the Esprit office to find out how her and the team are reviving Esprit, a brand that, at one time, had a market capitalization of $20 billiong. You can find Ana here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaandjelic/ ** Sign up for The Sweathead Get-Ahead free livestream from London on Jan 31 and Feb 1 here: https://sweathead.com/sweathead-get-ahead/ My London Masterclass tickets are here: https://sweathead.com/london-strategy-masterclass-with-mark-pollard/ And you can grab free ebooks and find out about our classes here: https://sweathead.com/

47m
Jan 23, 2024
Going Hard On LinkedIn - Alex M H Smith, Basic Arts

There was a time on LinkedIn that was before Alex M H Smith and a time on LinkedIn that was after Alex M H Smith. Every week, tens of thousands of people now see Alex's posts about strategy in their feed but it wasn't always this way. In this episode, we discuss what Alex is up to and how he uses social media. We were going to talk about some of his strategy posts and thoughts but...I actually don't talk to many people about social media so we kept the conversation there. You can find Alex here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-m-h-smith/ ** Sign up for The Sweathead Get-Ahead free livestream from London on Jan 31 and Feb 1 here: https://sweathead.com/sweathead-get-ahead/ My London Masterclass tickets are here: https://sweathead.com/london-strategy-masterclass-with-mark-pollard/ And you can grab free ebooks and find out about our classes here: https://sweathead.com/

40m
Jan 15, 2024
How Hallmark Went From Greetings Cards To Advertising Agency - Trish Berrong

Trish Berrong is a copywriter and strategist who spent decades at greeting card company Hallmark. She's not only written greeting cards but she helped Hallmark develop an in-house agency that went from serving Hallmark to serving external clients. And this is what we discuss. You can find Trish here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishberrong/ ** Find out about our strategy training and conferences at http://www.sweathead.com You can download a free 50-page ebook "How To Do Strategy" here: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/how-to-do-strategy-by-sweathead

37m
Jan 08, 2024
Your Personal Development Plan Template - Hell's Kitchen, NYC

You can find a link to the personal development template here: https://sweathead.com/personal-plan Sign up for The Sweathead Get-Ahead free livestream from London here: https://sweathead.com/sweathead-get-ahead/ My London Masterclass tickets are here: https://sweathead.com/london-strategy-masterclass-with-mark-pollard/ And you can grab free ebooks and find out about our classes here: https://sweathead.com/

25m
Jan 03, 2024
Better Relationships With The Creative Department - Anirban Roy, Head of Strategy at Wieden + Kennedy, India

Anirban Roy is Head of Strategy at Wieden + Kennedy in India. They have offices in Delhi and Mumbai. In this interview, we discuss good relationships with creative teams - whether it's common, what makes them difficult, and what makes them work. You can find Anirban here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirbanroyplanner/ ** Find out about our strategy training and conferences at http://www.sweathead.com You can download a free 50-page ebook "How To Do Strategy" here: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/how-to-do-strategy-by-sweathead

39m
Dec 18, 2023
Humor In Advertising - What Does The Research Say? - Polly Wyn Jones, Kantar

Polly Wyn Jones has been anlayzing advertising for over 30 years. In the past two years, she's published two articles about humor in advertising - how it ebbed and flowed over the past 2 decades, the kinds of humor there are in ads, and if it's coming back. And this is what we discuss. You can find Polly's two articles here 1. https://www.kantar.com/uki/inspiration/advertising-media/how-to-get-humour-right-in-advertising 2. https://www.kantar.com/north-america/inspiration/advertising-media/starting-to-laugh-again-the-slow-return-of-humour-in-advertising You can find Polly here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/polly-wyn-jones-67a0b3137/ ** Find out about our strategy training and conferences at http://www.sweathead.com You can download a free 50-page ebook "How To Do Strategy" here: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/how-to-do-strategy-by-sweathead

32m
Dec 14, 2023
Is There Really Less Humor In Advertising Right Now? - Paul Fisher, Head of Strategy, BBDO Dublin

Paul Fisher, Head of Strategy at BBDO Dublin, woke up with a mission one Sunday a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to confirm or debunk a belief that there's less humor in advertising than before. He spent hours trawling through and categorizing campaigns. And I thought it would be worth speaking to someone who feels like this is a good way to spend a Sunday. You can find Paul here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulfisher1980/ ** Find out about our strategy training and conferences at http://www.sweathead.com You can download a free 50-page ebook "How To Do Strategy" here: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/how-to-do-strategy-by-sweathead

40m
Dec 13, 2023
Getting Strategy Jobs At Netflix, CashApp, Nike, Apple And More - Grace Gordon, CashApp

Grace Gordon is an Australian who's worked with a list of companies many strategists would dream of working with: Netflix, CashApp, Nike, Apple, The Fader, Refinery29, as well as various agencies. In fact, we worked together at Big Spaceship a decade ago. In this chat, we discuss living and working the USA as Australians as well as what Grace learned about getting these kinds of jobs. You can find Grace here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracelgordon/ ** Find out about our strategy training and conferences at http://www.sweathead.com You can download a free 50-page ebook "How To Do Strategy" here: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/how-to-do-strategy-by-sweathead

42m
Dec 07, 2023
Setting Your Next Marketing Budget - This Time With Evidence - Marc Binkley, Fractional CMO

Marc is a fractional CMO based in Calgary, Canada. He recently published a deck to help marketers work out how to set their budgets based on evidence. You can find the deck here: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7134918764252299264/⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7134918764252299264/ You can find Marc here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/

37m
Dec 04, 2023
Shocking Truths About Insights In Advertising (I'm joking - but, yeah, "insights")

You can download a free 45-page ebook on insights, including a chapter from my book "Strategy Is Your Words" here: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/mastering-insights You can find out about The Insight Masterclass that I'm teaching on Wednesday, December 6, online here: http://sweathead.com/the-insight-masterclass-mark-pollard

39m
Nov 10, 2023
The Marketing Sciences Suggest: Make Your Brand Think And Act Broad - Julien Normand, Publicis

Julien Normand is Global Strategy Lead for Publicis LEON @ Publicis Media in Singapore. Recently, he wrote a piece called "The Silent Ascent Of Super Light Buyers," in which he shares research that suggests marketers need to pay attention to people who don't buy them very often. You can find Julien here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julien-normand-101/⁠ ⁠ His article is here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7061959692071141376/ ** Sign up for our newsletters: https://sweathead.com/newsletter/strategy-for-life/ ** Sweathead is a support group for strategists and account planners around the world.  We host conferences, online courses, live events, and podcasts. We also train companies. Find out about our company training here: ⁠https://sweathead.com/teams/⁠

40m
Nov 06, 2023
I Got A Hair Transplant In Turkey - Istanbul, Walk and Talk

I was going to keep it private but people started to find out. I got a hair transplant. And I had a second operation to get a lipoma removed. At the end of this episode I talk a little about functional versus emotional advertising. But most of the episode is about hair and Istanbul. You can find videos about the experience on my Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

40m
Sep 29, 2023
A 1AM Interview With The Team That Got Women’s Names Onto Street Signs In Tbilisi - Ad Black Sea

Watergunz won two golds at the recent Ad Black Sea festival for a campaign called “Women Who Don’t Exist”. They won in the Impact category for Creative Strategy and Sustainable Development Goals. Their campaign managed to get the Tbilisi government to change street names to the names of accomplished women. I was fortunate to be the one who handed them their trophies in front of well over one thousand people and a few stray dogs that had wondered into the Summer Theatre in Batum, Georgia. I grabbed the team at 1am just after the ceremony had finished to find out how they were feeling. Find out more here: https://georgia.unwomen.org/en/stories/feature-story/2023/06/women-who-dont-exist-a-campaign-against-stereotypes

25m
Sep 18, 2023
So This Head Of Strategy Just Quit Bis Job At JWT On Stage - Ad Black Sea, Batumi, Georgia

It’s the final day of the Georgian advertising festival Ad Black Sea. The campaign winners will be announced soon. In this episode, I talk with fellow speaker Marie Reig Florensa, Ad Black Sea and agency Winfors founder Vato Lavtaradze, and Lado Malazonia who quit his job on stage during one of my sessions and in front of perhaps 800 people…and his wife. You can find out more about Ad Black Sea here: https://adblacksea.com

47m
Sep 16, 2023
4 Students Share Their Work And Experience From The Sweathead Strategy Accelerator - Dulce Vazquez, Rodolfo Andres Estrada, Sarah Mahoney, Victoria Gates-Fleming

The next Sweathead Strategy Accelerator happens in October, 2023. It's a 4-week program that will teach you about The Four Points framework, linear and lateral thinking, the importance of problems, how to write insights, and how to write strategy. This next accelerator is our fifth public accelerator so we thought we'd invite some previous students to share their work and experience with you. You'll hear from: - Dulce Vazquez- VP, Strategy Director, Wildtype Health - Rodolfo Andres Estrada - Senior Brand Strategist BBDO, Guatemala - Sarah Mahoney
- EVP, Healthcare Communications, Strategy & Planning, Weber Shandwick - Victoria Gates-Fleming- SVP, Creative Strategy & Insights at Day One Agency For more details about the accelerator, visit: https://strategyhome.sweathead.com/products/the-sweathead-strategy-accelerator/ For 15 examples and 70 pages of student work, visit: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/9vtxjz2jqq

49m
Sep 09, 2023
How To Fix Your Presentations - Sit And Talk, Hell's Kitchen, NYC

In this episode, I share some of the student work from the Sweathead Strategy Accelerator as well as dive into some tips on how to improve your presentations. You can download 70+ pages of student work here: https://mailchi.mp/sweathead/9vtxjz2jqq

44m
Sep 04, 2023
When To Quit Your Strategy Career - São Paulo, Sit And Talk

In this episode, I discuss a couple of recent essays—when it’s time to quit and how to help a strategy team that’s swirling all over the place. If you enjoy it, share it. And come say hi on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

30m
Aug 24, 2023
Hard Truths About Strategy Careers - Hacktown, Brazil

In this episode, I share my experience at Hacktown as well as some uncomfortable truths about strategy careers. I’m doing a masterclass in São Paulo on Wednesday, August 23. DM me on Instagram for details. http://www.instagram.com/markpollard

56m
Aug 19, 2023
Check Your Next Creative Brief For These Things - Monologue, Hell's Kitchen

I'm going to do a few solo episodes over the coming weeks. This episode's topic I've touched on a lot and I've even read out some of these words before. But I thought I'd start here as I share some of my most engaged-with social posts in voice format. You can download a free ebook How To Do Strategy here: https://zaap.bio/sweathead

30m
Aug 14, 2023
What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming A Strategist - Midtown, NYC

Lots of updates and a list of things I wish I knew before becoming a strategist. My book “Strategy Is Your Words” is available this week on Amazon Kindle in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. I hope you’re well out there.

46m
Aug 09, 2023
The Agency Dominating Costa Rica And Then Some...Interaction - Erick Apuy and Monica Gonzales (Effie Index Series)

Erick Apuy is building an empire from his home base in San Jose, Costa Rica. His agency, Interaction, is one of the most awarded in the region. Their love of problems and context help them help their clients in ways that involve advertising but only if they have to. For instance, they helped a hydroelectricity company make money from crypto. In this episode, I chat with Erick and Monica Gonzales, Interaction's strategic planning lead, to find out how they go about their work. You can find Interaction here: https://interaction.cr/ ** You can find the Sweathead report What Strategists Want From Work here: ⁠https://bit.ly/what-strategists-want⁠ https://bit.ly/what-strategists-want ** Next strategy event: The Sweathead Strategy Summer Camp - Starts July 18, 2023 Details: http://www.sweathead.com. ** Sign up for our newsletters: https://sweathead.com/newsletter/strategy-for-life/ ** Sweathead is a support group for strategists and account planners around the world.  We host conferences, online courses, live events, and podcasts. We also train companies. Find out about our company training here: ⁠https://sweathead.com/teams/⁠ https://sweathead.com/teams/

35m
Jun 29, 2023
What's At The Heart Of One Of Australia's Most Prolific Advertising Agencies The Monkeys - Dave Collins, Strategy Director (Effie Index Series)

Dave Collins is Strategy Director at The Monkeys in Melbourne, Australia. The Monkeys have been a prolific creative agency ever since they launched and they were listed in the Effie Index in 2022. In this interview, Dave share the special sauce plus a few case studios. We also talk about his year in New York and how he's thinking about approaching his 30s in the industry. You can find Dave here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-collins-b5b15357/ ** You can find the Sweathead report What Strategists Want From Work here: ⁠https://bit.ly/what-strategists-want⁠ https://bit.ly/what-strategists-want ** Next strategy event: The Sweathead Strategy Summer Camp - Starts July 18, 2023 Details: http://www.sweathead.com. ** Sign up for our newsletters: https://sweathead.com/newsletter/strategy-for-life/ ** Sweathead is a support group for strategists and account planners around the world.  We host conferences, online courses, live events, and podcasts. We also train companies. Find out about our company training here: ⁠https://sweathead.com/teams/⁠ https://sweathead.com/teams/

36m
Jun 26, 2023
The Self-Improving Agency - Raluca Kovacs, CSO, Publicis Romania (Effie Index Series)

Raluca Kovacs is Chief Strategy Officer of Publicis Worldwide in Romania. Romania is a competitive advertising country. It seems like one of those hotbeds that not enough of us know about. It's a hotbed that has created several agencies that frequently feature in award shows and in the Effie Index. In this episode, Raluca shares with us the culture at Publicis in Romania. You'll hear a big emphasis on learning and self-improving. You can find Raluca here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raluca-kovacs-6987464/ ** You can find the Sweathead report What Strategists Want From Work here: ⁠https://bit.ly/what-strategists-want⁠ https://bit.ly/what-strategists-want ** Next strategy event: The Sweathead Strategy Summer Camp - Starts July 18, 2023 Details: http://www.sweathead.com. ** Sign up for our newsletters: https://sweathead.com/newsletter/strategy-for-life/ ** Sweathead is a support group for strategists and account planners around the world.  We host conferences, online courses, live events, and podcasts. We also train companies. Find out about our company training here: ⁠https://sweathead.com/teams/⁠ https://sweathead.com/teams/

36m
Jun 22, 2023