How I created the most successful agency of the 90’s - Rupert Howell, HHCL & Partners

What makes a world-class CMO? In this masterclass, we’re joined by Jane Wakely, CMO of PepsiCo, and Neil Barrie, founder of 21st Century Brands, to explore the strategies that drive growth of billion dollar brands. We discuss why CFO partnerships matter, how to reappraise established brands, and why creativity, whether through celebrity campaigns or a giant Cheetos thumb, still drives results. Plus, Jane and Neil share practical lessons on making change happen inside complex organisations.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:28 - What are the attributes of a successful CMO?07:57 - Why Neil created the CMO Thrive Guide10:32 - Surprising things about Neil’s CMO research12:44 - How Jane approached the first 90 days at PepsiCo16:27 - The importance of the CFO and CMO relationship22:22 - How marketers can influence the boardroom25:44 - Managing over 20 $1b+ brands27:52 - Navigating the complexity of a huge portfolio32:25 - How large brands can “Stay Up”34:49 - Why you should reappraise brands41:05 - The impact of celebs in advertising44:45 - Why the Cheetos giant thumb was effective47:51 - PepsiCo’s involvement in Women’s sport52:41 - How to make change happen in an organisation

17 Syys 57min

Returning guest and everyone's favourite marketing professor, Mark Ritson, is back. As usual, Mark comes out firing with some no nonsense advice to all marketers. He talks about AI taking over his Mini MBA, leaving Marketing Week, why pricing is the most important P and some rules for creativity. Sit back and soak up the knowledge from Mr Mark Ritson.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:06 - Why Mark Ritson sold Mini MBA02:12 - Mark Ritson leaving Marketing Week04:19 - Jon’s favourite AI use case08:07 - Will AI take over Mini MBA?11:38 - What marketers think is different to what customers think12:58 - Mark Ritson on that Sydney Sweeney ad16:15 - The Creative Dividend: what makes great marketing in 202527:45 - Why marketers need to be involved in the 4 Ps30:30 - Why pricing is so important (and why marketers should be involved)38:28 - The absence of strategy and what to do about it42:38 - What has surprised Mark Ritson most in 202543:09 - Why AI is being marketed so poorly49:58 - The power of synthetic data

10 Syys 55min

Ella Mills is the co-founder of Deliciously Ella, which began in 2012 as a simple blog sharing healthy recipes. What started online quickly grew into bestselling books, a #1 mobile app, and eventually a retail brand of healthy snacks. In 2024, Deliciously Ella was acquired for an undisclosed sum and today Ella is building her next venture, All Plants.Her journey is inspiring, and in this episode we explore every milestone: from securing her first Starbucks listing, to navigating a failure that nearly sank the business, to proving how an “average” person can create a truly global brand.Ella's podcast, The Wellness Scoop:https://open.spotify.com/show/7F6YqGJ06UEuD7qG81tFHwTimestamps00:00 - Intro01:01 - The Deliciously Ella founding story06:16 - When did the Deliciously Ella blog start to take off11:22 - Dealing with overnight attention and success13:33 - How can an average student become so successful?15:03 - How to nail a successful book launch17:16 - Scaling a personal brand21:08 - What’s it like running the business with your husband?24:00 - Going from recipe blogs to making retail products24:53 - How Deliciously Ella landed in Starbucks33:18 - Building out the product range35:04 - Behind every success is a bunch of failures41:07 - Managing risk vs return when scaling a startup45:29 - How to make products that are successful in retail49:53 - Why Ella took over a new brand after selling Deliciously Ella52:30 - Where is the plant based market headed?56:22 - Why Ella started a podcast?

3 Syys 1h

David Gluckman, the man who invented Baileys and author of That S**t Will Never Sell, joins us to share stories from his legendary career in brand creation. From the birth of iconic drinks (including Purdey’s, Aqua Libra, Cîroc and Tanqueray) to lessons on creativity, innovation, and risk-taking, David reflects on what it really takes to bring bold ideas to life.Timestamps00:22 - The founding story of Baileys04:32 - Naming Baileys12:18 - How Purdey’s and Aqua Libra began22:48 - Starting Cîroc and Tanqueray33:26 - Principles of innovation

1 Syys 43min

Jonny Bauer has helped transform some of the world’s biggest brands, from revitalising Axe (Lynx for UK listeners) at BBH to building strategy from the ground up at Droga5. In this episode, Jonny shares why brand can become a company’s greatest asset, what he learned moving from agencies to private equity at Blackstone, and how to bring brand to the front of the P&L. Plus, how to win CEO buy-in, build long-term strategy, and the case studies that prove the power of brand-led growth.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:58 - Why we never celebrate the strategy behind good campaigns04:03 - What Jonny is most proud of from his time at BBH06:27 - Transforming Lynx / Axe brand09:34 - Building strategy from the ground up at Droga515:23 - Best strategy outcomes at Droga517:47 - From ad agency to private equity28:39 - Learnings from Blackstone on running a successful business32:34 - How Blackstone approaches marketing33:50 - How to bring the brand up to the front of the P&L37:06 - How to get brand buy in from your CEO40:11 - Leaving Blackstone to use this approach on other clients47:17 - Successful case studies

27 Elo 52min

Fernando Machado is one of the world’s most celebrated CMOs, known for game-changing campaigns like Burger King’s “Moldy Whopper.” In this episode, Fernando shares the work he’s most proud of, why surprising campaigns cut through, and how creativity drives real business growth. We also discuss the most innovative non-advertising ideas from his career, what it takes to be an influential CMO, and his advice for startups looking to scale through bold marketing.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:30 - What campaigns has Fernando been most proud of throughout his career07:57 - The Moldy Whopper Campaign16:55 - Why surprising campaigns are effective20:52 - The most creative non-advertising things in Fernando’s career36:05 - How to be an influential CMO41:46 - Fernando’s advice to marketing startups51:39 - The Lions Growth MBA

20 Elo 1h

Matt Pohlson is the co-founder of Omaze, a platform that’s raised over £300m for charity through once-in-a-lifetime prize draws. Matt shares how a life-changing moment shaped his mission, the business model behind giving away luxury homes and cars, and why storytelling and consistent advertising have fuelled Omaze’s success. Plus, the challenges of the founder journey and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:32 - Matt’s near death experience03:08 - How a near death experience has changed Matt06:56 - Omaze origin story10:18 - Shifting from US celebrity to UK focused prizes13:24 - Do Omaze buy the houses, cars and luxury items?14:22 - The business model of Omaze18:09 - Why storytelling is so important for Omaze24:52 - Why Omaze make so many ads28:16 - Omaze’s advertising success through consistency31:27 - The most challenging parts of Matt’s founder journey33:59 - Matt’s advice to aspiring founders

13 Elo 39min

Is Jaguar’s bold rebrand a stroke of genius or marketing madness? We sit down with Rawdon Glover, Managing Director of Jaguar, to unpack the strategy behind one of the most dramatic relaunches in automotive history. From pausing sales to redesigning the brand from the ground up, Rawdon shares how Jaguar is reinventing itself for a younger, electric-first generation and talks about the visceral response from the launch video.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:53 - Rawdon’s journey into the automotive industry02:34 - A challenging time to be at the helm of Jaguar04:03 - Deciding between evolution and revolution at Jaguar09:05 - Why new car buyers are getting younger12:23 - Making the decision to rebrand Jaguar15:45 - Creating differentiation in the age of electrification18:46 - Designing the new Jaguar24:43 - What the Jaguar Owners Club think of the new car27:27 - The polarising Jaguar launch video33:14 - Dealing with the visceral reaction to the rebrand36:22 - How Jaguar will launch the car39:29 - Choosing to pause selling cars41:28 - Waymo’s partnership with Jaguar45:04 - When will the new Jaguar go on sale

6 Elo 48min