Struggling to strike the perfect balance between brand-building and performance marketing? Uncover the nuanced challenges that modern marketers face as they navigate shrinking budgets and an increasing demand for immediate results. In this episode, we take a closer look at why many CMOs and marketing teams are drawn into a cycle of short-termism, often at the expense of long-term brand equity. By sharing insights from a compelling AdNews article, we highlight the critical yet often overlooked consequences of sidelining brand-building activities in favor of bottom-of-funnel lead capture campaigns.

Join us as we explore the evidence showing that a heavy reliance on performance marketing can erode baseline sales, pushing brands into a “sea of sameness” and diminishing their unique value propositions. We offer a roadmap for marketing professionals to communicate better with finance decision-makers, ensuring both brand and demand generation find their rightful place in media plans. Whether you're a seasoned CMO or an aspiring marketing strategist, this episode equips you with actionable strategies to maintain a balanced approach—essential for sustainable growth even in the toughest economic climates.

The Digital Horizons Podcast is hosted by:

James Walker - Managing Director Walker Hill Digital
Brian Hastings - Managing Director Nous

Ready to make this Black Friday your most profitable one yet? We promise you'll gain insider tips and proven strategies to skyrocket your sales. Join us, James and Brian, as we walk you through the essential steps to build engaged audiences early, the power of shifting budget allocations towards reach and video view campaigns starting in September, and the benefits of offering flexible payment options like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) to build trust and smoothen checkouts. You'll learn how understanding your margins when offering discounts through BNPL can be a game-changer for optimizing your sales.

Ever wondered how to create compelling offers that truly captivate your audience? We share actionable strategies for significant discounts, the effectiveness of micro-testing various discount formats, and the magic of aggressive, multi-touch email marketing campaigns. Discover the importance of planning content early by collaborating with content creators and influencers, ensuring you have top-notch promotional material ready to go. This episode is packed with insights and practical tips to help you maximize your Black Friday campaign's impact, turning your preparation into unprecedented success.

The Digital Horizons Podcast is hosted by:

James Walker - Managing Director Walker Hill Digital
Brian Hastings - Managing Director Nous

Ever wondered how IKEA turns everyday windows into cutting-edge ad space? Join us as we uncover IKEA's latest brilliant campaign, where "sleep fluencers" transform their windows with IKEA's innovative blinds. These blinds don't just block light; they double as ads, creating a unique, low-cost marketing strategy that reaches beyond social media and into real neighborhoods. We'll discuss how this clever integration of paid campaigns can revolutionize home-based advertising and why it's a game-changer for IKEA.

Shifting gears, we tackle a groundbreaking move by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) towards replacing call center staff with AI, in partnership with tech giants Amazon and NVIDIA. With 2,400 jobs potentially on the line, we explore what this bold leap into AI-driven customer service means for the future of work. Is this the beginning of a new era where AI takes over customer support? Tune in to hear our thoughts on how CBA's pioneering steps could set a precedent for industries worldwide.

To see how our experiment went with an AI Sales Reprentative went check out it on our YouTube Channel here

The Digital Horizons Podcast is hosted by:

James Walker - Managing Director Walker Hill Digital
Brian Hastings - Managing Director Nous