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

Is your brand still hitting the mark, or is it time for a reevaluation? Find out as hosts James Walker and Brian Hastings, with their combined 20+ years of marketing mastery, guide you through a self-audit of your brand's effectiveness. This episode of Digital Horizons tackles the essential questions every business owner should ask to ensure their brand resonates with current customer needs. You'll learn how to evaluate whether your brand's visual elements are modern and aligned with your business's growth and why a consistent and compelling brand message across all touchpoints is non-negotiable. Plus, discover the importance of maintaining a strong online presence to keep your digital campaigns in sync.

Thinking about rebranding but unsure where to start? This episode dives deep into the strategic foundation required before rebranding. James and Brian emphasize the importance of a solid brand framework, which they call the bedrock of any successful rebrand. By collaborating with specialists for this foundational work, you can significantly improve both internal team alignment and external customer perception. Listen in for actionable insights and inspiration on how to elevate your brand to match your business's evolution and aspirations. Get ready to make more informed decisions about your branding and marketing efforts with expert advice from our seasoned hosts.

The Digital Horizons Podcast is hosted by:

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

What's the real cost of Canva’s 300% price hike? This week on Brand News, we break down the headline-grabbing increase and why it might not be as shocking as it seems. We'll show you how Canva, at just $10 a month per user, remains a budget-friendly choice compared to the expensive Adobe Creative Suite. Discover how Canva is catering to non-designers with essential tools that sidestep the complexities of advanced software, making it a unique offering in the design tool market.

We also dive into Canva’s newest features: Visual Suite and Magic Studio. Visual Suite is Canva's ambitious leap into the document creation realm, positioning itself against Microsoft and Google Suites. Meanwhile, Magic Studio uses AI to automate and streamline design processes, promising huge time savings for users. From comparing costs to evaluating new functionalities, we offer our insights on why Canva’s enhanced offerings still present a compelling value proposition, despite the price hike. Tune in for our thoughts on the communication strategy Canva used to inform users about the price change and why it might have ruffled some feathers.

The Digital Horizons Podcast is hosted by:

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

What’s the real cost of doing your own advertising? Get ready to discover why self-managed campaigns might be the anchor dragging down your business growth. Brian and James, with over two decades in the marketing industry, share why DIY advertising often leads to missed opportunities and inconsistent results. By not engaging experts, you could be sacrificing potential sales and new clients that far outweigh the savings on agency fees.

Join us as we break down the top five reasons why your time is better spent on core business activities rather than trying to navigate the complexities of ad campaigns. From the pitfalls of inconsistent campaign management to the opportunity costs of not leveraging professional expertise, this episode is packed with insights on how to achieve sustained growth. Learn why focusing on your strengths and outsourcing your marketing efforts can be a game-changer for your business.

The Digital Horizons Podcast is hosted by:

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

What if you could have an AI assistant that not only understands and interacts like a human but also anticipates your needs and seamlessly integrates into every aspect of your life? Get ready to explore the future as we dive into the anticipated release of ChatGPT-5 from OpenAI. Join Brian and James as they share their daily experiences with GPT-4, highlighting its impressive capabilities and discussing the exciting advancements coming with GPT-5. This new version promises breakthroughs in natural language processing, enhanced multimodal capabilities, and unprecedented levels of personalization. With potential backing from tech giants like Apple and NVIDIA, ChatGPT-5 is set to redefine our interaction with technology.

In this episode of Brand News, we delve into how ChatGPT-5 could revolutionize data analysis and automation, from creating complex formulas in spreadsheets to connecting AI across various platforms for automated solutions. Brian and James speculate on the limitless possibilities, debating how this advanced AI might surpass its predecessor in ways we can only begin to imagine. Whether you're an AI enthusiast or just curious about the future of technology, this discussion will provide keen insights into how ChatGPT-5 could change the way we live and work. Tune in for an in-depth look at what the future holds for AI and why this upcoming release is worth every bit of the hype.

The Digital Horizons Podcast is hosted by:

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

Ever wondered if you could tell a real person from an AI-generated avatar? Prepare for an eye-opening journey as we explore the uncanny realism of AI avatars created through HeyGen. Setting up these lifelike avatars takes less than five minutes, and they can mimic human gestures and speech so convincingly that distinguishing them from real footage is almost impossible. We'll share our firsthand experiences with HeyGen, marvelling at its ease of use and rapid setup, and then dive into its game-changing applications in digital marketing, lead generation, and staff training. We also tackle the pressing societal and ethical implications of this rapidly evolving technology, highlighting HeyGen's unique features like multilingual and multi-accent support, and its seamless integration with ChatGPT for automated content creation.

Looking to supercharge your marketing strategies with personalized video content? This episode uncovers how AI-driven video generation can transform client interactions, training sessions, and webinars by incorporating custom audio and dynamic video creation. Learn about the power of dynamic video for high-volume applications like sales outreach, with the added personalized touch through CRM integration. We also spotlight innovative uses for universities and businesses, showcasing how early adopters of this technology can gain a competitive edge. As a fun finale, we introduce an intriguing experiment involving AI-generated outros—can you guess which of us is the real deal? Tune in, comment with your guesses, and immerse yourself in the future of AI avatar and personalized video marketing.

Check out the video on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalHorizonsOfficial

The Digital Horizons Podcast is hosted by:

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