Sleeping Barber - A Marketing Podcast

• SBP 154: The Post Pod - Dull Media Smells Like Burning Money.

  In this PostPod episode, Marc and Vassilis discuss the complexities of digital advertising, emphasizing the importance of understanding viewability versus visibility, the pitfalls of cheap media, and the critical role of creative quality. They reflect on insights from recent guests and explore strategies for effective marketing, including the need for internal awareness and organizational change. The conversation highlights the challenges marketers face in navigating the digital landscape and the necessity of questioning data and media choices to drive better outcomes.TakeawaysViewability does not guarantee visibility in advertising.Cheap media can lead to higher long-term costs.Creative quality is essential for effective advertising.Marketers should focus on ads that are actually seen.Internal awareness of media effectiveness is crucial.Challenging partners on media quality is necessary.It's important to measure effectiveness, not just efficiency.Organizational change is needed to adapt to new marketing realities.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction 05:55 - Insights from Guests and Industry Connections09:07 - The State of Digital Advertising12:03 - Viewability vs. Visibility in Media14:56 - The Cost of Cheap Media15:53 - The Double Jeopardy of Challenger Brands16:49 - Innovative Media Strategies for Startups18:04 - Conclusion and Future Considerations18:33 - The Importance of Creative Quality in Advertising20:15 - Addressing the Accountability Gap in Marketing22:52 - Practical Steps for Marketers25:40 - Raising Internal Awareness of Marketing Challenges27:47 - Navigating Organizational Resistance to Change

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• SBP 153: Dull Media Smells Like Burning Money. With Adam Morgan and Karen Nelson-Field

  In this episode of The Sleeping Barber Podcast, Marc and Vassilis sit down with Adam Morgan (Eat Big Fish) and Dr. Karen Nelson-Field (Amplified Intelligence) to talk about one of marketing’s most overlooked money pits — dull media.You’ve heard of dull ads — but what about dull media?From perfume that smells like burning money to attention metrics that flip our measurement logic upside down, this conversation exposes how marketers might be wasting more budget on where they show up than what they show.Together, they unpack:Why the real cost of dullness might live in your media plan, not your creative.The massive gap between viewable and actually seen impressions.How cheap CPMs can quietly destroy ROI.Why challenger brands suffer most when attention is lost.And why the smartest marketers start from one brutal truth: nobody cares — so make them.It’s a lively, insightful, and often hilarious conversation that will make you rethink everything from your media mix to your measurement frameworks.Key TakeawaysDull media wastes more money than dull creative.Attention metrics are becoming the new standard.“Viewable” ≠ “Seen.” Stop confusing impressions with impact.The cheapest media often delivers the lowest ROI — a false economy.Challenger brands face double jeopardy when cutting corners on attention.Budget pressure is no excuse for bad planning.Attention isn’t a metric — it’s a design principle.Marketers must challenge models built on impression volume.Setting the bar higher is the only way to make media work harder.Removing waste and reinvesting in effective attention drives better results.Chapters00:00 - Introduction to Dull Media and Marketing Waste03:06 - The Cost of Dull Media vs. Dull Creative06:00 - The Impact of Media Delivery Mechanisms08:55 - The Concept of Seen vs. Unseen in Advertising12:02 - Innovative Approaches to Highlighting Media Waste15:01 - Attention Metrics and Their Importance18:06 - The Challenge of Changing Industry Standards20:53 - The Role of Budget Pressures in Media Choices26:48 - Challenging Assumptions in Media Engagement30:34 - The Cost of Dull Media34:06 - The Double Jeopardy for Challenger Brands38:46 - Understanding Attention as a Design Principle42:30 - Setting the Bar Higher for Media EffectivenessSupporting Links:The Extraordinary Cost of Dull - System1 GroupThe Cost of Dull Media | Dr Karen Nelson-Field (amplified.co)Le Cout Dennui - The 198bn Cost Of Dull Media

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• SBP 152: The Barber's Brief - Love Over Clicks?

  In this episode, Vassilis and Marc explore things that caught their attention over the last couple of weeks. Key stories they highlight include:Ehrenberg-Bass Is Probably Right. Until It Isn’t. A piece by G Douglas Why marketing’s old rules still work in a new world, by Mark Pritchard 7 Focus Areas as AI Transforms Search and the Customer Journey in 2026Love Over Clicks, by Paul WorthingtonFor the marketing moment, Vassilis goes into his experience at the Millennium Alliance, CMO Forum, while concluding with the 'Ad of the week' where Marc details Skip the Dishes latest advertising campaign, highlighting its innovative approach to storytelling and brand positioning.Enjoy the show!TakeawaysEhrenberg-Bass principles are evidence-based but should not be dogma.Creativity is essential in marketing, even in established categories.Mark Pritchard emphasizes timeless marketing fundamentals.AI is reshaping customer journeys and search behaviours.Brand love can lead to economic durability.Skip the Dishes campaign cleverly uses storytelling to eliminate conflict.Marketers must adapt to AI's role in their processes.Emotional surplus can create pricing power for brands.Consistency in brand messaging is crucial across channels.The future of marketing involves collaboration with AI.Chapters00:00 - Introduction to Marketing Insights02:43 - Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and Marketing Principles05:33 - The Importance of Creativity in Marketing08:19 - Timeless Marketing Lessons from Mark Pritchard11:05 - AI's Impact on Search and Customer Journey16:21 - Navigating the New AI Landscape22:00 - The Concept of Brand Love and Emotional Surplus27:26 - Marketing Moment: CMO Forum Insights33:08 - Ad of the Week: Skip the Dishes Campaign

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• SBP 151: Live From 'The Gathering' 2025

  Recorded live in Banff at The Gathering 2025, this special on-location episode of The Sleeping Barber Podcast brings together three conversations and a recap from hosts Vassilis Douros and Marc Binkley.The episode explores how belonging, creativity, and technology are shaping the next chapter of marketing — from AI and the creator economy to the deeper values that connect brands and people.Ryan Gill, co-founder of The Gathering and Cult, shares the philosophy behind the event’s enduring success and what it takes to preserve its soul as it grows. His perspective on leadership, belonging, and the responsibility of “being good guests” in Banff underscores a broader lesson for marketers — scale only matters if it deepens connection.Vanessa Hope Schneider, Head of Marketing at Descript, reframes AI not as a threat but as a creative ally. She challenges marketers to take an “AI vacation” — dedicating uninterrupted time to learn and experiment — and reminds us that curiosity, not fear, should guide adoption. Her examples of AI co-creation, from “vibe-coded” design tools to custom GPTs for audience personas, reveal how AI can amplify human creativity rather than replace it.Caroline Murphy, CMO of Meta4 Interactive, takes us inside the evolving world of in-game brand experiences. She describes how brands can authentically show up inside ecosystems like Fortnite and Roblox by co-creating with gamers, designing “playable stories” that enhance — not interrupt — gameplay. It’s a new kind of “digital physical availability,” meeting audiences where they already live, play, and connect.Together, these conversations capture the evolving state of marketing: human connection grounded in creativity, powered by technology, and measured by meaning — not just metrics.Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to The Gathering 2025 in Banff, Alberta02:10 – Reflections on connection, belonging, and “no badge attacks”05:35 – The state of marketing effectiveness & long-term partnerships09:25 – Ryan Gill on scaling connection without losing soul16:40 – Leadership, values & “unreasonable hospitality”22:50 – Vanessa Hope Schneider on AI, creativity & taking an “AI vacation”31:00 – Coexisting with AI — where humans add the magic36:40 – Carolyn Murphy on the creator economy & in-game brand storytelling44:10 – How brands show up authentically in Roblox & Fortnite51:15 – Measurement, co-creation, and the next era of engagement

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• SBP 150: The 8 Fundamentals of Effective Marketing

  There's a lot of marketing effectiveness research out there. Binet and Field. Byron Sharp. Jenni Romaniuk. The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. Karen Nelson-Field. Peter Field. System1. The Effies and the IPA databank. If you're trying to absorb all of this while doing your actual job, it's overwhelming.So we're making it simple: Eight fundamentals. These aren't tactics or channels. They're the underlying truths that emerge when you look at decades of research across thousands of brands, dozens of categories, and 50+ countries.In this episode, V and Marc break down:Strong Force vs. Weak Force - Why only 5% of buyers are ready to purchase right now, and why you need to build memory with the other 95%Growth Comes From Reach, Not Loyalty - Why big brands aren't more loved, they're just more boughtEasy to Mind, Easy to Find - Mental and physical availability: being thought of and being findableBothism: Balance Short & Long - Why you need both brand building (60%) and sales activation (40%)Creativity & Emotion Multiply Effectiveness - Why emotional campaigns are 11x more effective than rational onesFame & Consistency Build Memory - Why you should stop rebranding and commit to distinctive assets for decadesMaking Promises & Building Trust - Why your entire organization needs to deliver on what marketing promisesInvestment Drives Return - Why share of voice predicts share of marketThe pattern across all eight? They require playing a longer game than most marketers are willing to play. Time and consistency win. These are the laws of gravity for marketing—you can ignore them, but they're still operating.Whether you're in B2B or consumer, whether you're a CMO or running a small marketing team, these fundamentals apply. The question isn't "Do these apply to my business?" It's "How do I apply these to my specific context?"Chapters00:00 - Introduction & Overview"We took 39 sources... synthesized it all into eight fundamental principles"01:04 - Episode OpeningV and Marc introduce the episode and explain what fundamentals mean03:36 - List of 8 FundamentalsQuick overview of all eight principles04:36 - Fundamental #1: Strong Force vs. Weak ForceHow advertising actually works - the 5/95 rule11:46 - Fundamental #2: Growth Comes From Reach, Not LoyaltyWhy penetration beats retention19:06 - Fundamental #3: Easy to Mind, Easy to FindMental and physical availability27:45 - Fundamental #4: Bothism - Balance Short & LongThe 60/40 split and why you need both38:03 - Fundamental #5: Creativity & Emotion Multiply EffectivenessWhy emotional campaigns are 11x more effective46:31 - Fundamental #6: Fame & Consistency Build MemoryDistinctive assets and the danger of rebranding54:14 - Fundamental #7: Making Promises & Building TrustWhy your whole organization owns the brand promise01:00:11 - Fundamental #8: Investment Drives ReturnShare of voice predicts share of market01:08:22 - Synthesis & Wrap-UpThe pattern across all 8: Time and...

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