Your CMO Mentor

How do you keep a brand consistent without holding your creatives back? In this one, Jason Wood, Brand & Creative Lead at BT Group, joined us to talk about creative boundaries and how to build a brand playground.We got into how brand consistency works across the brands in BT Group, brand modes that give creatives generous boundaries to colour in, how to dial a brand up or down for a sports crowd or a billboard audience, guidelines split into core and expert layers so nobody gets buried in detail, and why taste is so hard to train across a big organisation. There's also a question from a marketing manager in the community about folding a company brand and a much-loved product brand into one when the CFO wants to save money. Jason also shared the park ranger idea he picked up from a former manager at Virgin, an alternative to being the brand police. Recorded live at Paradigms, the conference by Frontify.Jason Wood: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jason-wood-b181b559_______Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction01:48 - The School of Video02:31 - Quickfire round04:03 - Advice he wishes he'd had earlier05:31 - A mentor's lesson: the park ranger06:53 - Brand consistency across several brands07:50 - Creative boundaries with agencies08:55 - Brand modes: a playground for creatives09:19 - How to build a brand playground11:08 - Brand guidelines in the real world12:30 - Taste across a whole organisation14:05 - Guidance that shows what good looks like15:02 - Merging a company brand and a product brand_______If you enjoyed this, please like and subscribe - it helps us reach more marketers like you.Join 35,000+ marketers getting our weekly newsletter (it's free): https://themarketingmeetup.comListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9_______This episode of Your CMO Mentor is brought to you by Weglot.Weglot: https://www.weglot.com/t/lp?utm_source=livesession&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=nospecificcampaignTMMWeglot 2.0 for WordPress launched on 30 September, with MCP support, image translation, and a new AI translation model. They've also launched a new campaign, "You mean Weglot", which picks up on a lot of marketers' pain points.

Your rebrand is live, but the app still looks like the old brand. In this one, Vish Kapoor, Design Language and Visual Design Lead at Lloyds Banking Group, joined us to talk about how to run a rebrand across brand, design, and product teams.We got into what it took to reimagine a 260-year-old brand, including why the digital team worked alongside the branding agency while the new brand was still being built, when consistency is worth the fight across thousands of people, and why Vish runs open support sessions instead of an approval process. He also shared how he'd mentor a marketing manager whose new brand hasn't reached the product yet, without it turning into a turf war._______Vish Kapoor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-kapoor-178405b5/_______00:00 - Why designers should honour their craft00:41 - Meet Vish Kapor, Lloyds Banking Group01:56 - School of Video02:39 - Welcome to the interview03:08 - When Vish is happiest: being of service06:25 - The advice he wishes he'd had earlier: take your time10:17 - The best lesson a mentor taught him: care for the craft14:42 - Reimagining a 260-year-old brand15:46 - What to think about in week one of a rebrand16:46 - Why relationships hold a rebrand together21:13 - When brand consistency is worth the fight25:40 - Community scenario: closing the gap between brand and product_______If you enjoyed this, please like and subscribe - it helps us reach more marketers like you.Join 35,000+ marketers getting our weekly newsletter (it's free): https://themarketingmeetup.comListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9_______This episode of Your CMO Mentor is brought to you by Weglot.Weglot: https://www.weglot.com/t/lp?utm_source=livesession&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=nospecificcampaignTMMWeglot 2.0 for WordPress launched on 30 September, with MCP support, image translation, and a new AI translation model. They've also launched a new campaign, "You mean Weglot", which picks up on a lot of marketers' pain points.

Most of us know market research matters, but how many of us actually make time for it? In this one, Johann Wrede, CMO at UserTesting, joined us to talk about market research across the funnel.We got into why curiosity might be the one trait every good marketer needs, why going slow can actually help you move faster, and the surprisingly small number of people you need to talk to before you properly understand your audience. Johann also shared why a customer's face on camera can shift a boardroom decision faster than any spreadsheet ever will.Johann Wrede: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannwredeUserTesting: https://www.usertesting.com/______Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction05:02 - Quickfire round09:54 - His dream mentor14:10 - Market research deep dive22:38 - Why teams skip research36:44 - Testing before committing44:04 - Winning over skeptical boards53:52 - Advice for Emma_______If you enjoyed this, please like and subscribe - it genuinely helps us reach more marketers like you.Join 35,000+ marketers getting our weekly newsletter (it's free): https://themarketingmeetup.comListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9_______This episode of Your CMO Mentor is brought to you by Weglot.Weglot: Translate your site in minutes and reach a wider audience with Weglot - multilingual content, managed effortlessly, no code needed.

How do you build a marketing team from scratch? Nathan Rawlins, CMO at Lucid Software for over nine years, joined Joe to share exactly how he'd approach it, along with the leadership lessons that have kept him in the same role well past the average three-year CMO tenure.What Nathan covers:How to build a marketing team from scratch in your first 90 daysHow to prove marketing's worth to your CEO and boardHow to know when to do the unscalable thing instead of chasing scaleWhy understanding the whole business, not just your channel, makes you a better marketerWhat's actually kept him in the same CMO role for nine yearsTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction03:19 - When Nathan is happiest05:27 - Most underrated marketing skill08:17 - Nathan's dream mentor10:35 - Best lesson from a mentor13:11 - Advice for his younger self14:43 - Growing a team over nine years36:41 - Proving marketing's worth to leadership43:01 - Building a team in 90 daysIf you enjoyed this, please like and subscribe - it genuinely helps us reach more marketers like you :)Join 35,000+ marketers getting our weekly newsletter (it's freeeee): https://themarketingmeetup.comListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9

Everyone's talking about AI. Far fewer people are talking about how to actually use it well.In this episode of Your CMO Mentor, Joe sits down with Jacq, CMO of Pip & Nut, to explore where AI genuinely creates value and where human judgment, strategy, and creativity remain irreplaceable.Fresh from launching Pip & Nut's standout AI-assisted TV campaign, Jacq shares what really happened behind the scenes. Rather than replacing creatives, AI became another production tool - one that still required thousands of human decisions, careful brand stewardship, and exceptional creative taste.Along the way, the conversation expands into what makes a great marketer in 2026: strategic discipline, commercial thinking, brand consistency, and developing the judgment to know when AI is helping - and when it isn't.Whether you're experimenting with AI for the first time or leading a marketing team through rapid change, this episode offers practical advice grounded in real-world experience rather than hype :)SponsorsOur studio recordings are filmed at Work.Life in London. They offer really lovely offices and co-working spaces and have friendly staff to look after you. We always feel so welcome when we're there: https://work.life/Weglot are the brilliant company sponsoring this episode :) . They offer really simple website translation services, allowing you to expand your reach as a brand. AI will help make that translation super-fast, and humans will check it to make sure it is chef's kiss good content 🤌. Thank you sooooo much for your support!SpeakerJacq Ellis-Jones https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-ellis-jones-marketing-communicationsIn this episode, you'll learn:The marketing skills that will matter most over the next decadeWhy strategy is far more important than better AI promptsHow Pip & Nut created its AI-assisted TV advertWhere AI genuinely improves marketing efficiencyWhy creative taste is becoming even more valuableHow to balance commercial pressure with brand buildingThe AI tools Jacq's team actually uses todayWhat marketers should learn to future-proof their careersHow to thrive inside challenger brands with limited budgetsWhat to do when leadership wants AI to solve every problemTimestamps0:00 - Stop wasting your marketing budget0:46 - Why AI still needs human creativity2:00 - Sponsor - learn about the brilliant WEGLOT2:32 - The marketing skills that matter most4:22 - How top marketers build those skills6:19 - The traits that set great marketers apart8:32 - Marketing mentors worth learning from11:22 - The mindset every CMO needs13:42 - Why every marketer should understand finance16:24 - Inside Pip & Nut's AI-powered campaign18:05 - Where AI creates real marketing value20:58 - How the AI ad was actually made22:56 - Why taste beats AI prompts27:16 - Efficiency vs. effectiveness with AI30:26 - Why strategy comes before AI tools31:21 - How marketing leaders are learning AI33:36 - The AI tools Pip & Nut actually uses36:44 - Future-proof your marketing career38:16 - Balancing brand quality with tight budgets43:52 - How to thrive in a challenger brand48:37 - What to do when your CEO says "use AI"53:14 - Final advice for ambitious marketersIf you enjoyed this, please like and subscribe - it genuinely helps us reach more marketers like you 💜Join 37,000+ marketers getting our weekly newsletter (it's freeeeee): https://themarketingmeetup.com/newsletter/Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/your-cmo-mentor/id1850910303Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0cpW4Tsm2YuKJj488cNX1s