Even the best hotels have empty beds - Secret Escapes' Pete Durant on lines AI can't write

While AI is brilliant at reacting to a prompt, marketers need to remember that they want humans to react to their message. That's where human input will always provide value, says Secret Escapes' Interim Head of Brand and Marketing EU, Pete Durant. We catch up with Pete about AI vs social media and rapid growth, gaining perspective about work and life, focusing on actionable insights (not just data noise), and why his shiny new object is Meta's intent black box.  An episode twice as long as most of the most recent ones... and packed with great marketing thoughts!

The future of marketing may not just be shaped by the internet anymore. On the latest podcast episode, we speak about the under net with Jason Hartley, Head of Media Innovation and Trust at PMG. Jason explains how the infrastructure of the internet is now being used in a new way that's not really visible to us, introducing "invisible influencers" that make up what he's calling the under net. We talk about AI agents, the emergence of an over net as well, and using data but looking beyond it, to become a better marketer. 

Instead of being data driven, marketers need to switch to being wisdom led and search for human insights that help them predict consumer behaviour. On the latest podcast episode, Mark Cochrane, Head of Media Strategy at T&P, tells us why there's an important difference between data and wisdom. He's also discovered a much better way to brainstorm around audiences, than the old pen portraits - using AI audience agents. Learn how he does it and get top data driven marketing tips.

How can you find the sweet spot between brand and growth, using creative and data in tandem? Kyle Shileds, Growth Creative Lead (Art Director) at fintech brand Wealthsimple, discusses his top data driven marketing tips on the latest episode of the podcast. Find out why he takes inspiration from Malcolm Gladwell books, how he looks to brands like BMW, Duolingo, and IKEA's platform hijacking for inspiration, and his advice on advertising while still "feeling like a friend, not a big brand."

What's more important, raw data or customer feedback? Speaking to Molly Peel, Head of Social Media at the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, we re-open the qualitative vs quantitative debate when it comes to data driven marketing. Hear how you should balance the two and learn about how Molly using predictive analysis to set future plans in social media.

ClassPass Acquisition Marketing Manager Beril Aydingor Yunusoglu shares why mindset is her shiny new object. In a world where we have too much choice and AI is prevalent in the creative process, she advocates for balance and authenticity. Learn how to adopt these, connect the human dots that AI can miss, and go beyond the data to understand context and nuance.

Julie Pender, the UK Creative Content Manager at Havana Club UK, Pernod Ricard, joins us to discuss the future of data-driven marketing, the essence of alcohol marketing, insights from Simon Sinek's 'Start with Why', the importance of navigating data-driven insights, and the power of community in marketing. Julie shares her experiences and strategies in building a community around the brand, emphasising the significance of genuine relationships and understanding consumer behavior.    

What does ChatGPT have to do with launching a jewelry brand? Richard Lee, Google's Global Head of Marketing, Games and Media & Entertainment Industries,  unpacks how AI is reshaping marketing, particularly by using text to code with AI.  Learn how he's getting it to help create complex workflows, brand mood boards, or a newsletter. And how to ensure there is still quality human input into it all. 

AI is opening doors for data driven marketing, but can be a Pandora's box if not used carefully in the healthcare industry.  Hernando Ruiz-Jimenez is Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Geisinger Health, where he's experimenting with AI agents and pilots to see how he can make the most of healthcare data while protecting customers' privacy and being respectful of their particular conditions.  Learn about great marketing books, understanding the basics, and trial and error with AI in healthcare marketing. 

You'll always be more productive if you're happy where you work. Jayne Andrews, Marketing Director at Fentimans Ltd, believes in creating high performing and happy teams; in other words, "teams that are productive for the right reasons," where people can be themselves and put their best foot forward. While this is Jayne's shiny new object, she also shares her belief in how data and creativity come together to make marketing magic. And she tells us about how she "killed her career" during Covid! Tune in to get top data driven marketing tips and valuable life lessons in one episode.