The Business of Marketing

Nick Beck, Founder and CEO of Tug

What happens when search, media, AI and commerce start collapsing into one connected ecosystem?
 
In this episode of The Business of Marketing, John Horsley sits down with Nick Beck, Founder and CEO of Tug, to explore how modern marketing is being reshaped by AI search, creator culture, performance marketing and the growing importance of brand.
 
From launching Tug out of the basement of Vice Magazine to building a global agency across London, New York, Berlin, Toronto, Singapore and Sydney, Nick shares a candid view on what has changed in marketing over the last two decades, and what still matters most.
 
A conversation about search, AI, data, creativity, trust, performance marketing and why human judgement still matters in an increasingly automated world.
 
Topics include:
Why search has become one of the most important conversations in marketing again
The rise of AI search, AI assistants and the future of discoverability
Why over-optimising performance metrics can damage long-term growth
The balance between brand building and short-term performance
How AI is changing decision-making inside agencies and brands
Why relatability may matter more than “authenticity”
The explosion of creator-led marketing and micro influencers
Why agencies may become more important again in a fragmented media landscape
How brands can balance global consistency with local relevance
 “The big idea is still the rocket science.” - Nick Beck
 

John Rudaizky, Global Chief Brand and Marketing Officer / CMO at EY

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke sits down with John Rudaizky, Global Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at EY, to explore the future of brand building, creativity, leadership and AI at enterprise scale.
John shares the story behind EY’s iconic “Better Questions” platform, why emotion matters more than ever in B2B marketing, and how AI is reshaping marketing organisations, creativity and customer engagement.
A wide-ranging conversation covering brand transformation, purpose, creator culture, leadership, the evolving role of the CMO, and why the future belongs to marketers who combine creativity with courage.
Topics include:
Building one of the world’s leading professional services brands
Why the best B2B marketing is emotional, not rational
The thinking behind EY’s “Better Questions” platform
AI, creativity and the future of marketing organisations
The changing role of the CMO in the boardroom
Leadership, culture and building confidence inside large organisations
Why brands still need human insight in an AI-driven world
“This is an era of being humble and learning like never before.” - John Rudaizky

Nishma Patel Robb, Founder and CEO of Unmissable

What does it mean to become truly unmissable in an age of AI, algorithms and collapsing trust?
In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke sits down with Nishma Patel Robb, Founder and CEO of Unmissable, former Google marketing leader and former President of WACL, to explore visibility, storytelling, trust and the future of personal brands.
After a decade helping shape Google’s reputation and commercial growth in the UK, Nishma now works with founders and senior leaders to build trust-first personal brands that create real resonance, influence and commercial impact.
A conversation about authenticity, executive visibility, AI, creator culture, human storytelling and why the future belongs to people who can genuinely connect.
Topics include:
Why trust and authenticity are becoming modern marketing superpowers
What brands still get wrong about earning trust
The rise of executive visibility and personal brands
Why most LinkedIn “personal branding” feels performative
AI, storytelling and the future of human creativity
Why creators and communities are reshaping media
Building visibility for women in business and media
How founders and leaders can go from invisible to unmissable
“True unmissability is about resonance, trust and connection.” - Nishma Patel Robb

Stephan Pretorius, CTO of WPP

What happens when one of the world’s largest communications groups starts rebuilding itself around AI?
 
In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke sits down with Stephan Pretorius, CTO of WPP, to explore how AI is transforming marketing, creativity, production, agency models and the future of work itself.
 
From agentic workflows and AI-generated production to the changing economics of marketing services, Stephan shares a rare inside view into how WPP is adapting at global scale and what brands need to understand next.
 
A conversation about technology, creativity, commercial intelligence, AI adoption, organisational transformation and why the next five years may fundamentally reshape the marketing industry.
 
Topics include:
How AI is changing the way consumers search, discover and buy
Why production and content creation are being radically transformed
The rise of agentic workflows and AI-powered marketing operations
How WPP is rebuilding teams, workflows and services around AI
Why the future belongs to smaller, multidisciplinary teams
The shift towards output-based commercial models
AI, trust, governance and the future of creative work
Why the next decade of marketing may look nothing like the last
 
“It’s the first time I’ve had to look at technology not just in terms of how it changes marketing, but how it changes the nature of work itself.” - Stephan Pretorius

Nial McKinney, Founding Partner of The Creative Engineers

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke speaks with Niall McKinney, Founding Partner of The Creative Engineers, recorded live at Advertising Week Europe.
Niall discusses why marketers need to produce more content than ever, but without bigger budgets, weaker creative standards or loss of brand control.
They explore how AI is changing content operating models, why workflows matter as much as tools, and how brands can use AI to improve speed, relevance and quality without losing human judgement.
A practical conversation on AI, creativity, content production and the future of marketing operations.

Dan Reeves, co-founder of Subjct

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke speaks with Dan Reeves, co-founder of Subjct, recorded live at Advertising Week Europe.
Dan reflects on the golden era of magazine publishing, from Q Magazine and The Face through to today’s AI-powered content ecosystem, and explores how storytelling, publishing and discovery are being reshaped by AI.
The conversation covers the collapse of traditional distribution models, the rise of AI search, the future of editorial trust, and why great storytelling still matters more than ever in a world flooded with content.
A thoughtful discussion on publishing, content discovery, AI optimisation and the future of digital media.

Edwin Wong, Head of Global Measurement Science at Uber Advertising

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, John Horsley speaks with Edwin Wong, Head of Global Measurement Science at Uber Advertising, recorded live at Advertising Week Europe.
They explore the future of measurement, why context matters more than ever in advertising, and how brands can connect media exposure to real-world outcomes.
Edwin shares how Uber’s first-party data and real-world utility create new opportunities for marketers to measure attention, incrementality and consumer behaviour, while also discussing AI, attribution, privacy, research, and the growing demand for more human connection in media.
A fascinating conversation on measurement, media fragmentation, AI and the future of advertising effectiveness.

Julie Selman, SVP, Head of EMEA at Magnite

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke speaks with Julie Selman, SVP, Head of EMEA at Magnite, recorded live at Advertising Week Europe.
Julie discusses the evolution of digital advertising, from the early days of ad tech to the rapid growth of streaming and connected TV.
They explore how the new TV ecosystem is changing media buying, why premium video still matters, and how data, automation and programmatic trading are creating new opportunities for brands, broadcasters and publishers.
A sharp conversation on CTV, streaming, programmatic advertising, trust, quality and the future of premium video.

James Denton-Clark, Chief Growth and Client Officer at Stagwell Europe

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, Justin Cooke speaks with James Denton-Clark, Chief Growth and Client Officer at Stagwell Europe, recorded live at Advertising Week Europe.
James reflects on a career spanning agencies, networks, consultancies and creative transformation, from helping grow Karmarama through to its acquisition by Accenture, to his current role at Stagwell.
They discuss how the agency model is changing, why creativity still drives business growth, how data and technology are reshaping client expectations, and why human judgement remains essential in an AI-powered industry.
A thoughtful conversation on creativity, growth, leadership and the future of the agency model.

Milka Privodanova, VP LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, Large Customers - International at LinkedIn

In this episode of The Business of Marketing, John Horsley speaks with Milka Privodanova, VP LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, Large Customers - International at LinkedIn, recorded live at Advertising Week Europe.
Milka discusses how B2B buying has changed, why credibility now matters as much as reach, and how platforms like LinkedIn are helping brands build trust through people, creators and expert voices.
They explore the rise of B2B creators, the role of video, how LLMs are changing discovery, and why marketers need to move beyond vanity metrics towards revenue, pipeline and real business impact.
A sharp conversation on LinkedIn, B2B influence, AI, creativity and the future of trusted marketing.