With the dust having settled on The Marketing Society Global Awards for 2025, in this podcast we are joined by Chris Dunne, Head of Marketing at Thinkbox, and the award-winning team at The AA and The Gate London, to discuss their campaign which won the award for Best Brand Communication (Large).

In this discussion, Will Harrison (Group Marketing Director, The AA) and Kit Altin (Chief Strategy Officer, The Gate London) talk us through The AA's remarkable transformation from roadside assistance provider to a brand built for every moment in your driving world. Discover how they identified the opportunity to reinvent a heritage brand, why they made the customer the hero of the story, and the creative approach behind "Always Ahead" that used humour and confidence to drive fame, emotional connection, and cultural impact.

Hear about the boldest risks they took, how the campaign transformed internal culture at The AA, and the commercial power of brand-building communications that proved effectiveness at scale.

Members can see the case study here:https://marketingsociety.com/case-studies/marketing-society-global-awards-2025-brand-communication-large-winner

Find out more about The Marketing Society Awards here https://marketingsociety.com/Global-41st-Awards

Welcome to "In my humble opinion", a podcast collaboration between The Marketing Society and Publicis Groupe UK that creates a space for marketing leaders to discuss their opinions on topics affecting our industry which they think about but may not always say out loud.

You're joining us for our next episode in the series '‘In My Humble Opinion… Gen Z aren't breaking the world, they're holding it together

Featuring Lilli English, Chief Strategy Officer at Leo UK, Joe Beveridge, Head of Strategy at Leo UK, and Hannah Pain, Head of Marketing at McDonald's.

Lilli, Joe and Hannah tackle one of the most misunderstood generations in recent history – challenging the lazy stereotypes that paint Gen Z as phone-obsessed, feckless and detached, and revealing the surprising truth hidden in Leo's latest Pop Pulse research.

Despite the media narrative, this generation isn't breaking things up from their couches. They're the sage voices emerging from the huddle – the micro influencers in every household who are shaping decisions across everything from music and tech to DIY, cooking tomato soup and booking holidays. Where wisdom used to trickle down, it's now rippling out from Gen Z, making them not a fringe cohort or future audience, but a commercial imperative today.

They explore Leo's principles for winning with this generation, including why brands need to be "magnet, not mirror" – showing up as an unfiltered, authentic version of themselves rather than desperately trying to speak Gen Z's language. From McDonald's evolution from "confidently humble" to "unashamedly McDonald's", to understanding why this generation holds the keys to the mainstream, they reveal why getting Gen Z right isn't about alienating others – it's your route to reaching everyone.

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review our podcast!

Our industry is filled with many brilliant minds with thought provoking views, we can’t wait to bring them to you, our next episode of “In my humble opinion” will be coming soon and find our series of content of the same name over at The Marketing Society website here.

Welcome to “In my humble opinion”, a podcast collaboration between The Marketing Society and Publicis Groupe UK that creates a space for marketing leaders to discuss their opinions on topics affecting our industry which they think about but may not always say out loud.

You will hear industry leaders and experts talk about their views and opinions on deliberately provocative subjects such as the impact of technology on brands and consumers, the future of our industry, the generational divides, diversity and inclusion and more.

You’re joining us for episode 9 "In My Humble Opinion...if your commerce is disconnected, your growth is too”.

Featuring Astrid Lloyd, Managing Director at Publicis Commerce UK and Natalie James, Head of eCommerce, Brown-Forman Europe.

Astrid Lloyd and Natalie James tackle one of the most costly blind spots in commerce today – the disconnect between how consumers actually shop and how businesses are still organized to sell.

Following on from their panel discussion at The Marketing Society's "Uncomfortable Conversations" breakfast, Astrid and Natalie explore why organisational silos persist despite shoppers moving seamlessly between TikTok, Amazon, Google and physical stores. From fragmented data systems to the "trough of fragmentation" where insights are a mile wide but an inch deep, they examine the structural barriers holding brands back from capturing growth.

They discuss why the digital shelf deserves the same attention as physical point-of-sale, the challenge of justifying investment in emerging platforms like TikTok, and the capability gaps that leave digital commerce feeling like an afterthought.

Most importantly, they reveal the leadership behaviours needed to drive transformation – and why "following the money" might be the key to breaking down barriers.

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review our podcast!

Our industry is filled with many brilliant minds with thought provoking views, we can’t wait to bring them to you, our next episode of “In my humble opinion” will be coming soon and find our series of content of the same name over at The Marketing Society website here.