Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel is a cultural theorist, writer, social critic, and strategist specializing in inclusivity within marketing, media, and tech. Currently a senior insights lead at Reddit, she earned her doctorate in cultural studies from Duke University and has consulted for the world's top brands, including Nike, Samsung, Disney, Ulta Beauty, and AMEX, at agencies like Wieden+Kennedy, Dentsu Creative, and McCann, among others. A lifelong activist, Dr. Gabriel helps brands ignite cultural innovation and leverage the power of media for good. Her insights have been featured in the American Marketing Association (AMA), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), WARC, Advertising Week, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and Teen Vogue. She is the author of Cultural Intelligence for Marketers published by Kogan Page in March 2024.

We’re talking with Dr. Gabriel about the power of cultural intelligence in marketing on this week’s episode. We discuss the importance of understanding cultural trends to engage consumers authentically and navigate the complex landscape of consumer culture. Dr. Gabriel shares her journey from activism to brand strategy, showing how her unique perspective enhances brand relevance. We examine frameworks for cultural intelligence, the role of inclusivity in advertising, and the measurable impacts on both business and societal connectivity. We’ll also touch upon the role of AI in advertising and the importance of fostering diversity within marketing teams.

Topics covered during this episode include:

• Why understanding cultural trends is critical for influencing consumer behavior and brand authenticity.
• How Dr. Gabriel’s academic and activism background offers a unique perspective in applying cultural studies to marketing.
• How marketing agencies can navigate cultural landscapes by developing frameworks of cultural intelligence.
• Why distinguishing between fast and slow cultural trends is necessary for brand alignment.
• How brands can engage with “moments, movements, and mindsets” to resonate with consumers.
• Why brands must balance cultural relevance with their core values, avoiding silence on significant movements.
• How inclusive advertising impacts both commercial success and societal connectivity.
• Why empirical evidence is vital in guiding inclusive marketing practices for brand trust.
• How to measure cultural intelligence using traditional metrics and perception over time.
• Why it's important to understand advertising impact on underrepresented groups using the three Rs: representative, responsible, resonant.
• How AI in advertising poses challenges with potential biases in training data.
• Why marketing teams should enhance diversity and inclusivity within their strategies.
• How agencies can advise brands on meaningful movements without fear of cultural missteps.

Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasiakgabriel/

Claire Lambell is the Managing Director at Southpaw, a strategic creative agency that works with challenger brands (that is, brands that have a mindset of doing things differently). Her background is in sociology and social psychology, which she leverages to understand client motivations.

This week, we’re chatting with Claire all about client relationships and agency growth. We're discussing how to align agency values with client needs, the strategy behind successful pitches, and the importance of early engagement with procurement teams to secure a strong relationship. We’ll hear personal experiences and insights on maintaining a challenger mindset, along with clear budget communication to cultivate long-lasting client partnerships.

Topics covered during this episode include:

• How shared values and understanding client motivations are essential in winning pitches.
• Why strategy and creativity must work together for insightful, effective campaigns.
• How diverse backgrounds such as Claire’s contribute to the marketing industry.
• Why early engagement with procurement teams leads to better negotiation outcomes.
• How clear budget communication is crucial for realistic marketing strategy planning.
• Why maintaining a challenger mindset helps agencies stay ahead and deliver on objectives.
• Why passion and proactive management are vital in managing day-to-day agency operations.
• Why overcomplicating pitches with too much information can lead to losing a client.
• How demonstrating value sometimes faces off with competitive pricing in the industry.
• Why simplicity and storytelling are effective in creating engaging sales presentations.
• How managing risk with procurement can set an agency apart during the pitch process.
• Why agencies should qualify opportunities based on fit, fame, firepower, and fortune.
• Why discussing targets and budgets with clients leads to more successful campaign outcomes.

Claire Lambell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lambell-a934382a/

Nikki Gatenby is an agency specialist non-exec director and cognitive behavioural coach - with a laser focus on helping founders to build their agencies into highly valuable assets, by creating both agency and client value over time.

Having led, owned, managed and grown pioneering agencies in London, Paris and Brighton, Nikki understands what it takes to create business success.

Her last agency went from Brighton to global, from marketing services to two SaaS technology products (answerthepublic and coveragebook), both now independently bigger than the agency itself.

This was hand in hand with being named one of the Best Places to Work in the UK for 8 years running - whilst trebling margin, generating 4 times more revenue and 10x more profit.

Having captured the insights in two best sellers - 'Superenegaged' - focusing on high engagement at work and 'Better Business on Purpose' - centered around positive impact, Nikki took her exit in 2019 and is now focused on making other good agencies, great.

Nikki is with us today to talk all about sales qualification along with exploring strategic approaches to maximize agency growth. We’re discussing how embracing a “less is more” mantra is not just wise, but crucial for thriving in a competitive market. We hear about examining feedback loops, the importance of recognizing a deal's alignment with an agency's strengths, and the power of defining the ideal customer. Nikki even shares strategies for gracefully declining RFPs and reinforcing the significance of articulating unique agency value in high-stakes negotiations and QBRs.

Topics covered during this episode include:

• How to increase pitch success rates by qualifying sales opportunities for agencies.
• Why turning down pitches is essential for agency growth and avoiding wasted resources.
• The necessity of feedback loops to identify early warning signs in potential deals.
• Defining an ideal customer profile to deliver value and elevate agency-client relationships.
• Understanding procurement language and the Kraljic matrix to enhance negotiation skills.
• Nikki’s insights on gracefully declining RFPs while maintaining future collaboration prospects.
• The pivotal role of conveying unique agency value during contract renegotiations and QBRs.
• The transition from agency growth to SaaS products in Nikki’s career.
• Why agencies should avoid the race to the bottom with pricing to maintain a quality team.
• Emphasizing the mantra "volume is vanity, conversion is sanity" for agency leaders.
• Recognizing the best opportunities to pitch by aligning with the agency's strengths.
• Why focusing efforts on the most promising pitches improves win rates and average order values.

Nikki Gatenby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkigatenby/