Funny to think we only started doing the podcast a year ago here at Reevoo. It’s become an institution.
That’s mostly due to the calibre of our guests – from LoveFilm founder Simon Calver, to the brand strategist (and former consultant to President Obama) Adam Hanft and Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions.
The topics we cover are even more far-reaching – here are some of our favourites.
1. Best podcast if you want to learn more about modernising a digital-backwards industry
Lopo Champalimaud, CEO and founder of Treatwell, discusses why he started his business and how the online booking model has dramatically changed three times.
Best quote:
In the future, in 10 years’ time from now, there’s no way that people are going to be booking their hair appointments by picking up the phone to somebody on the other end of the line writing it down with a pencil and a piece of paper. I knew that the transformation had to happen, and that’s why I really believed in this real-time booking engine.
Runner up:
I think the massage is still my personal favourite.
2. Best podcast if you want to learn about winning customers with personalisation
Mark Bloxham, MD of James Villas Holidays, discusses the practical challenges in trying to make sure every viewer of the site is served exactly what they are looking for.
Best quote:
Personalisation is not just about ‘Welcome back Mark’. It’s about ‘Welcome back Mark. Here’s the stuff you were looking at and some other stuff.’
3. Best podcast if you want to learn more about investment and venture capitalists
Rory Sterling, Founding Partners of BGF Ventures, discusses his top tips for choosing the right VC, as well as what he looks for before making an investment.
Best quote:
The best entrepreneurs do have a choice… research individuals within the fund and do your diligence on them upfront about which other entrepreneurs they have worked with and, again, because of the online networks we now have access to, you can reach out to and talk to other entrepreneurs that have been backed by those VCs.
4. Best podcast if you want to learn about why startups struggle with idea number 2
Mark Wilson, MD and CEO of the agency Wilson Fletcher, discusses the problems with corporate incubators and why startups are often one-trick ponies.
Best quote:
The thing that people overlook with start-ups is that they are a product of innovation, they’re not an engine of it.
5. Best podcast if you want to learn more about how to sell out
Simon Calver, previously the main man at LoveFilm, discusses how he merged two businesses and successfully sold out to Amazon.
Best quote:
Build those relationships early. Because certainly in an acquisition, it’s not just about the company, it’s not just about the product and the services, it’s also about the people. And if there’s trust, deeper relationships, long-term discussions, it’s much easier to make happen.
Runner up:
The journey takes many twists.
6. Best podcast if you want to learn how squillions of tech jobs need to be filled in London
Russ Shaw, Founder of London Tech Advocates, discusses talent shortage and what the government can do to help, Brexit, and women in technology.
Best quote:
There are 30,000 software developers and IT job vacancies in London.
7. Best podcast if you want to learn about how marketing transformation consultants work
Simon Francis, CEO of Flock, discusses how to get the best from internal and external relationships.
Best quote:
Marcus Kramer (CMO of Aston Martin) said there are only two people that are interested in marketing integration in our company. There is me, I’m the CMO, and there is the consumer. Everyone else has a vested interest or a budget or an ego to protect. And I think that sums up the challenge. ….So it is stringing together sales, marketing, customer services, and other departments, to build a holistic seamless customer experience, which is important.
8. Best podcast if you want to learn more about trust and quality in online advertising
Andrew Buckman, MD of OpenX, is challenged by Richard as to whether programmatic advertising prioritises revenue over the user.
Best quote:
We work a lot with our publishers to say, look, reduce the number of slots that you’ve got on there.
9. Best podcast if you want to learn how to target your audience better
Laura Macdonald, VP at Hotwire PR, says bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to media.
Best quote:
What we’re seeing more and more, is those micro audiences, and really getting those, and getting who influences those audiences is the key.
10. Best podcast if you want to learn how to get philosophical about branding
Brand strategist (and former consultant to President Obama), Adam Hanft, talks about the intersection between popular culture, brands and the rise of outside brands like Donald Trump.
Best quote:
Brands don’t function in a vacuum disconnected from the larger culture. Brands are very much a reflection of how consumers are feeling in general about their lives and about the institutions around them. One thing that has emerged and all the commentators have talked about is how outsiders are rising to the top, whether it is Trump on the Republican side or Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side.
And one for good luck…
11. Best podcast if you just want some reassurance that whatever you’ve learnt, nothing ever changes
Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, used to run FHM. Some blame the internet for the magazine’s demise. But is it really that simple?
Best quote:
FHM was based on a very clear proposition that was created before my time when I ran it, which was effectively that everything in it had to be funny, sexy, or useful, every single thing. This was one of its great successes, that people live that throughout the editorial product. When I read the news about it closing, I was thinking, if you were trying to come up with a description of the internet, funny, sexy and useful would be about as good a description of the internet as you could possibly get.
