The Persuasion Game

Why ambition will help us be better marketers in 2026, with Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society

Ambition is the watchword for The Marketing Society in 2026: “Ambition for our businesses, our careers and our country.” In this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast, we welcome Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Marketing Society, for a conversation not to be missed by anyone working in marketing who has ambitions for a great year in 2026. We discuss the growing role of CMOs, why leading marketing teams is more like rugby than football, and why we all need to make more time for learning. Sophie also shares her views on why personal ambition isn’t about “killing yourself at work”, but should focus on how it fits in with the rest of your life goals. Sophie spent years working in marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, Coca Cola and agency side, before becoming a CEO and published author. Reading list: “Superfast, Lead at Speed” by Sophie Devonshire https://www.amazon.co.uk/Superfast-Lead-speed-Sophie-Devonshire/dp/1473661862 “Drive” by Dan Pink https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drive-Daniel-H-Pink/dp/184767769X “It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be” by Paul Arden https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Not-How-Good-Want/dp/0714843377 "The Whole Marketer" by Abby Dixon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whole-Marketer-successful-fulfilled-marketer/dp/1911671057 CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (01:01) Defining Ambition for 2026 (04:13) Global Perspectives on Ambition (09:57) Building Ambitious Foundations (14:20) The Role of Technology and Human Connection

2025’s Christmas Ads: Which ones will drive sales?

“It might not necessarily be the most emotional response ad, but I think it will be one of the most effective.” In this festive episode of The Persuasion Game, Media Effectiveness Expert, Matt Stockbridge helps us unpick the effectiveness of the Christmas adverts in 2025. From John Lewis telling the story of a teenage son connecting with his father, to JD Sports’ user-generated clip sequences, major brands have taken different approaches in 2025. The question is: which will be most effective when it comes to sales? Matt is perfectly placed to help us answer that question, having previously worked on brands including Danone, Cadbury and Innocent. He talks about the need to grab people’s attention, the art of product placement and the power of generating an emotional response. From everyone at The Forge, Merry Christmas and see you in the New Year! CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (05:45) Sainsbury’s: https://youtu.be/QaF1my5h-Os?si=vb5FgcseZ56KCtWU (10:15) John Lewis: https://youtu.be/dc5S4IV_NeA?si=1MIyrA2xCBRvQnYl (18:49) Marks and Spencer: https://youtu.be/EWGYQL0KMoI?si=pCGDrAY8v4pDChZ4 (22:43) Waitrose: https://youtu.be/wWeYKBXmCRs?si=UZHjSlbrsMn4JVfv (24:09) JD Sports: https://youtu.be/aCsvYgOcXz4?si=vpGgsDLHkzWEtGGU

Unlock brand growth with marketing's secret weapon, with Richard Shotton

“Behavioural science is the most relevant field out there for a marketer. If you are in marketing, you are in the business of behaviour change.” Our guest on this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast is Richard Shotton, a behavioural science expert and author of The Choice Factory and Hacking the Human Mind. Richard shares some of the principles of behavioural science and how they can be used marketing teams to grow their brands. He has an incredible wealth of knowledge and enough real-world examples to fill a book (or three). Among them, how Monzo and Aperol use ‘social proof’, how Kraft understood the say-do gap and how ‘making it easy’ can transform a brand’s fortunes. Hacking the Human Mind: https://www.waterstones.com/book/hacking-the-human-mind/michaelaaron-flicker/richard-shotton/9781804091326 The Choice Factory & The Illusion of Choice  https://www.astroten.co.uk/the-choice-factory  Richard’s newsletter: https://astroten.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6ad73155a84f0c05285e72212&id=4a2da629fc  Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:03) The Power of Making Things Easy (07:48) Social Proof and Its Impact (13:09) The Say-Do Gap (19:20) AI and Behavioural Science

Rebranding an icon, with Chris Willingham, CMO, Brompton Bicycle

“It’s about understanding what people actually want to engage with. 99% of people aren't interested in your brand for most of their waking lives.” Our guest on this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast is Chris Willingham, Chief Marketing Office at Brompton Bicycles. Chris has had a remarkable career, previously working on accounts including Playstation, Sony Electronics, and Cadbury. Now at the iconic Brompton, he is leading the company through a brand refresh, aimed at talking to a younger, more diverse, and more global audience. And it’s doing it by harnessing the love of the brand that exists among its current customer base. Chris says the ‘Life Unfolded’ campaign marks a shift from talking about the impressive engineering of the bikes and focussing instead on the customer benefits - something that resonates in most markets around the world. He talks about the power of emotions, being authentic, and his dream of manufacturing the first genuine Back to the Future style hoverboards. Brompton - Life Unfolded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqRybgafMBc Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (04:24) The Brompton Brand: A Global Perspective (07:54) Engaging the Brompton Community (12:15) Balancing Functional and Emotional Benefits (21:58) Urban Mobility and Future Innovations (23:56) The Power of Purpose

How a film transformed Johnnie Walker’s prospects, with Stephen White, Diageo

Our guest on this episode of The Persuasion Game podcast is Stephen White, Senior Vice President, North America at Diageo. He is an expert in transforming teams, brands, innovation pipelines and businesses and has spent years working in different markets, all around the world, doing just that. Stephen shares stories and learnings from across his 20+ years leading teams at Diageo including: brand turnarounds; managing global and local dynamics; and transforming underperforming teams. One example Stephen shares is how a short film starring Robert Carlyle helped reframe the iconic whisky brand Johnnie Walker “we spent the amount of money we would've spent on an external film, on an internal audience, we then subsequently had 9-10 years of consistent growth.” Johnnie Walker “The Man Who Walked Around the World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ6aiVg2qVk Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates. Subscribe to The Persuasion Game Newsletter on LinkedIn. Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: thisistheforge.com This is an 18Sixty production for The Forge. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (03:00) Key Innovations at Diageo (09:32) Building Trust and Empathy (14:29) Breaking Down Organisational Silos (20:31) Leveraging AI and Future Trends