Offline with me – Marketing Masterclass interview
In the latest “offline” edition, I caught up with the Marketing Masterclass Series to discuss my love for combat sports, how I was hospitalised by a bear, embracing AI and much more (original article here)…
*Why did you move into a career in digital marketing?
It felt like “the future” (1999)! I was good at science, maths, psychology, and business studies in school > university hence a natural career move for me.
I was also quite opportunistic by teaching the Design Director of a Digital agency (Walsh Simmons; who owned the likes of Laterooms.com) Karate (I’m a 3rd degree black belt) that in turn got me a “foot in the door” working in new business > becoming an eCommerce manager.
*How do you switch off?
I struggle! Watching live combat sports (boxing, MMA, Muay Thai), engaging in sport myself (football, gym, boxing, golf) and spending time with family & friends.
*What is your favourite podcast in 2025?
I have 4 podcasts I listen to regularly: FT News Briefing, Reuters World News, Times news Briefing & The Intelligence from the Economist.
*Fun fact about you?
I was once hospitalised by a bear (Proof here!)
*What’s your proudest professional achievement to date?
My Masters Degree in Digital Marketing. Not necessarily the qualification per se and rather the fact we (my wife was instrumental) had 2 young children, my wife was pregnant with our 3rd and I had an intense job at the time.
*What is your favourite movie of all time?
Flash Gordon (1980). It reminds me of my childhood, Christmas and being carefree.
*What 1 thing would you tell your younger self?
Delight in the small things of life. Sunny days, ice cream with the kids, small work successes, gym pb, etc.
*How are you embracing AI in 2025?
If I focus on AI and its application to performance marketing; AI is enhancing idea generation, efficiency & scalability.
Examples include A/ Google AI for PPC bid automation & keyword mining. B/ Phi-4 & Meta Llama for SEO tasks such as auditing > clustering. Write Sonic & Copy.AI for content ideas.
*As a consumer… what’s your favourite TV advert or social campaign at present?
Few campaigns stand out for me so far in 2025 (though the likes of Spotify Wrapped, Sprite’s #ThandRakr, Apple’s #ShotOniPhone & Duolingo Vs TikTok ban were good social campaigns).
The last impactful campaign that comes to mind was the Nike “Never Settle, Never Done” campaign from Wieden+Kennedy. Powerful storytelling showcasing grassroots > elite women football that was proven to impact+ visibility & engagement.