Future Proof

Future Proof

Future Proof is the marketing podcast from Said Business School, Oxford University, and Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company. In each episode, we’ll have a frank discussion with an expert, to help brands and business leaders navigate the changing landscape of marketing… and hopefully dispel some myths and misconceptions along the way. Looking at big industry question through both a market research and an academic lens, we can help prepare marketers for the future (with proof). All episodes and more info at https://www.kantar.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

July 30, 2025 38 mins

With almost 70% of global advertising dollars now being spent on digital channels, maximizing marketing impact in digital environments is critical – especially with Gen-Z's growing influence. 


According to Kantar normative data, creative quality is the single biggest driver of growth in brand impact, driving 49% of brand impact across ad campaigns. At the same time, research highlights a persistent gap in marketers’ confide...

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What does it take to build a brand that stays fresh without losing its identity? 


In this episode, Dr Nicki Morley, Global Innovation Lead at Kantar is joined by Jeremy Lindley, Global Design Director at Diageo to explore how Diageo balances consistency and flexibility to create iconic, recognisable brand experiences across every touchpoint, from packaging to pubs. They unpack the discipline behind creative consistency, the...

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In this episode, Natalie Botha, Global Creative and Comms Lead at Arla, talks about her role in supporting marketers to be creative and how it plays a crucial role in brand growth. She talks about their Cannes Lions award-winning campaign, highlights the rapid advancements in AI and the role it plays in assisting marketers, and the need for brands to embrace innovative strategies. The conversation also touches on the need for the C...

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From the rise of agentic AI and retail media networks to the evolving role of conversational commerce, the retail ecosystem has transformed in the last few years, opening new opportunities for brand marketers. In this special edition of Future Proof, Wayne Levings, Kantar’s Global Chief Client Officer sits down with Keith Mercier, Vice President of the Worldwide Retail and Consumer Goods Industry at Microsoft.

 

Microsoft is he...

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In this episode, Nicki Morley, Global Innovation Lead at Kantar speaks with Deirdre van Zyl, Head of Innovation Planning – Africa and Salome Njomo – Innovations Planning Manager – Africa about the importance of creating meaningfully different innovations that truly resonate with consumers. They explore what the ‘learn, test, learn’ philosophy means for Diageo and how continuous learning drives innovation success. Finally, they disc...

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For the 20th anniversary edition of BrandZ’s global report, Adele Jolliffe, Head of Head of Brand Consultants, Kantar talks with Georgia Balinsky, Vice President, Global Head of Brand & Creative, RBC about the evolution of marketing and brand-building over the past two decades and the importance of brand in driving growth.

Georgia is Vice President, Global Head of Brand & Creative at RBC. She is a modern brand building exper...

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For the 20th anniversary edition of BrandZ’s global report, Adele Jolliffe, Head of Brand Consultants, Kantar talks with Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev about the evolution of marketing and brand-building over the past two decades and the importance of brand in driving growth.

Marcel joined AB InBev in 2005. Prior to becoming the company’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, he held a variety of roles at AB In...

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For the 20th anniversary edition of BrandZ’s global report, Martin Guerrieria, Head of Kantar BrandZ, talks with Abhinav Kumar, Global Chief Marketing Officer, TCS about the evolution of marketing and brand-building over the past two decades and the importance of brand in driving growth.

Abhinav is the Chief Marketing Officer of TCS, leading a team of 700 professionals in 55 countries who oversee the company’s brand, reputation and...

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In this episode of Kantar’s Future Proof Podcast, Nicole Jones speaks with Jesse Waldele from the Wall Street Journal about the evolving landscape of advertising and consumer trust. They discuss the paradoxical nature of today's consumers, the importance of building trust in a polarized environment, and strategies for engaging diverse audiences, particularly Gen Z. Jessie shares insights on optimizing advertising campaigns, leverag...

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In this episode, Jane Ostler speaks with Professor Koen Pauwels Associate Research Dean and Distinguished Professor of Marketing at D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and Mary Kyriakidi, Kantars Global Thought Leader, to discuss the current state of marketing, focusing on Kantar's Blueprint for Brand Growth. They explore the significance of meaningful difference in branding, the correlation b...

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In this episode Jane Ostler talks to Nick Daniel, former CMO of Dogs Trust and Director of Flying Foxes Consultancy, to explore the unique challenges and strategies in charity marketing. They discuss the importance of brand identity, the competitive landscape of the nonprofit sector, and the growing role of partnerships and influencer marketing. 

 

Nick also highlights the challenge charities face in standing out as commerc...

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Coca-Cola's creative brilliance was celebrated at Cannes last year. In this Future Proof Podcast with Islam El Dessouky, Global VP of Creative Strategy and Content Lynne Deason explores what it is that gives Coca-Cola campaigns their real magic and fizz. This unmissable, inspiring and enjoyable conversation covers topics that anyone focussed on creating effective advertising today needs to master. 


  • Creating Em...
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GenAI dominates marketing conversations, but how does it connect to capability building and the evolving role of marketers? While excitement around GenAI is high, adoption remains low with less than half of those with access use it regularly. So, what’s holding marketers back?


In this episode, host Jane Ostler is joined by Thomas Von der Fuhr, Head of Organisational Performance at Kantar, to discuss insights from the newly publi...

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In today’s episode, we’re exploring the marketing opportunities advertisers have in audio forward environments. Audio is present in nearly every moment of our lives, from weddings to commutes, workouts, and relaxation – and now marketers have more ways to engage their target audience in these spaces, and they aren’t just sound based. In recent years, the rise of podcasts and audiobooks has reshaped how people engage with audio, cre...

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Over the past few years, marketers have nearly perfected their approach to performance-based marketing. However, research shows that the businesses that perform the best over time have a strong command over brand value. For brand marketers, this is great news and luckily, there is a lot that can be learned from the techniques and approaches from performance marketers in terms of supercharging brand.

 

Nicole Jones, Kantar’s Chi...

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TV and video streaming are two of the most effective ways to reach audiences and predispose more people. According to Kantar Media Reactions, consumers find advertising on TV and TV streaming fun and entertaining and that TV sponsorships have better quality experiences. Marketers too are planning on investing more in CTV advertising experience. 

 

And yet, despite this interest, Kantar found that in Q3’24, only 16% of video...

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In this episode of Future Proof, Jane Ostler talks with fellow Kantar experts Duncan Southgate and Gonca Bubani to discuss their latest report, Marketing Trends 2025. They explore the shift towards total video, the evolving social media landscape, and the rapid growth of retail media networks. The conversation highlights the importance of sustainability in marketing strategies and the transformative potential of generative AI in cr...

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The advertising industry is experiencing a rapid transformation driven by AI advancements and an ongoing shift towards digital channels. This evolution is accompanied by increased scrutiny and regulation, creating a complex environment for marketers. These are the key findings of the latest "This Year Next Year" report, recently published by GroupM.

 

In this episode of Kantar's Future Proof, host Jane Ostler engages in a compel...

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Having a clear brand positioning is key to creating brand consistency and connection across time and touchpoints. The Eurovision song contest is hosted by a new country with a new campaign each year so creating brand clarity is especially key.

 

In this episode, Lina Moussaoui, Brand Manager for the Eurovision Song Contest at the European Broadcasting Union and Marise Pronk, Senior Account Manager at Kantar talk t...

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Brand collaborations are a powerful marketing lever to unlock growth whether your strategic goals are to drive Meaningful Difference, Predispose More People, Find New Space or Be More Present.


No wonder 1 in 4 marketers cite collabs as an important tactic in the 2024 Language of Effectiveness report by Marketing Week and Kantar.


Lindsay Gorton-Lee, Brand Strategy Consultant at Kantar and Becky Ingram, Client Partner...

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