Uncensored CMO

In this special crossover episode, we’re joined by Jimmy McLoughlin, host of Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future, to explore the intersection of politics, media, and marketing. Jimmy shares how he built one of the UK’s most influential political podcasts, landed interviews with the Prime Minister, and why big podcasts now rival traditional media in shaping public opinion.We also compare the most impactful episodes from both shows, debate trust in marketing and politics, unpack why some of today’s biggest tech brands struggle with branding, and make the case for humour in advertising. Timestamps00:00 - Start01:37 - How Jimmy McLoughlin became a podcaster04:21 - How Jimmy got the Prime Minister of the UK on the pod08:50 - The power of big podcasts11:43 - Why can’t politicians be honest?12:56 - The top 5 episodes of Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future16:59 - The top 5 episodes of Uncensored CMO in 202521:25 - What episode has inspired Jimmy the most23:27 - What episode has inspired Jon the most?29:34 - What politician would Jon most like to interview?30:33 - The danger of all the new podcasts being released33:27 - The most untrustworthy professions; marketing and politics34:39 - Webinars need a rebrand35:56 - Why no marketer was involved with branding ChatGPT37:27 - Monzo’s great marketing in 202539:33 - The serious case for humour in advertising39:58 - The different types of happiness in advertising41:46 - The shifting advertising landscape46:13 - Approaching marketing like a politician47:51 - Career advice in 2026 from Jimmy McLoughlin49:20 - When politics and marketing collide

This week’s bonus episode comes from Never Mind the Adverts, hosted by Jon Evans and joined by returning Uncensored CMO guest Orlando Wood. Together, they look back on the biggest marketing stories, debates, and creative moments of 2025. Expect festive cheer, some interesting tipples, and a healthy dose of advertising showmanship.Timestamps00:00 - Start00:41 - Starting with some festive cheer02:04 - The big news stories from 202502:20 - The multiplier effect03:51 - The creative dividend05:05 - The Cost of Dull Media07:17 - Les Binet Go Big or Go Home09:22 - The Wild West of Influencer Measurement13:00 - How the pause screen has become an advertising channel14:30 - Sydney Sweeney, American Eagle and Jaguar - The Crisis16:15 - Mergers and WPP17:26 - Drinks Trolley Break19:00 - Jon’s highlight - awards20:12 - Orlando Wood’s highlight of 202521:46 - Rory Sutherland vs Scott Galloway22:35 - Jon and Alix Earle in Cannes23:52 - Jon cycles up a mountain with Zwift25:12 - Becoming trustee for the History of Advertising Trust26:42 - The History of Christmas Advertising with a special guest33:10 - Who won Christmas in 2025?34:27 - Aldi and Kevin the Carrot35:18 - Waitrose’s strong Christmas showing36:28 - The most viewed Christmas Ads on YouTube37:25 - Amazon re-airing their Christmas ad this year38:20 - The growth of Christmas Ads in 202539:47 - The right brained nature of the successful Christmas ads40:51 - The Coca Cola AI Christmas Ad43:23 - The Never Mind the Adverts Awards44:02 - System1 Star of the Year44:51 - System1 Turkey of the Year45:32 - Name that ad

Emma Harris spent a decade revolutionising Eurostar as its Marketing and Sales Director, leading the brand through years of success and navigating multiple crises. Now the Founder and Chief of Glow London, she works with clients around the world to build brands that are deeply connected to their people and culture.In this episode, Emma shares her journey through marketing, leadership, and entrepreneurship, and the life-altering moment that forced her to rethink everything. After suffering a cardiac arrest, she reflects on ambition, burnout, and what really matters. We talk about building great teams, leaving safe roles to start something new, bouncing back from the hardest year of her life, and why slowing down might be the most radical, and necessary, leadership move as we head into 2026.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:52 - How Emma got into marketing04:58 - What can sales learn from marketers?07:36 - How to respond to a comms crisis?12:17 - Lessons from a 10 year tenure at a company14:14 - How to get the best out of your employees16:49 - How to hire great people18:14 - Why Emma left her safe role to setup her own agency19:41 - Bouncing back from the worst year of your life20:42 - Why Emma set up Glow, her agency21:39 - Advice for being your own boss22:34 - Emma’s life changing cardiac arrest25:54 - Life lessons from almost dying28:06 - Why you need to slow the f*ck down33:58 - How we should approach the new year37:04 - The power of accountability

As has become a tradition, marketing professor Mark Ritson is back to break down his top 10 marketing moments of the year. We talk fighter brands, the president, Amazon's grannies, deepfakes, mergers and more in this snappy episode. There's nothing more to say - strap in and enjoy the opinionated marketing professor dropping some clangers.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:32 - Mark Ritson’s top 10 stories of the year01:55 - 10. A big year for mergers04:35 - 9. The painkiller vs the president09:42 - 8. Tesla’s Fighter Brand Failure12:56 - Mark Ritson’s advice to Elon Musk23:05 - 6. Amazon brings back the grannies (compounding)30:10 - Marketing Buzzwords of 202530:20 - Buzzword 1: Hyperpersonalisation30:54 - Buzzword 2: Onmichannel Marketing31:44 - Buzzword 3: Growth Hacking32:38 - 5: The great Cracker Barrel crisis of 202539:06 - 4. Starbucks and their positioning42:10 - 3: New CEOs chasing growth vs gimmicks43:44 - 2. Deepfake Martin Lewis and fraudulent advertising48:33 - 1: Maxi-miniflation

Andrew Warden, CMO of Semrush, joins us to unpack how AI is reshaping search, and what it means for marketers heading into 2026. We discuss whether SEO is really “dead,” the biggest insights from Semrush’s new AI Visibility Index, and how different AI models surface and rank content across industries. Andrew also shares why brand and digital visibility matter more than ever, the growing importance of creators in AI-driven discovery, and practical advice for CMOs trying to stay ahead as search rapidly evolves.This episode is brought to you by Semrush — your unfair advantage in digital brand visibility. From fast-growing teams to global enterprises, Semrush shows you where you stand, where you can win, and how to stay visible across AI Search and LLMs. With unrivaled data and real AI intelligence, Semrush helps you move faster, grow faster, and make sure your brand is the answer wherever customers ask.Timestamps00:00 - Intro02:08 - How disruptive is AI for search in 2026?04:19 - Is SEO dead now because of AI?08:32 - Biggest surprises from Semrush’s new AI Visibility Index Report11:04 - How different AI models treat different industries13:05 - Understanding how AI ranks different sources15:48 - Why content creators are important in the age of AI search18:35 - Why you need to be failing fast in AI21:10 - Why brand matters more in the age of AI24:20 - Why digital brand visibility matters so much26:28 - Advice for CMOs for getting on top of AI for search30:21 - Is AI just making decisions for us?33:19 - Why humanity, authenticity and emotion are more important than ever36:12 - What is Semrush One?