Olivia Mae Hanlon turned a one woman side project into Girls in Marketing, a global community of more than half a million marketers.

Now as co-founder of Passata, an AI productivity tool built to make work more personal and effective, she is redefining what balance looks like for modern founders and marketers.

In this episode, Olivia joins Adam Wright to talk about the realities of building a business around your passion, how to create a community that grows with its members, how to recognise the signs of burnout before it takes over, and how to find purpose again when your work becomes your identity.

This is an honest conversation about growth, leadership and the pursuit of balance in a world that celebrates busyness.

Connect with Olivia Mae Hanlon

LinkedIn | Instagram | Girls in Marketing | Passata

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In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly chat with Rossana Doldi, Marketing and Strategy Director at Church & Dwight.

Rossana has shaped global brands across P&G, Reckitt, and now Church & Dwight, where she oversees everything from beauty icons like Batiste dry shampoo to trusted healthcare brands like Anusol, as well as intimate skincare products such as Femfresh.

She shares how her luxury roots inform mass-market creativity, how to drive attention in crowded categories, and how to reframe stories in even the most awkward spaces.

Key takeaways
▶ Emotional framing, humour, and simplicity are key to breaking through in ‘unsexy’ or taboo categories.
▶ Value doesn’t mean cheap. Consumers want a psychological ROI and actively mix channels to find it.
▶ Great campaigns repeat one clear message over time. Brands often lose attention by trying to say too much.

Why listen
▶ Hear how a leading FMCG brand leader balances global strategy with local creativity
▶ Learn how to adapt marketing strategies across different categories.
▶ Get practical examples of how to use humour and reframing in brand storytelling.
▶ Understand the role of AI in shaping trends, insights, and media planning (without losing the human)

One final thing....

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Beyond the Brand and leave us a review to help more marketers find the show.

In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Sara Gordon, general manager at Zoe and a specialist in brand positioning and growth.

From helping scale Bloom & Wild to advising global health tech teams, Sara shares how customer insight, clear positioning, and emotional relevance drive long-term success. This one’s full of smart, practical thinking about what really makes brands grow.

Key takeaways
▶ Positioning isn’t a tagline; it’s how your brand helps people make progress in their lives.
▶ Jobs to be done interviews are vital to uncover real customer motivations and struggles.
▶ Brands that win focus on emotional needs as much as rational ones, especially in crowded markets.
▶ Founders who talk to customers regularly build stronger products, teams, and cultures.
▶ True brand strength comes when positioning informs product, pricing, messaging, and market fit.

Why listen
▶ Get a clear, practical breakdown of how to run a jobs-to-be-done process.
▶ Hear behind-the-scenes stories from Bloom & Wild and Zoe’s growth journeys.
▶ Learn why positioning is central to commercial success, not just brand awareness.
▶ See how AI is reshaping customer research, and where it helps (and where it doesn’t).

Links & resources
▶ Sara Gordon on LinkedIn
▶ Zoe website
▶ Daily 30 from Zoe
▶ Jobs to be Done theory
▶ Zoe podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Beyond the Brand and leave us a review to help more marketers find the show.

In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright sits down with Katrina Smart, Head of Digital Commerce at Mars United Commerce.

They explore how retail media is evolving into a more sophisticated, full-funnel discipline. Katrina shares her perspective on global frameworks, the rise of in-store digitalisation, new measurement approaches, and how brands can prepare for the future of retail media.

Key takeaways
▶ Retail media has moved beyond conversion to support brand building, requiring brands to adopt a more holistic approach across teams.
▶ The most successful brands create consistent global frameworks while allowing for local flexibility to match market maturity.
▶ In-store digitalisation and self-serve search platforms are accelerating, reshaping how brands plan and buy retail media.
▶ Clean rooms and first-party data strategies are becoming critical as third-party cookies phase out.
▶ Upskilling teams and building cross-functional capability are essential to keep pace with innovation and avoid working in silos.

Why listen
▶ Gain insider insight into how Mars United Commerce helps brands navigate the complexity of retail media.
▶ Learn practical steps for building a unified measurement strategy that goes beyond ROAS.
▶ Understand the skills and talent gaps emerging as self-serve models and data capabilities grow.
▶ Hear Katrina’s advice on testing new approaches before they become table stakes.

Links & resources▶ Katrina Smart on LinkedIn▶ Mars United Commerce website▶ Women in Retail Media

In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Azlan Raj, CMO for Merkle and Dentsu across EMEA. Named one of the UK’s most influential marketers, Azlan shares how he helps global brands turn complexity into progress.

The conversation covers the changing role of the CMO, how to measure meaningful progress, the shift back toward brand-building, and how to apply AI in a practical, human way.

Key takeaways
▶ CMOs must blend brand, data, growth and creativity to lead effectively
▶ The right metrics drive better decisions and behaviour
▶ AI works best when it’s invisible and useful
▶ A clear purpose keeps teams focused through uncertainty
▶ Broad skills and curiosity build stronger marketing leaders

Why listen
▶ Hear how one of the top marketers in Europe sees the future of the CMO role
▶ Learn how to rethink measurement and align marketing with business outcomes
▶ Get real examples of how AI is being used inside complex organisations
▶ Understand why purpose and clarity still matter in a cautious, efficiency-driven climate

Links and resources
▶ Azlan Raj on LinkedIn
▶ Azlan’s book, Shift: Transform Motion into Progress in Business
▶ Sampl – precision trial and growth platform

In this episode of Beyond the Brand, hosts Adam Wright and Matt Huntly sit down with Matt Higgins and Ash White, managing partners at Dentsu’s Addressable Media and Total Commerce units.

Together, they explore the fast-evolving world of retail media, from its roots in Amazon to its expansion across major UK retailers. With years of experience guiding brands through media transformation, Matt and Ash unpack the changing role of creative, measurement, and collaboration in retail media today.

Key takeaways
▶ Amazon remains central, but UK retailers are quickly building sophisticated media offerings to compete
▶ In-store media and digital shelf insights are finally getting the attention and measurement they deserve
▶ Creative is emerging as a critical, and often overlooked, driver of retail media performance
▶ Standardisation and shared learning are accelerating the entire industry, even among competitors
▶ Brands that define clear objectives upfront are seeing the best results from test and learn campaigns

Why listen
▶ Hear how Dentsu is helping brands and retailers work together more effectively in this complex space
▶ Learn how to approach retail media planning based on objectives, not just RoAS
▶ Understand what is really going on behind the scenes at conferences and award shows
▶ Get practical advice for brands starting to invest in retail media or levelling up what they already do

Links & resources
▶ Matt Higgins on LinkedIn▶ Ash White on LinkedIn▶ Dentsu UK▶ Sampl – sponsor and host platform of the show

Follow Beyond the Brand for honest conversations with marketing leaders, and if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a quick review to help others find the show.

In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright and Matt Huntly speak with Bella Noakes, innovation director at Next Tech Now, the specialist innovation arm of Publicis Media.

Bella shares how she helps bridge the gap between big brands and startup tech, delivering practical innovation that solves real brand problems. We talk audio, AI, dynamic creative, and what makes experimentation work.

Key takeaways
▶ Innovation needs purpose, not just buzz

▶ Audio is becoming more personal and interactive

▶ Dynamic creative helps brands reach the right people

▶ Face-to-face time builds better partnerships

▶ Test-and-learn can beat big campaigns when it’s done right

Why listen

▶ Hear how to scale innovation across large teams

▶ Learn which media trends are getting real traction

▶ Get advice on working with agencies and tech partners

▶ Understand how to run experiments with impact

Links & resources
▶ Bella Noakes on LinkedIn

▶ Next Tech Now

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In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Adam Wright is joined by Sophie Rock, head of brand at Wilkinson Sword.

Together, they unpack the bold repositioning of a 250-year-old brand, the thinking behind the Blade Masters campaign, and the real work involved in shifting a business out of long-term sales decline.

Sophie shares her career journey, lessons from major brand projects, and how she stays focused when leading high-pressure transformations.

Key takeaways
▶ Why tackling fundamental brand problems starts with understanding the real consumer truth
▶ How Wilkinson Sword repositioned around its heritage to stand out in a cluttered category
▶ Why humour and tone of voice became central to the brand’s modern refresh
▶ The importance of managing internal buy-in and using data to build momentum
▶ What makes a successful brand marketer today – and how the role is changing

Why listen
▶ Gain insights into relaunching a heritage brand with modern relevance
▶ Learn how to manage complexity and stay focused during major transformation projects
▶ Hear real-world lessons on building long-term brand equity in competitive markets
▶ Understand how to balance creativity, strategy, and commercial thinking as a marketer

Links & resources
▶ Connect with Sophie Rock on LinkedIn
▶ Learn more about Wilkinson Sword at wilkinsonsword.com
▶ Watch the Wilkinson Sword Blademaster campaign ad here
▶ Find out more about System1 testing at system1group.com