Well for many my guest today needs no introduction, he is the outspoken marketing professor, no it's not Scott Galloway, it is the one and only Mark Ritson. We talk about something I hadn’t heard Mark talk much about in other podcasts, his early interest in marketing and his experiences with global brands. As we are at Cannes we talk about Cannes and Mark criticises the overemphasis on creativity, we hit on Marks view about the decline of American marketing education, the importance of market orientation and the misconceptions around brand purpose. We debate the role of pre-testing, the challenges small brands face, and the future of AI in marketing. To wrap up, Mark shares humorous and meaningful advice for young marketers. And along the way he has a pop and a good few things, John Legend, Creativity, Liquid Death and Muppets! If you are passionate about marketing and looking to gain insights from one of the industry's leading experts, this is an episode for you. The Cannes Sessions are brought to you by Freedman International. There is occasional strong language used in this episode so please be advised. 00:33 Journey into Marketing 01:16 Academic and Consulting Career 02:03 Global Marketing Experiences 03:38 Challenges in Marketing 04:51 Critique of Modern Marketing Practices 07:47 The Role of Creativity in Marketing 14:30 Consumer Orientation and Market Research 22:11 The Importance of Learning and Education in Marketing 26:21 Consumer Brand Perception 26:40 Creative Awards Critique 27:59 Pretesting in Marketing 29:43 Challenges for Small Brands 34:29 Retail Media and Legalized Blackmail 36:26 Consulting and Career Reflections 41:18 AI in Marketing 45:53 Final Thoughts and Advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.