Performance Marketing Unlocked

The advertising industry loves to talk, and yet, some of the most important topics within the space are often ignored.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, four marketing experts come together to put the spotlight on several topics they don't think are getting the attention they deserve. Hosted by Paul Evans, founder of V2RSION, with Tony Miller, Interim CMO of Direct Line Group, Supriya Dev-Purkayastha, founder of Connect Growth and Emily Roberts, Head of Digital at Responsible Marketing Advisory, the group touch on accessible advertising, inclusivity in marketing, how to avoid short-terminism and why performance marketing shouldn't be retired. To hear more from our panel of experts, each of them will be in attendance and on stage at PMW Unlocked, our annual confex at the Business Design Centre in London, taking place on the 3rd and 4th of March. Limited delegate tickets are still available here: https://www.performancemarketingunlocked.com/book-your-place~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:38) Don't discount disabilities (13:30) Inclusivity is the essence of performance marketing (30:50) Short-terminism is just papering over the cracks(40:22) Performance marketing still belongs ~ Further reading ~ Jamie Laing, Grace Miller and Jon Evans to speak at PMW Unlocked 2026

Super Bowl LX may have failed to deliver the sporting spectacle that many fans were hoping for, but the annual Super Bowl ads certainly got people talking – particularly those framed around AI.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's new Senior News Reporter Bethany Lee joins host Joe to unpack the key themes from this year's batch of ads, turning to a litany of data detailing the early advertising winners and losers. Together, the pair discuss whether or not celebrity still matters, if animals are the ultimate recipe for success and crucially, why marketers seem so determined to lean on AI despite its lack of popularity among consumers.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:04) Did Super Bowl LX's ads deliver?(14:46) Where did brands go wrong?(17:20) Anthropic versus the LLM world~ Further reading ~ Super Bowl LX review: AI flops on the big stageTop 10 Super Bowl ads – according to consumersPMW’s top 3 Super Bowl ads to watch before SundaySuper Bowl LX: PMW’s pre-game (advertising) run-down

The in-housing versus agency debate has become a hot topic within the world of advertising, but does in-housing really deliver in practice?On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Honor Baldry, Digital Marketing Director at PureGym, outlines how marketers can effectively determine which parts of their strategy to own and which parts to let go.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (1:47) How can brands decide if in-housing will work for them?(16:38) What trends should marketers be getting excited about?(25:01) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ Puregym, McDonald’s, Toyota, James Villas and Crunch Fitness: Top 5 performance marketing campaignsTeam of the Year winner: PureGymAlmost half of marketers now contact their agencies ‘less than once a week’

Affiliate marketing represents a significant piece of the UK's performance marketing pie, generating over £19bn in sales last year alone. However, despite its ongoing growth, the affiliate space continues to polarise marketers.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlcoked podcast, PMW's Editor Robin Langford joins host Joe to discuss affiliate marketing's latest setback, namely Paypal's ongoing payments scandal surrounding its Honey Browser extension.The pair detail the story and assess how it underscores the broader challenges affiliate marketing is facing, specifically, measurement, visibility and trust.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (1:53) What has Honey done wrong?(10:56) How can affiliate marketing improve its perception among marketers?~ Further reading ~ Awin announces 'confirmed breaches'; becomes latest affiliate network to update stance on HoneyRakuten cuts ties with Honey following commissions scandalDespite generating £19bn in sales in 2025, UK affiliate marketing is only just scratching the surface

In an era built around creating automated efficiency, the ultimate competitive advantage isn't a better algorithm – it’s a deeper understanding of the human behind it.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, behavioural psychologist Lea Karam, founder and CEO of Mindscope, exposes the invisible forces driving consumer decisions that your dashboard is currently missing, revealing how you can fill the gaps and future-proof your performance strategy.For more of Lea, she will be taking the stage at PMW Unlocked 2026 from 3-4 March at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London – find out more and get your tickets here.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (3:20) Bridging the gap between hard data and human psychology(18:32) Which marketing trends are overrated or underrated?(27:11) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ ‘GEO becomes a core capability for staying visible’: 17 marketers on how AI will change adland in 2026An AI would never design Cannes Lions – and that should give us all some comfortRiding the TikTok algorithm: with great power comes great responsibility

The Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast is back for another season! PMW's editorial team kick things off with a quickfire round-up of all the biggest advertising stories to open 2026, from Reddit's boom in reach to how FMCG brand's can navigate the UK's junk food advertising ban and everything in between.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:45) Reddit surpasses TikTok in UK reach(10:40) The UK's less healthy food ad ban is here(17:15) Quickfire review of the newsdesk's biggest headlines~ Further reading ~ Reddit overtakes TikTok to become UK’s fourth most visited social platformUK junk food ban goes live: How FMCG brands can win in a restricted ad landscapeThe Guardian and Buzzfeed headline first Publishing Partners for The Trade Desk’s OpenAds

PMW's editorial team is back for its annual Christmas Special. A podcast where we reflect on the biggest themes, trends and stories from the year and look ahead to the future, making some predictions for what the next 12 months might hold.From AI's impact on search to Amazon's booming DSP ecosystem and everything in between, PMW's Editor Robin Langford, News Reporter Reem Makari and host Joe leave no stone unturned, also revealing some hot takes and fast favourites from 2025.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (3:57) Reflections on 2025(21:50) Predictions for 2026(35:01) The PMW team's fast favourites from the past 12 months~ Further reading ~ ‘We are still only at the tip of the AI iceberg’: Adland’s 2026 predictions‘Marketers don’t care where consumers buy, only that they buy’: Adland’s 2026 predictions‘People won’t trust AI – but they’ll use it for everything’: 15 expert marketing predictions for 2026‘2026 will drop a brutal marketing truth’: 18 experts on adland's biggest challengesPerformance Marketing World Awards: All 26 winners announced

The annual Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend is regularly bookmarked on marketers' calendars as one of the biggest sales opportunities of the year, but with 2025's edition coinciding with tax increases from the UK Labour Government's latest budget and increasing levels of "sales fatigue" among Brits, are consumers going to be willing to spend?On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's Editor Robin Langford joins host Joe to talk about Black Friday 2025, and why retailers' fears over whether or not shoppers will respond to their advertising is not the biggest talking point of the upcoming event, positing that a much bigger trend is looming over the weekend – AI-fuelled shopping. With AI agents such as Amazon's Rufus now at consumers' disposal, we are about to see an early litmus test for the AI-era of commerce. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Multimedia Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ How are brands feeling ahead of BFCM 2025? (2:15) Is AI about to uproot everything we know about shopping? (8:19)Are marketers losing the freedom to experiment? (15:22)~ Further reading ~ OpenAI introduces shopping research within ChatGPTAlmost half of consumers 'trust AI summaries without clicking'Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend set to deliver £9.52bn for retailers