Share

The Drum Podcast
Hybrid realities: how real-world marketing blends with digital experiences
'Phygital reality' was thr buzzword du jour a couple of years back, replaced more recently by the wider catch-all 'hybrid'. Whatever you call these blended experiences (and perhaps you're already calling them something new), a marrying-up between the digital and physical worlds has become a goal for many. Here, we investigate not just total CX approaches that bring journeys through both worlds, but cutting-edge technical applications that merge the two; examples of work that shows the way forward; and thinking about what all this means for the marketing landscape.
Senior tech reporter Chris Sutcliffe is joined by Karen Hu, business development lead, GreenJinn; Ken Madden, SVP digital engagement at George P. Johnson Experience Marketing; Trin Basra, executive creative director, Freeman EMEA; and Andy Sexton, executive creative director and partner, 2LK, to discuss:
- What have been the best examples to date of consumer-facing phygital experiences? What made them so successful?
- Which sectors are verticals are primed to do these experiences already? Where are there still opportunities?
- What role do agencies play in planning these experiences - and how do we go about measuring their success in a meaningful way?
- Finally, what are you most looking forward to when it comes to blending real-world and digital marketing in the next few years?
More episodes
View all episodes

45. What does a chief science officer do at a creative agency?
33:17||Season 5, Ep. 45Tom Knapman is a PhD-qualified biochemist. Last year, he was working for Sciex, whose campaign on proteomics (don't worry, we'll explain that in the episode) was a perhaps unlikely winner of a Grand Prix gong at The Drum Awards last year. This year he's jumped ship into a perhaps almost-unique role: chief science officer at a creative agency. He tells The Drum why he thinks boom times are coming for science comms.
44. What is the role of brand strategy in an uncertain industry?
36:42||Season 5, Ep. 44Brand consultancies sit at the intersection of marketing, business and culture - but what does that look like in practice? We’re joined by FutureBrand's Sam Hollis to discuss the strategist’s role in shaping modern brands, the realities of agency life and why moments of industry upheaval can be an opportunity for clearer thinking.
43. Commerce media 'evangelist' Andrew Lipsman on the $500bn still to be claimed
40:32||Season 5, Ep. 43The Drum's inaugural Commerce Media Awards will take place soon in Miami. As the gold rush moves into its second phase, we're joined by leading commentator Andrew Lipsman to chart how we got here, where there's still money to be made, and where Lipsman's looking to next for the follow-up opportunity.
42. What is the strategist's job in a time of turmoil?
43:51||Season 5, Ep. 42Our guest this week, Pats McDonald, has reached the top of the strategy discipline, having worked for almost all of the world's biggest advertising groups. Now, those groups find themselves looking at a time of considerable upheaval as AI, consolidation and other factors remake the industry. So: What can the strategy department bring to this time of great change?Mentioned in the episode: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adn5290
41. The 2026 Winter Olympics & the future of social strategy
43:07||Season 5, Ep. 41We hear a lot about reactive, always-on social strategies - but what do they look like in practice? We're joined by Uncovered's strategy head Nina Landale to look at this year's Winter Olympics as a case study in the new world of influence.
40. Global ad spend keeps outpacing GDP. Is a slow-down inevitable?
41:56||Season 5, Ep. 40Following the publication of WARC's Future of Media report - which predicts another blockbuster growth year for the marketing industry (with receipts rising by 9.1% to $1.3th) - we sit down with WARC managing editor Paul Stringer to ask where the money's really going and ask: growth for whom?
39. Has social killed craft - or reinvigorated it?
44:36||Season 5, Ep. 39The death of craft, like the deaths of so many things, is declared with regularity. One culprit accused of killing it: social and the wider world of digital media. Our guests look into the data and the feelings of real creatives to ask: has social really killed craft?
38. How subs and ads are transforming the New York Times
44:25||Season 5, Ep. 38Tusar Barik, a veteran of Silicon Valley via LinkedIn, joined the New York Times as SVP of marketing at the start of 2025 - a year in which the publisher has seen remarkable growth and profit amid turbulent times for publishers. Barik joins us to tell us how the Gray Lady is continuing to innovate at the spearhead of publishing.
37. What makes a holiday ad sound Christmassy?
31:36||Season 5, Ep. 37We're joined by start Charlie Smith, the Grey copywriter-turned-composer behind three of this year's top Christmas ads. Smith give us a peak behind the scenes at how the ads get made - and the creative trends behind 2025's ad- and film-scores.