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This week we’ve snuck up The Mersey, Viking raid style, to nab Liverpool’s finest anti-bullshitcopywriter, Dave Harland. Having massive fingers hasn’t held back Dave from writing magic copy. He talks to us on how he made the bold move to working freelance after a 10-year stint at Park Group Plc, (ending up as Head of Copy), his early job as a football reporter, how his fascination with writing persuasive copy developed, his key tips for writing good copy and plenty more besides. A massive fan of Liverpool F.C, Alan Partridge and Scrabble, as well as being a talented poet, the podcast includes a stunning reading of Dave’s poem ‘Dogs’, written for his Nan when he was aged just 13. Lend us your ears. You won’t be disappointed./////Dave Harland Links:Twitter @wordmancopyDave’s LinkedInDave’s websiteDave Plugged:Tom Albrighton’s website#copywritersuniteDave's Books:One Plus One Equals Three by Dave Trott Creative Blindness by Dave Trott Predatory Thinking by Dave Trott Now Try Something Weirder by Michael Johnson /////

This week we’ve pinpointed the exact location of what3words CMO Giles Rhys Jones for a good chinwag. Awarded the Cannes Lion Grand Prix for Innovation, Giles talks at length about this amazing global addressing phenomenon that is used by entities as diverse as pizza delivery companies and emergency services, as well as some of the world’s largest automobile companies like Mercedes and Audi. Giles also reveals nuggets of interest from working agency side at Saatchi & Saatchi and Ogilvy, where clients included HP, Unilever and British Airways, as well as what it takes to set up an agency, the secret for getting good press coverage, and a whole lot more. Go listen, sit back and enjoy. ///// Company what3words Books The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky Alchemy by Rory Sutherland Giles Gymnasium LinkedIn Profile Instagram Profile Article What3words: The app that can save your life (BBC) The Blogfather discovers W3W in June 2015 /////

This week we’ve caught the world’s only Global Tech Ethnographer and the woman that made Qualitative Data sexy; Tricia Wang.She created that job title herself, as part of always looking to question then smash convention throughout her career. Her fieldwork has featured in publications such as TechCrunch, Wired and The Guardian, she’s worked with Fortune 500 companies, and is a go-to keynote speaker, having stolen limelight at the likes of IBM, Proctor & Gamble, Nike and TED.She chats very openly to us on her early career, Ethnography, Big and ‘Thick’ Data (that’s the sexy part), her now-infamous period at Nokia, the current state of marketing, diversity and inclusion, and a whole lot more!Go listen, as this podcast redefines the term ‘unmissable’./////Social@TriciaWang Twitter@TriciaWang Instagram Slack Ethnography Hangout Book RecommendationsSo You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time by Baratunde ThurstonMismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design by Kat Holmes Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez New Dark Age Tech by James Bridle Coders by Clive ThompsonNon-Bullshit Innovation by David Rowan Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna TalksThe human insights missing from big data by Tricia Wang, TedxCambridgeThe End of an Error: How Marketing Mistook Clicks for Customers (and how we can get them back) by Tricia Wang, at Nudgestock 2019The ABCs of Breaking Bias by Dr Stefanie K. Johnson, at Nudgestock 2019ArticleMarketing Research. Make some time for it. It needn’t be costly, you just need the right approach by The Blogfather, Gasp./////

This week we’ve caught The King in the North. Nope, it’s not Jon Snow, but one of Sheffield’s finest, Lee Davies. OK, he may not actually rule the North, but he’s certainly one of the most talented designers and creative directors in any part of Westeros the UK, for that matter.He modestly calls himself ‘a right mess’, but growing up in a cultural backwater in Cheshire didn’t hinder him rising up to design great work for the creative brand communications agency Peter & Paul for 12 years, where clients have included the likes of Channel 4, Unilever and the V&A.He lets us know all the details about his way of working, what makes for an effective creative process as a designer, brand identities, his passion and talent for writing, Behavioural Science, Signalling, Sheffield and a whole lot more.Any budding designers, or anyone who simply wants their company or agency to produce better creative work, should bend their ear hither now./////Instagram Peter & PaulTwitter Peter & PaulTwitter Lee DaviesHow To by Michael Bierut Made To Stick by Chip & Dan Heath Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull A Technique for Producing Ideas by James W. Young  The Anatomy of Humbug by Paul Feldwick/////

This episode is the most eagerly anticipated ‘Part 2’ since The Godfather movie series, as we resume our chat with The Don of Behavioural Economics in 2019; the one and only Rory Sutherland.Rory Sutherland is a copywriter-turned-behavioural science expert and torch-bearer, and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. He’s been President of the IPA, Chair of the Judges for the Direct Jury at Cannes, and has entertained millions via his unrivalled TED Talks.Rory writes regular columns for The Spectator, and is the author of two books: The Wiki Man and the recently published Alchemy, The surprising Power of Ideas which don't make Sense.He talks on subjects even more wide ranging than Part 1, including: Nudgestock, Shakespeare as a behavioural economist, Psychological hacks for parents, Comedy, The Pratfall Effect with Vicars, Sloe Gin, and a whole lot more./////Rory's Links (complete version available in Part 2 to follow)Twitter: @RorySutherlandAlchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense by Rory SutherlandNudgestock 2019 speaker videos Complexity and the Art of Public Policy by David Colander & Roland Kupers Success and Luck by Robert H. Frank The Darwin Economy by Robert H. FrankFooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb The Naked Jape by Jimmy Carr & Lucy Greeves The Mating Mind by Geoffrey Miller Genes in Conflict by Robert Trivers  River out of Eden by Richard Dawkins Gasp LinksSignalling by The BlogfatherEffectiveness by The BlogfatherBe Different by The Blogfather/////

This week we’ve caught the uniquely and multi-talented author, poet, and podcast presenter, Giles Paley-Phillips. Giles is the award-winning author of children’s books including The Fearsome Beastie and Little Bell and the Moon, and talks to us on his motivations for writing, how he got published, and also some tips for those who have their own dreams of being a writer.He delves into his role as a co-host on the British Podcast Awards nominated ‘Blank’ podcast alongside comedian Jim Daly, where stellar guests have included Gary Lineker and Louis Theroux. He also very generously and openly talks about his childhood, how his career developed, and his time on the road in a rock band, including a performance at the Glastonbury festival. Go listen and enjoy!/////Episode LinksTwitter: @eliistender10BLANK podcastOne Hundred and Fifty-Two Days by Giles Paley-Phillips The Fearsome Beastie by Giles Paley-PhillipsLittle Bell and the Moon by Giles Paley-PhillipsSo You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by John Ronson   A Game of Thrones Series by George R.R. Martin   Mentors by Russell Brand   Waiting For The Punch by Marc Maron/////

This week we’ve caught Ogilvy UK’s and Behavioural Science’s finest, Rory Sutherland. It’s an hour of Rory. What do you expect? If it’s a jam-packed, entertaining chinwag on all things advertising, marketing and psychology then come tuck in.For those for whom this will be a first dose of Rory, he is a copywriter-turned-behavioural science expert and torch-bearer, and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. He’s been President of the IPA, Chair of the Judges for the Direct Jury at Cannes, and has entertained millions via his unrivalled TED Talks.Rory writes regular columns for The Spectator, and is the author of two books: The Wiki Man and the recently published Alchemy, The surprising Power of Ideas which don't make Sense.He talks to us on a ton of topics, including; Direct Marketing, Measurement, Efficiency V’s Effectiveness, the state of the modern Ad Agency, Harry Potter, and the need to establish marketing as its own form of unique science./////Rory's Links (complete version available in Part 2 to follow)Twitter: @RorySutherlandAlchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense by Rory SutherlandGasp LinksSignalling by The Blogfather/////

This week we’ve caught Wiemer Snijders. A Dutchman with a famous banana, Wiemer is one of the most prominent figures at the forefront of Marketing Sciences.Currently a Partner at The Commercial Works, he recently published Eat Your Greens: Fact-Based Thinking to Improve Your Brand’s Health, which features contributions from 35 of the world’s top marketers, including the likes of Byron Sharp, Mark Ritson and Bob Hoffman.Listen to him talk on how the scientific approach is helping to turn around marketing, the possible root causes of the lack of long-term strategic thinking in the industry, and a whole lot more./////Wiemer's Links:Twitter: @wiemersnijders Eat Your Greens by Wiemer SnijdersThe Mind Is Flat by Nick Chaker Bad Science by Ben Goldacre It’s A Little More Complicated Than That by Ben Goldacre How To Lie With Statistics by Darrell HuffNaked Statistics by Charles Wheelan Economics Facts And Fallacies by Thomas Saul Factfulness by Hans Rosyln Progress by Johan Norberg The Consuming Instinct by Gad Saad On Writing Well by William Zinsser/////

Listen to how we nearly lost one of the finest strategic minds in the industry to the ski instructing game. Murray Calder learnt his craft managing internationally renowned Scotch Whisky brands like Macallan, Highland Park, and The Famous Grouse, and his first job in the industry saw him do everything EXCEPT marketing, giving him a great grounding and a fundamentally important first lesson. He’s been with MediaCom Edinburgh since 2006, where he is currently Strategy Director, and numerous honours bestowed on his bonce include a period as Chairman for the IPA in Scotland. He also now dabbles in wood block printing and typesetting, so plenty to lend your ears to. Listen and enjoy. /////Twitter: @ScotStratGuyLinkedIn: Murray Calder Culture series by Iain M Banks The Makery Dunbar websiteThe Makery Dunbar Instagram/////

Armed with a fishing pole and a tasty bait of Hemmingway, we caught none other than Glenn Fisher. Arguably the most famous person to be born in Grimsby (by default), Glenn became a copywriter after a number of years working in the local council. For over a decade he worked with Agora, a multi-million pound international financial publisher, as Head of Copy.He is now freelance, focussing on coaching aspiring copywriters, and has recently published his first book, The Art of the Click, which explores direct-response copywriting, which has received glowing endorsements from some of the best… including previous Call to Action guests Vikki Ross and Richard Shotton./////Sophie's World by Jostein GaarderThe Art of the Click by Glenn FisherHistory of Western Philosophy by Bertrand RussellGreat Leads: The Six Easiest Ways to Start Any Sales Message by John FordeBooks by Dave Trott, Milan Kundera and Paul Auster/////