The Drum Podcast

Tom 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brand 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following 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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tusar Barik, Senior VP of Marketing at the New York Times, shares insights from his transition from LinkedIn. He highlights how the Times is embracing a subscription-first strategy, which enhances its advertising capabilities. Tusar discusses the impact of acquisitions like Wordle and The Athletic, and the importance of maintaining authenticity in publishing. He also emphasizes the shift towards direct advertiser relationships balanced with programmatic buying, aiming to enhance reader experience while growing the ad business.

We'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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we bring you a taster episode of a sibling podcast from The Drum and Glow London, Slow The F*ck Down with Emma Harris. Harris is joined by Sophie Devonshire and Victoria Fox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.