Marc Binkley and Vassilis Douros discuss their insights from their recent episode featuring Dale Harrison, Zombie Metrics: Don't Fall for Misleading Data.

They explore the concept of 'zombie metrics' in marketing, the outdated funnel model, and the importance of intent data.

The discussion highlights the importance of data literacy among marketers and the significance of marketing effectiveness principles in driving business results. Our hosts reflect on the evolving landscape of marketing and the necessity of adapting to new insights and methodologies.

Follow our updates here: ⁠⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/⁠⁠

https://www.sleepingbarber.ca

Get in touch with our hosts:

Marc Binkley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/

Vassilis Douros: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilisdouros/⁠

Takeaways

Zombie metrics can mislead marketers.

The traditional funnel model is no longer effective.

Intent data should be used holistically, not just for conversions.

Data literacy is crucial for interpreting marketing metrics.

Marketers must validate their metrics to ensure accuracy.

Curiosity about data sources enhances understanding.

Marketing effectiveness principles are essential for real results.

Dale Harrison's insights provide valuable perspectives.

The consumer journey is more compressed than ever.

Being open to being wrong fosters growth in marketing.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Context Setting

01:07 - Exploring Zombie Metrics

04:16 - The Outdated Funnel Model

08:51 - Intent Data and Its Implications

13:29 - Marketing Effectiveness Principles

In this episode, Marc Binkley and Vassilis Douros reflect on their experiences at Cannes, discussing key highlights, networking with industry leaders, and insights on marketing trends.

They explore the evolving landscape of personalization, the lack of conversation around social purpose, and the need for transparency in media.

The conversation also touches on long-term campaign strategies, innovative advertising examples, and the critical role of attention in effective marketing. They conclude with thoughts on future plans and the value of connections made at the festival.

Follow our updates here: ⁠⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/⁠⁠

https://www.sleepingbarber.ca

Get in touch with our hosts:

Marc Binkley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/

Vassilis Douros: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilisdouros/⁠

Key Takeaways

• Meeting industry leaders in person was a significant highlight.
• Personalization in marketing may be losing its effectiveness.
• Martech should focus on driving results rather than just technology.
• Long-term campaigns are more effective than short-term sprints.
• Excess share of voice is crucial for brand success.
• Creative approaches can help achieve share of voice with limited budgets.
• Attention metrics are essential for effective advertising.
• Wasted ad spend is a major issue in the industry.
• Social purpose needs to be genuine and integrated into branding.
• Networking at events like Cannes is invaluable for professional growth.

Timestamps:

00:00 Chilling in the Cold: Reflections on Cannes

02:39 Networking with Industry Leaders

05:17 The Shift in Personalization and Martech

07:53 The Role of Social Purpose in Branding

10:42 Campaign Longevity: Thinking Long-Term

13:19 Excess Share of Voice and Budget Constraints

15:58 Innovative Campaigns: Rethinking Media Strategies

18:29 Creative Insights from Cannes 2025

21:10 The Importance of Attention in Advertising

23:53 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

We’re back with another episode from the Croisette — and today, we unpack a busy (and very hot) Day 4 at Cannes Lions.

Marc and Vassilis reflect on a standout presentation by Mark Ritson, who laid out three pillars for marketing effectiveness: fluency, emotion, and time — and challenged long-held assumptions about personalization, ad wearout, and brand purpose.

They’re also joined by Vanessa Chin, SVP of Marketing and Josh Fruttiger, VP of Global partnerships from System1, who share insights from their latest report, The Long and the Short Form of It (co-authored with Andrew Tindall), which explores how brands can build attention, recognition, and results through short-form video.

Highlights include:

Ritson’s point: “Make fewer ads. Run them longer. Make more money.”

Why distinctive brand assets matter more than your logo

The creative secret behind Corona’s Cannes-winning eclipse campaign

System1’s forced fatigue study: why entertaining ads fatigue less and perform longer

The surprising absence of AI and personalization from the Croisette conversation

The myth of more = better: why 3,500 assets ≠ 3,500 ideas

The return of out-of-home — and what Super Bowl marketers can learn from it

Plus, find out why entertainment outperforms even hard-selling tactics across both brand and conversion metrics.

Stick around until the end to hear short interviews with Josh and Vanessa directly from the ground.

Enjoy the episode!

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction

01:12 – Recapping Day 4 at Cannes + why we need to talk about Ritson

02:20 – Mark Ritson’s 3 rules for effectiveness: fluency, emotion & time

04:45 – Why we overvalue personalization and short-term refreshes

06:30 – Creative consistency vs. fragmentation: 3,500 assets ≠ 3,500 ideas

08:20 – The case for distinctiveness, memory, and emotional resonance

10:00 – Interview: Josh Fruttiger (System1) on the long and the short form

10:50 – How System1 + TikTok measured short-form creative performance

13:15 – Entertainment vs. salesmanship: what actually converts?

15:30 – Why lazy branding hurts attention — and what to do instead

17:10 – What fluent devices and brand characters do better than logos

18:30 – Ad fatigue is real, but good creative ages well

20:00 – How to keep ideas fresh without losing consistency

21:15 – Interview: Vanessa Chin (System1) on brand, storytelling, and Corona

22:45 – The return of brand identity and emotional storytelling

24:10 – System1’s new out-of-home research and the future of Super Bowl ads

25:15 – Vanessa’s final takeaway from Cannes: sunscreen + storytelling

26:00 – Outro: Thanks for keeping us in your ears

Live from Cannes Lions, the Sleeping Barber Podcast welcomes back Matthew Herbert and Connor Archbold from Tracksuit. Together, we unpack the standout talks, themes, and campaigns that caught our attention—from Instacart’s performance-to-brand pivot to Elf Beauty’s billion-dollar playbook. We explore the evolving role of creators, lessons from compound creativity, the power of consistency in B2B marketing, and why media accountability needs to move beyond “viewability.”

Also: creative shoutouts from Telstra’s puppet-driven Olympics campaign to a perfectly toasted slice of New Zealand.

Whether you're on the Croisette or catching up from home, this episode brings you the sights, sounds, and smarts of Cannes.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

01:30 – Instacart’s brand transformation journey

03:00 – Scott Galloway, Rory Sutherland & Elf Beauty: Ditch the semantics

04:30 – Walking the Palais basement: Craft, awards & standout work

07:50 – Telstra’s puppet-led Olympics campaign

08:55 – Toasting the perfect slice: A NZ bread brand goes big

10:30 – The power of creative consistency & long-running platforms

13:40 – LinkedIn B2B Forum with Marcus Collins & Mimi Turner

14:45 – Compound creativity with Andrew Tyndall, Les Binet & Sarah Carter

16:00 – Why ads wear out for marketers, not for people

17:30 – Repetition, memory, and mental availability

18:00 – B2B buying cycles, hidden buyers & trust signals

18:45 – Media measurement: Why "seeability" is better than "viewability"

19:50 – Finding balance: bravery and humility, brand and performance

20:30 – Instacart & the brand-performance multiplier effect

21:10 – Highlights from Zappi's Creativity Effectiveness Report

23:15 – Kantar’s Jane Osler on creator-led marketing & brand equity

25:15 – Wrapping up: Cannes takeaways & what’s next

In this lively episode of the Sleeping Barber Podcast, hosts Marc, Vassilis, and special guest Conor Byrne (That's What I Call Marketing) recap their first two days at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Broadcasting from Cannes (though not from a yacht), they reflect on standout sessions, evolving industry trends, and a few jetlag-fueled laughs.

Key takeaways include:

• Karen Nelson-Field & Adam Morgan delivered a memorable session with a multisensory activation that literally smelled like burning money—an impactful metaphor for wasted media spend.
• In the CMO Series, leaders from Amex, Nestlé, and Infosys emphasized creativity as a business asset, curiosity as a leadership trait, and the importance of having strong (but flexible) opinions.
• AI’s evolving role in creative production was a major theme. From email polish to strategic structure, the hosts discuss how they and others are using AI in real life.
• Tom Roach’s 5 creative principles emphasized platform-native content, imaginative repetition, and AI-driven consistency.

• The crew raved about focused, single-presenter talks (like the one from YouTube CEO Neal Mohan) over large panels.

• A new segment, “From the Basement,” highlights standout creative campaigns like Heinz’s global storytelling and TELUS’ Gamer RX mental health initiative.

• The hosts also share fun Cannes moments—from bumping into industry legends like Marcus Collins and David Tiltman to butchering French while ordering croissants.

This episode is a sharp, entertaining look at Cannes culture, creativity, and community—with a balance of insight and good-natured chaos.

Don’t miss our behind-the-scenes video from the early days in Cannes — now live on YouTube.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/ePbGlArqTd4

Also, have a listen to Conor's "That's What I Call Marketing Podcast" - https://open.spotify.com/show/7MXhujDpTzbSRRbyQFgdWp?si=fc21f7da63c74f5a

In this episode of Barber's Brief, hosts Vassilis Douros and Marc Binkley express their excitement for the upcoming Cannes festival while discussing significant marketing news.

They delve into Airbnb's leadership changes and strategic shifts, Tesla's declining sales and media perception, and their preparations for Cannes, including interviews with industry leaders.

They also share insights from the TUDUM marketing symposium and highlight Heineken's innovative global recruiting campaign.

Enjoy the episode!

Follow our updates here: ⁠⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/⁠⁠

https://www.sleepingbarber.ca

Get in touch with our hosts:

Marc Binkley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/

Vassilis Douros: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilisdouros/⁠

Timestamps:

00:00 - Excitement for Cannes and Introduction to Barber's Brief

02:44 - Airbnb's Leadership Changes and New Direction

05:23 - Tesla's Sales Decline and Media Influence

07:59 - Preparations for Cannes and Upcoming Interviews

10:36 - Insights from Netflix's Marketing Symposium

18:28 - Heineken's Innovative Campaign: Pub Succession

Episode Takeaways

Airbnb is shifting focus beyond home bookings.

Leadership changes at Airbnb aim to enhance guest experiences.

Tesla's sales decline may be influenced by media perception.

Consumer research is crucial for brand success.

Cannes festival is a melting pot of marketing thought leaders.

The Tadum symposium showcased Netflix's evolving ad tech.

Heineken's campaign connects pub owners globally.

Marketing strategies must adapt to changing consumer interests.

The importance of personalized content in advertising.

Live events are becoming integral to streaming platforms.

Links:

Airbnb’s Leadership Shake-Up - https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/rebecca-van-dyck-joins-airbnb-as-cmo-amid-strategic-shift/ar-AA1Gawb9Tesla's Registrations Down 90% - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tesla-registrations-quebec-1.7547483Ad of the week: Heineken “Pub Succession” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GStBV-Js15A

In this episode of the Sleeping Barber Podcast, Marc and Vassilis delve into the importance of brand tracking and creative marketing in today's performance-driven landscape.

To help them dive into this topic, they host Connor Archbold and Matthew Herbert, co-founders and co-CEOs of Tracksuit.

Together they discuss the evolution of performance marketing, the impact of cookie deprecation on measurement, and the necessity of connecting brand and performance marketing.

The episode highlights the importance of education on marketing effectiveness principles and the shift toward long-term brand building in the industry and so much more.

This is an episode you do not want to miss!

Enjoy the show.

Our Guests

Connor Archbold, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Tracksuit

https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-archbold/

Matt Herbert, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Tracksuit

https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbertmattj/

Follow our updates here: ⁠⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/⁠⁠

https://www.sleepingbarber.ca

Get in touch with our hosts:

Marc Binkley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/

Vassilis Douros: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilisdouros/⁠

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Brand Tracking and Creative Marketing

03:08 - The Evolution of Performance Marketing

06:02 - Founders' Journey: From Law to Brand Tracking

09:04 - The Impact of Cookie Deprecation on Measurement

12:07 - Connecting Brand and Performance Marketing

14:54 - The Role of Awareness in Brand Success

17:55 - The Importance of Creative in Marketing

20:59 - Building Brand Awareness as a Startup

24:09 - Navigating Investor Expectations in Marketing

26:52 - The Shift Towards Long-Term Brand Building

30:09 - Marketing Effectiveness Principles and Their Relevance

32:46 - The Future of Marketing: Creativity and Technology

36:09 - The Awareness Advantage: Insights from Reports

48:07 - The Importance of Brand Awareness

54:54 - Nike's Brand Strategy and Market Positioning

01:00:52 - The Role of Emotion in Advertising

01:06:04 - The Cost of Dull Advertising

01:16:04 - Aligning Brand Strategy with Investor Expectations