The Good Growth Podcast: Recent Episodes
Good Growth
Join our host Dan Kendall as he discusses the latest trends and developments in digital with senior leaders from a range of sectors.
In this episode of 'Analytics Anonymous', join host George Hall and guest Zoë Hitchens, Analytical Manager at Good Growth, as they delve into the vital topic of data quality and its crucial role in digital growth and e-commerce. Zoë shares her expert insights on what constitutes 'good data', emphasising its importance for businesses in making informed decisions and driving profitable growth.
18 months ago, it seemed that you couldn't open your phone or watch the new without seeing some mention of the Metaverse - but with the hype dying down and consumers being held back by inaccessible and expensive technology, will it ever get its buzz back? George Hall is joined by Jacob Nicholls, Account Executive at Good Growth, to find out more.
Ed Jackson joins George Hall to discuss how difficult it can be for businesses to accurately understand their data when experiencing a dip in customer engagement.
George Hall is joined by a stalwart of the Good Growth Podcast, David Watkins, to look back at the first 100 days since the sunset of Universal Analytics.
In celebration of Social Media Day, Analytics Anonymous takes a look at one of the behemoths of the industry: Meta. The platform has been an ever present online since its launch in 2004, but, as Leah Holland, Good Growth’s Head of Insight and Analytics, tells George Hall, advertising ROI may not always be as transparent as it seems...
Good Growth’s Strategy Director, Sophie Lawrence Teale, joins George Hall to talk through three key takeaways from London Tech Week. The 2023 edition was the 10th Anniversary of the event, and featured a heavy focus on AI and Digital Transformation.
In this Analytics Anonymous Episode, Zoë Hitchens spoke to George Hall about her top tips for Site Optimisation, including the importance of knowing your audience, function over form, and the role that Test & Learn plays.
In the third and final part of this episode, Good Growth's CTO Jake Clarkson discusses some best practice examples of working with GGT, how our technology works, and what the future holds for the business.
In the second part of this episode, Good Growth's CTO Jake Clarkson discusses how he defines the company's proposition, how clients can best utilise our technology, and his philosophy towards innovation.
Following the acquisition of Amigo Technology, Good Growth's CTO Jake Clarkson joins George Hall to talk about his background, the history of Amigo, and how the two companies came together to become one.
Ed Jackson, Analytical Researcher at Good Growth, speaks to George Hall about his recent work on Fulfilment Proposition Optimisation, the importance of approaching data in a holistic manner, and the future of Click & Collect. This is the first episode in the Analytics Anonymous series, where we take a bite size look at Data, Insights, and relevant industry news.
George Hall is joined by David Watkins and Mike Duke to launch ‘Analytics Anonymous’, a brand-new spinoff of the Good Growth Podcast. The new bite size episodes will be focused on Data and Insights, and relevant industry news.
Can Google’s automatic migration for GA4 be trusted? Just how much of an impact on other tools will GA4 have? Is GA4 even a real thing any more? George Hall is joined by David Watkins and Mike Duke to answer all of these and more, as well as to discuss the next steps for businesses who are fast approaching the migration deadline.
Following the publication of the Lyst Index for Q4 2022, Sarah Auerbach and Sophie Lawrence Teale join George Hall to talk through what trends and themes they expect to see from the fashion industry in 2023. Sarah is a Consultant Director at Good Growth, with a background in Fashion, Cosmetics, Events and Communications; Sophie is Good Growth's Strategy Director, with a background in Influencer Marketing, Social Media and Creative Communications.
Wondering what we talk about? Who we are? What we do? If you've got just under a minute to spare, you'll find all of the answers to those questions and more in this handy trailer.
Tim Hutton, Senior Manager of Analytics Implementation at YNAP, speaks to George Hall about the importance of Mentoring and Coaching, and outlines his predictions for eCom brands in 2023.
Tim Hutton, Senior Manager of Analytics Implementation at YNAP, speaks to George Hall about how eCom brands fared in 2022, the importance of data, and what the future may hold for Analytics Teams.
Mike Duke and David Watkins join George Hall to talk about the return of Bounce Rate in GA4, why it’s slightly different to how it’s conventionally been measured, and what they think the next 5 months before the UA sunset hold.
Google have announced another sunset, with Optimize the latest product to be scheduled for entry in the Google Graveyard.
What does this mean for AB testing? Will it compound GA4 migration issues? What’s next for Marketers and Data Teams?
Zoë Hitchens and David Watkins from Good Growth’s Insight and Analytics team talk to George Hall about the upcoming challenges and implications of the sunset.
Sarah Auerbach, Consultant Director at Good Growth, joins George Hall to talk through key themes for 2023, and opportunities and pitfalls for eCom brands. Sarah's background in Fashion, Cosmetics and Marketing means she's able to provide some fantastic insights and ideas.
Jo Hyder, Consultant Director at Good Growth and ex Coca-Cola and Unilever, joins George Hall to answer ten quick fire eCommerce questions, covering key themes from the last twelve months, and looking ahead to what 2023 has in store for retailers.
LK Bennett CEO, Good Growth Chairman, and all round retail heavyweight Darren Topp joins George Hall on the Good Growth podcast to reflect on his industry predictions for 2022, which he made all the way back in January.
GA4 is being delayed by another year… But why? Is there more to this delay than meets the eye? Can it be just as simple as giving users more time to integrate with the new platform? Featuring Mike Duke and David Watkins of Good Growth.
Your reporting is going to change dramatically - everything you think you know will change with the roll-out of GA4 in July 2023. Featuring Mike Duke and David Watkins of Good Growth.
Retailers rely on discount and delivery propositions as a means of driving customer acquisition and revenue; frustratingly, this is often at the expense of margin.
In the latest Good Growth Podcast, we discuss taking back the power of pricing; you can increase profit through adjusting your discount and delivery proposition without affecting the overall sales effectiveness.
Why is nobody worried about GA4 yet?
In March 2022, Google announced that it would end support for Universal Analytics by June 2023. Brands across all sectors must switch GA4, the new system by that time. If they do not prepare, they risk losing years of data and insight.
But there are things you can do now. Mike Duke, our Chief Product Officer, and David Watkins, Senior Analytical Researcher, talk you through the process. They tell you what you need to be worried about right now, and what actions you need to take.
Hosted by: Dan Kendall
Edited by: Nick Taylor, Porcupine Studios
Produced by: Tom Langley-Berry
Can you recall the last great customer experience you had? The former head of customer experience for Ann Summers and Mountain Warehouse talks to our host Dan Kendall, about how brands should think holistically about a customer's journey. Jo Hyder, Principal Consultant at Good Growth, highlights the importance of making decisions based on customer-lifetime value.
Hosted by: Dan Kendall
Edited by: Nick Taylor, Porcupine Studios
Produced by: Tom Langley-Berry
The CEO of LK Bennett, Darren Topp, is joined by Global Operations Director of Fat Face, Mark Wright. In Part 2, they discuss the importance of environmental and ethical credentials for retail brands, and how they impact shopper behaviour. Later, they offer their predictions for UK retail in 2022.
Hosted by: Dan Kendall
Edited by: Nick Taylor, Porcupine Studios
Produced by: Tom Langley-Berry
The CEO of LK Bennett, Darren Topp, is joined by Global Operations Director of Fat Face, Mark Wright. They discuss the current shape of UK retail. Drawing from their experience as industry leaders, they provide top insights to the challenges facing brick-and-mortar stores. They also talk about changing customer behaviours, and how retailers may have to adapt.
Hosted by: Dan Kendall
Edited by: Nick Taylor, Porcupine Studios
Produced by: Tom Langley-Berry
Want it now? Perhaps you can. The rapid delivery market has accelerated, well… rapidly! Urban-based shoppers today now have a selection of apps to order groceries to their door in less than 20 minutes.
Alex Murray, Principal Consultant and digital grocery guru, joins Dan to explain how and why new players have emerged onto the market. He discusses what these startups can offer, whether they are sustainable and how they might threaten the UK’s largest supermarket retailers.
Alex also shares his thoughts on what last mile delivery means means for the future of services like Click & Collect, and whether the rise of rapid delivery providers could permanently alter consumer behaviour.
Hosted by: Dan Kendall
Edited by: Nick Taylor, Porcupine Studios
Produced by: Tom Langley-Berry
Enjoyable ad breaks? Are they possible?
If you listen to your viewers, they can be. By integrating customer research and experimentation into their team, ITV Hub has continued to grow in the competitive video-on-demand (VOD) market. Good Growth has provided experience and maturity in testing and customer-centric modelling to help evolve ITV’s digital platform.
Change can start with individuals. ITV’s Head of Product, Stuart Jones, has been integral in cementing this culture within the business. Using an open-eyed approach plus a shift in mindset to discovery over delivery, his team can respond and adapt to viewer demands quickly. Now, ITV is always an option when we’re looking for what to watch on-the-box.
Now for ITV, knowledge is power. Stu discusses how working with Good Growth allowed ITV to build their internal capabilities, through customer-expertise and experimenting at pace. He ends by giving his opinion on how streaming and catch-up services may evolve in the next 5-10 years.
Who says robots can’t understand humans? On this episode, Andrei introduces us to his business, BotsAndUs. He explains how the use of ‘Bo’, their customer-facing robot, can help improve a customer’s experience; whether they be at an airport, a shopping mall or in a store. Andrei then explains by listening and responding to his own customers, they developed a new Bot, ‘Mim’, that delivers real-time customer and data insights to a business, providing them with a better understanding of their customers.
Keeping up with the variety of conversations we have and topics we cover on the Good Growth Podcast, we are delighted to have Andrei kick off our fourth series!
Why should Heinz Beanz be confined to the can? That’s what Kraft Heinz’s Northern European President, JoJo de Noronha questioned when she took up the role 18 months ago.
JoJo joins Dan to explain how Kraft Heinz have innovated the Heinz Beanz brand through listening to their customers and observing trends in the FMCG market. Teaming up with Good Growth, they launched their Direct to Consumer proposition, Heinz to Home last year expanding the ways in which customers can enjoy Heinz branded products.
JoJo also touches on her leadership style and the responsibility she has to ensure ideas, thoughts and concerns are listened to and acted upon.
In this episode Dan Kendall speaks with fellow Good Growth colleagues, Tori Hermione Baker and Francesca Bateman on the representation of women and those of the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace and in leadership positions, as well as the influence businesses can have in actively promoting diversity and inclusivity.
Through all the challenges and stresses of the global pandemic, opportunities to innovate clinical care and improve the patient experience have been realised.
Dan speaks to the CEO of the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust on the outstanding work performed by NHS staff over the last year and how the pandemic has accelerated the need for new ways of delivering care, through digital platforms like Epic. We also delve into the role the local community has in shaping how healthcare is delivered through the Foundation Trust unit.
(0:00) - Intro
(0:58) - Suzanne’s NHS background
(2:45) - What a Foundation Trust is
(7:06) - The benefits to a Foundation Trust
(9:02) - Leading complex organisations
(11:40) - Adapting how care is delivered during the pandemic
(18:03) - The role of the Nightingale Hospital
(22:18) - Epic: Utilising a digital operating platform to innovate patient care
With a vast experience of working in Ecommerce with global brands across Europe & Africa, there is no one better to discuss the relationship of brands in Ecommerce than Dean McElwee. Dean speaks of his learnings of working in different marketplaces, and the different expectations of consumers, with the increasing demand for a personalised shopper experience. He concludes by citing the pandemic as a revealing moment for businesses that a data-driven, customer-centric approach to decision making is required now, more than ever.
Mark Preston grew up on the rural farms of Australia learning about old cars, broken down trucks and complex machines. He first stepped into his motorsport career at his University down-under where he soon came over to the UK for an international study program in his mid 20's. Fast forward 20+ years and Mark has quite the motor sporting CV, ranging from Arrows Grand Prix, to McLaren and now DS TECHEETAH.
Mark talks our host Dan Kendall through some of the tricks of the trade when it comes to Leadership in sporting organisations and uncovers how innovation in the world of Formula E has accelerated over recent years.
A must-listen episode for anyone who has an interest in competitive sports or innovative technologies
Fat Face’s Global Operations Director, Mark Wright kicks off our new series by looking back at 2020, and the challenges he and the retail industry have faced to not only survive but thrive during the global pandemic.
Mark outlines how agile they have needed to be in the way they operate and plan for the months ahead to ensure Fat Face continues to grow as we move through and beyond the pandemic.
He also discusses Fat Face’s expansion to the US market and their ambitions overseas. We wrap up the conversation with a compelling insight into his leadership style, priorities and values.
In our final podcast of the year, Sir Vince Cable provides a compelling insight as to why he used innovation as a means of emerging from the 2008/9 financial crisis during his time in Government and advises on how this can be applied to the UK's recovery from the Pandemic.
Regarded for his pragmatic and straight talking style, along with a strong background in Economics, he shares his view of the potential implications of a 'no deal' Brexit to businesses, and talks candidly on the challenge of China and the need for constructive engagement, the subject of his latest book, "China: Engage - Avoid the New Cold War".
This all makes for a must-not-miss edition of the Good Growth podcast!
Lord Victor Adebowale has devoted his career to tackling health inequalities in society, through all his accomplishments, his aim is to simply leave a place in a better state than he found it.
The wonderful Anna Rawling sat down with host Dan Kendall to share her insights from a hugely successful career in media and now with The Business of Fashion. Alongside her accomplishments of leading customer acquisition and retention strategies in a disruptive media industry, she is a passionate advocate for equality, inclusion and diversity. You’ll be sure to find her informative, engaging and provocative as she captures the topic of innovation.
In our next episode, Good Growth’s Director of Insight & Analytics, Mike Duke, sits down with Dan to outline why many businesses are inaccurately reporting performance online because of the inability to look beyond singular metrics and consider why customers are not buying.
He explains how Good Growth can help businesses alter their approach by applying feedback from their own customers to determine how effective they are at converting users versus how effective they should be.
To kick off Series 2, Dan is joined by Marketing pioneer, Simon Gulliford, Digital guru, David Plumb and Good Growth's Chairman & co-founder, Prof Chris Bones. Dan quizzes them on what innovation is all about as his guests discuss, debate and divulge into their own experiences of strategic innovation at a global scale.
Our host, Dan Kendall previews what you can expect to hear through series 2 of the Good Growth podcast.
Our host, Dan Kendall talks about who we (Good Growth) are, what you can expect from listening to our podcast, and previews the first season.
Dan is joined by Tommy Router to summarise what we have learned from our guests during the series.
They discuss the significance of our guests' comments given the circumstances we find ourselves in today as well as the key themes that emerged throughout the series.
Finally, Tommy gives his three key takeaways for leaders in e-commerce as we enter a post COVID world.
Our host Dan Kendall is joined by senior business leader Rob Muller.
Having previously held roles with QVC in their Philadelphia HQ across two decades, Rob took up his position in London as CEO of the UK market in 2016.
In this podcast, Rob discusses how he and his team have transformed QVC UK from a teleshopping pioneer into an omnichannel experience. He touches on the role QVC may play moving forward and his pride in leading a business that has adapted to external challenges whilst continuing to deliver for both their people and their customers.
Our host Dan Kendall is joined by business legend Feilim Mackle.
Having held senior roles with Dixons Carphone, O2, Aegon and most recently sitting on the board of Macmillan Cancer Support, Feilim is no stranger to experiencing challenging times in business.
He discusses the importance of applying smart innovation during complex times to ensure business operations continue as usual and consumer demand is met.
In our latest episode released today, the Good Growth podcast welcomes a pioneer of leading diversity in business, and the former General Secretary of the Labour Party during the turn of the century, Baroness Margaret McDonagh.
Margaret emphasises the importance of having diversity in business, not just for levelling up the playing field, but for enhancing an organisation’s breadth of thinking, creativity and capability to make smart business decisions.
In this episode, the Good Growth podcast is joined by a leading figure in digital advertising, Mary Keane-Dawson has done it all in digital advertising.
From publisher-side to agency-side, Mary discusses her wide ranging career, the evolution of today's digital advertising market and the need to reboot the agency model.
In this episode, the Good Growth podcast is joined by one of education's leading figures. Jane Chafer is currently Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs at the University of Exeter having previously had roles with Mars, BT and Plymouth University.
Given the challenge of maintaining its position as a leading international university, Jane discusses the role digital plays for the University of Exeter in attracting prospective students, particularly those from overseas.
In this episode, the Good Growth podcast is in conversation with one of UK retail’s most recognised leaders Darren Topp. Darren was formerly CEO of BHS and currently CEO of luxury retailer L.K.Bennett. In 2019, Darren joined Good Growth as a Non-Executive Director.
Reflecting on his experience in retail, Darren discusses the challenges that face an industry that is under immense pressure.