Podcast
Marketing Unzipped
Hosted by Rob Curtis · EN
Ever wondered why digital marketing feels like trying to zip up a tent in a storm? The strategies never quite fit, the jargon makes no sense, and you’re left wondering if anyone really knows what they’re doing.
Well, good news—you’re not alone. And you’re definitely in the right place.
Welcome to Marketing Unzipped.
This is a podcast where we take digital marketing apart, piece by piece, and figure out how to zip it back together in a way that works for you.
Some episodes will be just me—sharing honest insights, actionable strategies, and lessons I’ve learned from years of trial and error. But I’m also lining up some absolutely incredible guests. Business owners, marketers, and thought leaders from all sorts of industries—people who’ve been in the trenches, built campaigns from scratch, and, yes, made plenty of mistakes along the way.
We’ll be diving into their biggest successes, their facepalm moments, and the hard-won lessons that shaped their marketing journeys. I want you to walk away from every episode with actionable advice, fresh ideas, and the confidence to try something new in your own business.
20episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Gods of Marketing : Episode 2 - Leo Burnett
Jul 500:17:19Tap to summarizeSummaryIn this episode of Marketing Unzipped, Rob Curtis explores the marketing genius of Leo Burnett, focusing on his five key lessons that emphasise the importance of emotion, simplicity, symbolism, drama, and sincerity in advertising. Burnett's approach transformed the landscape of marketing by prioritizing human connection over technical jargon, creating memorable brand characters and messages that resonate with audiences. The episode serves as a guide for marketers looking to enhance their storytelling and connect more deeply with their customers.TakeawaysStart with emotion, not logic, as feelings drive action.Make the product the hero by positioning it truthfully.Use symbolism to cut through the noise where words fade.Find the drama in even the simplest products.Speak with sincerity, not polish or perfection.Craft messages that resonate with human experiences.Every product has a story waiting to be told.Burnett's characters were shortcuts to emotional connections.Sincerity in marketing builds trust and engagement.Great marketing begins with understanding people and their desires.The Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
Transcribe →Snackable Content: Meeting the Demand for Bite-Sized Information
Jul 300:18:27Tap to summarizeSummaryIn this episode of Marketing Unzipped, Rob Curtis explores the phenomenon of snackable content, which has emerged as a response to decreasing attention spans and the need for quick, engaging content. He discusses the effectiveness of micro content in capturing audience attention, strategies for creating impactful short-form videos, and the importance of balancing brevity with substance. The episode also highlights successful examples of brands utilizing snackable content and provides actionable tips for marketers looking to implement these strategies in their own businesses.TakeawaysThe average human attention span has decreased to just 8.25 seconds.Snackable content is designed for quick consumption and engagement.Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have transformed content consumption habits.Brands that switch to short, focused content see increased engagement.Visuals are crucial in grabbing attention quickly.Authenticity and relatability are key to successful micro content.Subtitles are essential as many viewers watch videos without sound.Content should provide value and be memorable, not just quick.Using humor and cultural references can enhance engagement.Tracking performance helps refine content strategies.Chapters00:00 The Rise of Snackable Content03:20 Why Snackable Content Works05:35 Creating Engaging Micro-Content08:56 Balancing Brevity and Substance10:52 Examples of Successful Snackable Content14:51 Building Your Snackable Content StrategyKeywordssnackable content, micro content, audience engagement, marketing strategies, short form videos, social media, content creation, digital marketing, attention span, brandingThe Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
Transcribe →The Gods of Marketing : Episode 1 - David Ogilvy
Jun 1900:20:04Tap to summarizeSummaryIn this episode of Marketing Unzipped, Rob Curtis delves into the principles of legendary marketer David Ogilvy. The discussion covers Ogilvy's unique background, his customer-first philosophy, the importance of research, and the need for clarity in marketing. Curtis emphasizes that Ogilvy's timeless strategies can be applied by anyone, regardless of their business size, to create effective marketing that resonates with audiences.TakeawaysOgilvy's approach is still relevant for modern marketers.Respecting the customer is key to effective marketing.Headlines are crucial; they should capture attention immediately.Research should inform all marketing decisions, not guesswork.Clarity in messaging builds trust with the audience.Marketing should focus on benefits, not just features.Avoid jargon; speak in plain language that resonates.Testing and iteration are essential for successful campaigns.Ogilvy's principles can be applied by businesses of any size.Marketing should be about helping customers make decisions.The Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
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AI Mode Activated: How Google Just Rewrote Your Marketing Playbook
May 3100:13:04Tap to summarizeIt's time for another episode of Marketing Unzipped. If you’ve been following the news in tech even loosely, you’ve probably heard a lot of noise around Google’s latest event — Google I/O 2025.This year, Google made one thing crystal clear: Artificial Intelligence is no longer an add-on. It’s the foundation.From the way we search, to the way we shop, to the way we create content — it’s all changing. And quickly. What really stood out — from a marketer’s perspective — wasn’t just the tech. It was the pattern. The direction things are heading. And what it means for how we show up in front of customers.Google Search is no longer just about finding results. It’s answering for users before they ever click anything. You don’t even need to visit a website anymore — the AI tells you what you need to know right there in the search results.New tools like Veo and Imagen let you generate full-blown video ads and product images just by typing a few lines of text. No cameras. No shoots. No design teams. Just AI and a vision.The most subtle shift and maybe the most powerful is how AI is collapsing the traditional sales funnel. People are going from interest to decision almost instantly, and marketers? We’re often not even in the room when it happens!Today I'm discussing all of these overviews and more when it comes to keeping your brand at the top of the results list!The Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
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Why We Buy: The Psychological Biases Your Marketing Is Missing
May 23, 202500:15:33Tap to summarizeWhy do people pay more for the same cup of coffee just because it's served in a nicer cup? Why does a limited time offer suddenly make us want something we didn't even consider yesterday? If you've ever wondered why perfectly designed campaigns flow flat, while quirky, unpolished, those terrible ones, they just go viral, this episode will flip your assumptions completely. In this episode of Marketing Unzipped, we're talking about the psychology of choice!Marketing is built on a strategy called Choice Architecture which is the idea that the way a decision is presented shapes the outcome, even if the options stay exactly the same, you're not changing the product, you're just changing the frame. Imagine that you're at a coffee shop. The menu offers a small coffee for £2, a medium for £3.50, and a large for £3.75. Most people will go straight for the large, not because they need more coffee, but because the price difference nudges them to think it's better value that medium option. It exists to steer the choice only and this kind of behavioural design works because people don't make purely rational decisions. We take shortcuts. Today we discuss all the ways that you can use that in marketing to grow your business! The Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
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Position Zero or Bust: Winning the AI Answer Race
May 16, 202500:17:18Tap to summarizeOn today's episode of Marketing Unzipped we're talking about Answer Engine Optimisation or AEO. This is something that is quietly disrupting the way we think about SEO and it's a fundamental rethink of how visibility online actually works.For the last two decades, search engine optimisation has shaped how we write content, structure websites, and compete for attention. But something’s shifted – subtly at first, now unmistakably.People no longer search the way they used to.We’re seeing a profound change in behaviour. Users aren’t just typing keywords – they’re asking full questions in natural language. And they’re not necessarily looking for pages anymore – they’re looking for answers.This shift marks the rise of what could be the next evolution in digital marketing: Answer Engine Optimisation.And it’s not a gimmick. It’s a direct response to a new wave of AI-native tools and platforms that are fundamentally changing the traditional search experience.AEO isn’t about replacing SEO – it’s about modernising it.Search Engine Optimisation still matters. But now it needs a strategic counterpart. A framework that recognises the growing role of AI in shaping what gets seen, quoted, and trusted.That’s why Answer Engine Optimisation matters.The Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
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Fiona Scott shares why PR is an important part of your marketing strategy!
May 1, 202500:39:16Tap to summarizeOn today's episode of Marketing Unzipped, I have the pleasure of interviewing Fiona Scott of Scott Media.Fiona and I have worked together since the early days of The Pursuit Agency and I couldn't wait to have her as a guest on the show because she has so much knowledge and wisdom to share and as you hear she's had an AMAZING career as a journalist before starting her PR business.Scott Media isn't your normal PR agency. Fiona operates as a newsroom and is a journalist for her clients, writing their press releases and supporting them to make their businesses visible to the business world. I can honestly say working with Fiona is one of the best decisions I ever made. because when I go to football or meet up with family and friends they'll tell me about opening the paper and seeing me in it or logging onto the internet and there I am on a news website! And that right there is the power of PR!Fiona shares about crisis management explaining what it is and giving an example that she had to spend a bank holiday weekend dealing with!If you're looking for a PR partner who works with you in your business and you like what you hear and want to have a conversation head to www.scottmedia.uk or pop her an email at fiona@fionascott.co.ukThe Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
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The AI Prompt Playbook: How to Get Marketing Help Without Hiring a Team
Apr 24, 202500:22:33Tap to summarize“What if you could create a full marketing campaign — emails, social posts, ads, even a launch plan — without hiring a copywriter or spending hours in front of a blank screen?In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on something that’s changed the way we run marketing — not just for our clients, but for ourselves too. This isn’t another fluffy conversation about AI. You won’t hear me say ‘just ask ChatGPT to write your content.’ What I’m sharing today is a playbook. A prompt-by-prompt breakdown of how we’ve used AI to: Write full onboarding email sequences Create Facebook ads that convert Build out short-form video scripts And even help plan our marketing funnels — based on the actual customer journey we want to move people through In fact, I’ve got the exact prompts we used — and I’m going to read you the responses we got. You’ll hear the kind of answers that came straight from the AI, based on our real input, in real business use cases. These aren’t throwaway tactics. This is what we’re doing right now in our agency — using AI to build marketing systems that save time, reduce creative bottlenecks, and give our team a head-start on everything from content planning to campaign copywriting. Here's what you’ll get out of this episode: A real understanding of how to use AI strategically — not just for content, but for decision-making and structure Prompts you can copy, tweak and run today — whether you're a solo founder or leading a growing team And a complete downloadable playbook with every prompt and example we cover.So, whether you’re struggling to get content out consistently, you want to launch a new campaign but feel stuck, or you’re just curious about how AI could actually support your business — not replace you, but support you — stick around. Because we’re about to turn AI into your best junior marketer, strategist, and creative partner — all rolled into one.”Head to https://marketing.thepursuitagency.com/aipromptsheet to download your prompt sheet today!The Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
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The 3 Pillars of a Scalable Marketing System: What You Need to Grow Without Breaking
Apr 17, 202500:22:30Tap to summarizeIn today’s episode, I’m diving into a challenge every ambitious marketer eventually runs into: how do you scale without losing grip on the strategy, the systems, or your sanity? Maybe this sounds familiar—leads are rolling in, but everything feels reactive. Campaigns are last-minute, data's all over the place, and your team is exhausted.It’s like fueling a rocket... with confetti.But it doesn’t have to be that way.I’m breaking down the three essential pillars of a marketing system that actually scales:1.Strategic Clarity2.Systemized Execution3.Performance Feedback LoopsThese pillars aren’t just buzzwords. They’re the foundation of every high-performing marketing system I’ve helped build—inside my agency and with countless clients.✨ 1. Strategic ClarityIf you don’t know where you’re going, any tactic will look appealing—but none will take you anywhere meaningful.Strategic clarity means stepping back from the noise and asking:•What are we trying to achieve?•Who exactly are we speaking to?•Why should they care?I see too many businesses skip this step or answer it superficially. That leads to “scaling chaos”—campaigns that feel like guesswork, misaligned messaging, wasted budget, and burned-out teams.I break down the frameworks we use in the agency—like our Messaging Framework and Campaign Brief Templates—and how they’ve helped transform lead quality and win rates, just by tightening the strategic lens.🔁 2. Systemized ExecutionThe best strategy in the world means nothing if you can’t execute it consistently.Here’s the hard truth: if someone on your team leaves and no one can pick up where they left off, you don’t have a system—you have a knowledge silo.Systemized execution is about building repeatable, documented processes that free your team from constant reinvention.I’m sharing real examples from The Pursuit Agency and how we went from scrappy and reactive to streamlined and scalable—without losing creativity. Including:•SOPs for recurring marketing tasks•Checklists and workflows•Campaign templates•How your tech stack fits inThink of it like McDonald's operations—but for your marketing.📈 3. The Performance Feedback LoopScaling without data is flying blind.But not all data matters. Vanity metrics like impressions or traffic can distract you from the real goal: business growth.I talk about building a simple, effective feedback loop:•Track what actually moves the needle (like lead quality and CLV)•Build lightweight dashboards (even in a Google Sheet!)•Review performance consistently•Use insights to make better decisionsOne SaaS client we worked with grew trials by 60% in two months—not by doing more, but by acting on the right data.⚙️ Bringing It All TogetherThese three pillars work like interlocking gears. If one’s broken, the whole machine falters. Most marketing chaos I see comes down to a missing or misaligned pillar.So I wrap up the episode with a Mini Audit to help you evaluate your system and take action—starting this week.And I tackle some of the most common questions I get, like:•Should we outsource or build in-house?•How often should we reassess?•Can small teams use this framework too?(Spoiler: yes—they especially should.)🎯 Final Thought:The Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
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From SEO to Search Everywhere: The New Frontier of Digital Visibility
Apr 10, 202500:26:37Tap to summarizeWhat if I told you that traditional SEO is no longer enough? That your content could be top-notch, your keywords dialled in, and yet, still invisible where your audience actually spends their time? Welcome to the era of Search Everywhere.Today, we’re unpacking one of the biggest shifts in digital marketing strategy: the transformation from search engine optimisation to what I like to call 'Search Everywhere Optimisation.'It’s no longer just about ranking on Google. Discoverability today stretches across YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon—even within the feeds and internal search bars of every major platform. And the rules of the game? They’re changing fast.In this episode, we’re going deep. We’ll trace where SEO started, how it's evolved, and why marketers need to rethink their entire approach to visibility. By the end, you'll walk away with practical strategies to ensure your brand shows up where your audience is actually looking.Back in the early days of the internet, SEO was pretty straightforward—almost crude, really. If you wanted to rank on a search engine, you stuffed your page with keywords, loaded up on backlinks, and hoped no one noticed your white text on a white background. It was the digital Wild West.But then came the era of Google dominance. With it, a steady stream of algorithm updates—Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird—each one refining how search engines understood content. Suddenly, quality mattered. Relevance mattered. And so did user experience.We saw mobile-first indexing become the norm. Page speed, site structure, and content depth started to influence rankings. Marketers shifted focus from just 'keywords' to intent. SEO matured into a discipline that required real strategy—grounded in empathy for how users search and what they expect to find.But here’s the thing: while all eyes stayed fixed on Google’s SERPs, a quiet revolution was brewing elsewhere. People weren’t just searching on search engines anymore—they were discovering through social feeds, app stores, marketplaces, and more. The path to content was fragmenting.That’s where we find ourselves today: at the edge of a new frontier. The old SEO rules? Still relevant—but only as part of a much bigger picture.'Search Everywhere Optimisation' is a mindset shift. Instead of focusing solely on Google, we start thinking holistically about discoverability. It's about understanding that people are searching—actively or passively—on platforms far beyond a single search bar.The Pursuit Agency Did you know, there are 5.9 million SMEs totally stuck with their marketing. And with MyMarketr.io, that ends now! Tired of juggling tools, guessing strategies, or wasting time on content that goes nowhere? MyMarketr.io gives you the only thing you need to grow: Results, without the agency price tag.
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