Canned the Marketing Podcast

What does it take to futureproof an entire profession? On this episode of Canned, Ben van Rooy and Stephanie Quantrill sit down with John Miles, CEO of the New Zealand Marketing Association, to unpack how NZMA has evolved from its direct mail roots into a national engine room for marketing capability. John shares how COVID forced a fast pivot to digital learning, why leadership pathways matter more than ever, and the importance of a professional body in a profession that doesn't require...

When you’re up against a giant, you do not outspend them. You out-position them. In this episode of Canned, Ben van Rooy and Stephanie Quantrill unpack challenger brands versus market leaders and why bigger is not always better. From Pepsi taking on Coca-Cola at the Super Bowl, to Whittaker's holding its ground against Cadbury, and how Skinny emerged in response to 2degrees, this is a sharp, practical breakdown of how David can beat Goliath. If you manage brand in NZ or Australia,...

Strategy gets talked about a lot in marketing—but is rarely defined well. In this episode of Canned: The Marketing Podcast, hosts Steph Quantrill (Cue Marketing) and Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) cut through the noise to unpack what strategy really is, why so many businesses confuse it with tactics, and how that confusion quietly kills focus, momentum, and results. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Strategy is a set of choices, not a plan True strategy answers where you play and how you win—b...

Customer Experience Is the Brand (Especially When Things Go Wrong) In this episode of Canned the Marketing Podcast, Steph and Ben are joined by Sarah Clearwater, founder of Reframr, to unpack why CX is the delivery of your brand promise — and why the best brands shine brightest when everything goes sideways. This is a practical, no-nonsense conversation for marketers who are tired of talking about “customer centricity” and actually want to do something about it. What We Cover 1. Customer Expe...

It’s 2026, Ben’s back from Rio (minus a phone… plus a backup phone like an absolute psychopath), and Steph’s back from a soggy Coromandel reset. This week, they crack open the crystal ball and give it their best shot at calling the trends for marketers to pay attention to in 2026—brand vs performance, AI slop, agency shake-ups, and why “real” is the new premium. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Brand is back (and B2B finally got the memo): Why over-relying on lead gen is about to hit diminis...