Diary of a Fractional CMO

June 4, 2026

Are you Danni or Kylie?

This isn’t another defensive AI-can’t-do-what-we-can-do post. AI is effing incredible, but if you want to differentiate, sound a bit ‘extra’ then ask: have you just slipped into reproducing the sound without the personality?

Read article
January 29, 2018

The Facebook change will make your business more human

Facebook is changing its news feed algorithm to prioritise more ‘meaningful’ content, so you’ll see more posts from friends and family than from brands, businesses and news media.

January 28, 2018

7 highlights from January

Is it still January? What a long month. Even though we’re not quite at the end yet, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve been listening to, reading and watching this month.

January 26, 2018

The low-cost way to get started with video marketing

The stats around the power of video marketing are everywhere if you look for them. (And even if you don’t.)

January 25, 2018

Is your brand confused?

Is your brand consistent or confused?Does it deliver what’s expected again and again?

January 23, 2018

9 ways to make your website copy more engaging

Once in a while someone might read the words on your site, so how’s the copy coming along?

January 22, 2018

Why small businesses need marketing

Did you know, that before he was famous, young David Bowie had to flog his guts out on the marketing front?

January 18, 2018

Click on this headline or else…

Freddie Starr ate my hamster.This is one of the most notorious newspaper headlines of all time. From the days when headline writers had the freedom to be creative (1986).

January 17, 2018

A recipe in brand inconsistency via Delia Smith

Wigtown is a small Scottish village with around 10 shops – 8 selling books. One of its book shops even has a bed in it. It’s my kinda town.

January 16, 2018

Q&A: How our video generates up to 8 leads a week

Independent financial adviser Jones Hill, based in Wiltshire, uses a simple yet powerful 2–minute video by Malthouse Films on its website, showing testimonials from five of its clients.

January 15, 2018

How to think up 6 blog ideas in 60 seconds

If you like the idea of blogging, but aren’t sure you have enough to talk about, a quick look at your achievements last year will prove you wrong

January 11, 2018

Simple tricks to make your copy more friendly

If you’re writing copy that feels wooden, prim or overly formal, you’re creating an unnecessary distance between you and your reader.And that’s a shame.

January 10, 2018

The easy way to protect your brand

You might think brand guidelines are an unnecessary modern invention, but they’re actually as old as the hills, and a key part of your brand identity.

January 9, 2018

It worked for A-Ha: 7 reasons to use video marketing

Thankfully these days video is much easier to produce than in the 80s — and more affordable. But as with A-Ha, it can also be the key to your marketing strategy. Here’s why.

January 5, 2018

How to make your website look like a million bucks

Ever since prehistoric man started sketching images of wild boars inside caves, our brains have been wired to process things more quickly visually than anything else.

January 4, 2018

A tip for marketing to silver surfers

When it comes to marketing, I often come across people who are worried their audience won’t engage with them if they start using tech or social media, because they’re part of an older demographic.

January 3, 2018

The secret to good microcopy

Microcopy is usually found online — on buttons or error messages, for example. But why stop there? I think it also applies offline too, anywhere there’s an opportunity to communicate