The Brand Hunch

Poo, glorious poo! 🎵 Recognise that from anywhere? If you're a dog owner, you just might! It's the tagline for a new West End-style musical brand campaign from Lyka — an Australian fresh dog food brand. In this episode, Lindsay is joined by Cassandra Do Carmo, their Brand Marketing Director. They cover Cass’s journey as the company’s first brand hire, what it takes to build a brand inside a business running entirely on performance marketing, and how she balances academic frameworks with the gritty realities of a fast-paced scale-up. They also cover: How to secure long-term brand investment when your business is obsessed with hourly performance metrics Why textbook marketing science doesn't always apply to fast-growing DTCs, and when to break the 60/40 rule The hidden "ROI tax" of swapping creative too early, and why marketers get sick of ads before the audience does How holding their infamous "Poo Horrors" campaign to a strict incremental CAC target drove daily acquisition highs This episode is especially useful if you’re interested in brand strategy, performance marketing, balancing short-term and long-term growth, and how to champion brand investment in a highly data-driven business. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

What does the lead marketing role look like in a highly regulated, highly price-sensitive category? Lindsay chats to Yvette Costi, Chief Marketing Officer at Blooms The Chemist, to find out. They cover Yvette’s unusual path from interior architecture and design into marketing, and how that background shapes her leadership, brand thinking, and view of physical retail. They also cover: How to earn trust across a network of independent stakeholders before asking them to change anything Why slow, deliberate repositioning beats a fast rebrand, and how to bring a risk-averse audience along for the ride The power of purpose as a decision-making filter, from campaign strategy through to product range decisions The future of pharmacy, community health, and why Yvette believes AI may free marketers to be more creative, not less. This episode is especially useful if you’re interested in brand strategy, stakeholder management, retail transformation, and how to sell the idea of long-term brand investment to owner-operators. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

In a world where brands struggle to balance immediate sales and long-term growth, two marketing powerhouses share their secrets for sustainable success. In this episode, Lindsay is joined by Brent Smart, former CMO of Telstra, and James Hurman, author of the groundbreaking book "Future Demand," as they dive into the transformative power of brand building. Brent reflects on his tenure at Telstra, where he faced the challenge of shifting focus from short-term sales to nurturing a brand that resonates emotionally with consumers. He shares insights on how a strong brand can drastically improve corporate reputation, turning a well-known entity into a beloved one. Meanwhile, James introduces his concept of "future demand," explaining how marketers can effectively build a brand for tomorrow's buyers while still converting current demand. They also cover: How to convince non-marketing stakeholders of the value of brand building The importance of emotional connection in branding and how it can lead to increased market share and profitability Real-world case studies, including a deep dive into Telstra’s transformation under Brent’s leadership Strategies for marketers to navigate corporate structures and advocate for the creative work necessary to build a strong brand. Perfect for CMOs, brand strategists, and anyone passionate about building brands that stand the test of time. Read The Telstra Playbook here - https://community.futuredemand.com/playbooks/the-telstra-playbook Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

Jaimee Vilela spent fifteen years running marketing for other people's brands before backing a hunch and purchasing Cooki Haircare, a shampoo bar business doing four sales a day. Two and a half years later, it's doing roughly 300 sales a day D2C, built on two channels alone: Meta and email. In this episode, Jaimee tells Lindsay why she thinks brand and performance aren't opposites on Meta, how she taught herself to buy ads from scratch, and why the hardest discipline in scaling fast was knowing what to say no to. They also cover: How to build a brand purpose that resonates with consumers Why data-driven strategies are essential for modern e-commerce growth The power of authentic storytelling when launching eco-friendly products Navigating the mindset shift from marketing leader to managing director An especially insightful listen for e-commerce founders, brand marketers, and anyone looking to turn a marketing background into a successful product-led business. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

Nathan Low spent fifteen years at Unilever before landing the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer role at Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), where he now looks after the iconic Lamb and Beef campaigns Aussies know so well. In this episode, he shares why he describes himself as a brand custodian rather than a creator, and why inheriting a legacy campaign can be harder than building one from scratch. They also cover: Why "you are not your target audience" is the hardest lesson to live by The case for running the same campaign assets for years, not months How MLA decides which ideas are on and off the table (pun intended) Why sleeping overnight on a creative decision beats trusting your gut in the room What 25 years of stable per-capita protein consumption reveals about how habits really shift An especially insightful listen for CMOs and marketing leaders managing legacy campaigns, and marketers wrestling with the pressure to reinvent for the sake of it. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

From Arnott's to My Muscle Chef, me&u and now Verandah Brands, Clementine Churchill has built a career on refusing to separate marketing from the rest of the business. In this episode, she chats to Lindsay about why she once swapped a marketing role for a year in sales, what it taught her about resilience and ownership, and how that early bet still shapes the way she runs revenue at Verandah Brands today. They also cover: - Why pricing should sit inside the marketing remit - Building brand love in a category most people shop once or twice in a lifetime - Brand architecture and when it's time to launch a house of brands versus one strong name - Why AI might make emotional branding matter more - What changes (and what doesn't) when you scale a founder-led business past the early hustle stage An especially insightful listen for CMOs, brand leads, and founders trying to work out where marketing's remit should begin and end, and revenue leaders who want a marketer's take on pricing and commercial ownership. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

Catherine Dix, Managing Director ANZ, waterdrop®, joins Lindsay to unpack three years of building a global challenger brand from the ground up here in ANZ. From holding off on retail expansion until the market was ready, to landing a landmark Australian Open partnership focused on removing plastic from court, Cat shares the wins that have paid off; how she’s making brand decisions relevant to the local consumer, and leaning in to leverage the global brand equity other start-ups could only dream of. Thanks again to Tracksuit for making this episode of The Brand Hunch possible. If you're a marketer looking for an easy and affordable way to track brand performance, demonstrate ROI, and find out if your strategy is working, then head to gotracksuit.com/thebrandhunch. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

Sudeep Gohil has seen the industry from almost every angle, and he's got some opinions that are worth the listen. In this episode, Lindsay sits down with the former founding partner of Droga5 Australia and ex-Partner in Charge of Brand and Marketing at KPMG to talk about what it takes to get brand investment over the line and why empathy might be the most underrated capability in the industry right now. Thanks again to Tracksuit for making this episode of The Brand Hunch possible. If you're a marketer looking for an easy and affordable way to track brand performance, demonstrate ROI, and find out if your strategy is working, then head to gotracksuit.com/thebrandhunch . Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

Too many agencies assume what brands are doing. At Chello, we went out and asked them. In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Chello's Strategy Director Tom Dabner and Co-Founder & Executive Creative Director Tristan Velasco to unpack Operation Brand. It's Chello's first brand leadership benchmark report, built on 1,200 minutes of candid conversations with senior leaders across 25 organisations. Tom and Tris talk through what surprised them (hint: size doesn't guarantee sophistication), why brand is still the first budget cut even when leaders say they believe in it, and how the rise of AI is raising the bar for distinctiveness rather than lowering the effort required to achieve it. PSA: This episode is full of so many brilliant hot takes, so if you're a CMO, brand director, or founder trying to get brand working harder inside your business, don’t let it pass you by. You can find the full Operation Brand report (and an audio version) on our website: https://www.chello.com.au/insights/brand-leadership-benchmark-report-2026 Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

What does great PR actually look like in 2026, and why are so many brands still getting it wrong? Lindsay sits down with James Hutchinson, CEO of global PR powerhouse Sling & Stone, to discuss the state of modern communications. From the growing backlash against AI-generated content to the case for putting comms professionals at the executive table, James unpacks why the brands winning today aren't the loudest – they're the ones asking the right questions and saying something worth remembering, to the people who actually need to hear it. Thanks to Tracksuit for making this episode of The Brand Hunch possible. If you're a marketer looking for an easy and affordable way to track brand performance, demonstrate ROI, and find out if your strategy is working, then head to gotracksuit.com/thebrandhunch. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

What does “good taste” actually mean, and is it something you're born with? In this episode, we chat with Zhoe Low, Marketing Director at MoveActive and former GM of Marketing & Retail at July Luggage, about why taste is an essential ingredient for building premium brands. From hiring tastemakers and setting creative standards, to giving teams the autonomy to learn by doing, Zhoe unpacks why taste compounds when paired with process, and why the best inspiration often comes from outside your category. Thanks to Tracksuit for making this episode of The Brand Hunch possible. If you're a marketer looking for an easy and affordable way to track brand performance, demonstrate ROI, and find out if your strategy is working, then head to gotracksuit.com/thebrandhunch . Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

In this live episode, recorded at Content Summit Australia, Lindsay sits down with Anri Mc Hugh, Head of Marketing - Awareness & Consideration at Specsavers ANZ, to explore one of the most enduring brand platforms in advertising history. Almost 24 years on, "Should've Gone to Specsavers" shows no signs of slowing down, and does a stellar job of rolling out consistent marketing campaigns around the world while still managing to stay relevant for each individual market. That's no easy feat! Lindsay and Anri chat about the discipline of sticking with a core idea, structuring a global marketing team around the customer funnel, and where Anri finds creative inspiration. Thanks to Tracksuit for making this episode of The Brand Hunch possible. If you're a marketer looking for an easy and affordable way to track brand performance, demonstrate ROI, and find out if your strategy is working, then head to gotracksuit.com/thebrandhunch Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

Having held senior marketing roles at Formula 1, World Rugby, Rugby Australia, and now Guide Dogs Australia, Marissa Pace knows a thing or two about life in the fast lane. In this episode, we chat about how she builds fan bases and communities that stick, and why loyalty programs are her secret marketing weapon. She also lifts the lid on the importance of accessibility, particularly in sports, and what she’d do differently if she went back to that world. Follow our creative agency at www.chello.com.au Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

In this episode, we sit down with Nick Parmar, a seasoned Brand Director who’s helped build a host of culturally-attuned brands from New York to APAC and the Middle East. Nick shares what he learnt as Head of Global Brand Experience for W Hotels Worldwide, and how those same instincts now shape dozens of hotel brands across 44 countries in his current role, VP of Brand Marketing & Management at Accor. A fun, insightful chat with someone who knows exactly how to create spaces that people never want to leave. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

In this episode, we chat to Georgie Leslie, CMO at Future Group, about what it really takes to lead in a category most people tend to ignore (spoiler: it’s superannuation). We unpack the realities of nudging action in a low-interest category and the difference between good management and good leadership. It’s a grounded look at the reality behind the coveted CMO job title, delivered by someone who leads with a healthy balance of care and conviction. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

In this episode, we chat with Matt Gudge about the messy, brilliant reality of marketing in high-growth businesses, from tourism during COVID to scaling complex marketplaces and jumping head-first into health tech. We get into why prioritisation beats perfectionism and how he has built teams that are smarter than him (on purpose). Matt has a real knack for championing creativity and commercial thinking in the same breath, giving anyone working in brand and marketing with plenty to chew on post-listen. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

In this episode, we chat with Ainsley Pope about the side of brand most people never see: the inside. From her work at Westpac and PwC to building the employer brand function at IAG, Ainsley breaks down how culture, internal comms and a clear narrative can shift an organisation from disconnected to one of the most desirable places to work in the country. Listen to find out why employer brand is finally getting its moment in the sun. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

In this episode, we sit down with Hannah Vinden to unpack how Better Beer went from a scrappy startup to one of Australia’s favourite beer brands. (Spoiler: most of it was down to gut feel, good banter and a seriously engaged community.) Hannah shares what she carried over from her time working in FMCG, what she happily left behind, and why entertainment beats traditional advertising every time. Warning, this episode *may* put you in the mood to crack a cold one… Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

R.M.Williams is many things; handcrafted, hard-wearing, and quintessentially Australian. But how do you keep a 1932 icon relevant for a 2025 audience? In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Victoria Taylor, Head of Brand Marketing Communications at R.M.Williams, to unpack all things brand custodianship, why collaboration is her superpower, and what happens when boots built by 80 pairs of hands meet a world that wants 8-second reels. Victoria talks UK expansion plans, the shift from LVMH to Tattarang, and the power of slow fashion in a fast fashion world. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.

In this episode of The Brand Hunch podcast, we chat to Raquel Bouris, Creative Director and Founder of cult fragrance brand Who Is Elijah. From a $12K investment to a $20M business, Raquel shares how a mix of obsession, delusion (her words, not ours!), and good old-fashioned hustle turned a scrappy side project into a globally-recognised brand. We talk guerilla marketing, meeting Sofia Richie, and why sometimes the best business plan is no plan at all. Tell us what you think of this episode! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Get the top 5 hunches from marketing leaders this quarter Connect with Chello ABOUT THE SHOW: The Brand Hunch is brought to you by Chello , a brand growth agency built on the belief that brand means business. We partner with ambitious brands who refuse to sit still, working across strategy, design, comms and production. Our mission is to help businesses turn brand into their most powerful growth lever. Enjoyed this episode? Hit follow so you never miss a conversation, and keep an eye on our Instagram ( @acheekyhello ) for agency case studies and a look into how we do things at Chello.