Business of Marketing

Harry Davies VP of marketing strategy, investment and effectiveness, Sage

Business of Marketing

Show Notes

In this episode of Business of Marketing, John Horsley sits down with Harry Davies, VP of Strategy, Investment & Marketing Effectiveness at Sage, to explore why so many organisations still measure the wrong things, and what truly drives long-term growth. Drawing on experience spanning government, Google, Amazon and Sage, Harry explains why marketing effectiveness is about far more than advertising, why brand investment is making a comeback, and how marketers can balance short-term revenue pressures with long-term business growth. The conversation also dives into AI's impact on marketing, account-based marketing, buying committees, customer journeys, and why the future belongs to marketers who combine academic rigour with relentless curiosity. In this episode you'll discover:

Why cost per lead is one of marketing's most misleading metrics How to balance brand building with demand generation Why marketing should influence the entire customer lifecycle What AI will automate and where human creativity still wins How Sage is adapting to AI search and LLMs Why marketers should spend more time listening to customers The marketing science every modern marketer should understand

A thoughtful conversation packed with practical insights for CMOs, marketing leaders and anyone looking to build more effective marketing.

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