In marketing, there exists a fine line between influencing decisions and crossing into manipulation. The difference? One builds trust while the other erodes it.

Host James Lawrence chats with Dan Monheit, Chief CX Thinker at Thinkerbell and former CEO of creative behavioural science agency HardHat, about applying behavioural science principles like default bias and anchoring to your marketing, related ethical considerations and how to draw the line between persuasion and manipulation.

• Dan’s journey - starting Hardhat and his interest in behavioural science
• Introduction to behavioural science and it’s connection to marketing
• What are some common behavioural biases you see everyday?

-Default bias

-Framing

-Anchoring

-Loss aversion

-Effort bias

• Ethics in persuasion vs manipulation
• Navigating dark patterns
• How context impacts perception and shapes biases
• Essential behavioural science resources for marketers

Dan Monheit is a leader in creative behavioural science. In 2005, he founded Hardhat, a pioneering agency that worked with top brands like Mattel, Bega Dairy, the Victorian Government, Kogan, DocuSign and Afterpay. Under his direction, Hardhat became a go-to agency for brands looking to understand and influence consumer behaviour.

In October 2024, Hardhat was acquired by Thinkerbell, where Dan now serves as Chief CX Thinker, applying his expertise to elevate customer experiences through a blend of creativity and behavioural insights.

James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/

Smarter Marketer Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/smarter-marketer-podcast

Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/

Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.

Rocket Agency’s top experts and Host James Lawrence discuss what will work in digital marketing in 2025 and how to set yourself up for success with the latest on SEO, digital and creative.

• How to navigate AI Overviews and the impact on paid search and SEO
• Will ChatGPT replace search engines?
• How to adapt SEO practices to align with AI-driven algorithms in 2025
• How digital marketing roles will remain relevant as we enter the age of AI
• How to improve the impact of digital ad creative
• The relevance of low-fidelity video content in B2B and its potential in 2025
• Interesting strategies that delivered exceptional results in 2024, and how to advocate for them
• How to balance investment between brand-building and performance activities
• How to maintain creativity across campaigns when constrained by budgets and deadlines
• How often should ad creative be updated to optimise conversions?
• The most impactful SEO initiative to prioritise in 2025
• How to structure and optimise content for SGE’s conversational search approach
• How Google Ads will evolve in 2025 and whether TikTok is a viable platform for B2B
• Changes to expect on Meta platforms this year

Joe Alder is an award-winning SEO expert and has driven organic growth for global brands like Amazon, Coca-Cola, ANZ and Dulux through innovative strategies and data-driven insights. With over 20 industry award nominations, Joe is recognised as a leader in the field. You can follow Joe on LinkedIn.

Samantha Dodson heads Rocket’s creative wing and brings a wealth of experience, having excelled in both B2B and B2C landscapes for brands including LinkedIn, Adobe, Microsoft and Salesforce, as well as Telstra, WWF, Coca-Cola and KFC. Previously she was the creative lead at BlueMelon and has worked at Ogilvy and DDB. You can follow Sam on LinkedIn.

Mariano Di Lascio leads a team of outstanding marketers at Rocket Agency across paid search and paid social channels. Together with the team, he has won some outstanding awards for client campaigns, including Best Integrated Campaign at APAC Search Awards, Best Integration of Search into Cross-Channel Marketing at Search Engine Land Awards and Best Integrated Campaign at Semrush Awards. You can follow Mariano on LinkedIn.

James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/

Smarter Marketer Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/smarter-marketer-podcast

Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/

Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful...

Building your personal brand as a marketer is crucial for career advancement, establishing credibility, obtaining salary increases and creating professional opportunities. This week, James interviews Fleur Brown, celebrated author of ‘The Business of Being YOU: Personal Brand Secrets of CEOs and Celebrities’. Fleur shares why you should be building your personal brand reputation and practical tips for marketing yourself within a competitive industry.

• The importance of marketing yourself to stand out from the crowd
• What does ‘building your personal brand’ really mean?
• Picking three elements to curate your personal brand
• Using your LinkedIn profile effectively to establish yourself in your company and industry
• The value in transparency and being upfront about your intentions
• Creating your own short bio and headshot for distribution
• How to get speaking opportunities

Fleur Brown is a creative entrepreneur who has helped build the profiles of some of the world's most innovative media, technology and entertainment brands, thought leaders and entrepreneurs. Fleur is passionate about helping individuals establish and grow their personal profile and this website is dedicated to that focus. Formerly, Fleur was the Co-Founder and CEO of award-winning PR Agency, Launch Group, the Founder and Executive Producer of the ENTREPRENEURS TV Show on Sky Business News and a Co-Founder of TEDxSydney - one of the world's largest innovation festivals.

James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/

Smarter Marketer Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/smarter-marketer-podcast

Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/

Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.

Ranked in Forbes World's Most Influential 50 CMOs list, Ryan Bonnici shares career advice marketers should take onboard. Ryan has gone from marketing roles in Australia to global CMO roles for two tech unicorns in the USA.

• What are the benefits of working for a company that is growing quickly?
• The importance of owning a number/region to develop your career
• How to gain mentorship and advice from your connections
• Knowing your worth as you move through your career
• When is the right time to move companies?
• Why it’s actually good to talk to your competition

Ryan Bonnici was awarded 26th place on the World's Most Influential CMOs in 2020 list by Forbes (up from 41st place in 2019) and is currently the CMO of Wellhub (formerly Gympass). Ryan has extensive experience across B2B and B2C marketing and sales development, which has led to a strong understanding of the processes behind the job, refined interpersonal skills and an advanced understanding and track record in achieving strong return-on-marketing-investment and business growth.

James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/

Smarter Marketer Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/smarter-marketer-podcast

Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/

Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.

AJ Wilcox, Founder of B2Linked, has worked with 5 of LinkedIn’s top 10 spending accounts and managed over $150 million in LinkedIn ad spend. Host James Lawrence chats with AJ as they delve into key strategies for maximising the output of LinkedIn ads in 2025, the significance of Thought Leader ads, lead-generation tactics that actually work and more.

• The evolution of LinkedIn ads over the years
• Effective LinkedIn ads strategies and funnels
• Lead generation and conversion tactics
• Thought Leadership ads: A game changer
• LinkedIn ads vs. other platforms
• Effective creative for LinkedIn ads
• Exploring Connected TV ads
• Advanced targeting techniques
• The future of LinkedIn ads

AJ Wilcox is the Founder of B2Linked, a LinkedIn Ads-only agency that helps B2B marketers get better results from their LinkedIn campaigns. AJ has worked with 5 of LinkedIn’s top 10 spending accounts and managed over $150 million in LinkedIn ad spend.

He is a trusted expert in LinkedIn Ads and has spoken at more than 80 industry events and appeared on over 200 podcasts. You can follow AJ on LinkedIn.

James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/

Smarter Marketer Website: https://www.smartermarketer.com.au/

Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/

Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.

For marketers in industries with longer or more complex purchase cycles, demonstrating the value of their efforts can be a constant challenge that often impacts budget approvals. In this episode of the Smarter Marketer Podcast, host James Lawrence welcomes back Fractional CMO Taz Bareham for an insightful discussion on marketing measurement, the struggles many marketers face, and practical ways in-house teams can improve their approach to marketing metrics.

• How to understand and contextualise data
• How to connect marketing to business objectives
• What leading and lagging indicators are and how to measure them
• Advice for marketers on data and analytics
• How to balance brand and performance marketing
• Common measurement challenges marketers face and how to tackle them
• Prioritising and tracking metrics that matter

Taz Bareham is a Fractional CMO with over 20 years of experience across B2B, B2C and SaaS. Previously, she was the Head of Brand & Communications at eBay, and CMO at Ansarada, JobAdder, and Rezdy. In addition to her client-side roles, she has worked in strategy & planning roles at agencies like Clemenger & M&C Saatchi.

James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/

Smarter Marketer Website: https://www.smartermarketer.com.au/

Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/

Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.

Great marketing is built on creating memorable experiences, whether through digital advertising or offline interactions. Laura Roberts, MD APAC at global experiential marketing agency INVNT joins Host James Lawrence to talk about how brands can craft comprehensive 360-degree campaigns, leverage social media and influencer events, and develop strategies to engage everyone from Boomers to Gen Alpha.

• Laura’s journey - from Sydney to NYC and into experiential marketing
• What is experiential marketing?
• The biggest trends shaping the industry today
• Future generations: How to craft experiences for Gen Alpha (Gen A)
• How to implement experiential marketing with a modest budget
• Examples of successful experiential marketing campaigns - Lamborghini, The Weeknd and more

Laura Roberts is the Managing Director for APAC at INVNT, a leading event marketing and branding agency. With over 20 years of experience in experiential marketing across Australia, New York City, the Middle East, and Singapore, Laura has built a career around creating unforgettable brand experiences. Her impressive portfolio includes pioneering Web3 campaigns with Lamborghini, developing immersive reality platforms for Emirates in partnership with AWS, and launching global brand experiences for legendary artists like The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, and Lenny Kravitz. You can follow Laura on LinkedIn.

James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/

Smarter Marketer Website: https://www.smartermarketer.com.au/

Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/

Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.

The way that we can target our perfect customers has changed radically, and what worked a few years back is likely to not work today. Large platforms like Google and Meta have changed how they collect audience data, significantly affecting how you reach and engage with your audience. In this episode, Host James Lawrence talks with Rocket Agency's Commercial Director, David Roberts about the recent changes in digital audience targeting and how to connect with your target market effectively.

• The evolution of Google Ads: From search to audience targeting
• How to leverage Google's data for effective marketing
• The power of affinity and in-market segments
• AI-driven targeting in Meta Ads
• The rise of TikTok Ads
• How programmatic advertising helps target your digital audience
• The importance of content marketing in effective audience engagement
• How connected TV helps with audience targeting
• B2B and B2C best practices for building and nurturing your audience

David Roberts is the Commercial Director at Rocket. He works closely with both key clients and prospective clients, helping devise tailored solutions for their digital challenges. Dave has been with Rocket since its inception in 2017, and previously spent five years at The Web Showroom, where he gained extensive experience in the CMS and tech space. You can follow David on LinkedIn.

James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/

Smarter Marketer Website: https://www.smartermarketer.com.au/

Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/

Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.