SBP 116: Unlocking Future Power in Branding. With Mary Kyriakidi.

In this episode of The Sleeping Barber Podcast, hosts Mark Binkley and Vasilis Douros are joined once again by Mary Kirikiri, global thought leader at Kantar. They explore insights from Mary’s CMO series, diving into future power, meaningful difference, and pricing strategy. The conversation covers how brand equity drives growth, the link between pricing power and perceived value, and why evidence-based marketing is essential for long-term success. From brand salience to pricing elasticity, this episode unpacks the tools marketers need to influence both consumers and the boardroom.Our Guest:Mary Kyriakidi Global Thought Leader @ Kantarhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-kyriakidi-4a5a4a57/Follow our updates here: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/⁠⁠Get in touch with our hosts:Marc Binkley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/Vassilis Douros: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilisdouros/⁠Timestamps00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest01:40 Inspiration Behind the CMO Series04:24 Mary's Journey to Global Thought Leader05:26 Kantar's Research Focus and Paradigm Shift09:36 Understanding Future Power and Meaningful Difference12:01 The Drivers of Future Power15:00 Mental vs. Physical Availability in Branding18:01 Accelerators for Growth in Branding22:04 Finding New Space for Brands24:20 The Link Between Pricing and Brand Strength24:50 Understanding Pricing Power and Elasticity27:40 The Importance of Brand Positioning29:02 Willingness to Pay and Perceived Differences32:12 Aligning Brand Value with Pricing Strategy35:01 Influencing Budget Decisions in Marketing39:11 The Role of Brand Trackers in Marketing StrategyBackground Research & Links:Blueprint for Brand Growth: https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/blueprint-for-brand-growth?Some links to the diary are below:https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-what-is-the-blueprint-for-brand-growthhttps://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/how-can-you-approach-the-cfo-to-argue-for-greater-investment-in-your-brandhttps://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-i-am-a-small-brand-with-big-dreams-how-can-i-grow-fasterhttps://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-is-your-categorys-ceiling-coming-down-on-youhttps://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/Diary-of-a-CMO-How-can-I-protect-my-brand-against-copycatshttps://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-whats-the-secret-recipe-to-combat-private-labelhttps://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/diary-of-a-cmo-whats-marketings-contribution-to-profithttps://www.kantar.com/north-america/expertise/brand-growth/brand-tracking