James regularly writes, publishes research, speaks at events and appears on podcasts. Here you’ll find some of that content.
Published Research
Future Demand in Action
A recipe for New Zealand advertising that converts more sales in the short term and builds bigger businesses over the long term - Insights from the Aotearoa Effectiveness Database 2022-2024
The Effectiveness Code
This whitepaper presents the results of a major study of effectiveness, carried out in 2020 by marketing effectiveness experts James Hurman and Peter Field on behalf of Cannes Lions and WARC.
The B2B Effectiveness Code
The follow-up to the Effectiveness Code replicates the Creative Effectiveness Ladder and Creative Commitment analysis using B2B data. Produced for the Linked In B2B Institute and WARC.
Growth Efficiency: Marketing’s Existential Metric
Why brand building is essential to scaling up profitably on Amazon. For brands scaling up, sales efficiency (how efficiently we can convert sales today) is less important than growth efficiency (how efficiently we can generate sales growth going forward). Using Tracksuit brand awareness data for all brands in our study, we have been able to prove a robust positive correlation between brand awareness and growth efficiency.
The Awareness Adventage
New research by Tracksuit and TikTok reveals how once bitter rivals — performance and brand marketing — achieve better outcomes together. In this study, combining Tracksuit’s brand health data with TikToks performance data, we show that brand awareness is a controlling factor of conversion rates on TikTok - if you want more conversions, grow your brand awareness as you’re scaling up your performance spend.
Columns
The Value of Creative Awards
An essay in response to those who question the value of creative award shows like Cannes Lions. Creativity amplifies the commercial effectiveness of advertising, and creative awards allow us to learn, move forward and continuously improve as an industry.
July 2022 | Read on Linked In
EFF BOMB: Cadbury returns to its core
James Hurman examines the 2022 IPA Effectiveness Awards Grand Prix winner for Cadbury, ‘There’s a glass & a half in everyone’ by VCCP London, in the first installment of his EFF BOMB series which looks at effective advertising.
March 2023 | Read on WARC
EFF BOMB: The magic of long ideas
James Hurman examines the 2022 WARC Awards for Effectiveness North America Grand Prix for McDonald’s, ‘Famous Orders’ by Wieden+Kennedy New York, in the second instalment of his EFF BOMB series.
April 2023 | Read on WARC
EFF BOMB: Be more Heinz
James Hurman examines the 2023 Cannes Lions Creative Effectiveness Gold winner, ‘Draw Ketchup’ for Heinz by Rethink Toronto, in the third instalment of his EFF BOMB series.
July 2023 | Read on WARC
EFF BOMB: Small budget creativity from the morgue
James Hurman examines the 2023 WARC Awards for Effectiveness Channel Pioneer Grand Prix for Partners Life, ‘The Last Performance’ by Special Auckland, in the fourth instalment of his EFF BOMB series.
September 2023 | Read on WARC
EFF BOMB: Finding the hacks that save customers money
James Hurman examines the 2023 WARC Awards for Effectiveness Channel Pioneer category Silver winner, ‘Phone It In’ for Skinny by Colenso BBDO Auckland, in the fifth installment of his EFF BOMB series.
February 2024 | Read on WARC
Podcasts
Previously, I.T. and Future Demand
Black T-Shirts
23 October 2024
Future Demand, Not Demand Generation
Sleeping Barber
19 September 2024
What Creatives Want From Strategists (And Brand Tracking 101)
Sweathead, A Strategy Podcast
25 September 2024
Have advertisers forgotten how to build brands?
The Fold
25 September 2024
Turning Emotion Into Outsized Results
We Do B2B
9 October 2024
Why Your Short-Term Wins Might Be HURTING Your Long-Term Goals
Conquer Local
19 September 2024
The Cannes Sessions with James Hurman and Jimmy Knowles
That’s What I Call Marketing
27 August 2024
Paint by Numbers – How Data, Strategy and Creativity Combined Make Magic
Talking Media with Nine
13 May 2024
James Hurman ‘Pay attention to attention… and the case for creativity’
The New Abnormal
20 April 2024
How brands grow up with James Hurman
Let’s talk branding
2 September 2023
Creatively Creating Future Demand with James Hurman
That’s What I Call Marketing
27 April 2023
James Hurman, Founding Partner of Previously Unavailable
Breaking & Entering
29 March 2023
James Hurman, “Future Demand: Why Building Your Brand Among Tomorrow’s Customers is the Key to Startup Success”
Dan Hill’s EQ Spotlight
15 December 2022
Planning for Effective Outcomes: The Creative Relationship, with Greg Hahn and James Hurman
On Strategy Showcase
8 December 2022
James Hurman on Creating ‘Future Demand’
The Media Weekly
13 October 2022
James Hurman on Creating ‘Future Demand’ - Part Two
The Media Weekly
20 October 2022
James Hurman on start-ups/VCs and their dangerous skepticism of brand
On Strategy Showcase
15 September 2022
The Case for Creativity & Cannes Lions
Uncensored CMO
7 September 2021
Reimagining the workplace, people and purpose, James Hurman founder Previously Unavailable
People Inspired by Purpose – Purposely Podcast
26 July 2021
Filmed Talks
The simple story every company can tell
TEDx Auckland
2019
The simple story every company can tell
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
2022
CMO Dinner, with James Hurman
Australian Association of National Advertisers
2023
Cracking the Effectiveness Code
LIONS | The Home of Creativity
2021
The Case For Creativity
Zee MELT Conference
2017
EffWorks Global 2020: The Creative Commitment Framework
Institute of Practitioners in Advertising
2020
Creative Effectiveness: Cannes Lions
ANA Global CMO Growth Council
2022
Learning to be Lucky
Creative Mornings
2015
Creative Culture at Colenso BBDO
Advertising Council Australia
2012