11/11/2026
Turns out we're not the main character🤷🏻♀️
As the marketing assistant here at Smarta, I had the pleasure of spending today at Building Brands in Exeter. My first one, and my notes app has never worked harder.
The bit that stuck with me, from Mark Girvan: our customer is the hero of the story, and we're the mentor who helps them get there - not the other way around.
Add Harry Dunn and Alice-Rae Pringle putting Google Ads and Meta Ads on trial, George Reith on why you can't force a good idea, Julia Bramble on standing out in a feed full of AI sameness, and Andi Jarvis closing with "Your gut stinks". Not a dull half hour in it 🙌🏻
Thank you to Chris Bentley, Steve Manser and Kate Williams for putting it all together, and to Anna Evans at Heatree Activity Centre and Bex King for the company between sessions. Definitely beat standing next to the coffee table pretending to look busy on my phone. 😅
Back to the office with a bunch of new things to try!