The Specialist View Live: Prove Marketing Works Recap🎯

Last Thursday at our London HQ, we hosted the latest edition of The Specialist View Live - and this one got straight to the point: how do we prove marketing works?🎯

With expert voices from Sky, MetaMetrics, NewDay, Hastings Direct and our own Specialists, we explored the tools, language and mindset needed to connect marketing investment with meaningful business results.

Here’s a sharp look back at what mattered:

Key Insights from the Experts 🔍

Wayne Butler, Head of Media Effectiveness, Sky 📺

Wayne opened the day by challenging the status quo of media measurement. He showed how Sky has evolved its capability beyond eyeballs, building deterministic tools that directly link ad exposure to purchase behaviour.

With over 2,500 effectiveness studies in just three years, the demand for proof is clear. He shared how better targeting, measured frequency and cross-platform collaboration are elevating TV’s short and long-term impact - ending with a glimpse into Project Lantern, Sky’s exciting joint venture with ITV and Channel 4 to create a unified, self-serve measurement solution.

Rebecca Shaw, Client Services Manager & Philip Gaudoin, Director, MetaMetrics📉

Rebecca and Phil brought econometrics down to earth. Their session reframed it not as a dark art, but as the essential bridge between creativity and financial accountability.

With clarity and a fantastic myth busting double-act - they showed how marketing models can uncover what’s really driving performance - even for brands without perfect data or huge TV budgets. For businesses with burning questions or budget step-ups ahead, econometrics can offer clarity, confidence, and critically, buy-in from the boardroom.

Alex Mottershead & Matt Whelan, Managing Partners, The Specialist Works 📊

Taking the conversation from theory to reality, Alex and Matt showed how entrepreneurial brands can use data and smart collaboration to shift internal conversations. By focusing on the right KPIs and aligning with commercial, pricing and finance stakeholders, marketers can earn credibility and unlock growth.

They championed continuous measurement, not one-off moments, and urged the room to start where it matters - not where it’s easiest. Their key message: proving marketing works isn’t a one-time task, it’s a cultural shift.

Victoria Oliver-Smith, Senior Manager, NewDay & Lee Baring, Managing Partner, The Specialist Works 🤝

Lee and Victoria’s Q&A highlighted the power of internal alignment. Faced with scepticism toward conventional measurement models, NewDay identified the metric that mattered most to their business and looked inward for validation.

By piggybacking on credible internal methodologies - like holdout testing - and enlisting support from pricing, commercial and financial stakeholders, the team created a measurement approach that spoke the language of their business.

The result? Clearer answers, stronger internal belief, and a lasting shift in how marketing is valued.

Luke Goldsmith, Brand Lead, Hastings Direct 💬

Closing us out, Luke’s brilliant presentation shared how Hastings tackled the challenge of proving marketing impact in a price-driven, PCW-dominated market.

With so many brands competing for position, he outlined how Hastings narrowed in on conversion metrics that truly mattered - and built a structured testing model to isolate marketing effects from pricing shifts. Through well-designed tests and collaboration with internal teams, Hastings have changed the internal conversation from “should we invest?” to “how much more can we drive?”

What’s Next? 💡

For those who couldn’t attend, alongside the highlights video we have published today, stay tuned across our LinkedIn and Instagram for presenter highlights and vox pops from the event that can help you outsmart the competition and drive growth in 2025.

And more importantly - please Save The Date for our next The Specialist View Live which we are delighted to announce will be held on Thursday 10th July in London.

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That’s it for this edition of The Specialist View. We’ll be back soon with more sharp thinking, fresh perspectives, and the kind of media intelligence that helps entrepreneurial marketers turn ambition into action – and impact. Because specialist work is what we do – and as a proudly independent media agency, we’re equally proud of the passionate specialists behind it. Their curiosity, craft and commitment drive everything we deliver, from smarter strategies to standout results. It’s this depth of expertise and energy that sets us apart – helping our clients move faster, think bigger, and demand more from their media.