We’ve just returned from the MAD Up North Festival—a two-day marketing event in Manchester that aimed high but didn’t quite stick the landing. Yet, there were a few standout moments worth highlighting.

Rory Sutherland of Ogilvy and John Roberts (the founder of AO) kicked things off with big energy. They jokingly called themselves the “biggest frauds in marketing” because neither has a formal degree—proving that, sometimes, hands-on experience can trump academic qualifications.

We also discovered that John might also be the biggest “teddy bear buyer in the UK” since AO hands them out so generously, and the reason why! 👀

Frauds or not though, they shared some absolute gems:

🔹 Long-Term Vision: Don’t judge your success by this quarter’s numbers—think Jeff Bezos. Today’s success is the work of three years ago. If you cut your marketing spend, the negative impact may not show up until much later.

🔹 Culture Drives Client Experience: If your team’s morale is off, your customer experience eventually suffers. You can’t hide low spirits from buyers for long.

🔹 Confidence in the Crazy: Sometimes, the wildest ideas are the right ones. Just be sure you know why you believe in them before diving in headfirst.

After that bright start, things unfortunately went downhill—there were moments when it felt like we were queueing just to get into another queue. No one’s pretending it wasn’t a letdown. But credit where it’s due: organising a large-scale marketing festival in the North is no small feat.

Sometimes, bold attempts miss the mark, and that’s okay. Let’s keep in mind that bold moves often stumble on the first try. We’re rooting for a comeback—maybe a more polished second edition or fresh competition from other Northern powerhouses like Prolific North? 👀

On the upside, our own Andy Robins—an unstoppable networking force—made the most of the free bar and the meet-and-greets, reminding us that, even when the event falters, good connections can still be made.

In the end, anything that puts a spotlight on the region’s creative potential has our backing. Here’s hoping the next MAD Up North serves up more marketing magic and a little less disappointment. We’ll be there, ready to cheer them on and support the North’s growing influence in the industry!