Why consistency is key for brand success — with Specsavers' Ian Maybank

Ahead of The Future of Brands on Tuesday, Jack Benjamin is joined by Specsavers head of media, connections planning and insights Ian Maybank to discuss how the retail chain has built a strong brand through media investment.

The pair speak about how brands can work to bring creative and media closer together, the importance of consistent brand messaging and humour, and how agency-client relationships have changed and are likely to change in the near future.

Maybank also explains why he believes media trading is likely to consolidate, how in-housing has helped Specsavers' creative process and how AI could impact agency remuneration.

"The bedrock that great work comes from hasn't changed," Maybank says. "It's still built on trust, creativity and having strong relationships and partnerships — even at a time when there's lots of headwinds."

Highlights:

6:21: How "consistency" of Specsavers' brand platform and humour have led to sustained marketing success

10:05: Bringing media and creative closer together

16:23: Agency-client relationships: what's changed and what's stayed the same

23:02: In-housing and AI

28:57: What does an ideal media mix look like in 2025?

Related articles:

Don’t forget retail media’s brand-building power

Forget the ‘good old days’: What Gen Z’s financial outlook means for brands

Rethinking agency remuneration in 2025 — with MediaSense’s Ryan Kangisser

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Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.

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