Turning data into desirability: Automotive insights with Nick Ratcliffe
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Release Date: 06/10/2025
Best of Series 8: Perception, Purpose, and Persuasion - The Data Malarkey Podcast
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this Greatest Hits episode, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, rounds up the sharpest, most compelling, and most insightful moments from Series 8 of Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data, smarter. From AI and ethics to storytelling with data, this episode features golden snippets of conversations with: VW’s Nick Ratcliffe on marketing measurement Cambridge United FC’s Mark Bonner on the need to balance the emotional and the rational in the era of sporting analytics The Great Lakes Reporter of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Caitlyn Looby, on three golden rule of...
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Measuring what matters: Darryl Sparey on comms, metrics, and making data sing
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this episode of The Data Malarkey Podcast, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, talks with Darryl Sparey, Managing Director and Co-Founder of UK-based PR agency, Hard Numbers. A seasoned expert in communications and marketing measurement, Darryl breaks down what it really means to use data effectively in PR, how vanity metrics mislead, and why storytelling still reigns supreme. From launching award-winning campaigns to championing smarter KPIs, Darryl brings sharp insight and plenty of playful Data Malarkey to the mic. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: 🔍 Topics in this...
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The Extinction of Experience: Christine Rosen on reclaiming humanity in a digital world
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this episode of The Data Malarkey Podcast, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Christine Rosen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the 2025 book, The Extinction of Experience. They dig into what happens when real-world, face-to-face experiences are replaced by screens and algorithms. Christine shares her unique journey from a bassoon scholarship to intellectual thought leadership, how teaching aikido shapes her thinking, and how she sees technology reshaping human behavior - for better and worse. With insight, wit, and depth, Christine...
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How AI Thinks: Chris Summerfield on human brains and machine algorithms
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this episode of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data, smarter – Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, talks to Chris Summerfield, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford. Chris shares insights into what makes human intelligence so remarkable, how AI models are both fundamentally different from AND similar to human brains, and why understanding cognitive science is critical for building better AI. They explore the future of AI-human collaboration, discuss Chris’ long experience at DeepMind, and consider why prediction sits at the core of both artificial...
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Rebuilding trust in science with Caitlyn Looby
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this compelling episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes Caitlyn Looby - scientist, journalist, and Great Lakes reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. From conducting soil microbe research in tropical cloud forests to demystifying scientific communication for the public, Caitlyn’s career bridges hard science and human stories. This episode explores her journey, the importance of accessible science, and how local storytelling builds trust. What you'll learn: How Caitlyn transitioned from academia to journalism The hidden world of...
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Mark Bonner on football, data, and the beautiful balance
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this lively episode of Data Malarkey, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Mark Bonner, Director of Football at Cambridge United. From academy coach to leading the club to shock cup victories, Bonner's football journey is anything but typical. Together, they explore the evolving role of data in football, the emotional highs and lows of managing a club, and what it really means to find balance between intuition and insight. Pep Guardiola's wild celebrations and Carlo Ancelotti's stoic eyebrow also make cameo appearances. What you'll learn: How Mark Bonner's career evolved...
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Turning data into desirability: Automotive insights with Nick Ratcliffe
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Recorded live at the DataComms 2025 conference in London, this very special episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast features Nick Ratcliffe, Customer Experience Director at Volkswagen Group UK. Host and master data storyteller, Sam Knowles, delves into how Nick and his team wield data to enhance customer experience, transform brand desirability, and prepare for the automotive industry’s electric future. With a career spanning leadership roles at BT, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, Nick shares his evidence-based approach to marketing, the importance (and scarcity) of genuine insight, and a few personal...
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Season 7 Greatest Hits: AI, Kindness & the Power of Storytelling
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
We’ve reached 51 episodes and wrapped Season 7 of Data Malarkey! In this greatest hits episode, host Sam Knowles shares the most powerful moments from a season packed with insights—from AI ethics to data puppets, from psychology and kindness to practical business transformation. Revisit brilliant guests like Sylvie Delacroix, Julie Holmes, Cecilia Dones, Robin Banerjee, Adam Davidson, and Scott Taylor, all of whom shared their real-world, often surprising, insights on how to use data smarter. What You’ll Learn: How to rethink AI through the lens of humility and uncertainty The...
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AI as an Intern, Not a Genius: Julie Holmes on Automation, Ethics & Human Impact
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this energising episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles speaks with Julie Holmes, entrepreneur, inventor, and AI advisor. Julie shares her insights into how businesses can make AI work with their people – not instead of them. She dives into creative automation, ethical AI, and the dangers of dabbling without direction. From her practical UPGRADE Framework to her “intern not genius” approach to creating effective prompts for LLMs, Julie delivers a candid, actionable masterclass on the human side of AI. What You'll Learn: Why AI should be seen as an...
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Truth Before Meaning: Scott Taylor on Data Storytelling & Business Impact
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, host Sam Knowles welcomes Scott Taylor, The Data Whisperer, to break down why data storytelling is the missing business skill in the world of AI, analytics, and business intelligence. Scott shares why he believes in Truth Before Meaning, the idea that businesses need clean, structured data before they can extract meaningful insights. He also explains why tech jargon is holding the data industry back, why business leaders don’t care how data works, and how he’s making the world of data more relatable through Data Puppets. What You'll Learn in...
info_outlineRecorded live at the DataComms 2025 conference in London, this very special episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast features Nick Ratcliffe, Customer Experience Director at Volkswagen Group UK. Host and master data storyteller, Sam Knowles, delves into how Nick and his team wield data to enhance customer experience, transform brand desirability, and prepare for the automotive industry’s electric future. With a career spanning leadership roles at BT, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, Nick shares his evidence-based approach to marketing, the importance (and scarcity) of genuine insight, and a few personal stories from his eclectic selection of hobbies.
What You'll Learn:
• How VW Group UK uses data to be ever-more customer-centric
• Why insight is more than just data - it's about action
• The impact of behavioural economics and marketing science
• Nick’s view on the future of automotive CX in the EV era
• How storytelling and science intersect in successful marketing
Resources Mentioned:
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