Insiders Programme: James Hayhurst | The Marketing Society

About James

James started his career agency-side BMP DDB (now Adam&Eve DDB) as a grad trainee. During his time he worked on award-winning campaigns for Volkswagen, Channel 4 and the Teacher Training Agency amongst many other UK and international clients. In 2012 James joined Leagas Delaney as Managing Director running the London office, and managing brands including Glenfiddich, Patek Philippe and Timberland.

James decided to try his hand at client-side marketing by joining Unilever in October 2014 as the Global Brand Equity director for OMO/Persil, Unilever's third biggest brand and sold in 80 countries globally. James was attracted by the brand positioning of Dirt is Good and Unilever's commitment to sustainable living and during his four years James helped position the brand as one of Unilever's fastest growing purposeful brands.

Whilst there James was struck by what he 'didn't know he didn't know' when he'd been an agency MD about client culture and decision making. He also began to appreciate how alien agency culture appeared to many clients, and that they hadn't been given the instruction manual of how to 'operate' their agencies. There was an empathy gap on both sides that needed bridging.

“There’s a myth that great work is exhausting but it’s actually harder to produce average work that no one remembers. The real secret to doing great work? A great relationship. And in today’s industry, that long-term trust is undervalued but more vital than ever.”

James Hayhurst

Unlock the Magic: The Secret to Game-Changing Agency Relationships

Let’s be real—great marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In today’s fast-paced, hybrid world, agency-client relationships often get pushed to the back burner while teams hustle to hit deadlines. But here’s the twist: your agency relationship isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s the secret ingredient to marketing greatness. Think of it this way: the stronger your agency relationship, the stronger your work. When the chemistry is right, magic happens. You’ll see bolder ideas, faster results, and campaigns that hit harder and resonate deeper. It’s more efficient, more enjoyable, and yes—more profitable. That’s not just talk; that’s what 150+ marketers and agency pros we’ve interviewed believe, too. This isn’t your average marketing session. In just one power-packed hour, we’ll dive into how to set the stage for your agency to deliver their best work yet—and how you can become the kind of client agencies love to go the extra mile for.

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WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

What Really Fires Up Agencies (Spoiler: It’s not just about budgets—it’s about motivation, trust, and how you collaborate.)

Why Your Agency Relationship is Your Untapped Superpower

The Client Mistakes Killing Your Creative Mojo - We’ll show you how to avoid the common pitfalls that stifle creativity and slow down momentum.

Mastering Relationship Dynamics - Learn how to build a synergistic, friction-free partnership that brings out the best in both sides.

Your Role as the Catalyst for Great Work- Discover why you hold the key to unlocking your agency’s full potential—and how to wield that power effectively.

JAMES HAYHURST INSIDERS PROGRAMME SESSION INTRODUCTION

Persil's Critical Children's Playtime Campaign

Persil is taking on the 'shocking' social issue that children now spend as much time outdoors as maximum security prisoners in the latest instalment of its long-running ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign. It has seen the Unilever-owned brand claim a number of firsts, including the use of Twitter's ‘best of’ Moments feature since it launched last year.

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