Speaking
Speaking is an extension of my writing - a chance to explore ideas out loud, learn from others, and share what I’m seeing as businesses grow and change.
Keynotes & Panels
I also speak at events, on panels, and at universities, usually around marketing, entrepreneurship, and the human side of building and leading organisations.
Event
Global Marketing Summit
Location
Istanbul (virtual)
Description
Delivered at the Global Marketing Summit 2025, this keynote looked at what businesses risk losing as they rush to adopt AI. Drawing on real-world experience, the talk argued that humanity - not efficiency alone - will be the true competitive edge for brands navigating the next decade.
The session was presented virtually, and the event attracts a global audience of over 55,000 attendees.
Podcast Guest
Podcast
A Life in Marketing
Description
A chat with two UK university marketing lecturers on the entrepreneurial path behind Giraffe Social and what “human-first marketing” looks like in practice - from culture and authenticity to why trying to “crack the algorithm” misses the point.
Podcast
Your Marketing Big Sister
Published
December 2025
Podcast
Your Brand Amplified
Description
A discussion rooted in the journey of building Giraffe Social, exploring why authenticity, trust, and human connection have become central to effective brand-building today.
Description
A discussion on empathy vs manipulation in modern marketing, and why human-first thinking starts with seeing customers as real people. Plus, a behind-the-scenes look at the messy, feedback-heavy process of writing and launching my first book.
Podcast
The Neil Wilkins Podcast
Published
August 2025
Podcast
Digital Marketing Podcast
Description
A great chat with Daniel Rowles about my claim that marketing is not working like it used to. We get into what human-first marketing is, specifically the four principles that form its foundation: people, authenticity, connection, and purpose.
Podcast
Social Media CX Podcast
Description
A conversation about why traditional funnels and customer personas are holding marketers back, and how a more human-first approach - grounded in real emotions, behaviour, and judgement - leads to better marketing in an AI-driven world.
Podcast
The Business Strategist
Podcast
Human Marketing
I regularly appear as a guest on podcasts, taking part in open, long-form conversations about marketing, entrepreneurship, leadership, and what it’s really like to build a business over time.
Published
January 2026
Published
September 2025
Published
July 2025
Description
An open conversation about what actually cuts through in modern marketing, from lo-fi content and customer psychology to the uncomfortable reality that being human now matters more than being impressive.
Published
July 2025
Description
A conversation spanning the story behind Giraffe Social and the thinking behind human-first marketing, including how frameworks like EMPATH help brands connect more deeply in an AI-heavy world.
Published
June 2025
Description
A conversation about how marketing has drifted into automation, shortcuts, and “lazy AI” - and why trust is becoming the real differentiator. We dig into the Pinball Method, the limits of funnels, and practical ways to put real faces (teams and customers) back into your marketing.
Published
June 2025
Podcast
optYOUmize Podcast with Brett Ingram
Description
A wide-ranging chat on building a business over the long haul - from starting and growing Giraffe Social to writing Human First Marketing - and why genuine relationships still beat tactics, especially as AI makes marketing easier to fake.
Published
June 2025