They say a week is a long time in politics. It’s also a long time in media. 

Thankfully whilst Boris has had another shoeing this week, we’ve been inundated with questions and bookings from inquisitive brand marketers and agencies about our new MAD//Masters by Rory Sutherland programme. 

So strong has been the response that we thought it would be a good idea to put together a handy guide covering all the essential stuff, such as:

+ WTF is it?

+ Why are we doing it? 

+ What are you going to learn?

Like all good stories, we’ll start at the beginning. 

What is it?

In short, MAD//Masters is Rory Sutherland and MAD//Fest’s hybrid curated course for disruption optimists and opportunists. It's been created for forward-thinking people who work for big brands, small brands or agencies. 

We’ve all been there. You’ve been sent on a training course by HR so you can do your job better. Unfortunately, this usually means sitting in a dull room and wearing a dull expression whilst a dull corporate trainer talks at you. The good news is that it no longer needs to be this way.

Why have we launched it?

In case you haven’t noticed, almost every aspect of humanity has been disrupted since COVID came into our lives. The shift to digital was turbocharged as we were forced to turn online for entertainment, work, shopping, essential services, and socialising, (let's just hope online dinner parties were just a flash in the pan). 

Much of this has been a headache as businesses, industries and governments scramble around and work out what to do. But for all the doom, gloom and panic, scratch under the surface and there are upsides and opportunities.

Changes in the way we work mean you probably no longer need to go on that boring training course. Better still, thanks to the fact that we had no choice other than to embrace digital in our working lives, we have an opportunity to learn and work smarter by combining digital and physical channels. 

If you know anything about MAD//Fest and Rory Sutherland, you’ll know that we share a sunny disposition. Things change fast but make the right decisions at the right time and your brand and career can reap the benefits of disruption.

Perhaps more than at any time in recent history, there is also fresh impetus to fix things that don't work properly, cut waste and embrace alternative thinking, ideas and practices.

Marketing and advertising is ripe for disruption and the stakes have rarely been higher as technology, culture and human behaviour upset the power balance, levelled the playing field and called traditional accepted marketing wisdom and practices into question. 

So MAD//Masters by Rory Sutherland is a collaboration between optimists, for the optimists. Whether you're an ambitious future leader, a CMO who wants to stay relevant or an entrepreneur ready to challenge the status quo, MAD//Masters is packed with inspiring content to help make sense of a confusing world and support you in making your own luck. 

For optimists and opportunists, disruption provides the perfect opportunity to gain an edge whilst the competition are still scratching their heads and wondering what to do. And who better than Rory to create a 12 week hybrid programme that’s been designed purposely to enable positive marketers to leverage disruption and get their brands and careers upstream of the competition?

Here’s what Rory has to say: “Whether you're talking about entire industries, government or marketing, accelerated mass disruption is a fact of life in 2022. The stakes are high for individuals, businesses and humanity at large. But play your cards right and disruption can be positive for the growth of your business and career.

“That’s why I’m extremely excited to launch the MAD//Masters personal development programme with MAD//Fest London. Using a hybrid mix of digital content, live tutorials and in-person meet-ups, participants can expect a curated interactive experience to help ambitious marketers adapt and thrive in the face of disruption. 

“The course is packed with my insights and observations on major shifts, disruption in action and future-proofing strategies, as well as interviews with founders and marketing leaders who are changing the future of our industry.

"Whether you're a CMO, rising star or agency marketer, I can't wait to learn together, exchange ideas and explore how we can all raise our game in the face of disruption."

Couldn’t have said it better, Rory.

What will you learn and how does it work?

'35 hours with Rory Sutherland' might sound like a Radio 4 documentary, but in this case, it's a curated programme of blended learning. Over 3 months, Rory will dissect the big shifts, trends and opportunities weekly in an hour long lecture broadcast on MAD//Masters platform.

You'll also get to attend a weekly live streamed seminar, where you can put your questions to Rory and dig deeper into the week's issues. 

So far, so digital. The other cool thing about MAD//Masters is that you get a ticket to MAD//Fest London as part of the deal, which will include  an invite to a private workshop with Rory. You'll get to meet your peers and do what all good students do after class - go for a beer and meet the MAD//Fest masses. 

By mixing online lectures and discussion with the immersive experience of live events, you'll get an incredibly rich resource to define what you need to do as a brand and individual to adapt, survive and thrive. 

The curated online and event content will also be invaluable if you decide to take our optional assessment. At the end of the course, you'll have a chance to have your ideas, strategies and plans scrutinised by Rory (marketing is all about being brave, right?)

Of course as well as the kudos, personal satisfaction and strategy-defining Insight, you'll get CPD points for completing the course. 

Can't make a session or attend MAD//Fest? No problem. The MAD//Masters platform is a nifty resource where you can access all of our content on-demand at your own convenience. We'll also give you digital access to MAD//Fest, meaning you can watch every session live, ask questions and chat to virtual and in-person attendees. 

 Interested? You'll want to know what the 12 modules are:

1. Scene setting: what are the need-to-know trends? How has the world changed?

2. Your customer: Have customers and human behaviour fundamentally changed? What’s driving change? How do you get closer to the consumer?

3. Competitive advantage p1 - Understanding the new competition, their mindset and the tools to outsmart them

4. Competitive advantage p2 - Defining your competitive advantage: what is it?

5. Creative advantage - How to elevate, accelerate and amplify your creative output

6. Brand advantage - The art of distinctiveness: how do you stand out from the crowd?

7. Nudge theory and application - The science of 'nudge': how to apply it your your market and business

8. Marketing strategy - Routes to market: understanding new marketing channels and fine-tuning your marketing mix

9: Agility - when should you pivot? Do Hyou need to be fast to succeed?

10. How and when to take risks - the risks that paid off, the ones that didn’t, when to pivot and the cautionary tales of being risk averse

11. Emerging innovation + trends - Getting ahead of the game: who are tomorrow’s tech disruptors, what are their strengths and limitations? 

12. How to be an influencer: how to change direction of your business + make people listen

So there you have it!

Places on the first course this May are filling up fast. And just so you can make signing up for the course a no-brainer, we are offering places for just £795 + VAT including the MAD//Fest London pass and exclusive workshop. You'll also get a ticket to Ogilvy's awesome Nudgestock event. Click here to book or register your interest here.