Welcome to episode 176. This episode is for anyone who has ever pitched against a much bigger agency or perhaps works on a brand that people tend to underestimate.
David Meikle is a business consultant, intermediary, and author. Following leadership roles at Grey Advertising, Ogilvy London, and as Head of Country for Ogilvy Russia, he founded his consultancy in 2009. He is the author of How to Buy a Gorilla (LID 2017), cited as the ultimate book for how to strategically source agency services. And Tuning Up (Lishakill 2023) a practical relationship guide to improving performance and reducing stress in advertising and marketing. David lives in Oxfordshire with his wife, their son, and two whippets.
Richard Temple is Chief Executive Officer of JAA Media. Having joined the agency as an Account Executive in 1999, he became CEO in 2020. Over a career spanning more than thirty years in media and marketing, Richard has advised organisations ranging from established market leaders to ambitious brands that might be considered underdogs. He has developed a particular admiration for those that consistently outperform expectations and has spent much of his career helping them do exactly that. Richard lives in Hertfordshire with his wife where he coaches for Bishop’s Stortford Hockey Club and is a Trustee for Hockerill Sports Trust.
Together, David and Richard have written 'The Underdog Advantage: Secrets for marketing success that flip the odds in your favour’, released in November 2026. Written for business leaders, marketers, entrepreneurs, and agencies facing the increasingly familiar challenge of achieving more with less, The Underdog Advantage argues that an underdog is a label applied to an underestimated competitor because conventional thinking can't understand how they could compete successfully. It's a label for the dark horse or the unknown quantity.
In this episode, we chat about:
- why underdogs rarely win by copying the market leader
- what we've lost by hiding behind email
- how to talk to clients about risk
Between them bring decades of agency experience, and so much of their advice is practical for account managers. One of the things that stood out is that conviction comes from knowledge. Read widely, know what wins at the IPA Effectiveness Awards, and you'll be able to stand behind your recommendation when a client pushes back.
Shownote links:
The Underdog Advantage: http://www.theunderdogadvantage.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtemple1/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-meikle-6194405/
JAA Media LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/19988723
IPA Effectiveness Award winners 2026: https://ipa.co.uk/awards-events/effectiveness-awardsv1/winners-2026
How agency owners can work with me:
If account growth feels inconsistent, I’m running Account Growth Diagnostic sessions this autumn to find out what’s working and unpick what isn’t before you turn to team training. Details are here.
