The Sunny Side Podcast - Insights on Creativity, Marketing and Brand Building Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:54:51 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/918169 en-us © 2026 The Sunny Side Podcast - Insights on Creativity, Marketing and Brand Building yes 3df96d43-625d-5215-8aba-2ce65fa1cef8 Vasanth episodic false Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Vasanth https://storage.buzzsprout.com/9z8nxmrp2k167x3ejs3i4y2bf47g?.jpg The Sunny Side Podcast - Insights on Creativity, Marketing and Brand Building Google Gemini, My Gardening Partner Google Gemini, My Gardening Partner Can Generative AI tools like Google Gemini be the ultimate gardening companion? They can! Generative AI's utility in this field (pun intended) is limited only by our imagination. And I'm not talking about robots, but about the intelligence aspect of "artificial intelligence". We can glean lessons from this for whichever sector we employ AI in.

]]> Can Generative AI tools like Google Gemini be the ultimate gardening companion? They can! Generative AI's utility in this field (pun intended) is limited only by our imagination. And I'm not talking about robots, but about the intelligence aspect of "artificial intelligence". We can glean lessons from this for whichever sector we employ AI in.

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-18500167 Tue, 13 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0800 1643 full false My explorations of 7 Generative AI tools My explorations of 7 Generative AI tools I evaluated Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Perplexity and DeepSeek for their usefulness in marketing and advertising tasks. Which tools were helpful and which were less so? What were their varying strengths and limitations? Here are my thoughts.

]]> I evaluated Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Perplexity and DeepSeek for their usefulness in marketing and advertising tasks. Which tools were helpful and which were less so? What were their varying strengths and limitations? Here are my thoughts.

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-17506919 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0800 1062 full false Saudi Arabia throws down the gauntlet in AI Saudi Arabia throws down the gauntlet in AI On 13th May 2025, US President Donald Trump and an entourage of US CEOs such as Jensen Huang, Arvind Krishna, Andy Jassy, Lisa Su, Alex Karp, Travis Kalanick, Jane Fraser and Elon Musk visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took this opportunity to announce ambitious plans to establish the kingdom as a world leader in AI. This included the launch of the government-backed AI company Humain and partnerships with Amazon, AMD and NVIDIA to build an AI Zone. The entry of SpaceX's Starlink and Tesla's robotaxis into Saudi Arabia was also discussed.

By doing this, Saudi Arabia has thrown down the gauntlet in AI and challenged other countries (including my country of Singapore) to rise up. How can we respond?

]]> On 13th May 2025, US President Donald Trump and an entourage of US CEOs such as Jensen Huang, Arvind Krishna, Andy Jassy, Lisa Su, Alex Karp, Travis Kalanick, Jane Fraser and Elon Musk visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took this opportunity to announce ambitious plans to establish the kingdom as a world leader in AI. This included the launch of the government-backed AI company Humain and partnerships with Amazon, AMD and NVIDIA to build an AI Zone. The entry of SpaceX's Starlink and Tesla's robotaxis into Saudi Arabia was also discussed.

By doing this, Saudi Arabia has thrown down the gauntlet in AI and challenged other countries (including my country of Singapore) to rise up. How can we respond?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-17157934 Wed, 14 May 2025 20:00:00 +0800 757 full false My review of BBDO's new global positioning "Do Big Things" My review of BBDO's new global positioning "Do Big Things" Last week, BBDO, one of the world's most celebrated agencies, launched a new global positioning: Do Big Things. What's working well about it and what's not working so well about it? Here are my thoughts.

]]> Last week, BBDO, one of the world's most celebrated agencies, launched a new global positioning: Do Big Things. What's working well about it and what's not working so well about it? Here are my thoughts.

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-16744932 Thu, 06 Mar 2025 21:00:00 +0800 961 full false The right level of regulation for AI The right level of regulation for AI One of the most common conundrums in AI is the ideal level of regulation. Are we regulating it sufficiently to prevent the well-documented risks of AI such as copyright violations, amplification of human biases, and the extreme scenario of an AI apocalypse? At the same time, are we ensuring that a quagmire of over-regulation doesn't strangle this nascent revolution in its crib? That's what we discuss in this episode.

]]> One of the most common conundrums in AI is the ideal level of regulation. Are we regulating it sufficiently to prevent the well-documented risks of AI such as copyright violations, amplification of human biases, and the extreme scenario of an AI apocalypse? At the same time, are we ensuring that a quagmire of over-regulation doesn't strangle this nascent revolution in its crib? That's what we discuss in this episode.

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-16680692 Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0800 1324 full false Episode 14: The People From Beyond The Mountains Episode 14: The People From Beyond The Mountains My second book and first novel, The People From Beyond The Mountains, came out recently. Here are my thoughts about this climate change novel and how I went about writing it. Please get your copy from the links below.

E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C38C5G5

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BY81SNV

]]> My second book and first novel, The People From Beyond The Mountains, came out recently. Here are my thoughts about this climate change novel and how I went about writing it. Please get your copy from the links below.

E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C38C5G5

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BY81SNV

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-9158290 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:00:00 +0800 641 full false Episode 13: How To Make Others Build Your Brand? Episode 13: How To Make Others Build Your Brand? When Coca-Cola fans went to town with memes after Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a water bottle, it showed the power of a brand like Coca-Cola to inspire people to build the brand for them. Is it just a case of lightning in a bottle, or is there more method to fan-driven brand building?

]]> When Coca-Cola fans went to town with memes after Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a water bottle, it showed the power of a brand like Coca-Cola to inspire people to build the brand for them. Is it just a case of lightning in a bottle, or is there more method to fan-driven brand building?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-8812341 Mon, 05 Jul 2021 15:00:00 +0800 772 full false Episode 12: Does Great Copywriting Still Have a Place Today? Episode 12: Does Great Copywriting Still Have a Place Today? Why do we always need to go back several decades for the greatest examples of advertising copywriting? Has the craft taken a beating in recent years? Or has it simply evolved?

]]> Why do we always need to go back several decades for the greatest examples of advertising copywriting? Has the craft taken a beating in recent years? Or has it simply evolved?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-8050270 Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:00:00 +0800 673 full false Episode 11: The Crisis of Masculinity in Advertising Episode 11: The Crisis of Masculinity in Advertising Advertising's portrayal of men gravitates towards two extremes: Powerful alpha males and powerless weaklings. Why don't we have a more nuanced portrayal of men and masculinity?

]]> Advertising's portrayal of men gravitates towards two extremes: Powerful alpha males and powerless weaklings. Why don't we have a more nuanced portrayal of men and masculinity?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-5507110 Sat, 19 Sep 2020 12:00:00 +0800 806 full false Episode 10: What We Can Learn From Those Who Overcome Ageism In Advertising Episode 10: What We Can Learn From Those Who Overcome Ageism In Advertising Ageism in advertising is a topic that rears its head from time to time. What can older professionals do to shield themselves from it? What can they learn from those who have successfully stayed relevant in their 60s and 70s?

]]> Ageism in advertising is a topic that rears its head from time to time. What can older professionals do to shield themselves from it? What can they learn from those who have successfully stayed relevant in their 60s and 70s?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-5313766 Sun, 06 Sep 2020 16:00:00 +0800 819 full false Episode 9: Cultural Engineering Episode 9: Cultural Engineering A sneak peek into my new book (Cultural Engineering: The role of brands in a changing world) and the philosophy underpinning it.

For the full scoop, get the Paperback from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F6MVD12 or the E-book from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CXKRPMT

]]> A sneak peek into my new book (Cultural Engineering: The role of brands in a changing world) and the philosophy underpinning it.

For the full scoop, get the Paperback from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F6MVD12 or the E-book from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CXKRPMT

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-4905779 Sat, 08 Aug 2020 13:00:00 +0800 656 full false Episode 8: The Father-Son Trope in Advertising Episode 8: The Father-Son Trope in Advertising It's Father's Day. That's a good day to look at one of the most enduring tropes in advertising: the father-son trope.

]]> It's Father's Day. That's a good day to look at one of the most enduring tropes in advertising: the father-son trope.

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-4220090 Thu, 18 Jun 2020 11:00:00 +0800 511 full false Episode 7: Brand responses to Black Lives Matter - Purposeful or Lip Service? Episode 7: Brand responses to Black Lives Matter - Purposeful or Lip Service? Brands today know that they cannot be silent on social issues. Black Lives Matter is no exception. But are brands wading into the topic in the right way? Which brands are a shining example of brand purpose and which are just virtue signaling?

]]> Brands today know that they cannot be silent on social issues. Black Lives Matter is no exception. But are brands wading into the topic in the right way? Which brands are a shining example of brand purpose and which are just virtue signaling?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-4054331 Fri, 05 Jun 2020 21:00:00 +0800 698 full false Episode 6: The Changing Face of Healthcare Marketing Episode 6: The Changing Face of Healthcare Marketing Healthcare marketing has become a happening space over the past few years. What has caused this wave of excitement in a category that was not always exciting in the past?

]]> Healthcare marketing has become a happening space over the past few years. What has caused this wave of excitement in a category that was not always exciting in the past?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-3870269 Fri, 22 May 2020 18:00:00 +0800 784 full false Episode 5: Trendjacking Episode 5: Trendjacking A new marketing discipline has exploded onto the scene in recent years: Trendjacking. What's the best way to do it? Why are some attempts more successful than others?

]]> A new marketing discipline has exploded onto the scene in recent years: Trendjacking. What's the best way to do it? Why are some attempts more successful than others?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-3707162 Mon, 11 May 2020 15:00:00 +0800 785 full false Episode 4: The Gap Between Idea and Execution Episode 4: The Gap Between Idea and Execution There's a big difference between a good idea and a good piece of work. So many ideas get lost in the gap between idea and execution. What can ensure that the original vision comes to fruition?

]]> There's a big difference between a good idea and a good piece of work. So many ideas get lost in the gap between idea and execution. What can ensure that the original vision comes to fruition?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-3484981 Fri, 24 Apr 2020 11:00:00 +0800 647 full false Episode 3: Are Local Insights Really Local? Episode 3: Are Local Insights Really Local? We've often extolled the virtues of local insights in advertising. But how many of these local insights are truly local? Are universal insights masquerading as local insights?

]]> We've often extolled the virtues of local insights in advertising. But how many of these local insights are truly local? Are universal insights masquerading as local insights?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-3322459 Sat, 11 Apr 2020 18:00:00 +0800 681 full false Episode 2: The Symbiosis of Data and Creativity Episode 2: The Symbiosis of Data and Creativity Some people think of it as a conflict between Data and Creativity. I believe that Data and creativity can do wonderful things together, and the symbiosis can power creativity and the greater good.

]]> Some people think of it as a conflict between Data and Creativity. I believe that Data and creativity can do wonderful things together, and the symbiosis can power creativity and the greater good.

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-3138754 Fri, 27 Mar 2020 10:00:00 +0800 755 full false Episode 1: In-House Creative Teams or External Creative Agencies? Episode 1: In-House Creative Teams or External Creative Agencies? Kicking off The Sunny Side podcast with a hot topic in advertising today: Are marketers better-off with in-house creative teams or external creative agencies?

]]> Kicking off The Sunny Side podcast with a hot topic in advertising today: Are marketers better-off with in-house creative teams or external creative agencies?

]]> Vasanth Buzzsprout-2941159 Sat, 07 Mar 2020 14:00:00 +0800 745 Marketing, Advertising, Creativity, Branding, Brand Building, The Sunny Side, Vasanth Seshadri full false