'Marketers Need Space To Pressure Test Decisions' - DEPT's Jack Williams

For marketers and business leaders there’s perhaps never a moment when understanding what it changing in the world is important to their business isn’t a challenge to keep up with, before they then begin to answer the key question – ‘how?’

And with so many apparent solutions and platforms at their disposal (for a steep price) it then becomes another task to understand which fits best – if they fit at all. It’s perfectly easy to spend money on the wrong thing – perhaps making matters worse.

So it’s perhaps a relief that one thing that doesn’t change in business is connections and turning to others who have been there to share experiences and discuss what to do next.

Recognising this ongoing universal issue, DEPT is to introduce Future Club, a private network for senior marketing and tech leaders that will be invitation-only, and run in partnership with The Marketing Society.

The ongoing initiative has been designed for executives making long-term decisions around growth, operating models, and emerging technologies. Rather than panels or public programming, the network centres on small, closed-door discussions where members can pressure-test decisions with peers facing the same trade-offs, often months before those shifts become visible across the industry. Topics will include LLM-driven discoverability, AI-native ways of working, and new service models.

Discussing the need for Future Club and what to expect from it is Jack Williams, SVP of growth for EMEA for DEPT.

What are the main innovation challenges you feel marketers are currently facing in their roles generally?

The challenge isn't a lack of innovation, it's navigating which innovations actually matter and where to place their attention. Marketers are being asked to make long-term bets on emerging technologies while operating models are still catching up. AI is the obvious example: everyone knows it's shifting the landscape, but the gap between experimentation and genuine transformation is significant. Then there's the pressure to prove impact faster, often with fragmented data and tools that weren't built for how we work now. The real challenge is creating space to think strategically when everything feels urgent.

Why is it important to still innovate and evolve as a business to achieve growth targets, even during a volatile economic environment?

Volatility doesn't pause innovation; it accelerates the need for it. When budgets tighten and scrutiny increases, businesses that evolve how they operate, reach customers, and measure success are the ones that find new pathways to growth. Standing still in uncertain times isn't conservative; it's risky. Organisations that grow through volatility are the ones rethinking their models, testing new approaches, and moving faster than their competitors. Innovation becomes the lever, not the luxury.

How challenging is it for marketers to find ways to share experiences and challenge solutions and why is it important they do so?

It's harder than it should be. Most industry forums are either too public, where real challenges get sanitised into case studies, or too siloed within organisations, where a fresh perspective is limited. In our research before launching Future Club, the biggest need stated was senior peer-to-peer connection. Marketers need spaces where they can pressure-test decisions with people facing the same trade-offs, without it becoming a performance or ending up in a press release. That's where the value is: honest conversations about what's working, what isn't, and why. Without those moments of challenge and reflection, it's easy to move fast in the wrong direction.

What makes community sharing and learning so powerful in the marketing sector which is always wary around competitive advantage and strategic secrecy?

The best communities operate on trust, not transaction. When conversations are off-the-record, and the group is small enough that everyone has something to contribute, competitive concerns fade. You're not there to pitch or protect, you're there to learn. The marketing sector moves quickly, and the challenges most leaders are navigating aren't actually proprietary. How do you structure for AI-native workflows? How do you rebuild discoverability when search is changing? These are shared problems, and solving them faster comes from learning with peers, not from each other. It is sometimes difficult to ask around these problems in open environments that why we wanted to create a community that valued discretion

What is Future Club and who is involved?

Future Club is a private, invitation-only community for senior marketing and technology leaders who are actively shaping the future of their organisations. It's designed for executives making decisions around growth, operating models, and emerging technology, often months before those shifts become visible across the industry. The community is powered by DEPT and created with founding partner The Marketing Society. Membership is global and limited, focused on leaders who want a deeper, more meaningful connection than what's typically available through traditional industry programming.

Why join and attend this over current industry initiatives?

Most industry events are built for scale: large audiences, broad topics, public forums. Future Club is the opposite: small, closed-door conversations with peers facing the same decisions you are. It's not about panels or presentations. It's about pressure-testing your thinking in a space where candour matters more than performance. Importantly, it isn't about one-and-done breakfasts or pieces of research; it is designed to be an ongoing community where you can drop in and out when time allows. The community comes together around key moments like CES, Cannes Lions, and OMR, but the relationships extend beyond those gatherings through a private platform and access to DEPT's global offices. If you're looking for a transaction, there are plenty of options. If you're looking for ongoing interaction, that happens here.

Learn more about registering interest for Future Club on DEPT's website.