In this inaugural episode of the Web3 Marketing Association Podcast, hosts Dave Wallace and Suresh Balaji are joined by Chris Clark, former Group Head of Marketing at HSBC, to reflect on the lessons of Web1 and Web2 and explore what Web3 means for marketers.

Suresh introduces the mission of the Web3 Marketing Association: to help marketers navigate a future shaped by decentralisation, community ownership, and new models of engagement. He outlines how Web3 could upend traditional marketing tools—cookies, platform partnerships, and first-party data—while opening new opportunities for co-creation, token-enabled loyalty, and gamified brand experiences.

Chris draws parallels with past seismic shifts, comparing today’s transition to the moment humanity moved from barter to money. He recalls the early awe of Web1 (“changing a car’s colour on a Land Rover website”) and the mobile revolution of Web2, before stressing that Web3 has the potential to rebalance power away from corporations and towards communities. For him, marketers must be the bridge between customers and corporations—representing users in boardrooms and shaping rather than passively receiving the next internet era.

The conversation ranges from the role of gaming and digital ownership to the impact of Web3 on sustainability, healthcare, and education. Both Chris and Suresh emphasise the importance of doing, not just observing—encouraging marketers to experiment with wallets, NFTs, and DAOs to gain first-hand understanding.

This episode sets the tone for the series: Web3 is not just a technology shift but a cultural one. Marketers have a rare opportunity—and responsibility—to shape a more democratic, customer-centred digital future.