The story of brand transformation for Lion Dairy & Drinks marketing and innovation director, Darren Wallace, began in late 2016. It was then the managing director of his business unit said to him: “This is the biggest smallest company I have worked for” and criticised the marketing team as “slow and unresponsive to the marketplace”.
Since taking up the marketing chief’s reins at Fitness First Australia 18 months ago, Matt Fletcher has worked hard to break down business silos.
‘Defy barriers to progress’ is Samsung’s purpose. So it was fitting the mantra also became the catch cry supporting marketing transformation locally, says Australian CMO, Josh Grace.
If there’s one thing Aisling Finch has taken from the COVID-19 crisis so far, it’s the need for vulnerability and authenticity in leadership. As the Google A/NZ director of marketing puts it, presenting to the global leadership team wearing a hoodie was definitely a first this year, but an important one.
In 2019, the Banking Royal Commission left Australians with distinct a lack of trust in the industry and CommBank. As CMO, Monique Macleod, puts it, the bank’s reputation was weak at a nine-year low. “We were a brand in reputational crisis,” she says.
“We must, must, must understand the underlying commercial aspects of the business in order to take an integrated approach and be truly innovative over a sustainable period of time,” says A2’s Susan Massasso of the marketing profession.
Data-driven decision making is growing apace across National Australia Bank’s marketing and product teams. But it’s by also gathering and providing context that the financial services provider will truly lift its customer game, says CMO, Suzana Ristevski.
It could be easy for people to dismiss NRMA’s $10 a month fire and theft insurance product, launched at the height of the COVID-19 crisis, as a short-term or offer-led incentive. But for IAG’s Brent Smart, it’s not only been a strong brand and customer vehicle, it’s the first time he as CMO felt able to influence product in a meaningful way.
Want a recipe for marketing innovation? Well how about a pinch of creativity, two spoonfuls of trend-watching, a one-quarter cup of design thinking and a big bowl of customer insights?
There are two skills GraysOnline marketing and ecommerce chief, Natalie Ashes, is convinced are key to being a successful modern marketer. The first is talking to customers.
Since joining REA Group 18 months ago, Melina Cruickshank has deliberately placed emphasis on being as transparent as possible with her team and making sure they know what’s important to her as a leader.
Marketers spend a lot of time focusing on efficiency and effectiveness. So while keeping one eye on both, over the last two years RMIT’s Chaminda Ranasinghe has put his other eye on the third E, experience.
“Finding the nuggets of gold in customer experience data” is vital to achieving innovative marketing that fills a customer need, says Monash University CMO, Fabian Marrone. Equally, systems and processes that allow scalability and consistency in message, motivation and action are a must. But don’t forget that third all-important ingredient. “Creativity will get you through anything”, Marrone says.
Loyalty and customer evangelism is driven through a deep understanding and focus upon every step of their journey, regardless of channel or level of relationship. Which is why Sweat’s marketing chief, Mike Scott, was so determined to foster customer journey building as a skill across his team at the Australian-born online health and wellbeing app.
Simon Cheng is the first to admit the period leading up to him joining the Menulog food delivery business was challenging. Consecutive quarters of negative year-on-year decline had seen morale and confidence in the business fall to record lows.
