Turn any which way at Telstra and you’ll encounter transformation. From the introduction of its T22 strategy, culling staff, product plans and pricing, to departure of former group executive for media and marketing and a significant executive reshuffle, through new organisational structures and Agile ways of working, the launch of 5G network and a technology overhaul, every aspect of the business has been disrupted.
RM Williams CMO, Mathew Hayward, isn’t one for sticking to a prescribed playbook for marketing. “I’ve never accepted boundaries and parameters of what was within my scope as a marketer,” he comments. “From the start of my career, I pushed into the realms of customer service, IT, retail and ecommerce, which are all part-and-parcel of a modern-era CMO at the very least.”
It’s taken effort and learning to get it right, but Google’s Aisling Finch says she’s now spending a disproportionate amount of her time “in people as people”. And it’s a mantra that’s arguably helped her drive a wealth of cross-functional collaboration.
2019 is Rip Curl’s 50th year and its founders wanted to tell their story and set the record straight on this significant milestone.
Bankwest’s Andrew Chanmugam is a firm believer in marketing as both an art and a science. “Marketing gives us a natural opportunity to balance the creative with the commercial,” the EGM of customer experience, who oversees brand and marketing, five customer tribes, three organisational chapters and line-one risk functions, says.
It’s a solid mantra for any CMO to live by: Practice company success first, and business unit success second. And at Virgin Velocity, that’s exactly what marketing chief, Dean Chadwick, strives to do every day.
Using data and research has helped cement some of the biggest shifts at Anglicare, from how the not-for-profit positions itself, to acquiring new clients and nurturing existing relationships, head of marketing and communications, Amy Lee-Hopkins, says.
During FY19, The Star’s marketing team embarked on an ambitious plan to create a zero-based marketing budget.
Every aspect of marketing has an element of creativity, ARN’s Anthony Xydis believes. “It’s this thread, along with an understanding of the audience, that connects the entire marketing function,” he comments. “Creativity should be recognised and championed, whether it’s through great use of data right through to a brilliant campaign idea.”
For Nikki Warburton, aligning a business around its customers’ deepest motivations, and ensuring this is used as a lens for all decision making, is vital to how marketers facilitate growth.
A big learning for Seafolly’s Adriane McDermott during her career as a marketer has been the way in which she needs to work with CEOs to build commerciality and rapport.
SATC’s Brent Hill is a firm believer taking risk creates creativity. “If you’re prepared to take a risk and do something a bit different, you’ll be creative but you’ll also get results,” the CMO says. “So find good people willing to take calculated risks.”
Vanessa Lyons is the first to agree any marketing looking to orchestrate significant change in an organisation may find the business moving slower than they want it to. But it’s vital to suit the pace of such change to the speed your business can handle.
Over the past 12 months, Freedom Foods’ prime focus has been shifting from niche FMCG player into more scalable territories. Spearheading this charge is chief commercial officer, Matt Vince, who has strived to combine brand building ambitions with solid return on investment.
Being intimately aware of your competitive strength is more important than ever for today’s CMO, Steve Brennen believes.
