Marketing is in a bit of a funk. Many marketers lack influence in the boardroom, and responsibility for anything other than comms. The ‘more with less’ mantra has left many feeling stretched. Growth is hard to come by, but that doesn’t stop your boss demanding returns, regardless of how sustainable, and now.
It’s a confluence of circumstances that led Sainsbury’s CMO Mark Given, in his inaugural address as ISBA president, to declare marketing and marketers were experiencing a “crisis of confidence”.
It needn’t be this way. Marketing Week is firm in its belief marketers can be the difference. And make a difference. But some things needs to change.
That’s why the theme of Marketing Week’s Festival of Marketing this year is ‘Raise The Bar’. It’s meant as a rallying call come reminder. Marketers are in a unique position. The basics of marketing, aided and abetted by new technology, mean marketers could be at the centre of growth efforts.
But belief is one thing. The Festival has plenty that will help you grow your expertise, and in turn your influence and impact. We’ve brought together creative marketers, innovative brands and fresh thinkers to illustrate what’s possible.
Here’s just a snapshot of what we have in store.
Award-winning marketers on laying the foundations for growth
The aforementioned Mark Given, our reigning Marketer of the Year, has a huge remit – marketing, tech and data. Superficially an odd mix, but when you do as Sainsbury’s does – actually put its customer at the heart of everything – it makes sense. I will be talking to him about his approach to driving brand and business success, one that has propelled Sainsbury’s to a record run of consecutive growth, on the Effectiveness stage.
Elsewhere on the Future Marketer stage, Bupa Global marketing director Pardeep Duggal will be telling the story of the organisation’s transformation, and how it won Marketing Week’s Team of the Year award last year. She will illustrate how confidence and capability was bolstered, and how a new approach to marketing transformed its fortunes and the perception of marketing.
Provocation to think differently
AI dominates the business agenda, and at many conferences, but alongside stories of practical application we’re debating the big questions. One of them – is AI nothing more than a tool to save money? Arguing for this motion on the Transformation stage, Barney O’Kelly, head of solutions and product marketing at Alix Partners and Kyrsten Halley, former Aldi marketing director. The duo will be countered by Jellyfish’s chief strategy officer and Marketing Week columnist Tom Roach andRebecca Dykema, founder of The Future Works Initiative, who will be arguing the optimum state for marketing – as growth engine – can be aided and abetted by AI.
Elsewhere, the virtues of challenger brands will be dissected and debated by four huge industry figures on the Effectiveness stage – arguing for the motion “challenger brands are a road to nowhere” are NED and marketing leader Daryl Fielding and legendary creative director Vicky Maguire. Against, ‘Eat Big Fish’ author Adam Morgan and Elfried Samba, founder of the Butterfly 3ffect.
On the Transformation stage, the almost existential question Why should marketers exist? will be posed and answered by the excellent Helen Edwards, consultant and Marketing Week columnist and former Eve CMO Cheryl Calverley. Spoiler, there will be plenty that will send you away feeling very good about your career choice.
Practical tools to deliver greater impact
Our Masterclass sessions are a means to drill into the nuts and bolts of marketing. Email marcomms might not be the most lauded tool at a marketer’s disposal but for most, it’s one of the most consequential. The brilliant Beth O’Malley will deliver the dos and don’ts of email in the Learning Lounge.
Meanwhile, we have a treat. Three of the most impactful presenters around – The Marketing Academy CEO Sherilyn Shackell, business development consultant Maz Farrelly and Glow London’s Emma Harris will deliver a must attend 101 on building careers on the Future Marketer stage.
How to build confidence internally
How marketers can build better relationships with CEOs is much discussed. By marketers. Seldom do we hear from CEOs. Until now.AO.com’s John Roberts, Caffè Nero’s Lysa Hardy and PizzaExpress’s Paula McKenzie will be on the Effectiveness stage to lay bare what it is they need from marketers and why.
Three highly successful marketing leaders – Carwow’s Ben Carter, Monzo’s AJ Coyne and Saga’s Hannah Fisher, who all know a thing or two about aligning marketing to business outcomes, will be appearing on the Customer stage outlining a manifesto to “realise marketing’s potential”. Among the priorities? Marketing marketing.
Moving marketing from a subservient tee-up for sales to a growth engine will be the topic on the B2B stage for three B2B marketers who have a track record of doing exactly that – Georgia Burks from scale-up Allica Bank, YuLife CMO Lauren Berkemeyer and AMS CMOStefanie Nastouare on hand to give you the inside story of how.
Innovative brands employing marketing fundamentals to great effect
Guinness is a business, brand and marketing success story. A triumph of innovation, category management and marcoms, the UK’s favourite pint on trade is on a roll. But what makes it tick? Bringing to life his Marketing Week column live on stage, Richard Shotton will be in conversation with Guinness GB marketing director Deb Caldow to determine exactly that – what makes Guinness so effective?
Unilever is one of the world’s great brand building organisations. And it’s one on a journey. Albeit the fundamentals are still being applied, the means to execute are evolving, and quick. The point person on driving the change, Selina Sykes, will explain how it is using creators and communities and to what effect.
Nationwide is a rarity. A retail bank that people actually like. Kantar’s UK Brand of the Year has succeeded by going back to the future – a brand platform that differentiates and an experience to match. Marketing director Richard Warren and customer strategy director Rob Milligan provide the inside story of how.
And, as they say, much, much more – our opening and closing headliners Sir John Hegarty and the High Performance duo professor Damian Hughes and Spencer Matthews for three.
Marketing is a challenging place right now. The good news is there’s plenty of inspiration and insight that demonstrates what’s possible. This year’s Festival of Marketing features plenty of it.
Festival of Marketing takes place on 14 October at The Brewery. For more information, to view the full agenda and buy tickets, .
