What makes great marketing? Our awards panel have their say
Marketing Week caught up with some of the members of the Marketing Week Awards judging panel to ask them the simple but $100m question – what makes great marketing activity?
Simon Carter, marketing director of Fujitsu UK
Great marketing for me is all about outcomes – what have you done to influence a business result? Great marketing is not (just) about fancy creative, or huge budgets – it is about doing something that makes a customer undertake an action that helps fulfil the objectives of your business – this might result in a customer wanting to find out more about your brand or product/service; they might change their behaviour; or if you are really lucky, they might actually buy something from you! Marketing for marketing’s sake is just not relevant in today’s fast moving commercial world…
Hilary Cross, director of marketing and communication at Macmillan Cancer Support
Fantastic marketing activity begins and ends with the customer – understanding them really well and being clear about what you want them to think, feel and do. Then you can engage and build a relationship with them using creative excellence that ensures stand out, and by delivering a relevant offer and a meaningful experience of your brand. At Macmillan we have diverse audiences – people with cancer, volunteers, health professionals and donors – and sometimes one customer can wear many hats. We need to ensure our brand communications are integrated, consistent and targeted so that, whatever the touchpoint, they experience one amazing Macmillan.
Sara Holt, vice president marketing, BBC Store
Great marketing activity pushes boundaries. It breaks into places you wouldn’t expect. It makes a habit of something completely new. It is disruptive, unexpected and imaginative. It uses the latest technology seamlessly and for smart targeting. Great marketing is hard work to get approved. Someone senior thought it would never work and someone wouldn’t sign off the budget. It is highly effective, creating records for conversions and considerations and sales. It is not expensive. It is noisy, well placed and shouts far louder then it should have.
Great marketing isn’t robust strategy and a 360 campaign. That’s a given. Great marketing does something else.
Pete Markey, CMO of The Post Office
We are living in The Attention Economy. Attention is the scarcest resource of the 21st Century. But it’s getting harder and harder to attract attention. Everyone is clamouring for our attention, people as much as brands.
Great marketing activity gets brands an unfair share of attention in a truthful and relevant way. It does this by delivering fresh, emotionally engaging expressions over a sustained period of time in order to stick in peoples’ minds and drive sales. The very best marketing activity today inspires people to invite others to pay attention to your brand.
