Cause-led marketing could backfire on brands but it’s marketers who are responsible for pushing it too far
Helen EdwardsThe political activists targeting Gail’s have taken a leaf out of modern marketing’s book.
Helen Edwards
Why commission new research when you are already sitting on a treasure trove of insights?
Helen EdwardsMarketing’s most overlooked asset is the data already sitting in research studies, so take time to dig them out and review what you already know.
Great political slogans leave something to the imagination
Helen EdwardsIt’s difficult to boil down broad issues into a few words, but the best slogans offer promise while letting the public form their own interpretation.
Don’t let collaboration turn to confusion
Helen EdwardsWhile many are in favour of collaboration and consensus over command and control when it comes to leadership, there are some serious watch-outs to consider.
It’s time to break down your brand and build it back up
Helen EdwardsFollow British Airways’ example: for every new ad you make, identify at least one customer experience improvement to go with it.
The C-suite is missing the chief creative officer
Helen EdwardsCompanies only truly value creativity when it’s their product, but most would benefit from a chief creative officer’s honesty and defiance of convention.
Big is beautiful: Think like a mass marketer, not a startup
Helen EdwardsStartups may be nimble and free to take risks, but that’s because they have to be. There are far more benefits to having the resources of a big brand.
Make this the year you innovate
Helen EdwardsCompeting priorities will hold you back in this time of budget pressure and economic stagnation, so focus only on creating an offer that meets customer needs.
The big winners of 2023… according to Helen Edwards
Helen EdwardsAs the year comes to a close, our columnist announces her ‘award’ winners for 2023.
It’s time The Body Shop became exciting as well as ethical
Helen EdwardsThe Body Shop pioneered ethical beauty, but that positioning is no longer unique and its owners need to inject life into the brand to arrest its decline.
Too often marketers forget their customers are people, not ‘targets’
Helen EdwardsBrands’ internal language dehumanises customers and lacks respect, which risks causing costly errors as with NatWest’s treatment of Nigel Farage.
Scientific findings should be replicated somewhere other than PowerPoint
Helen EdwardsMarketers too readily accept and share the findings of behavioural ‘science’, when they should be demanding the sources and challenging the contexts.
Being exceptional at what you do makes you a good hire at any age
Helen EdwardsIt doesn’t matter what age you are, the only way to be in demand is to excel at what you do.
As Iceland shows, aspiration should be open to all
Helen EdwardsAll brands want to be aspirational. Only premium brands usually achieve it, but Iceland is one of the few that make it accessible to low-income consumers.
Three good things that become terrible when marketers combine them
Helen EdwardsLike toxic interactions in medicine, each one alone can improve your team’s work, but taken together they will kill your productivity and decision-making.
The regalia of being a national treasure weighs John Lewis down
Helen EdwardsFar from being beneficial, the retailer’s perceived status a British institution limits its ambition – just look at what Britishness stands for today.
Marketers have the best view of how brands can achieve their ethical goals
Helen EdwardsThe average marketer can’t determine a brand’s ethical values, but is best placed of all to see the risks and opportunities of putting them into practice.
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