New research by The Marketing Directors to accompany the publication of the latest edition of The Marketing Directors’ Handbook finds that 70% of FTSE 100 companies have meaningful marketing, customer or brand expertise at Board or senior-management level. Within the FTSE 100 companies:

• 0% have a conventional Marketing Director on the main PLC Board
• 11% have a CEO with substantial marketing/customer expertise
• 45% FTSE 100 Boards have substantial marketing expertise beyond the CEO
• 30% have a marketing leader beyond the Board i.e. on the senior management teams
• 38% have additional substantial marketing expertise on the senior management team
• So overall 70% have marketing expertise at Board or senior-management level

Background and Research Objectives

In 2007, Professor Malcolm McDonald conducted research that concluded that just 14 FTSE 100 companies had marketing directors on their Boards. This was widely commented on and perceived at the time to diminish the role and influence of marketing as a profession. We commented on this in Volume 1 of The Marketing Director’s Handbook. So we’ve now researched Britain’s FTSE 100 companies, to answer the question today: where does marketing expertise sit within the leadership of the business, and how far does it influence corporate decision-making?

Six Headline Findings

1. Marketing expertise is everywhere — but the traditional Board Marketing Director has disappeared

The strongest finding from the research is that 70 of the 100 FTSE companies have meaningful marketing, customer or brand expertise either at PLC Board or senior-management level.

The research identifies three overlapping forms of senior marketing influence:

• marketing/customer experience within the PLC Board;
• a senior executive whose principal role is marketing or an equivalent substantial marketing function;
• other senior executives with meaningful marketing, customer or brand expertise.

The picture is that marketing capability is not necessarily concentrated in a single “Marketing Director” but can be distributed between the CEO, Board, Chief Marketing Officer/Chief Customer Officer/Chief Growth Officer and other senior commercial or business leaders.

2. Zero Marketing Directors sit on FTSE 100 PLC Boards

Our analysis identifies 0 of 100 current FTSE 100 companies with a Marketing Director, CMO or equivalent whose formal role places them on the main PLC Board. This contrasts with the 14/100 reported by Professor Malcolm McDonald’s in 2007 (1).

The comparison is striking — and raises the question — why?

The answer lies partly in how corporate leadership has changed.

The statutory Board is no longer a complete map of corporate influence.

The marketing leadership function has not disappeared; it has increasingly moved into broader executive and commercial roles.

3. Marketing experience reaches the CEO

Our research identifies 11 CEOs with substantial marketing, consumer, customer or marketing-led commercial backgrounds.

Some modern CEOs started in marketing, brand, customer or commercial roles and subsequently accumulated broader operational and financial responsibilities. Marketing expertise has therefore become part of a broader general-management skillset.

The routes are diverse. At Tesco, CEO Ken Murphy’s career includes substantial commercial, marketing and brand experience, including global product brand management. Reckitt’s, CEO Kris Licht previously served as President, Health and Chief Customer Officer. At Burberry, CEO Joshua Schulman’s career spans senior brand, merchandising, luxury retail and chief executive roles.

This is significant because it demonstrates that marketing expertise can be a career route to general management and ultimately the chief executive role.

4. Customer-led businesses are the strongest adopters of marketing leadership

The sector analysis is perhaps the strongest corroborating evidence for the overall finding.

The FTSE100 comprises 16 companies classified as consumer/brand-led. 16 (100%) have senior-management marketing/customer expertise; 15 (94%) have Board-level marketing/customer expertise; and 100% have expertise at one or other level. This is an unusually strong concentration.

The result is intuitively credible: in businesses where brands, consumer choice, customer experience, loyalty, pricing, product proposition and competitive differentiation are fundamental business drivers, marketing capability is much more significantly represented within senior leadership.

The travel/hospitality and technology/media/information/digital sectors show a similarly high incidence of senior-management expertise.

At the other end of the spectrum, the incidence is substantially lower in sectors such as energy/resources and financial services.

Marketing leadership is most deeply embedded where customers, brands and competitive differentiation are most central to the business model.

Figure 1: FTSE 100 marketing expertise at Board and senior management level, by sector

5. The Marketing Director is becoming a broader business leader

Our research also identifies over 30 more senior-management marketing leaders operating outside of the Board.

Some have familiar titles: Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Director, and Chief Customer & Marketing Officer.

Others operate under broader titles incorporating: customer, commercial, growth, data, markets, technology and corporate affairs.

At Sainsbury’s, Mark Given combines technology, marketing and data leadership on the Operating Board. Also at Aviva, Cheryl Toner combines customer and marketing leadership at Group Executive Committee level. While at IHG, the Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer sits on the Executive Committee.

This reveals the changing nature of the discipline. Marketing appears increasingly embedded in broader commercial and customer leadership rather than always operating as a discrete or siloed corporate function.

6. Why has the traditional Board Marketing Director disappeared?

There is no single explanation, and our research does not establish a direct causal link. However, the structure and responsibilities of corporate leadership have changed substantially since 2007.

Boards and management have become more clearly differentiated

The UK Corporate Governance Code now distinguishes the Board’s governance and oversight responsibilities from the management of the business. The FRC’s current guidance emphasises that Boards should determine matters reserved to them while obtaining the information, expertise and advice needed to make effective decisions. The 2024 Code applies from financial years beginning 1 January 2025, with the new Provision 29 applying from 1 January 2026.

Thus a senior executive does not need to be a statutory director to have substantial influence over corporate strategy and performance.

Executive leadership has become an important layer between the Board and the business

Our research found a recognisable Executive, Management or Operating Board — or equivalent — in 86% of companies.

This is where many of today’s senior functional leaders sit.

A CMO, Chief Customer Officer or Chief Growth Officer can therefore have significant responsibility for strategy, investment, customer experience, brand and commercial performance without being a statutory director of the PLC.

The Board’s responsibilities have also broadened

Under Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006, directors must promote the success of the company while having regard to, among other things, long-term consequences, relationships with customers and suppliers, and the company’s reputation.

This means that issues traditionally associated with marketing — customers, relationships, reputation and long-term value — sit within the wider context of Board decision-making.

Thus, there is no requirement per se to give marketing a statutory role on the Board.

Reporting and governance have become more explicit

Large companies have also had to explain, through Section 172 reporting, how directors consider these factors in their decision-making.

Taken together, these developments help explain why the absence of a specialist Marketing Director from the statutory Board does not necessarily indicate the absence of marketing influence.

Conclusions

The traditional Board Marketing Director may have disappeared, but marketing itself has not. What appears to have changed is where marketing expertise sits — increasingly distributed across CEOs, PLC Boards and senior executive management.

In 2007, the presence of a Marketing Director on the PLC Board was an important indicator of marketing’s corporate standing. In 2026, that single measure tells only part of the story.

The evidence suggests that marketing has evolved from a discrete corporate function into a more widely distributed business capability.

The challenge for today’s Marketing Director is therefore not simply to gain a seat at the table, but to demonstrate the customer, commercial, technological and strategic capability to influence the decisions being made around it.

“Three decades ago, marketing was often viewed primarily as a creative or promotional department, and its contribution to business value was frequently misunderstood and under-appreciated. Our experience is that increasing competition and digital disruption have changed that. As markets and products become more commoditised, the ability to understand customer intent, use data and technology intelligently, build distinctive customer experiences and drive growth has made marketing capability increasingly important at executive level.”

“The modern Marketing Director is no longer simply a brand steward. They need to be a commercially minded business leader who can connect customer understanding, marketing expertise, technology and data to business performance.”

Guy Tomlinson, co-author of The Marketing Director’s Handbook

“There is a growing body of research into the relationship between marketing experience at Board level and business performance. We would expect the influence of marketing expertise to extend further as businesses and sectors become more competitive.”

“That is particularly relevant in B2B markets, where marketing has sometimes been less prominent than in consumer-facing businesses. Companies operating with strong sales functions, for example, can add significant value by bringing marketing skills into the wider commercial organisation — developing a deeper understanding of customer needs, markets and demand rather than relying on sales activity alone.”

Tim Arnold, co-author of The Marketing Director’s Handbook

Reference

1. McDonald, M. Professor (2007) Marketing on the Boards of FTSE Companies (researched using Companies House information), Cranfield School of Management (variously cited, though no longer available online)

Further information

The numbers behind the findings (PDF download)
The 2026 FTSE 100 results, definitions and headline comparisons.

Research methodology and evidence (PDF download)
How companies were classified, sources used, limitations and historical methodology

Download the full 2026 FTSE 100 Marketing Leadership Benchmark (PDF)
Full research, numbers and methods on the changing influence of marketing in Britain’s largest companies

If you have questions on our methodology or findings just get in touch.

Brand revitalisation is one of the most challenging tasks facing any marketing leader. It requires sensitivity to heritage, clarity of purpose, and the courage to correct past mistakes. Few case studies illustrate this better than Hull City AFC — a club approaching its 125th anniversary, now undergoing a thoughtful and ambitious transformation under Turkish owner Acun Ilicali, who purchased the club for £20m in January 2022.

Hull City’s journey shows that revitalising a brand is not about cosmetic tweaks. It is about reconnecting with your core audience, strengthening the product, and building a story that resonates emotionally and culturally. For marketing directors, the club’s story offers a rich playbook of what a great brand revitalisation looks like — and what it absolutely should avoid.

1. Heritage is the Foundation of Revitalisation

The Allam era’s (1) attempt to rename the club Hull Tigers remains a textbook example of how not to handle brand change. The backlash was immediate because the proposal ignored the club’s heritage — its name, its identity, and also its connection to the city of Hull.

Heritage is not a constraint. It is a strategic asset.

Under Ilicali, the club has restored its traditional identity, reinforced its connection to Hull, and embraced its history rather than rewriting it. Even the club’s website — now wearehullcity.co.uk — signals a return to authenticity and community.

Brand revitalisation lesson

• Brand revitalisation succeeds when it amplifies heritage, not erases it.
• Names, symbols and stories carry emotional equity that cannot be replaced by novelty.

2. Build on Strengths — Don’t Invent New Ones

The club’s new home shirt, designed with Hull-based partner Oxen, is a masterclass in heritage-led design. Celebrating the 1978–79 season (2), it draws on a period of pride and identity, while the away strip and third strip honour other chapters of the club’s past and city heritage. Personally, I prefer a shirt with a tiger badge – and thankfully that’s arrived in the new ‘away’ strip.

This is revitalisation through continuity — rather than reinvention.

The club describes the new kit as a way for “the city to speak”. And it matters: very few brands are lucky enough to have customers who willingly wear their identity. Football shirts are walking billboards of belonging. They create emotional connection, pride, and also sense of shared story.

Brand revitalisation lesson

• Local partnerships (like Oxen) deepen authenticity and strengthen community ties.
• Revitalisation works when design celebrates identity, though not when it tries to overwrite it.

3. Emotional Connection is the Engine of Brand Revitalisation

Hull City’s recent strategy has focused on rebuilding emotional connection with supporters — a crucial element of any revitalisation effort.

Examples include:

• Flying 500 supporters to Turkey on a Hull City–liveried jet
• Lower ticket prices for youngsters to build the next generation of fans
• A more open, enthusiastic, and human leadership style
• Proactive engagement with fans through supporter panels, Q&As
• Visible pride in the city and its people

These are not gimmicks. They are signals of respect, belonging, and also a shared identity and dream.

Brand revitalisation lesson

• When supporters feel ignored, they become opponents.
• Emotional connection is not a “nice to have” — it is the core driver of revitalisation.
• When customers feel valued, they become brand advocates (and even dip in their pockets in tough times to pay staff wages).

4. The Product Must Improve Alongside the Brand

No brand revitalisation can succeed if the underlying product remains weak. Hull City’s on-pitch progress, and promotion to the Premiership — despite FA restrictions on expenditure — has been impressive. Recruitment has been smart, targeted, and increasingly international (13 hires for the start of the 26/27 season).

The club has also shown courage in making difficult decisions, including changing managers at the start of the 2025–26 season to maintain momentum. These choices demonstrate a commitment to excellence, not sentiment.

Marketing lesson

• Revitalisation fails when the story improves but the experience does not.
• While brand is a promise; proof lies in the pudding or product.

5. Correcting Past Mistakes Is a Strength, Not a Weakness

One of the most powerful aspects of Hull City’s revitalisation is its willingness to acknowledge and correct past missteps. The Allam era’s alienation of supporters, disregard for heritage, and also top-down decision-making damaged trust and attendance.

The new ownership has drawn a clear line under that period.

Marketing lesson

• Revitalisation requires humility.
• Brands must be willing to admit when they got it wrong — and act decisively to fix it.

6. Building an International Brand Through Authentic Synergy

Hull City’s growing international profile is no accident. Ilicali’s ownership of Turkish media assets, and recruitment of Turkish players helped attract a significant overseas following, particularly from Turkey. Further overseas recruitment in 2026, from France, Greece, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Ecuador, Australia and Canada – will further revitalise the brand and extend global appeal.

This is not opportunistic. It is strategic synergy: using media reach, cultural connection, and player recruitment to build a broader and stronger brand footprint.

Brand revitalisation lesson

• Internationalisation works best when it is authentic, not forced.
• Synergy between ownership, media, and product can accelerate global brand reach.

Conclusion: A Club — and Brand — Reborn

Hull City AFC’s revitalisation is still unfolding, but the direction is unmistakably positive. By embracing heritage, improving the product, reconnecting emotionally with supporters, and also building international recognition, the club is demonstrating what great brand revitalisation looks like.For marketing directors, the message is clear:

• Brand revitalisation is not a cosmetic exercise.
• It is a strategic, emotional, and cultural transformation.

Hull City — now over 125 years young — is proving that when you honour your past, invest in your present, and inspire your future, the brand becomes more than a badge. It becomes a movement.

References

(1) Dr. Assem Allam was a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. Born in Egypt, he studied at Hull University in the 1960s, then decided to stay in the City of Hull. His business, Allam Marine, supplies and sells generators and he owned Hull City from December 2010 to January 2022. He also donated to Hull FC, the University of Hull, Hull Truck Theatre Co. and the NHS. He passed away in December 2022.
(2) History of Hull City kits

Ready to strengthen your brand? We help organisations revitalise their identity, sharpen their strategy and tell stories that resonate. Discover more about our brand revitalisation, brand strategy and brand storytelling services.

The role of marketing is to understand customers, create value and drive profitable growth by shaping strategies, guiding innovation and aligning the organisation around customers and their needs. Research from McKinsey, Deloitte, Gartner, the IPA and others consistently shows that organisations with strong marketing capability grow faster, innovate more successfully and also outperform competitors over time.

Why Marketing Matters More Than Ever

Marketing has never been more important to business success. In a world of rapid technological change, rising customer expectations and intense competition, marketing is no longer a communications function — it is the engine of organisational growth.

This article explains the true role of marketing, backed by evidence, and outlines how strengthening marketing capability can transform business performance.

What is the Role of Marketing? (Definition)

Marketing’s role is to understand customer needs, shape strategy, guide innovation and drive profitable growth by creating, communicating and delivering value.

The 7 Seven Core Roles of Marketing in Modern Organisations

1. Customer Insight & Understanding

Marketing identifies customer needs, behaviours, motivations and pain points. This insight informs marketing strategy, innovation, brand development and also customer experience.

Why it matters:

• Customer–centric companies are 60% more profitable (Deloitte) (1).
• Organisations that deeply understand customers innovate more successfully (Harvard Business Review) (2).

2. Market Strategy & Positioning

Marketing defines where to play and how to win — through segmentation, targeting, positioning and value proposition design.

Why it matters: Clear positioning improves differentiation, pricing power and long–term growth (McKinsey)(3).

3. Product & Service Innovation

Marketing shapes propositions based on customer insight, ensuring products and services meet real needs.

Why it matters: Companies that integrate marketing early in product development outperform those that do not (1).

4. Brand Building & Reputation Management

Marketing builds trust, distinctiveness and long–term brand equity — proven to drive profitable growth.

Why it matters: Long–term brand building delivers the highest ROI Ehrenberg–Bass Institute (4) and IPA (5).

5. Demand Generation & Sales Enablement

Marketing creates demand through integrated campaigns, digital channels, content and sales support.

Why it matters: High–performing organisations combine creativity, analytics and purpose — and grow 2.3x faster (McKinsey) (6).

6. Customer Experience & Retention

Marketing ensures consistent, valuable experiences across the customer journey, improving loyalty and lifetime value.

Why it matters: Customer experience is now a key driver of revenue and retention (Forrester) (7).

7. Performance Measurement & Growth Optimisation

Marketing uses data, analytics and experimentation to improve effectiveness and ROI.

Why it matters: Data–driven organisations outperform competitors and allocate budgets more effectively (Gartner)(8).

Why Marketing Matters: Evidence That Marketing Drives Growth

Across industries, research consistently shows that the role of marketing is as a primary driver of growth:

1. Marketing-led companies grow faster

McKinsey finds that companies that combine creativity, analytics and purpose grow revenue 2.3x faster than peers. Marketing is central to this “triple play”, driving customer understanding, innovation and brand strength (3).

2. Customer centric organisations are more profitable

Deloitte reports that customer–centric companies are 60% more profitable (1).

3. Brand building delivers the highest long–term ROI

IPA research shows that long–term brand investment outperforms short–term activation (5).

4. Customer experience drives loyalty and revenue

Forrester finds that improving CX increases loyalty, reduces churn and boosts revenue (7).

5. Distinctive brand assets drive market share

Ehrenberg–Bass research shows that distinctive brand assets increase mental availability and growth (4).

6. Marketing drives innovation success

The Harvard Business Review highlights that marketing–led innovation is more likely to succeed (2).

Together, this evidence demonstrates that marketing is not a cost centre — it is a growth engine.

The Strategic Role of Marketing in Business Success

Marketing is a strategic capability that shapes business success. Organisations with strong marketing functions:

• Grow faster
• Innovate more effectively
• Build stronger brands
• Create more loyal customers
• Outperform competitors over time

Marketing aligns organisations around customer value — the most reliable route to sustainable growth.

Insights from The Marketing Director’s Handbook

Drawing on our own work and research for The Marketing Director’s Handbook, several themes emerge:

• Organisations with strong marketing capability consistently outperform their peers.
• Marketing’s influence increases during periods of uncertainty, when customer understanding becomes critical.
• Many organisations under–invest in marketing capability, limiting growth potential.
• Only a minority of FTSE 100 companies have marketing represented at board level — yet those that do tend to outperform.

These insights reflect decades of hands–on experience working with CEOs, CMOs and leadership teams.

Examples of Marketing’s Impact (Client Success Stories)

1. Consumer Brand Strategy and Innovation

Researching consumers and developing a new communication campaign helped drive a nine-fold sales increase for a product in overlooked consumer markets.

2. Professional Services Repositioning and Communication

Researching and creating a new proposition and communications for a professional educational qualification inspired real growth in students across seven international markets

3. Childrens’ Brand and Marketing Strategy Development

Working collaboratively, engaging consumers and investing in professional marketing inspired a new brand positioning and marketing strategy. As a result this led to a trebling of theatre schools and sales.

If you want to strengthen your organisation’s marketing capability or clarify the role of marketing in your business, we can help. We work with leadership teams to build marketing functions that drive growth, innovation and customer value. So explore our marketing consultancy services or get in touch for an informal conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

These sources provide independent evidence of marketing’s impact on business performance.

(1) Deloitte – Customer Centricity Report: https://www2.deloitte.com
(2) Harvard Business Review – Marketing’s Role in Innovation: https://hbr.org
(3) McKinsey – The New Marketing Organisation: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/were-all-marketers-now
(4) Ehrenberg–Bass Institute – Distinctive Brand Assets: https://www.marketingscience.info
(5) IPA – The Long and the Short of It (Binet & Field): https://ipa.co.uk
(6) McKinsey – The Growth Triple Play: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-growth-triple-play
(7) Forrester CX Index: https://www.forrester.com
(8) Gartner CMO Spend Survey: https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/research/cmo-spend-survey

Creativity is no longer a soft skill. It is a strategic capability. In a world where markets shift overnight, competitors emerge from nowhere, and AI accelerates everything, the ability to think differently is a key business weapon.

Marketing directors sit at the crossroads of customer insight, brand strategy, commercial growth, and innovation. That makes them uniquely placed to lead creativity across the organisation. Yet many still rely on ad-hoc brainstorming or outdated workshop formats that generate more Post-it notes than real breakthroughs.

This long-form guide reframes creativity as a repeatable, teachable, commercially focused discipline—supported by proven creativity techniques, modern frameworks, and the structured processes outlined in The Marketing Director’s Handbook, Chapter 21, Creativity and Problem Solving.

So, if you want to generate better ideas, solve bigger problems, and lead your organisation’s innovation agenda, this is your playbook.

Why Creativity Is Now a Core Business Weapon

The pace of change has accelerated dramatically. Entire categories can be reshaped in months, not years. The companies that thrive—Netflix, Airbnb, Tesla, Monzo—are those that continually reimagine customer value.

History is littered with businesses who failed to grow, because they failed to see a problem coming or failed to think differently. Today’s cautionary tales include:

• Twitter/X losing advertiser trust
• Meta pivoting to the metaverse too early
• Peloton misreading post-pandemic demand
• WeWork collapsing under flawed assumptions

Creativity techniques help marketing directors anticipate change, reframe challenges, and unlock new growth opportunities.

AI has levelled the playing field

When everyone has access to the same data, dashboards, and automation tools, creativity becomes the differentiator.

Customers expect constant innovation

So brands must continually refresh:

• value propositions
• experiences
• content
• service models

Creativity techniques provide the fuel.

Creativity reduces risk

While counterintuitive, it is true. Structured creativity techniques help teams:

• explore more options
• test assumptions
• uncover blind spots
• pressure-test ideas early

Creativity is not a recipe for chaos or just a personality trait, it is a process of disciplined exploration.

Creativity Skills Can Be Learned—By Anyone

While creativity was once just the domain of “the creatives”, today it is a leadership capability. Creative ideas can be generated by anyone … simply using creativity techniques or tools and creating the right conditions for creativity to flourish.

Creativity techniques are structured thinking tools that help teams generate ideas, uncover insights, and also solve complex business problems. In a world where markets shift weekly and competitors emerge overnight, creativity is no longer a “nice to have”—it provides strategic advantage.

Modern creativity is:

• cross-functional (marketing, R&D/product, sales, ops, finance working together)
• hybrid (in-person + digital collaboration)
• AI-augmented (ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, Gemini, etc.)
• customer-collaborative (guided by insights and behavioural information, and to assist in identifying and developing ideas)

And marketing directors are the natural orchestrators.

The Three Core Thinking Modes Behind Creativity Techniques

1. Divergent Thinking: Generating Many Possibilities

Divergent thinking is the engine of idea generation. It asks: “What are all the ways we could solve this?” It as a process where “a problem directly inspires many new solutions.”

When marketing directors can use divergent thinking:

• Generating campaign ideas
• Exploring new customer segments
• Reimagining brand positionings
• Identifying new product or service opportunities
• Brainstorming growth strategies

Modern divergent creativity techniques include:

• SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse)
• Crazy 8s
• AI-assisted brainstorming (generate 100 ideas in minutes)
• Random stimulus (images, objects, words)
• What-if scenario generation
• Forced connections

Figure 1: Divergent Creativity Techniques

Divergence is about quantity, not quality. You want volume, variety, and velocity.

2. Linear (Sequential) Thinking: Reframing the Problem

Linear thinking is the art of breaking down a challenge and reassembling it in new ways. Thus it is both analytical, a source of insight and inspiration.

For example, by reframing a problem, or changing the conditions surrounding the problem, makes it easier to solve. In the instance of a challenge “to hydrate skin”, this could be reframed as a challenge to hydrate another part of the body,  whole body or another object . Or to re-express “hydration”, for example, as a exposure or immersion in, a waterfall, dew, rain, snow, sand, wind etc.  Re-expression requires each part of the problem to be delineated and expressed individually. Then for the individual elements to be analysed and recombined in new ways. 

When marketing directors can use linear thinking:

• Diagnosing brand problems
• Breaking down complex problems
• Reframing challenges
• Identifying root causes
• Mapping customer journeys
• Structuring insight development

Modern linear creativity techniques include:

• Jobs to Be Done analysis (JTBD)
• Design Thinking
• Insight laddering
• Customer problem trees
• AI-powered pattern recognition
• Re-expression frameworks

Figure 2: Example Linear (Sequential) Thinking Technique: Reframing

Linear thinking is the bridge between insight and idea.

3. Convergent Thinking: Selecting the Best Ideas

Marketing Directors can reverse convergent thinking to analyse a series of options and determine which is best. This is where creativity becomes commercial.

When marketing directors can use convergent thinking:

• Prioritising ideas
• Evaluating feasibility
• Assessing commercial impact
• Aligning stakeholders
• Building business cases

Modern convergent creativity techniques include:

• Impact vs. Effort/Cost matrices
• RICE scoring (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)
• Feasibility-Desirability-Viability analysis
• AI- assisted idea scoring
• Dot or simple voting

Figure 3: Example Convergent Thinking Technique (Impact vs. Effort/Cost Matrix)

Top Creativity Techniques Every Marketing Director Should Master

• SCAMPER
• Design Thinking
• Jobs to Be Done
• Six Thinking Hats (Edward De Bono)
• TRIZ
• Mind Mapping
• Insight Laddering
• Reverse Brainstorming
• Forced Connections
• Customer Journey Mapping
• Value Proposition Canvas
• AI-assisted ideation and evaluation

Many of these techniques appear in Chapter 21 of The Marketing Director’s Handbook, which provides step-by-step guidance on how to apply them in real business contexts.

How to Run a High-Impact Creativity Workshop

Here is a contemporary, high-impact format used by leading marketing teams:

1. Define the challenge

Be clear, insight-led, customer-centred, seek multiple views

2. Warm-up exercise

To break cognitive patterns, remove from day-to-day e.g. “You are a Martian, so what do you need … “

3. Divergent idea generation

Use 2-3 techniques with different group dynamics (SCAMPER, random stimulus, AI prompts)

4. Cluster and theme ideas

Group by customer need, behaviour, opportunity space or type

5. Convergent evaluation

Use impact vs. effort or cost matrices, feasibility scoring, RICE

6. Build, prototype or storyboard

Develop and visualise the top ideas

7. Assign responsibilities and next steps

Creativity without ownership and execution is theatre!

Marketing Inspiration

Creativity is not magic. It is a method.

Marketing directors who master creativity techniques don’t just generate better ideas—they build more innovative teams, more resilient brands, and more future-proof businesses. Marketing directors should rise to the challenge to lead creativity across the business because:

1. Marketing is a a natural creativity engine

Today, marketing also understands and leads:

• customers
• brand meaning
• communication
• commercial impact

Together with their (your) understanding of different parts of the business and culture, this makes marketers natural leaders of creativity.

2. Creativity is essential for navigating change

From multichannel experience, to product, sustainability and AI, creativity elevates ideas and provides the glue that powers change programmes and also holds transformation together.

3. Creativity is a team sport

No one has a monopoly on good ideas. Talent is everywhere, and everyone has some innate creativity within them, so use it. Modern creativity requires:

• cross-functional collaboration
• hybrid workshops
• customer understanding and co-creation
• AI-human ideation loops

Marketing directors can orchestrate all of this.

Further Reading

1. The Marketing Director’s Handbook, Chapter 21: Creativity and Problem Solving — a comprehensive guide to processes, techniques, and workshop design.
2. Mycoted: 192 Creativity Techniques — a rich directory of tools and methods.
3. IDEO: Design Thinking resources.
4. Clayton Christensen: Competing Against Luck (Jobs to Be Done). 

Product innovation is the lifeblood of many businesses. In fast-moving markets, new products can contribute over 50% of annual sales, though in technology sectors, this figure can be much higher. Yet, despite the critical importance of innovation, many products fail. Why? More importantly, what can you do to ensure success? Here are seven enemies of product innovation—identify and eliminate them to stay ahead.

1. Failure to Identify or Meet a Consumer Need

Research suggests that 75% of product failures occur because they do not address a real consumer need (1). This is particularly common in technology markets, where new features are often introduced without clear evidence of demand.

Even the now-iconic Sony Walkman initially struggled. Consumers asked, “Why do I need a portable tape player when I have one at home?” Only when Sony repositioned the product as a way to enhance mood and lifestyle did it take off.

To succeed, products must:

• Solve a real problem or create a new desire.
• Differentiate from competitors.
• Convert consumer needs into wants through branding and positioning.

2. Cultural Myopia – “We’ve Always Done It This Way”

Success can lead to complacency. Companies that resist change often fall victim to disruption—just ask Borders (overtaken by Amazon) or Kodak (slow to adopt digital photography).

To combat this:

• Encourage independent innovation teams.
• Involve external consultants for fresh perspectives.
• Foster a culture that rewards experimentation and calculated risk-taking.

3. Lack of Creativity in Product Innovation

Creativity fuels innovation, yet many businesses mistakenly believe only a select few can be creative. In reality, creativity is a skill that can be nurtured.

Try these strategies:

• Reframing – Look at challenges from a different angle.
• Breaking industry rules – Challenge conventional wisdom.
• Cross-industry learning – Draw inspiration from other sectors (e.g., how Formula 1 pit stops influenced hospital efficiency).
• Consumer co-creation – Involve customers early to spark new ideas.

4. Lack of Time, Determination, or Due Process

Product innovation is not a one-time event—it’s a process requiring patience and persistence. The famous Post-it Notes took 12 years from discovery to commercial success. Without 3M scientist Spence Silver’s unwavering belief in his “weak glue” and Art Fry’s application idea, the product may never have made it.

Best practices for sustaining innovation:

• Allocate dedicated time for brainstorming and iteration.
• Follow a structured innovation pipeline to test and refine ideas.
• Maintain a portfolio approach, knowing that product innovation is partly a numbers game, and not all ideas will succeed (2).
• Use agile methodologies to prototype, test, and iterate quickly.

5. Lack of Teamwork

While lone inventors often get credit for breakthroughs, most successful innovations are the result of teamwork. Collaboration ensures diverse thinking and strengthens execution.

Examples of teamwork-driven innovation:

• Apple’s iPhone – A result of seamless collaboration across hardware, software, and design teams.
• Pixar’s success – A creative culture where ideas are shaped by collective input.
• Virgin Atlantic’s launch – A result of Richard Branson’s ability to unite aviation experts, customer service leaders, and brand visionaries.

So encourage cross-functional collaboration to improve problem-solving and execution speed.

6. Lack of Brand Understanding or Vision

Great brands don’t just sell products; they create emotional connections. Understanding your brand’s strengths can unlock new opportunities.

Brand extension or innovation successes:

• Caterpillar – Originally known for construction vehicles, it leveraged its rugged identity to extend its brand into footwear, clothing, and toys.
• Sony – In the 1950s, the company set a vision to “change perceptions of Japanese goods worldwide.” Today, Sony is synonymous with innovation and quality.
• Mr. Clean (Flash in the UK, Monsieur Propre in France) – Initially a household cleaner, the brand extended into car washing.

A clear brand vision ensures innovations align with consumer expectations and business goals.

7. Lack of Customer Involvement

Ignoring customer input can be a fatal mistake. While some creative industries fear that consumer research “dumbs down” ideas, the truth is that consumers can enhance innovation when engaged correctly.

Ways to involve customers:

• Crowdsourcing – LEGO allows fans to submit designs, turning top-voted ideas into real products.
• Beta testing – Tech companies like Google and Apple rely on user feedback before launching updates.
• Community-driven innovation – Brands like Starbucks use platforms like “My Starbucks Idea” to gather and implement customer suggestions.

Engaged consumers don’t just provide feedback—they help create the next big thing.

Marketing Inspiration for Product Innovation

To drive successful product innovation, keep these principles in mind:

1. Establish a flexible innovation process – Adapt it based on challenges and market conditions.
2. Generate lots of ideas and let them evolve – Nurture concepts before dismissing them.
3. Consult diverse stakeholders – No single person has a monopoly on great ideas.
4. Use creativity techniques – Encourage lateral thinking to spark new possibilities.
5. Engage customers early – They can contribute to both idea generation and validation.

By slaying these seven enemies of product innovation, you can dramatically increase your chances of success.

For more insights on The Marketing Directors’ approach to creative market research, product innovation and brand strategy, get in touch.

References

(1) Cooper, Robert G. Winning at New Products, 1993
(2) Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), www.pdma.org, 1991. The PDMA found that ten serious ideas or concepts are needed to bring one product to market successfully.

The difference between an average marketing director and a successful marketing director is not creativity, digital expertise or communications skills. It is the ability to drive business growth, influence strategic decisions and create customer value. So, after working with marketing leaders for more than 40 years, we’ve found that successful marketing directors consistently excel in seven areas

What does a successful marketing director do?

A successful marketing director does far more than manage campaigns and communications. They help shape business strategy, identify growth opportunities, build strong brands, improve customer experiences, and guide investment decisions. Ultimately they also ensure marketing activity delivers profitable growth.

The best marketing directors operate as business leaders first and marketers second. They understand customers, competitors, finance and organisational dynamics, and use that knowledge to influence decisions across the entire business.

Seven essentials to be a successful marketing director

1. Successful marketing directors lead through influence

In practice, organisations and Boards work collaboratively to set and achieve goals. They also work logically and unemotionally. A Board will want to know WHAT can be achieved, HOW this can be achieved (and for how much) and WHEN. So, view yourself as a strategic leader, a member of a team, and set out to understand and support your colleagues. As a strategic leader, help to set the direction and tempo for the organisation with energy and positivity. All gives extra credibility to explain, influence, manage and lead.

2. Successful marketing directors champion customer understanding

The most successful companies on the planet are marketing-or-customer-driven. However, non-marketing colleagues often misunderstand what marketing is all about. Thus, initially you need to be a disciple of marketing. This means espousing the benefits of understanding customers, their needs, and helping your colleagues focus your business activities to meet those needs. To do this you need to embrace and encourage a way of thinking – from the customers’ point of view. Do this by employing research to understand customers; who they are, how they think, their needs, and what motivates them.

3. Successful MDs build the organisation’s competence in creating, managing and leveraging brands as strategic assets

If the marketing director is not leading brand strategy, nobody else will. Finance can measure value. Operations can deliver value. However, only marketing can define and build brand value. This challenge is not to be under-estimated because if colleagues rarely understand customers, their needs, and how to meet them, it is probable they won’t understand brands. So this is where you must lead, and can add substantial value. This starts with helping your colleagues understand what brands are, and why bother? How they add value to an organisation, and the implications in so doing. It also involves helping them understand the difference between products and services and brands. And the difference between rational and emotional needs and benefits, and how distinctive features and benefits, lead to more appealing products and services.

With service brands, it also involves aligning the activities and behaviours of an entire organisation behind a common goal and vision.

4. Successful marketing directors use their creative skills to solve problems

The fact that marketers are creative provides a springboard to use your skills to benefit the entire organisation. So get out there, and use your creative skills to solve pressing problems.

Creativity is about making new connections. And while some people are naturally creative (we call it right-brained), and some logical (left-brained), creativity is also teachable. It is also fueled by simple processes, for example, bringing together diverse groups and using the right creativity tools.

There is one further tip which takes no effort but amazingly works every time: sleep on it. There is a Darwinian explanation why solutions and decisions always come better after a good night’s sleep. So trust your instincts.

5. Successful MDs champion marketing technical excellence

Marketing initiatives usually fail for one of three reasons: the initiative doesn’t meet consumer needs, or alternatively poor strategy or implementation.

Marketing superiority comes from all of these things and marketing is a differentiator in its own right. So remember the devil is in the detail and pay attention to this.

This is particularly the case in the digital world. So learn and stay ahead of new technology, and understand what works and what doesn’t.

6. Successful MDs act as the eyes and ears of their business

Organisations today are awash with data but less so with insight, a clear reading on opportunities. This is because organisations are often compromised by their internal structures and cultures; “this is the way we do things”.

We’ve already discussed the importance of understanding customers, and that this is key to a marketing director’s remit. However, there are also significant opportunities in understanding customers and their behaviours not just today but in the future.

Thus it is opportune for marketing directors to act as your organisation’s early warning radar and external conscience. While others look inward, marketing must constantly monitor customers, competitors, technology and market shifts. So set up systems to gather and maintain intelligence on customer trends, competitive threats and market opportunities.

Also bring together and establish marketing dashboards to measure key information and monitor progress towards your goals. Then you’ll better see the big and small picture and better shift the corporate tiller to grasp new opportunities.

7. Successful marketing directors understand and manage customer and financial metrics

Every board asks the same question: “What return are we getting from this investment?”

Successful marketing directors therefore understand:

• Customer acquisition cost
• Customer lifetime value
• Market share
• Brand awareness
• Conversion rates
• Marketing ROI
• Profit contribution

The ability to connect marketing activity to commercial outcomes is often what separates future CMOs from career marketers.

The biggest mistake marketing directors make

Many aspiring marketing directors believe success comes from simply mastering digital marketing.

Digital expertise is important, but it is not what earns influence at board level.

Boards value leaders who:

• Grow revenue
• Improve profitability
• Reduce risk
• Build enduring customer relationships
• Create sustainable competitive advantage

The most successful marketing directors therefore combine customer understanding, strategic thinking, leadership and commercial acumen.

Frequently asked questions

The Marketing Director’s Handbook – A Unique Guide to the Role

Our mission is to help businesses everywhere better understand and employ marketing as a driver of business growth. In particular, to help aspiring and current marketing directors and chief marketing officers be successful marketing directors.

The Marketing Director’s Handbook is is the definitive guide for successful marketing. It is a truly unique book and structured to guide on all of the key activities that a successful marketing director and chief marketing officer must undertake. Throughout it provides insights and practical pointers that are easy to understand and act on rather than a compendium of case studies. Volume one is the original definitive guide, volume two focuses on managing digital marketing, and volume three focuses on leadership in an AI and digital world. The books are available as individual or combined editions. Keep them close for easy reference!

Read the reviews and what’s inside The Marketing Director’s Handbook. And find copies at all good bookstores including Amazon UK, Amazon.com, Waterstones and Foyles.

It seems that world economies follow a never ending series of boom and bust. Just when we thought global economies stable and productivity improving along come new challenges. First Covid-19 (2020), and then the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022), and all that goes with it, including the rise of energy and food prices. However, when dealing with tough times, and particularly recession, if you face declining or flat sales, how do you grow your business? So do you plan cautiously or aggressively? In all situations marketers have a key role to play and you have a choice to view your glass as half-full or half-empty. Here are seven pointers to successful business growth:

1.   Be more vigilant to threats and opportunities

Information is a source of competitive advantage. While tough times present threats, they also present opportunities – a lower cost investment opportunity here, or opportunity to take out a competitor there. Rarely will there be greater opportunities for a smart marketing and research department to prove its worth. So understand changing market forces and customer needs and provide timely intelligence and quality thinking to spot new opportunities. There are many ways to do this. Firstly, empower your sales team to fact-find, talk to, or research customers. Also track media activity on trends and what your competitors are doing; read investment blogs and company reports too. Then take this intelligence, and use scenario planning to think through how markets might evolve, and devise strategies to survive or thrive in each circumstance. This is something most successfully undertaken by Shell to address turbulent oil prices.

2.   Ensure your business fundamentals are sound

The most successful businesses are those that are the most customer or audience driven. So if tough times impede your sales, this most likely indicates a weakness in your offer which needs to be fully understood and addressed.  So first check your market share, and if that has fallen too, it suggests you need to do more to compete. However, whatever the economic situation, clear insights must inform what you do. Your startpoint is to ensure a strong product offer. Then with a sound marketing strategy in place you’ll be in a good position to invest and grow.

3. Reassess your product and brand portfolio

A consequence of the present inflationary times, is that mortgage costs are rising, and so are savings rates. But these changes affect people differently. Those with their disposable income under pressure will behave differently to those who are ‘flush’. For example, they will be more motivated to save money (energy) by switching lights off and perhaps going to bed earlier. Whereas those who are more flush may be more willing to invest for the longer term, by investing in low-energy lighting or extra home insulation.

Fast moving consumer goods are typically the first markets to experience change in buying behaviour. Those under financial pressure may shop around more, switch to cheaper outlets, and buy own label products instead of brands. Those who are more ‘flush’ may pay more to feel better.

The purpose of this discussion is not to predict behaviour but merely to spotlight the ease and speed with it changes. Your challenge is therefore to anticipate and understand change, and react quickly.

4.   Maximise cash

The trigger for business closure is usually lack of cash. As evidenced by the recent administration of much lauded battery manufacturer, British Volt which has just been bought out by new Australian owners. Of course, cash management is the responsibility of all, but as this is a marketing blog, let’s focus on what marketers can do. One opportunity is to devise strategies to bring forward and maximise cash flows, for example, by rewarding early payment. Another is to reduce marketing costs. So seek out more efficient ways to communicate. In a worst-case situation, devise ways to rationalise your team. View change as an opportunity to ‘right-size’. Consider what roles are ‘must’ and ‘nice-to-have’. Also, make sure that the right resources are in the right places and perhaps refresh the culture. This then provides a more robust foundation to on which to build, invest and probe for renewed growth.

5.   Don’t stop promoting your products but do be smarter about how you do it

Some studies that show how the share of advertising voice correlates with market share. There is also evidence to suggest that those who invest in proactive marketing during tough times are the first to emerge from the tough times. Also that they emerge the strongest. So optimise and promote the benefits of your products, and use creativity to maximise those benefits. If you focus on building your brand you’ll help avoid creating a hostage to fortune.

6.   Invest while advertising bargains abound

The media market is in a state of perennial flux. As the share of one declines, often does the cost per impression, rating point or click. So shop around for advertising bargains. Over the last two decades promotional spend has shifted to digital media, most notably, Google and Facebook. Often when data to justify return on investment has been sparse. However, their recent declines in advertising income suggests their bubble is bursting. As money shifted to digital, other mainstream media such as television and radio became relatively better value. New kids offering better value propositions such as TikTok have also joined the block too.

7.   But manage the risks!

Of course there are risks. But think big, and cultivate a mindset of controlled aggression to mitigate the risks. So test, and test your way from low cost to higher cost business building initiatives. Though only when you are sure that investments work, and have the metrics to prove it, should you invest heavily.

Marketing Inspiration

1. How to grow your business starts with good consumer understanding, and a good product. Then profitable product promotion.
2. So build your business, product and brand strategies on facts by using robust market research. Also make sure you your have processes in place to identify opportunities and threats. Then you’ll be better equipped to, and more timely in making investment recommendations to your Board.
3. Focus your resources on making sure your products are as fit and competitive as possible to compete in their niches. Because Darwinist fundamentals apply.
4. Then, when promoting your products, carpe diem. Take a long and short term view on payback, but make sure you earn more than you spend. To do this, don’t just follow the herd, seek out lower cost marketing opportunities. In so doing you will be able to grow your business while others are worrying or sitting on their laurels.

For personal advice and support on how to grow your business just give us a call.

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the lives of us all. And the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the Hamas attack on Israel also continue to rumble around the world. Many individuals and businesses are adversely affected through no fault of their own. But there is always more going on than first meets the eye. There are always a myriad of macro and micro forces that change customer behaviour, markets, and point to new opportunities as well as threats.

What are forces for change?

Sales of high heeled shoes fell dramatically during the pandemic (1) notwithstanding the staying at home, health and fashion memes that took hold. Car usage also declined without a need or opportunity to travel. And today, the sales mix of cars continues to change due to concerns about climate change, pollution and healthy living. In the UK, most notably, also due to legislation, extension of low emission areas and the associated cost drivers and barriers.

Pandemic magnification

Some shifts were magnified by the C-19 pandemic. And the biggest shift of all … to a digitally dominated world …. was also facilitated by smarter phones with increasing and lower access cost.

The shift is most obvious in retail (2). Whilst many retailers bemoaned the health crisis and gobbled up the Government grants, this merely diverted attention from their inability to anticipate and position themselves to compete in a digital world.  

Identify or face the consequences of shifting markets

Consequences flow from the inflexibility of Marks and Spencer, to the ubiquity of Tesco, to the profit squeezing of fund-owned brands such as Boots and Debenhams. Also the fall from grace of wheeler dealers who grew fat on the glories of pre-existing brands. All were further compromised by greedy local government making it more difficult and costly to visit any high street.

Marketing Inspiration

To survive and thrive at all times, there is a need to remain vigilant to both macro and micro forces affecting your business. Then, and only when, you understand the forces, can you figure what these mean for your future. This is key to devising effective business and marketing strategies.

Every force has an opposite though not always equal reaction. For example, for many the balance of office and home working changed. This continues today suggesting it is a long-term behavioural shift. Underpinned by an individual’s ability to save travel costs. And also to boost business productivity. There is evidence of increased staff productivity, as well as well-being and health. Businesses participating in 4-day working week trials concur! (4) So on one hand, expect a further shift to 4-day from 5-day working weeks and all that that brings. And on the other, expect more incentives to entice staff into offices.

While 77% of UK CEOS have increased their investment in digital transformation (3), we suggest you work out the best balance and inter-relationship between on-line and offline. Certainly there are pitfalls in managing marketing in a digital world as we’ve warned for years. However, they are only coming to the fore as evidenced by recently announced layoffs by the likes of Meta. Though those of you with longer memories will remember the Internet boom and then bust of nineties. So tread carefully and measure and manage promotional effectiveness across all media.

A counter force, as confirmed by our recent Buckinghamshire High Street survey, is that High Street businesses must pay more attention to the customer experience to win custom back from online. Some places, of course, already do this, and the likes of John Lewis, and many garden centres, for example, have long realised the value of combined shopping and eating/ drinking experiences.

Governments and councils speed or impede change too. By enabling a fairer or laissez-faire playing field between the High Street and online pure plays. For example, by easing High Street access, parking, reforming property charges, and taxes, shifts demand and supply-side economics. All is fair-game for the lobbyist. 

References

(1) Glossy.co (2020)
(2) A record 35% of sales were online (January 2021 – ONS)
(3) CEO survey (PricewaterhouseCoopers March 2021)
(4) 4-day working week trials (Feb 2023)
(5) Seven perks to entice staff into offices, BBC (March 2023)

Following recent profit warnings (2014), Tesco veteran and CEO Philip Clark has fallen on his sword and given way to an outsider – Dave Lewis from Unilever.

In this article and short video, Tim Arnold and Guy Tomlinson discuss what’s gone wrong with Tesco marketing, and suggest some issues and opportunities for Tesco’s incoming CEO to explore.

The Tesco success story in brief

Founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen, Tesco is one of the world’s largest retailers. In 1993,  facing more service-centric competition, under Lord MacLaurin, the original ‘pile it high, sell it cheap’ strategy was replaced by ‘every little helps’. This manifest in improved service as well as low prices. In recent years Tesco has been so successful that it garnered a 30% share of the grocery market.

Big is not necessarily beautiful

When you grow so big, growth in core markets becomes increasingly difficult. Tesco addressed this challenge by diversifying into new markets. These include new countries (such as the USA) and new sectors such as telecommunications and financial services. In the UK, Tesco expanded into new neighbourhoods by taking over small high street stores and pubs.

What’s gone wrong with Tesco marketing?

The recession years have seen the rise of lower cost grocery alternatives such as Aldi and Lidl and experiential or ‘quality’ alternatives such as Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. As customers migrated to these two ends of the grocery market the middle-ground has become an uncomfortable place to compete.

Tesco’s ‘every little helps’ proposition appears to have become increasingly insignificant and meaningless. The price proposition – just a little too uncompetitive and the store experience – just a little boring.

However purchasing influences have changed. There are a growing range of price, experience, personality-rich and digital shopping options and tools. Customers have also become increasingly ‘savvy’. There is more shopping around. The price of loyalty also appears to have exceeded a couple of Clubcard points. Whereby Tesco marketing once had an advantage with the Clubcard and the accompanying big data insights this provided, this now seems eroded. Tesco appears to have failed to understand and adapt to changing customer behaviour and desires.

In a video interview, Dave Lewis also says that staff morale is low.  In turn this raises questions about the relationship between the management team and front-line staff, the management ethos and culture.

The challenge for Dave Lewis is to trace and understand the reasons behind these issues.

Between the lines we suspect that Tesco has become a victim of its own success. It has lost its heart. The relentless pursuit of profit has hindered and not enhanced customer, employee, community and supplier relationships. Perhaps by unwittingly creating a cultural myopia. Compounded by an over-reliance on big data systems and analysis. And also prioritising revenue growth and profit over the best interests of customers, employees, communities and suppliers. The £250m profit black-hole due to the accounting of supplier rebates also seems consonant with a less than open culture.

Marketing Inspiration

1. There will always be a limit how big a brand can grow before the benefit of big becomes a liability.  Success is culturally reinforcing only to the point when something goes wrong. Then is the time to understand, challenge and redefine the cultural norms.
2. Customers are not all the same. Thus one ‘size’ no longer fits all.  However, markets grow by adding new segments so by understanding and revealing new segments could reveal new growth opportunities.  This will therefore require creativity and research to understand and tap into customer needs, attitudes and motivations, not just big shopping and purchasing data analysis.   
3. Over-reliance on one form of intelligence gathering and managing a business also risks myopia. Big data analysis is also limited in being just that – big data analysis. It risks ‘failing to see the wood for the trees’. It is also a rational activity, run by computers – with rational outcomes. Relying on rational analytic methods alone thus ignores important emotional drivers.
4. Customers are human. They have emotional needs as well as rational needs.  When Tesco originally introduced their ‘every little helps’ strategy’ this added an extra ‘nice touch’ to their earlier wholly rational offer. A new way of connecting emotionally with customers therefore needs defining. The value proposition also needs strengthening and sharpening. In particular, the brand needs to become more human, personality-rich and experiential. Humans and human common-sense should take back control from computers and data management systems – and thus deliver the brand.
5. Can big be beautiful again? There are precedents for success in Archie Norman’s revitalisation of Asda in the 1990s. Understanding customers and their needs via market research and then putting them first is a good place to start. The reward will be their loyalty. We wish Mr. Lewis every success.

Shopper Marketing; views from a small island

Shopper marketing started thousands of years ago. But in modern times it  emerged from the disciplines of retail marketing and trade marketing. It involves “understanding how consumers behave as shoppers, across different channels and formats. And also leveraging this knowledge to target and benefit shoppers, retailers and brand owners.”

Sub-titled ‘Views from a small island’ (the UK) this presentation was delivered at Marketing One’s Shopper Marketing Conference in Moscow in February 2013. It provides insights from one of the most competitive and concentrated retail markets in the world – the UK.  The video runs for 13 minutes.

Marketing Inspiration

1. It is often quoted that 70% of brand selections are made in-store, however a similar proportion of buying decisions are unplanned. To make wise investment decisions, it is important to understand the entire retail buyer and shopper journey. In particular, understand what triggers a consumer need, drives product awareness and consideration, selection, purchase, usage, loyalty and advocacy.
2. How much, and where or how to invest also depends on the competitive context, brand life-cycle stage and the marketing and promotion challenge your brand faces. So consider who is the customer? Also whether to drive awareness, change brand perceptions, reinforce brand stand-out or added-value? Or increase purchase or usage frequency or volume, gifting, or pre-empt a competitor?
3. Increasing in-store distribution and display drives visibility. So consider marketing strategies to do this. Should you be more trade-marketing led or more consumer-marketing led or both?
4. Devise and use qualitative research to reveal new insights and gain an advantage over your competitors. This require both creative and commercial research approaches.