Helen Edwards: It’s midlife consumers who most need brands’ love
Marketers could do worse than reflect on both the substantive and affective trials of those aged 35 to 55 and find ways to contribute positively to both.
Helen Edwards: It takes courage to push back against consensus
Disagreeing with someone on Twitter is one thing but calling out a colleague’s way of thinking takes a lot more courage.
Helen Edwards: Use technology to show more humanity, not less
Marketers need to get involved in conversations around technology to ensure it is put to use in a meaningful way that will enhance consumers’ experience rather than leave them feeling cold.
Helen Edwards: Creative teams often suffer from the same three blind spots
From identikit ads for small businesses to the same outdated image of the over-60s, creatives need to look beyond the obvious and stop falling into the same old traps.
Helen Edwards: The marketing discourse is sorely lacking in respect – let’s change that in 2019
Covert insults in research groups, demeaning consumer descriptors and polarisation in the workplace are creating an out-dated and churlish impression of the industry, which if not addressed will be to its detriment.
Helen Edwards: It’s riskier to be too slow than too fast
CEOs might be making difficult demands of marketers to be more agile and entrepreneurial but they are right that marketing needs to move beyond its traditional plate-tectonic pace of progress.
Helen Edwards: Unless you’re ahead of the consumer, you can’t be ahead of the competition
To create long-term, sustainable growth, brands need to stay ahead of the game by creating products and services consumers don’t even know they need yet.
Helen Edwards: The best marketers know how to link theory with practice
The best marketing practitioners develop strategies based on sound theory, but they are pragmatists when it comes to driving it through.
Ben Davis: Personalisation is not the end-game of marketing
Brands must avoid getting carried away with personalisation because while it can help improve the customer experience it isn’t the be all and end all it is often billed as.
The news rules of segmentation: Demographics in decline and rethinking tired stereotypes
Marketing Week Explores: Marketers are moving away from demographic segmentation in favour of behaviour, life stage and attitude, but many are still failing to effectively reach the over-50s market.
Try This: Don’t recruit yourself
Marketing Week columnist Thomas Barta offers quick, practical tips to help marketers solve perennial problems and become better leaders.
Three brands, three strategies: Will any put the fizz back into lager sales?
As the lager market continues to struggle, Foster’s, Carlsberg and Carling are each taking a different approach to boost sales and save the category.
