When marketing fashions change, focus on the timeless classics that never go out of style
Secret MarketerThe core fundamentals of marketing will not change so in times of flux learn the ideas and frameworks that have stood the test of time.
Something is wrong with marketing’s reputation if even the IT team makes fun of us
Secret MarketerA new week, a new Secret Marketer. I’m secretly hoping to be just as good as my predecessor. With a bit of luck, I’ll be able to match the weekly insights that helped me realise I’m not on my own here.
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A CMO’s ‘Hierarchy of needs’
Secret MarketerThis is an auspicious week, as after four years and 204 columns, this Secret Marketer is going to emulate his heroes, Dr Who, James Bond and the Stig and metamorphose into a new Secret Marketer – this is the last article to be penned by yours truly.
How to make yourself indispensable in the boardroom
Secret MarketerBelieve it or not this is my 200th column as the Secret Marketer. I certainly don’t know where the past four years have gone, nor how I have managed to come up with 200 different experiences to share with you – such is the diversity of being a client marketer.
It can be difficult to change buying behaviour, even after a crisis such as VW’s scandal
Secret MarketerWe may want to be seen to be pure and virtuous but it can take a lot to change buying behaviour on the back of a crisis – even one the size of VW’s scandal.
Schools need to keep up with the evolving needs of brand owners
Secret MarketerAs the champagne corks are cleared off front lawns and the tissue boxes replenished, it is perhaps worth analysing the recent A-level results and what they mean for the marketing industry.
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Understand and respect others’ roles, but don’t waste time trying to be them
Secret MarketerIt is a time of great change within my company and it’s a chance for everyone to focus on their strengths and remember why they were selected in the first place.
A great leader will respect and listen to the experts around them
Secret MarketerLeadership isn’t just about being confident in your own decisions, but also about trusting your colleagues and allowing them to do the jobs they specialise in.
Applying for a job is like launching a new campaign in that you first need a plan
Secret MarketerYour Secret Marketer is moving onwards and either upwards or, if I play my cards badly, outwards. One thing that most client marketers will relate to is that as soon as someone has understood how to do their job, the rug is pulled from under them and a major restructure ensues. And that has happened at ‘Brand Secret’ this week.
Kevin Pietersen is proof that being brilliant isn’t always enough
Secret MarketerBoth former politician Ed Balls and former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen have found themselves unwanted in their respective fields, despite having dedicated most of their lives to their careers. Not so long ago, both were the darlings of their industries and no one would have imagined they would fall from favour so quickly.
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All-day meetings and constant emails… welcome to life at the top of marketing
Secret MarketerLife at the top of the marketing ladder isn’t all that it seems.
Being creative in a long-distance team where direct engagement is vital isn’t easy
Secret MarketerIn a world where flexibility of working is encouraged, we need to remember that marketing is still a people business and creativity demands direct engagement.
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If we don’t ensure personal accountability, an entire team can fail
Secret MarketerIt is the time of the year when many businesses look at their financial performance over the past 12 months and decide whether to pay bonuses.
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Diversity is a huge benefit to any team, so it was a shock to see our all white creative
Secret MarketerThis week I had to deal with a very delicate subject that involved a matter that it is dear to my heart – diversity in the workplace.
Procurement with its robotic emotions has curbed creativity in B2B marketing
Secret MarketerThis week, I was asked for my opinion on ‘emotional engagement’ within business-to-business marketing. In my opinion it’s procurement that stands in our way.