As the furlough scheme comes to an end, the realities of the impact of Covid-19 on the economy and jobs is becoming ever clearer. In our new series, our secret marketer takes us behind the scenes to offer some catharsis and lessons on what to do if you find yourself made redundant.
The core fundamentals of marketing will not change so in times of flux learn the ideas and frameworks that have stood the test of time.
A 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.
This 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.
Believe 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.
We 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.
As 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.
It 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.
Leadership 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.
Your 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.
Both 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.
Life at the top of the marketing ladder isn’t all that it seems.
In a world where flexibility of working is encouraged, we need to remember that marketing is still a people business and creativity demands direct engagement.
It 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.
This 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.