Matt Walburn’s strategy for Superdrug is to stay ahead of the curve at every opportunity in order to differentiate from competitors. The brand did just that by working with YouTube star Zoella early on to launch her exclusive make-up range and in doing so tapped into her 10.5 million subscribers made up largely of Superdrug’s target audience of young female adults. Rather than being a one off, Walburn is convinced that social media influencers will continue to play an important role in the health and beauty retailer’s future marketing efforts, saying previously that the work with Zoella has “transformed the business”. He believes the activity shows Superdrug at its best, as the brand was quick to take advantage of consumers’ interest in vloggers and the move helped it “significantly boost” both online and in-store sales. Superdrug is celebrating the fifth birthday of its Health & Beauty Card this year and Walburn says “it continues to grow and be more impactful”. He has good standing in retail, having previously worked at Sainsbury’s, Home Retail Group and The Perfume Shop.