Podcast Summary
Personal brand and side projects: Having unique experiences and giving back to the industry through side projects and volunteer work can contribute to a strong personal brand and professional success.
Having a strong personal brand and engaging in side projects or activities outside of your day job can make a significant impact on your professional growth and success. Rebecca Hurst, the CMO of EY and the winner of the Brand Finance Strongest UK Brand, shared her experience of transitioning from B to C to B industries and how her side hustles and volunteer work contributed to her winning the top marketing awards. She emphasized that having a unique story and giving back to the industry can set you apart from other capable professionals. Additionally, Hurst discussed the importance of taking risks and stepping out of comfort zones, such as delivering a TED talk without notes, which opened doors for her and helped her develop new skills. Overall, Hurst's insights highlight the value of having a strong personal brand and continually seeking opportunities for growth and learning.
Challenging the status quo: Challenging the status quo can lead to personal and professional growth. Authenticity, diversity, and good mentors are essential for success. Trust yourself, embrace opportunities, and make a positive impact.
Having the courage to speak up and challenge the status quo can lead to significant personal and professional growth. The speaker in this discussion learned valuable lessons from various experiences, including presenting at TED and working at Samsung. At TED, she discovered the importance of connecting with the audience and being authentic on stage. At Samsung, she identified the need for diversity in decision-making roles and seized the opportunity to make a difference. Another key takeaway is the importance of finding good mentors and aligning personal passions with professional goals. The speaker's career progression was driven by her innate love for innovation and her determination to make a difference, even in the face of challenges. Ultimately, her experiences taught her to trust herself, embrace opportunities, and make a positive impact in her industry.
Neglected Brands: Focusing on neglected or undervalued brands can lead to significant impact and innovation, allowing for more freedom and the ability to execute new ideas.
Identifying and focusing on neglected or undervalued brands can lead to significant impact and innovation. The speaker's experience at Britvic, where they managed lesser-known brands like Lipton, IST, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade, showcased the potential for growth and creativity in these brands. This approach allowed for more freedom and the ability to execute new ideas, which was a departure from the traditional focus on established, high-performing brands. The speaker's success in this area was exemplified by their ability to create successful brands from idea to in-store execution, even if the initial sales were modest. This counter-cultural approach required a shift in mindset and a willingness to invest in and nurture these brands, ultimately leading to significant growth and innovation.
B2B marketing long-term investment: B2B marketing requires a long-term investment with consistent efforts for compounding returns, patience for longer sales cycles, and understanding unique challenges.
Marketing, especially in a B2B context, is a long-term investment with compounding effects. The speaker shared her experience of transitioning from FMCG and tech marketing to B2B, where she discovered the importance of staying in a role long enough to see the returns on marketing efforts. She noted that in B2B, the purchase cycle is longer, and the impact of marketing is not immediately visible. Instead, it builds on itself over time, requiring patience and consistent investment. The speaker also emphasized the importance of understanding the unique challenges of B2B marketing, such as proving the value of marketing efforts and navigating longer sales cycles. Despite these challenges, she found the experience rewarding, as she was able to make a significant impact on the business and learn new skills. Overall, the speaker's story highlights the importance of a long-term perspective in marketing, particularly in B2B, and the value of staying the course to see the compounding effects of marketing efforts.
Compounding impact of consistent efforts: Consistent efforts in business relationships and marketing strategies lead to significant long-term impact. Precision, one-on-one communication, and simplifying complex offerings are crucial in B2B marketing. Influencing large organizations requires partnership, collaboration, and understanding specific client problems to demonstrate expertise.
The concept of compounding, whether it's in business relationships or marketing strategies, holds significant value. The speaker emphasized the importance of understanding the long-term impact of consistent efforts and relationships, using the example of Yorkshire Tea's success due to their stable management team. In B2B marketing, precision and one-on-one communication are crucial, and simplifying complex offerings is essential. The speaker shared her experience of simplifying System 1's products and services by focusing on their core offerings. Influencing large organizations requires partnership and collaboration, and marketing's role is to bridge the gap between data and customer needs. The speaker emphasized the importance of understanding the specific problems of clients and demonstrating expertise in solving them. The speaker's journey from simplifying complex offerings to focusing on one-on-one communication highlights the importance of adaptability and understanding the unique needs of different industries and markets.
Key Influencers in Decision-making: Identifying and engaging key influencers is crucial for successful decision-making in large organizations. Building relationships, understanding perspectives, and being proactive can help secure approval.
Navigating decision-making in large organizations requires identifying and engaging key influencers. At UI, the speaker learned the importance of having an "unofficial board" of about 30 people, who could provide feedback, support, and help ensure that decisions were well-received. This approach was different from her experiences at Samsung, where she focused on presenting to a clear decision-maker. However, at UI, she realized that she needed to win over a larger group to secure approval. This process involved one-on-one conversations, understanding the perspectives of both supporters and detractors, and being proactive in sharing information and building relationships. The speaker's experience at the high potential program also highlighted the importance of managing stakeholders and understanding the politics of organizational decision-making. These lessons were valuable, but she wished she had learned them earlier in her career.
Authenticity and creativity in B2B marketing: Staying true to your values, taking calculated risks, and creating unexpected, engaging content can lead to significant success in B2B marketing, even with smaller budgets.
Being authentic, taking risks, and focusing on what truly matters to your clients can lead to significant success, even in unexpected ways. The speaker's story demonstrates this through her experience of initially considering leaving her job, but ultimately staying and promoting herself based on her clear understanding of her clients' needs and EY's potential in the decarbonization space. She also emphasizes the importance of standing out in a crowded market by being creative and unexpected, as shown by EY's use of a giant post-it note on their building to make a statement about their commitment to sustainability. In the B2B marketing context, the speaker highlights the importance of being interesting and engaging, as most B2B ads are considered boring, and the smaller budgets require a more considered and effective approach. Overall, her advice would be to stay true to your values, take calculated risks, and create unexpected, engaging content to differentiate yourself in the market.
Instincts and Calculated Risks: Trusting your instincts and taking calculated risks can lead to personal growth and professional success, even if opportunities seem unconventional or illogical at first. Embrace uncertainty and learn from outcomes to expand skill sets and CVs.
Trusting your instincts and taking calculated risks can lead to significant personal growth and professional success, even if those opportunities seem unconventional or illogical at first. Rebecca shares her experiences of coming from an average background and facing challenges that fueled her determination and resilience. She encourages listeners to trust their gut instincts and take steps forward, learning from the outcomes and using those experiences to expand their skill sets and CVs. Rebecca emphasizes that the linear career paths of the past are no longer the norm and that embracing uncertainty and taking risks can lead to greater rewards. Trusting your instincts and taking calculated risks may not always lead to perfect outcomes, but they can provide valuable lessons and open doors to new opportunities.