Meet the Marketer… behind Britain’s No. 1 cereal brand Weetabix

Other than Weetabix, what brands do you admire and why?

We talk a lot about heritage and craft brands like Yorkshire Tea and Warburtons. These two megabrands have stayed true to their roots of never compromising on quality - brewing proper tea or making proper bread - and they’ve found a way to tell stories about it that entertain and make people smile!

If you hadn’t become a Marketing Director, what would be your
alternative career path be?

I had dreams of singing on a cruise ship, but a combination of sea sickness and a realisation that I wasn’t that good, I took another route. I quite fancied the idea of owning a briefcase and a leather Filofax, so I moved into marketing and sales!

I’ve worked out that I love cultures where people feel they can lead at any level, so perhaps coaching or organisational leadership development might have been a decent path to take.

How has managing a brand changed over your career? What’s different / better / harder now from when you started?

When I started out, a 30-second TV spot in the Corry ad break, a gondola end in Tesco and a new pack design sorted out your annual plan. Clearly, the media landscape has changed, but more than that, consumers are savvy and discerning. Brands need to work harder than that now to win the purchase.

Importantly though, the fundamentals of brand marketing remain, and more than ever, a decent strategy is the bedrock of great marketing. If all else fails, figure out who you’re talking to and give them a reason to remember you!!

What piece of advice would you give your younger self starting out in marketing?

There's power in ditching the jargon - practice keeping brand marketing sharp, simple and actionable! Without it, you'll struggle to cut through.

And enjoy the journey by remembering to celebrate progress, enjoy learning, staying curious. Quite often, it’s the messy moments that shape you most!

What’s a bold brand decision that you have made that’s paid off?

Our latest Weetabix Discovery campaign saw us talk about Britain’s recent struggles being the result of declining consumption of Weetabix. Brands don’t often like to start with a message about their sales being down! The nation heard the rallying cry to have theirs! Consumption and market share are growing, and brand health is the strongest we've seen in recent times.

What’s your pinch-me career moment?

Baked beans on Weetabix, hitting 1.3 billion views, was a pretty cool one. It was surreal and great fun!!