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Marketer of the Future Future 50 The Future of Work

Meet The Drum's Future 50, part 2 – a new generation of global marketers

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By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

March 26, 2019 | 20 min read

Welcome to our second instalment of The Drum’s Future 50, recognising the world’s most exciting up-and-coming brand marketers.

The Drum's Future 50 champions the best new marketers in the world

The Drum's Future 50 champions the best new marketers in the world

As part of our year-long focus on the Marketer of the Future, in January we asked our readers to tell us about the colleagues and clients they considered the most outstanding new talents in our industry. Hundreds of nominations poured in.

And having carefully considered the merits of each nominee, The Drum's editorial team have now curated our inaugural Future 50 list which we are revealing each day this week.

Today's inductees, which you can see below, include emerging stars from Spotify, Zalando, Kellogg's and more. All are either under 30 or have been working in marketing for less than 18 months, making their achievements already all the more impressive.

If you missed part one, catch up here and remember to come back tomorrow when our countdown continues. Now let's meet today's Future 50...

Amy Turner, marketing manager, TUI UK&I

AMY TURNER TUI

Having cut her teeth at Haymarket Media Group, Amy Turner has worked as a marketing manager for TUI’s digital and brand campaigns since 2017. Her proudest achievement is working on the implementation of the group’s Thomson to TUI rebrand.

How do you want to change the marketing industry?

The pace of marketing is changing constantly, being open minded is crucial. Marketing is developing relationships with consumers and communicating these disruptively, and brands need to be braver. Many big brands are still using traditional advertising and while this is still important, I want to push the adoption of new technology. Digital has caused an explosion of opportunities for the media mix and perhaps a decentralisation of power from Facebook, Google and Amazon paving the way for content-led brands.

What is your social network of choice and why?

Albeit a regular Instagram user (it's a close second) my social network of choice is Twitter. Twitter is predominantly a place for conversation and interaction, meaning it requires a degree of thought and is a great way to express your own opinions and understand others through words, instead of photos and filters. That’s exceptionally important in this day and age where young people are becoming image obsessed. It's also where news breaks the quickest and where brands have more freedom of speech allowing them to create personalities for themselves and interact with customers on a more individual level.

If you could have worked with any brand at any point in history, what brand, when, and why?

The London 2012 Olympics – or any of the brands that got a chance to sponsor the event be that BA, Adidas, Coca Cola or even Channel 4's partnership with the Paralympics. To be involved with those brands, at that time, and to be close to that event as a lover of sport, would be amazing as it was such a poignant moment of the UK's sporting history not just in medal success but overcoming the negativity in the build-up.

Andre Campbell, marketing partnerships, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

Andre Campbell, marketing partnerships, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

Andre Campbell works on global marketing partnerships at Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. He was previously at Microsoft and Viacom where he devised and implemented global launch plans and executed go to market physical and digital product launches for partners like Sony Pictures Entertainment and Adidas.

How do you want to change the marketing industry?

I believe in building brands that matter. That means creating a commercial and social impact at scale. I want to ensure global brands, approach strategic alliances and brand partnerships with rigour. Going beyond arbitrary media valuations to invest in deep meaningful partnerships which build new value propositions for businesses and consumers alike. Value propositions which fundamentally have a positive and sustainable impact on our lives.

If you could have worked with any brand at any point in history, what brand, when, and why?

Formula E in 2019 is an unbelievable brand to work for. As an advertiser it has so many opportunities to innovate and create value for sponsors on and off the track. I believe Formula E will attract brands that value mobility, future cities, electrification and the ability to be at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution. Formula E has the opportunity to push the the concept of brand partnership. I'm excited to see how it builds on concepts such as 'Attack Mode'.

Andrew Watts, marketing manager, HQ Trivia

Andrew Watts, marketing manager, HQ Trivia

Andrew Watts has worked at Rooster Teeth, Facebook, Google, Super Deluxe, Digitas, and now HQ Trivia in various roles. While at Facebook, he created a college campaign that was seen by tens of millions of users. His tenure at quiz app HQ has seen him build a social strategy from scratch and implement campaigns to engage and grow the app’s community.

How did you first become aware of marketing as a career?

When I was I was in high school, writing for my school newspaper about new technologies. At the time it was early days for Snapchat and I felt it was invigorating to inform people about this emerging application and explore how and why they used it. I took this excitement with me to college where I found that I didn't want to major in computer science or marketing, but some combination of both. I wanted to understand how new technologies worked and how we could utilise them to communicate with others.

What do you believe is the main quality the marketer of the future will need to possess?

They will need to be able to adapt quickly while pursuing an overall vision. New technologies and trends can go from being distractions to the future of a medium. It's important for a marketer to be able to not simply follow what everyone else is doing, but be able to assess the market and skillfully choose where they should invest their time. They should never feel comfortable, they should always be looking for the next best way to tell their story.

If you could have worked with any brand at any point in history, what brand, when, and why?

Supreme in the late 1990s. Supreme is such an inspiring brand for me because it’s redefined the fundamental way we purchase and market clothing. Its exclusive stock and limited release strategy has paved the way for streetwear brands and the fashion industry as a whole.

Brittany Turner, commercial marketing manager, ITV

brittany turner itv

Brittany Turner started her career with at Warner Bros, launching the Harry Potter London studio tour. She’s spent the last four years at ITV, championing TV to the media industry, grabbing headlines while leading on ITV's upfronts, ITV Palooza and collaborating for the first time with Channel 4 and Sky to launch The Big TV Festival.

How did you first become aware of marketing as a career?

I didn't know much about marketing as a career until after I finished university. After studying law, I quickly decided that being a lawyer wasn't for me and I landed a job at Warner Bros. The Harry Potter tour had opened in my hometown, where I started in the booking team, but I was fascinated by how much energy surrounded the marketing team. They were integral to how this brand would launch and I knew I had to be part of it. I fought my way in later that year, and the rest is history.

What is your social network of choice and why?

It has to be Instagram. It's the only social network I find myself still glued to. I see it as somewhere I can just as easily be inspired by beautiful interior design, as I can genius marketing campaigns. It's more fun and inspirational than Facebook, and more personal than Twitter.

How do you want to change the marketing industry?

The marketing industry needs greater diversity of thought across the board, from gender and race to socio-economic background. Trust in advertising is at an all time low, with only 3% of students 18-24 thinking that marketing is a good career option. If we want to encourage new, diverse thinking into this industry, we need to get some of this trust back. I believe brands have a responsibility to deliver on their brand purpose, do some good, and exercise moral leadership if they want to attract the next generation of talent.

Fraser Stapleton, social marketing manager, Spotify

Fraser Stapleton, social marketing manager, Spotify

Fraser Stapleton’s career so far spans athlete representation to B2B marketing, agency-side roles to B2C marketing. Since joining the industry in 2012 he has helped launch one of the first ever Facebook chatbots with Domino's Pizza and worked on Spotify's infamous holiday 'Wrapped' campaigns. He currently also contributes to Spotify’s strategy around data, automation and efficiency.

How did you first become aware of marketing as a career?

I fell in love with marketing as a career choice back watching Fifa World Cups as a teenager. I still remember ad campaigns like Nike's 'Joga Bonito', 'The Secret Tournament' and 'Write The Future' showing how to capture the hearts and minds of consumers and make great use of brand ambassadors.

What is your social network of choice and why?

I find TikTok really fascinating as it helps me understand the younger audience and what they find interesting, entertaining and worth their time. But I would have to choose Reddit. I love the creativity and humour of the subreddits I follow, and I use it more than anything to keep up with internet culture which is ever-changing and extremely important for my role. Most of the memes and in-jokes you see which dominate social conversation started on Reddit in one way or another, so for me it's one of the most important – if perhaps under-appreciated – platforms out there.

If you could have worked with any brand at any point in history, what brand, when, and why?

Having only joined Spotify a year-and-a-half ago… I would have to say Spotify back when the company started in 2008. Music has always been something I really care about, so to see a product go from zero to millions of subscribers in a few years would have been one hell of a ride. I grew up listening to pretty niche dance music, so to be part of a company from day one, that gives lesser-known artists the opportunity to live off their work and fans the ability to discover new music they might love, would have been pretty special.

Jake Newbould, senior paid social executive, ex-Made.com

Jake Newbold

Previously a digital marketing exec at Mamas & Papas before making the leap to Made.com to serve in a social media role, Jake Newbould helps brands embrace emerging social technology. He has recently moved agency-side, but before that was responsible for accelerating Made’s UK paid social traffic by “circa 100%” year-on-year, contributing to over £1m in sales through the use of relevant first-to-market opportunities.

What is your social network of choice and why?

My social media network of choice would have to be Twitter. It's my go-to news source, and anything marketing related or industry news is so easy to find via specific searches and a cleverly curated feed. I learn most new tactics and techniques to put into practice in my day-to-day role through Twitter chats with other specialists.

What do you believe is the main quality the marketer of the future will need to possess?

Being able to create good and valuable content but then having the ability to interpret rich data to justify why what you're doing is commercially working, testing, learning and not just going with the 'norm'.

If you could have worked with any brand at any point in history, what brand, when, and why?

Probably Nike. I just finished reading 'Shoe Dog' by the founder, Phil Knight. He has created something bigger than just a company – he invests in brand and customer advocacy and adverts with genuine meaning and substance [so] it means something to people who wear and use the product. That is powerful. The 2012 ‘Find Your Greatness’ campaign is so profound and inspiring, it's like a cool short film, not an advert, that's the beauty of it.

Joseph Harper, head of social, Kellogg's

Joseph Harper, head of social, Kellogg's

Joseph Harper has developed and executed social and digital strategy, brand side, for the past six years. He spent almost three of these as Bet365’s social media editor, where projects included launching new digital channels and initiatives. At Kellogg's, he works on the digital transformation as social media manager for UK & Ireland across brands like Pringles, Crunchy Nut and Special K.

If you could have worked with any brand at any point in history, what brand, when, and why?

It would have been great fun to work with Adidas in the 90s, when sport and music fashion were such fast-moving industries. Icons such as David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane were shaping football, The Spice Girls and Oasis were pioneering British music. It must have been a very exciting time to work at Adidas, its history and legacy has been shaped forever by that decade – its would be a memorable experience to retire with.

What do you believe is the main quality the marketer of the future will need to possess?

A clear understanding of how they should measure success. With data laws tightening it is not always easy to clearly mark how successful the digital element of strategy has been. Social currency and digital vanity metrics can provide a good read on performance but skilled marketers at all levels will be expected to understand digital effectiveness. It's becoming far more important for bigger organisations to ensure they have in-house capability to ensure effective translation of agency provided results, internally.

What is your social network of choice and why?

I love Twitter. It's amazing the rollercoaster of emotions that Twitter can take you on. It's a fantastic tool for education and information – providing you're following the right people. I also think that we Brits are amusing in how we use Twitter to express ourselves, and the cynical nature of consumers towards ads on the platform can I think be off-putting to brands. But, used on the right project with an effective strategy, Twitter is an immensely powerful tool.

Melissa Weston, marketing lead UK and Ireland, Zalando

Melissa Weston, marketing lead UK and Ireland, Zalando

Melissa Weston started her career in PR at Harley Davidson before joining startup EventsTag where she was promoted to head of marketing after eight months. She then moved agency side to iCrossing, working with the likes of Adidas, Fiat and Puig. Now on the brand team at Zalando, she has helped launch the advertiser in the Irish market, with a campaign spanning TV, OOH, always on press and influencer strategies and PR.

What do you believe is the main quality the marketer of the future will need to possess?

We are really lucky to be in an age where we have a wealth of opportunity to understand the customer that we are advertising to, and then being able to serve customers ads that are tailored and more relevant to them. Understanding data and not being overwhelmed by it can really help us to tailor our campaigns and learn from past mistakes when approaching new challenges.

How do you want to change the marketing industry?

I want to make sure ads aren’t seen seen as intrusive anymore because they can be thoughtful and relevant. I look forward to seeing the marketing industry evolve even further and use advertising to connect to consumers and make their lives easier while still sparking joy or other emotions

Morwenna Francis, marketing campaign manager UK, easyJet

Morwenna Francis, marketing campaign manager UK, easyJet

After graduating in 2014, Morwenna Francis joined easyJet’s European graduate programme and got to know the airline by rotating through various roles in the commercial and marketing teams. She is currently marketing campaign manager for the UK, where she just has led the cross-channel delivery of the brand’s most successful pan-European brand campaign to date, ‘Imagine’.

What do you believe is the main quality the marketer of the future will need to possess?

Reactivity. Media and technology are moving quickly, with a new trend every week. Marketers need to be able to jump quickly onto the right trends, and then quickly adapt to the next one, without getting left behind. They also need to be able to plan for and quickly react to changes to marketing priorities. In the airline industry we see how easily trading can be impacted by a news story, or even just the weather, and we always have to be prepared to flex our plans. I've been trained well at easyJet, quick turnarounds are our speciality.

If you could have worked with any brand at any point in history, what brand, when, and why?

I’d have worked for Tampax in the 1940s, when the product was first being launched. I enjoy a good challenge, and what could be more challenging than launching a product which solves a problem that nobody's comfortable talking about in the first place? I would have loved figuring out the best approach for educating the different audiences on the product. The added challenges of doing this in a male-dominated advertising world, and all while a world war was taking place, would only have added to the appeal of the challenge.

How do you want to change the marketing industry?

I think the marketing industry still has some way to go in diversifying itself – to ensure both that we don't get stuck in an industry bubble, and that brands have diverse teams from the bottom to the top. The industry needs to be attracting more people from more varied professional and personal backgrounds, so that brands can make sure that they're getting rounded points of view with new ideas and ways of thinking, alongside a more traditional marketing approach. If we can shake things up a bit more at the lower levels, imagine the future marketing leaders we'll have.

Oleta Hambleton, brand marketing manager, The Sun, News UK

Oleta Hambleton, brand marketing manager, The Sun, News UK

Oleta Hambleton’s recent accomplishments include overseeing and delivering The Sun Superdays campaign (its Merlin attractions-backed ticket redemption scheme) throughout 2018. The initiative resulted in a huge 30% increase in ticket redemptions year-on-year and significant uplift in newspaper circulation across the year. She is also proud to be part of the marketing team that has built a base of over 900,000 customers registered to loyalty programme, Sun Savers.

How do you want to change the marketing industry?

By futureproofing heritage brands, embracing more proactive strategies and also not being afraid to attempt risky tactical reactive marketing, a la KFC and the chicken shortage crisis last year. All this can be done by also leaning in to emerging technologies such as AR/VR, customer data platforms, chatbots etc. Brexit is also interesting for the industry. While Brexit may not significantly impact prospects for some UK brands, I think it will be important to understand how marketing communications are adapted (eg encouraging feelings of national identity and pride) to deliver results.

What do you believe is the main quality the marketer of the future will need to possess?

A sound knowledge of data science. The marketer of the future will need to be able to distinguish and separate useful consumer insights from data waste which can be detrimental to business goals and KPIs. Being able to unlock data to provide linear visibility of customer journeys across different touchpoints (platforms, distribution channels and devices etc) will only enable marketers to develop smarter targeted campaigns. This doesn't necessarily mean that marketers of the future need to be data mavericks; more we need to have an astute awareness on how data can power and drive marketing decisions.

If you could have worked with any brand at any point in history, what brand, when, and why?

Coca-Cola. The ‘Share a Coke’ 2014 summer campaign is one of the best-performing marketing campaigns in Coca-Cola's history. Coca-Cola is a famous, distinguishable brand but the brand needed significant revitalisation as sales started to stagnate. The best brands are the ones who tell the most compelling stories, using real customers be the sharers and influencers and that is exactly what Coca-Cola did. The call to action was simple and personalisation was used to maximum effect without feeling gimmicky. A key example of how clever execution can deliver big results.

Marketer of the Future Future 50 The Future of Work

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