Celebrating success and never settling: Your Marketing Week
At the end of every week, we look at the key stories, offering our view on what they mean for you and the industry. From celebrating the UK’s top marketers to Coca-Cola’s effectiveness evolution and Pret reviving the CMO role, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take.
Lessons from the top
Lessons from the top
For many in marketing – and beyond – the past few years have been punishing. With the pandemic, followed by cripplingly high inflation, a cost of living crisis, political unrest and economic uncertainty all making for a less than favourable environment.
But among all this chaos and disruption, there have been glimmers of true excellence. People who have made a real difference to their businesses and teams and who represent all that is good about the industry.
On Tuesday, we revealed our 2025 Top 100 most effective marketers. It’s one of my favourite days in the Marketing Week calendar, as it is an opportunity to celebrate success and shine a light on the marketers who are driving change, both in their business and the wider industry.
Not only is it recognition of the hugely effective work they are doing and the impact it is having, these individuals are elevating the role of marketing and improving its status in businesses. It is recognition of the innovation, creativity and measured risk-taking they bring, and the transformative power of marketing. Of their resilience, dedication, influence and direction – all against what has been another challenging – and at times painfully difficult – year.
Congratulations again to the 100 inspirational leaders who made the list.
Never stand still
As if that wasn’t enough, we also opened the doors to the Festival of Marketing this week, which, like the Top 100, celebrates what good looks like, while at the same time sparking debate and inspiring new ways of thinking – all in pursuit of helping marketers and the industry be the best it can be.
Coca-Cola’s senior director Nisa Genc gave great illustration of why it’s crucial to never stand still. For the soft drinks giant, that has meant “reimagining” its approach to marketing effectiveness to reflect the changing consumer landscape. Rather than talking at people via traditional media channels, she said growth will come from making consumers part of the experience.
The changing landscape has also had an impact on how leaders must lead. “The level of complexity, particularly in marketing across the organisation, has expanded exponentially, but the leadership capacity to manage that complexity has not kept pace,” said Philip Almond, Cancer Research UK’s outgoing marketing boss. It’s impossible for CMOs today to have all the answers, so leaders must have the humility to accept that’s OK, he said.
Likewise, while fear of failure is a natural reaction, Helen Edwards warned that not taking risks is a risk in itself for marketers. “Failure is information,” she said. “You can do something with it.” She urged marketers to be “cautiously brave” when it comes to innovation, which might sound like an oxymoron but actually gives marketers the right mindset to take calculated risks.
Thinking too small was something Les Binet also warned against. He said focusing on measures like virality and ROI, while trying to do more with less, leads to “small thinking” that actually reduces effectiveness, sales and profit.
That’s just a tiny snapshot of what was a jam-packed day. We’ll be continuing to share insights from key sessions into next week.
Back on board
The role of marketing as a growth driver is seemingly back on the agenda at Pret, which reinstated the CMO role this week as it looks to give the business a boost.
The sandwich chain has been without a C-suite marketing position for three years following the departure of its former chief customer and growth officer, Dan Burdett, in 2022.
And a lot has happened at Pret since then. Having bounced back following the pandemic, with its subscription offer being credited for getting customers back in stores and a return to profitability, things have taken a bit of a turn.
Several revisions to its subscription mean it is no longer the enticing proposition it once was. Competition has never been more fierce and its CEO pointed to “intense strains” on the hospitality industry, as it recorded an operating loss of £451.5m in 2024, despite a 10% rise in global sales.
It is now in pursuit of “sustainable growth”, and is focusing more keenly on its value proposition as it looks to get customers to reappraise the brand. As part of this, it is launching a meal deal for the first time.
The resurrection of the CMO role feels like a signal of intent. Of the business recognising the value of having marketing represented at the highest level. Of the role marketing can play in helping it achieve its goal of sustainable growth.
Change won’t happen overnight. But with Matthew Bresnahan – who takes on the role – bringing with him a wealth of experience from Burger King, its focus on value and the business putting its faith in marketing as a growth driver once again – it is setting itself up to move in the right direction.
The week ahead
We will be sharing insights from the CEO and CMO of Specsavers, as well as stories from P&G and key names in B2B.
