Coles CMO Simon McDowell to feature in opening keynote at Mumbrella360
The marketer who has changed the face of Australian supermarket advertising will be interviewed live on stage in the opening keynote of June’s Mumbrella360 conference.
Simon McDowell, chief marketing officer of Coles Group, will be interviewed by Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes.
McDowell has been with Coles since 2009. He is responsible for marketing across the Coles Group including its supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor outlets, online shopping, financial services and loyalty offering.
Working with creative Ted Horton, McDowell has delivered some of Australia’s most talked about – and controversial – advertising, including Status Quo’s Down Down ads, the Dawn French-fronted relaunch of Flybuys, Curtis Stone fronting fresh food messaging and the recent push into new products with “new girl” Jenny.
Coles also took what was a major risk at the time by sponsoring the then unproven MasterChef Australia.
McDowell studied at the University of Sydney before doing a Masters of Commerce at the University of NSW while working at Interpublic’s Lintas Advertising, which is now 303 Lowe locally.
He worked for Lintas in Sydney and London before moving to Coca-Cola in Atlanta where his roles included leading the global marketing fo Diet Coke and MD of the Coca-Cola Company in the Netherlands. He then went on to become MD for Europe of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Coles is currently approaching the end of its five year turnaround plan. McDowell – who is also on the Coles Group board – describes the culture as a $34bn start up.
Mumbrella360 takes place on June 5 and 6 at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney.
Other major sessions already announced for the first morning of Mumbrella360 include David Gyngell, CEO of the Nine Entertainment Co, making a rare conference appearance, in which he will be interviewed on stage by Group M chairman John Steedman.
And Naked Communications will that morning lead a session featuring Unilever’s marketing director for deodorants Ian Bell in which seven technology companies will answer a live brief.
Earlybird tickets – with a discount of $600 on the full conference price – are on sale until the end of the month via this link.
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