‘This isn’t just going to happen by itself’: Where will the ‘magic’ come from as major CMOs move on?
As the Australian media and marketing industry endures a rapidly changing landscape, some of the country’s biggest marketing names have moved on from their respective companies in the last week alone.
It started when Seven West media confirmed that chief marketing officer Mel Hopkins was named as one of the big-name redundancies last week, followed by the news on Friday that Southern Cross Austereo CMO Nikki Clarkson had also left, after over a decade at the network.
Then, just this week, McDonald’s Australia marketing director Samantha McLeod announced she was leaving the fast-food chain after just ten months in the role.
On a new episode of the Mumbrellacast, editor Neil Griffiths and publisher Adam Lang discussed the movements, which come as media giants – SWM and Nine Entertainment – undergo major staff shake-ups due to the difficult advertising landscape.
When things are good in the economy, you don’t have to justify your worth. When things are bad, you do.
Here’s the truth: marketers need to prove commercial value.
Otherwise, the risk is the business will make a judgement for you.
The magic will come from fresh thinking challengers who now have a shot
That’s who think differently and bring new ideas
McDonalds prices have massively outstripped inflation since 2014. Not sure the next 10 years will allow the same growth. Will soon see!
Firstly, someone who has been in the role for 10 months has hardly made a dent on the brand – I think the golden arches will survive. Secondly, creativity and strategy is not the doing of one person. Its a team of people – clever marketers, clever agencies and the power of a strong brand that carries on regardless.