Member Interview with Chris Cochrane

We are delighted to bring you a Member Interview with Chris Cochrane, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Plug Media

What’s your golden rule?

In marketing, and in business generally, short-term wins are seductive. But in my experience, the real rewards come from consistency, patience and making good decisions repeatedly over time. Whether it’s building a brand, a team or a business, I try to make decisions I’ll still be proud of in five years - not just five weeks.

Who has been your biggest influence?

Early in my career I worked with a founder who completely changed how I think about marketing. He didn’t get excited about impressions or awards - he cared about sustainable growth and contribution to the bottom line. What stuck with me wasn’t just his commercial discipline, but his calmness. He made decisions slowly and deliberately. That taught me that good marketing isn’t about reacting to every opportunity - it’s about focusing on what will genuinely move the business forward.

What is your most hated business expression?

Brand versus performance'

I’ve never believed they’re opposites. The strongest brands I’ve worked with tend to perform better everywhere. And the best performance strategies reinforce brand. The idea that you have to choose one or the other feels outdated. Good marketing should do both: build long term memory and drive short term action.

What’s the smartest business idea you’ve ever had?

Recognising early that commerce media (particularly Amazon’s ecosystem) was going to become far more influential than most people realised. At the time it felt niche. But I could see how closely it connected marketing to transaction and real commercial outcomes. Leaning into that early allowed us to build real expertise before the wider market caught up.

Which leader do you admire most and why?

Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia.

What I admire most about him is that he built a commercially successful company without separating profit from principle. He proved that long-term thinking and strong values aren’t constraints - they can be competitive advantages. Giving the company away to protect its mission was extraordinary, but what stands out to me more is the consistency. For decades, Patagonia has made decisions that align with its beliefs, even when they were commercially uncomfortable. That kind of clarity and conviction is rare.

What is on your mind the most right now as a marketing leader?

How quickly everything is changing and how important judgment is becoming. AI and automation are transforming how we execute. That’s exciting. But it also means the real differentiator is thinking - understanding where to play, how to allocate budget and how to build sustainable advantage.

Why is being part of The Marketing Society important for your career?

Being part of The Marketing Society feels like stepping back and looking at the bigger picture - leadership, impact, responsibility. It’s important to surround yourself with people who challenge how you think and broaden your perspective beyond your day-to-day world.

Why does marketing matter to you?

I’ve always been fascinated by why people choose one product over another. What captures attention, builds trust, creates loyalty. When done well, it connects good ideas with the people who need them. And that’s a powerful thing to be part of.

Tell us something that’s not on your CV

When I was younger, I was convinced I was going to be a songwriter. My dad has been a songwriter his entire life and he always encouraged that creative side of me. I’m not sure the world missed out on the next John Lennon, but that early exposure to creativity and to someone pursuing something they genuinely loved has stayed with me. It still influences how I approach marketing. Ideas matter, and so does emotion.