How to get ahead in marketing from Fellows of The Marketing Society

The Power of Strategic Career Choices

Both speakers challenged the traditional notion of linear career progression, though their approaches differed markedly. Keith Weed's 30-year tenure at Unilever demonstrated the power of depth, where staying within one organisation allowed him to build deep expertise and relationships that still serve him today, 25 years after his most spectacular failure, he still meets every six months with the team that launched the disastrous Lynx razors.

Becky Brock chose a different path, following what she calls her internal compass toward opportunities on the edge of change. From Unilever to luxury spirits, from John Lewis through private equity to Tesco, her moves were guided by three consistent principles: seeking transformation opportunities, embracing blank-sheet challenges, and taking calculated risks that others might avoid.

The key insight from both approaches is intentionality. Whether you stay or move, success comes from making choices based on clear personal values rather than external expectations or conventional career wisdom.

Learning from Spectacular Failures

Keith Weed's candid account of the Lynx razors launch provided one of the session's most valuable lessons. Despite Lynx's dominance in male grooming, 60% market share among adolescent males, and what seemed like a straightforward brand extension opportunity, the launch failed spectacularly. Gillette's asymmetric response, buying up all promotions and flooding the market with competing products, taught Weed never to underestimate established competitors.

"I learned to do much more pre-contested war gaming," Weed reflected. "We got caught up in how brilliant we thought we were, rather than thinking through how tough it could be." The lesson extends beyond marketing tactics to strategic humility, the failure taught him to stress-test assumptions and prepare for competitive retaliation, skills that served him throughout his subsequent success.

This failure also illustrates another crucial point: consumers don't remember your failures, they simply don't see them. This perspective can liberate marketers to take necessary risks, knowing that failed initiatives disappear from market memory while the learning remains invaluable for future success.

The Evolution of Marketing Leadership

Both speakers emphasised how the fundamentals of great marketing remain constant even as tools and channels evolve rapidly. Customer insight remains the foundation, though the methods for gathering and interpreting that insight continue to expand through AI, synthetic audiences, and advanced analytics.

Becky Brock stressed the importance of marketers leading the technology conversation rather than delegating it. "We can't just hand that over to IT or tech and say, 'You do it.' We've got to be the ones to drive it, because we know how we want to use it and how we can drive value."

Keith Weed's approach to continuous learning provides a practical framework for staying current. He invests in startups not just for financial returns but as his "training budget," gaining exposure to companies like iGenie.ai that are using AI to revolutionise traditional market research methodologies. This approach to learning through investment and advisory roles demonstrates how senior marketers can maintain their edge.

Energy Management and Team Building

Both leaders emphasised energy management as crucial to sustained success. Keith Weed's philosophy centres on being a "radiator not a drain," bringing possibilities and opportunities to every interaction. This isn't about forced positivity but about choosing to focus on what's possible rather than what's limiting.

Becky Brock's approach combines personal boundaries with team empowerment. Her non-negotiable morning exercise routine, transparency about personal challenges, and detailed knowledge of her team members' circumstances create an environment where people can perform at their best while maintaining sustainable work-life integration.

The concept extends to team composition. Keith Weed's analogy of the swimming pool captures this perfectly: "It only takes one-third of the swimming pool to poo in it before no one wants to go in and swim." Both leaders stressed the importance of moving quickly when someone isn't aligned with team values, not just for performance reasons but to protect team culture.

Bringing the Outside In

Perhaps the most practical advice for career advancement involved positioning yourself as the person who brings external perspective to internal discussions. Keith Weed's role as the board member who shows up to Sainsbury's executive meetings with screenshots of the customer experience on the Argos app demonstrates this principle in action.

This outside-in perspective becomes increasingly valuable as you progress in your career. Whether it's consumer trends, competitive intelligence, or emerging technologies, marketers can establish themselves as essential by consistently delivering fresh external perspectives that inform internal strategy.

The approach requires genuine curiosity about the world beyond your immediate responsibilities. Keith Weed's advice to "go to someone's house, lock the bathroom door, and see what's in their cupboards" captures the spirit of continuous consumer learning that successful marketers maintain throughout their careers.

This session exemplified The Marketing Society's commitment to sharing practical wisdom from marketing's most accomplished leaders. The honest discussion of failures alongside successes provided actionable insights for marketers at every career stage, proving that authentic leadership conversations create the most valuable learning experiences.