How To Make It In Marketing #9: Danone / Kieran Foley / Head of Partnerships and Licensing
How To Make It In Marketing #9: Danone / Kieran Foley / Head of Partnerships and Licensing
In his career in sports sponsorship, Kieran has developed a keen sense for going beyond the data on spreadsheets and understanding the cultural impact of marketing initiatives, especially when linked to sports. To create commercial opportunities and make a societal impact, the culture is just as important as the quantitative data.
One of the achievements Kieran is most proud of is creating a cricket league in the Caribbean, the CPL T20, which has been around now for 8 years. This development came about by taking a marketing problem (a sponsorship conflict that happened when he was Chief Marketing Officer at Digicel) and capitalising on the local culture and what the potential gains were for the brand and for the communities on the ground. Here’s what Kieran has to say about doing the same as a new marketer.
What is your advice about how to make it in marketing?
Understand the culture behind the data.
How have you put this tip to good use?
Looking at spreadsheets and hard data points has its value, but often the cultural impact on communities isn’t visible through this information. You can make an avenue of commerce in new markets by understanding the culture on the ground and what role your brand can play in creating new interactions and opportunities for consumers. This is how you can become locally real and relevant.
In my experience, for example, going to Haiti to expand into new markets would have been discouraged by the remote data and reports. However, visiting the country and understanding the intensity of commercial activity in the markets and how vibrant the commercial scene actually was painted a different story. I never sign a contract or start a venture without actually going to meet the people involved. You need to get into the crowd, walk the street, get involved.
What marketing tips does the industry need most right now?
One of the recent big trends I’ve seen after the pandemic has been the rise of women’s sport, not just as the sport itself – which has been exciting and engaging – but also from the point of view of societal impact. We’ve seen female footballers like Megan Rapinoe going into the US Senate, speaking up for equality and rights.
So there’s a massive opportunity for brands to sponsor women’s sport and become involved with its community impacts as well. Women’s sport doesn’t require as large of an investment, but you can create amazing interactions for fans and great initiatives on the ground, while supporting a growing area which is worth getting behind.
Listen to more of Kieran’s marketing advice, his stories about sponsorship deals and why he’s betting on the growth potential of women’s sport, on the latest episode of our Shiny New Object podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1iyfZ8llF9oVRQ6EPAt7rz
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