My Best Marketing Tips #4: Groupe Renault / Adam Nickson / Head of Marketing Communications
Adam Nickson grew up dreaming of being a forensic scientist and ended up an “accidental marketer” and “accidental car guy” looking after all marketing activities for Groupe Renault in the UK.
Throughout his career, Adam hasn’t stopped looking for what makes people tick and he’s been excited to see how the industry has developed to pay more attention to strategy and the customer journey. He used to hate hearing the ubiquitous phrase “Stick it on social” from the days when anything and everything seemed to be duplicated to be shared in the hope that people may engage with it.
So, what’s got Adam so interested in having a coherent end-to-end strategy in marketing? Here is his top tip:
What is the best marketing tip you’ve ever received and who was it from?
“P*ss poor planning means p*ss poor performance” – His manager on his second day at work ever, after asking him what the 6Ps of marketing stood for on day 1.
How have you put this marketing tip to good use?
This idea of preparing before executing any marketing campaign really resonated with me. I’d originally thought marketing was about making art and shiny objects, “macaroni and glitter.” This is when I realised that there’s also a science behind it, that it’s effectively a meeting of two disciplines.
I’ve tried to instil that in everything I do, making sure planning is the first step in preparing any marketing activity. For example, about 18 months ago working on the launch of the newest Renault Clio, I wondered what the target audience would want to see that creates a connection with them. The Clio was part of growing up for a whole generation, so I took a step back and looked for that human insight before developing the story which you kindly featured on Advertisers Watching Ads, too.
What marketing tips does the industry need most right now?
We’re all a bit “down in the dumps” at the start of 2021, after a turbulent year. We need to instil a bit of energy and positivity in how we go about marketing. I have a 5-step marketing detox plan I’m going to follow and which I think will make a difference as well start to look at what’s really important, what’s of true benefit to a customer and not to a brand:
1. Be exciting: Elicit some true emotion from people, rather than just a “like” or a “retweet”. Focus on creativity and ideas, not just channels.
2. Create experiences: Customers are starved of experiences, so when we get out of lockdown, how can we connect with people and get them out of their houses?
3. Clarity is key: Brands clutter their customer journey with too many elements that are there to serve them, but maybe not the customer. Be more customer-focused and have clearer journeys.
4. Be more useful: Ask how we can serve customers better, especially now through the use of digital channels.
5. Be more positive on social media: There is such a strong anti-social component to social media these days. Try to spread more positivity and engage people in a way that aligns with your brand identity.
Subscribe to Automated Creative’s Newsletter
Watch ‘Advertisers Watching Ads’
Get in touch with Automated Creative
