Please can you introduce yourself and provide a brief history of your digital marketing journey?
I am a motivated and experienced marketing and communications professional with over 25 years’ experience. Throughout my career, I’ve been responsible for developing commercially focused, strategic plans to enhance brand reputation, drive customer loyalty and deliver profitable growth. I am passionate about working for purpose-led organisations and really believe in the power of storytelling. I’ve worked across sectors, including motorsport, live events, and am currently working in utilities as Head of Communications & Marketing for SES Water.
What aspects of the purpose-driven marketing strategies session, are you most excited about?
I am really looking forward to meeting my fellow panellists and discussing the insights we can all share about bringing our respective purposes to life. Throughout my career, I’ve always enjoyed learning from others and exchanging ideas, especially with colleagues from outside the industry I work in. I am excited to share the work we’ve done at SES Water to embed our purpose of harnessing the potential of water to enhance nature and improve lives, and how we’ve brought this to life in a meaningful way.
What project from the past year stands out as our proudest achievement?
Believe it or not SES Water had never run a marketing campaign until 2023! As our customer base is defined by our supply area and we don’t need to (can’t) grow our customer base, understandably this hadn’t been considered in the past. However, like all water companies, our brand reputation is measured by an industry metric and there was scope for improvement. Last year, we ran a 12-week campaign, mainly using digital programmatic advertising, to raise brand awareness and reach a broader audience. The campaign over delivered in terms of impressions, and we saw a significant increase in our brand reputation score as a result.
What digital advancement are you most enthusiastic about?
For the team at SES Water, we’re most excited about the development of a truly smart experience for our customers. We recognise that we’ve got some catching up to do, as we’re not as advanced as the energy industry, as an example. I think for us it’s about really understanding the value this will bring to our customers. Once we get to grips with this there is a fantastic opportunity to develop a bespoke experience – for example, the data that we can gather from smart meters, will allow us to develop personalised communications and an online experience that’s really tailored for an individual customer.
What piece of advice would you give to a friend working in the digital marketing space?
Embrace the fact that we can all learn something new every day and be open to new ideas. I would also say be bold and don’t be afraid to take a risk.
Lastly, can you share your favourite marketing campaign and why it resonates with you?
There are lots to choose from, but I really liked Dove’s Reverse Selfie Campaign, which inspired women to feel positively about the way they look. I thought it was poignant, timely, and did a great job of resonating with their target audience. I liked the fact that they used their campaign to spread a positive message about body image and used their platform responsibility to boost self-esteem. And with over 6m impressions worldwide, the team who worked on this did a great job!
Don’t miss Lucy at DMWF Global on Panel: A purpose-driven marketing strategy at London Olympia on 25-26 June. Secure your pass now by clicking here and we will see you there!
