Although the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on business, the positive impact on corporate culture should not be overlooked.
That is certainly the case at Waitrose, where customer director Martin George has witnessed a tremendous flattening of the hierarchy as boundaries have been torn down and coworkers have gotten to know one another better as individuals.
George noted out the variations in corporate culture now vs when he started his marketing career at Cadbury in the 1980s, speaking at the Festival of Marketing: Fast Forward last week.
He recalled joining the confectionery behemoth as a graduate and liking the company’s “great culture,” which allowed new marketers to work on modest brands like Star Bar and Chocolate Eclairs before moving on to a larger brand, in his case Wispa and Dairy Milk.
“In terms of the job, it was probably quite comparable to the marketing scope you would today experience,” he recalled, “but the tools you had available were significantly less in those days, and the accountability for the outcomes was probably far less than it feels like it is now.”
George, on the other hand, believes that younger and older generations of marketers have more in common than they did in the past. They agree on the need of finding target customers and knowing what motivates them, as well as the importance of gaining a competitive advantage and turning it into long-term financial success, he said.
Curiosity, data comfort, restlessness, customer focus, and the ability to adapt, according to the Waitrose customer director, are typical attributes among marketers of all ages.
Given his experience in marketing throughout his formative years, he can see how the default marketing channels for “digital natives” would differ from his natural choices. Furthermore, George feels that younger marketers serve as a “continuous reminder” to their senior leaders to examine all of the various stimuli that a consumer encounters, particularly on social media.
“What I also find with millennials, which is why they’re such a great generation to work with, is that they have a strong sense of curiosity, and I love that they’re not limited by their past experiences in any way. “I don’t believe there is a cynicism or skepticism that comes with age, and that offers a world of possibility that is incredibly inspirational and uplifting,” George added.
“One of the most obvious contrasts between us is that we are both digital natives, but what I’m most impressed by is that millennials are driven by a strong sense of purpose, and they think more deeply about the ‘why?’ than my generation did. They have a far deeper social conscience than my generation and consider not only what they can do to promote their business or brand, but also what they can do to help society and the globe at large. They are my generation’s smart conscience.”
Isabella Brugognone, Waitrose assistant marketing manager for CRM and loyalty, joined George on the call. Isabella began her Waitrose career in 2013 and has worked in retail, people, and now marketing. She reminisced on how, being a digital native, there was always new technology to discover.
