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The Whole Marketer Ep145 - Marketing Culture with guest Abi Willstead

Published on: 18th March, 2025

Episode #145. Marketing Culture is the holistic topic discussed in this episode, the what, how and why your marketing function works day-to-day.  

Defining your marketing culture is the key to unlocking not only the fulfilment and motivation of your team but its thinking and work, which often includes your company values, behaviours, beliefs, routines and rituals, philosophy and approach, processes and ways of working, org structure and how your people bring this to life through their skills, behaviours and mindset. 

Joining Abby to discuss marketing culture is her guest Abi Willstead, Head of Brand and Marketing Excellence at Specsavers, where she focuses on helping strengthen the brand and empowering their global marketing team to thrive in their roles, supporting brilliant outcomes for customers and increasing the number of lives they can change through better sight and hearing. 

In this episode, Abi shares her definition of marketing culture, the 5Cs of Specsavers culture, empowering teams, creating space for innovation, and involving the entire team in defining and evolving the marketing culture 

Plus her career highs and lows and advice for marketers of tomorrow. 


00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction to ‘Marketing Culture’ 

00:03:44 Key Ingredients of Marketing Culture  

00:06:59 Five Cs of Specsavers’ Culture  

00:08:03 Importance of Psychological Safety  

00:10:05 Embedding Values in Daily Work  

00:16:11 Continuous Improvement and Learning  

00:19:55 Core Skills Driving Specsavers’ Marketing Approach  

00:24:21 Empowerment in Marketing Culture  

00:24:57 Evolving Marketing Practices  

00:27:51 Involving Teams in Change  

00:30:13 Career Highs and Lows  

00:35:47 Advice for Future Marketers  

 

Host: Abigail (Abby) Dixon FCIM/ICF | LinkedIn

Guest: Abi Willstead | LinkedIn

 

The Whole Marketer podcast is here to support and empower the people behind brands and businesses with the latest technical tools, soft and leadership skills and personal understanding for a fulfilling marketing career and life as a whole. For more info go to www.thewholemarketer.com 

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About the Podcast

The Marketing Society podcast
The Marketing Society is a progressive global community of senior marketers. Our purpose is to empower our members to be brave leaders. Since 1959, we have grown into an influential network of 2500 members.
The Marketing Society is a progressive global community of senior marketers. Our purpose is to empower our members to be brave leaders. Since 1959, we have grown into an influential network of more than 3000+ members across our global hubs: London, Scotland, Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE and New York. Our members are mostly senior clients (over seventy per cent) from brands such as ASOS, Barclays, IBM, Disney, HSBC, Mars, Samsung, Unilever and Vodafone.

Everything we do is through a brave lens – pushing boundaries, tackling taboos, providing comfortable spaces to have important conversations and building meaningful connections. We speak up, inspire one another, share best practice and discuss the challenges and opportunities we face. We work together to make our industry better for business and better for the world around us.

Attend our global programme of events, access the latest thinking online, including over ten years of best practice award-winning case studies. Have your work recognised as part of our Marketing Society Awards and Star Awards competing against the best of the best. Progress your career via professional development like our Marketing Leaders Programme, and get discounted tickets to industry events.

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