Little Grey Cells: Weetabix's Gareth Turner on Marketing Challenges and the 'Bravery Pot'
In the second installation in our interview series from Danish Creative agency Worth Your while (www.wyw.agency), we meet Gareth Turner, outgoing head of marketing at breakfast cereal company Weetabix. Here he talks about his unusual pathway into marketing, the economic squeeze on consumers and his exciting next steps.
What inspired you to pursue a career that embraces marketing?
Gareth> I eventually came to marketing relatively late in my career. I’ve always taken an interest in marketing and had (unsuccessfully!) applied to work in advertising when I was at university. So, when I ended up in sales at Heineken, I volunteered to be the sales representative in any marketing projects I could get involved in, and eventually was given an opportunity to move into marketing to lead the John Smith’s and Murphy’s brand marketing. It’s the ability to make a long term, strategic and repeatable impact on a business that attracted me to marketing then and continues to excite me.
What are the biggest challenges currently facing your marketing team?
Gareth> Consumer confidence is low right now, with levels of inflation that haven’t been experienced in the UK for decades. Therefore, a challenge for any brand marketer is how to maintain growth in an economic climate like this. In FMCG there is the additional uncertainty that HFSS legislation has brought. It’s been delayed (for now), but retailers and suppliers are still working out the implications – I saw an IRI poll recently that said 84% of suppliers and retailers had no firm idea on how HFSS restrictions are going to impact their business.
Science vs Art: With scientific data-driven marketing at one end of the spectrum and genius creative ideas at the other - which side do you lean towards?
Gareth> I think that’s a false dichotomy! I’m somewhere in the middle, but probably towards the creative end of the continuum. The reality is that numbers (especially financial ones) is the language of the boardroom, and board members are usually relatively risk averse in their approach – there’s increasing amounts to lose further up the food chain. So there needs to be some “science” behind any significant investment. Having said that, there’s no algorithm in the world that will come up with a drumming gorilla.
The Metaverse and web3: are you ‘in’, ‘out’ or ‘not sure’? And please tell us why.
Gareth> It’s very early days for these platforms, and so for the mass market, relatively conservative brands that I work with, it’s a watching brief. I’m not convinced it’s immediately relevant for food and drink brands (although I see Heineken, for example, have got involved), but it’s something to keep an eye on to see what emerges.
How are you able to adapt a business and marketing strategy to embrace the latest trends and keep ahead of the competition?
Gareth> One has to keep abreast of the latest trends and tech, but not get distracted by the latest shiny new thing. Strategy is long term, and new media channels (for example) are executional tactics. So, if a new way to engage with my target audience effectively and efficiently at scale emerges, then I need to be able to incorporate it into my plan. We’ve kept aside a “bravery pot” in a couple of businesses I’ve worked in which is intended for exactly this, allowing us to quickly test a new opportunity against our overarching strategy.
What role does your company’s purpose and Corporate Social Responsibility play within your marketing Strategy?
Gareth> Weetabix believes in the power of good nutrition, and that when you have a nutritious breakfast, you’re more able to take on the challenges of the day ahead. You can see that in the Weetabix advertising from the classic “Robin Hood” and “Naseby” to our latest “Wolf” advert. Weetabix takes its CSR very seriously, although it’s not something we publicise too much. Many people are surprised to learn, for example, that all the wheat that’s used in Weetabix biscuits is grown within 50 miles of the mills in Burton Latimer. We’re also proud to partner with FareShare and Magic Breakfast, helping to ensure that as many people as possible can have a healthy start to the day.
How important is storytelling when maximising your customers’ engagement with a campaign?
Gareth> There are a few things that make advertising effective. How easily understood the ad is, how enjoyable and engaging it is, and how well branded it is. So, telling an engaging story in your advertising where the brand is integral to the plot is important to the success of the campaign.
From a marketing perspective, what’s coming up in 2022?
Gareth> We have another big year planned for Weetabix in 2022. As a partner of men’s and women’s national football teams in the UK and Ireland we have two on pack promotions to coincide with the Women’s Euros this summer, and then there’s the unusual situation of having the Men’s World Cup in December.
Personally, I am leaving Weetabix in the summer to establish my own marketing consultancy called Big Black Door where I will bring the training and experience I have gained to other businesses. So, I hope to be very busy with that.
Tim Healey interviewed Weetabix’s Gareth Turner for Worth Your While (www.wyw.agency)
