NDA has launched a new series on NDA, Marketing the Marketers, talking to the marketing and comms leaders behind the success of our leading companies. Next up is Georgie Broadhead, Marketing Director at Xandr a Microsoft Company.
What exactly does your job entail?
I’m responsible for the marketing strategy, plan and execution across the Northern Europe markets including UK, Nordics and Netherlands. Being ‘in the field’ means I sit across and get involved in all marketing functions from events and client hospitality, product marketing, communications and sales enablement as well as supporting the rising stars across the business to grow their profile and gain confidence in public speaking. It’s a lot to cover, but it means no two days are the same which I love!
What campaign or piece of marketing/communications are you most proud of in your career and why?
I’m most proud of the ‘risks’ that I have taken during my career. For example, at the 2013 Ad Week Europe, I created a game show, “Have we got AI for you,” where a panel of experts played three different games which opened up into conversation about different topics around AI. It was fun and engaging for the speakers and audience.
More recently, I created a company podcast, The Programmatic Life, in collaboration with the team at NDA. Podcasts are a great way to share knowledge and build brand awareness, not to mention an opportunity to show a bit more of a ‘human’ side to your business. I’m excited for season two, which comes out in Q2.
Who has been your biggest inspiration in your career to date and why?
I’m fortunate to know many inspiring leaders and partners who have inspired me throughout my career. Harvin Gupta, now Head of Commercial Partnerships at Scope3 is a fantastic teacher who helped me understand the technicalities of programmatic and Karan Singh, Head of Advertiser Partnerships at Xandr, is one of the best storytellers in the industry.
Through their knowledge, guidance, and partnership I found inspiration to be creative with how and where we tell the Xandr story.
What is the biggest challenge in your sector and how is your company helping to address it?
I’ve talked a lot about risk, and I think that taking risks is perhaps the biggest challenge in the sector. On the tech side of programmatic, we’re big risk takers, innovating and changing the digital advertising landscape. But when it comes to our B2B marketing practices, we often fall into a routine of the same events, speakers and formats.
Personally, I try to think of the people behind the businesses that I market to and think about what they would like to see outside of the workplace. In today’s world, where the work/life balance is blurry, we can incorporate some B2C tactics into our B2B practices.
What is the biggest opportunity in your sector and how is your company helping to make the most of it?
The biggest opportunity within programmatic right now, is collaboration. Buyers and sellers are establishing closer relationships and as a result we’re seeing positive changes across the ecosystem. It was through extensive cross-industry collaboration that saw the development of the ‘Toolkit’ used in the latest ISBA/ PWC report, which resulted in dramatic improvements in supply chain transparency.
Additionally, GroupM recently announced their client coalition with a shared commitment to accelerate the decarbonisation of the world’s media supply. As part of Microsoft Advertising, we’re unlocking some exciting new advertising opportunities for buyers and gaining significant momentum across CTV, shopper marketing, native, and identity.
How important, and why, are the following in helping you promote your own company:
a. The press – press offer an unbiased opinion through earned media opportunities and are a vital part of the marketing mix to help enhance corporate reputation. Journalists often have strong share of voice across communication channels and their views are widely respected and considered by the industry.
b. Events – Events are important to touch base with existing clients and showcase your business to prospects. The challenge is creating a format that is engaging and different from your competitors, without breaking the bank. You must weigh the ROI of events. For example, if they’re too big, what can you really get from them? Setting clear KPIs at the start and focusing on the content and audience will ensure that you get the most out of events.
c. Your company’s owned media – Owned channels are my favourite part of marketing and allow for a lot of creativity to tell your story, your way. Social media is a place to really have fun. Here you can create videos, animate social cards, share podcasts, learn from others and share your own knowledge to help grow your followers and spread your messages far and wide.
