NDA’s Marketing the Marketers series talks to the marketing and comms leaders behind the success of some of our industry’s leading companies Next up is iguel Babukhan, Senior Marketing Lead at PMG. He has over 10 years of marketing experience across tech startups, advertising and consultancy, including Spirable, Genius Sports, Monstarlab and PMG.
What exactly does your job entail?
I lead all aspects of PMG’s UK and EMEA marketing, from shaping strategy through to execution across brand, communications, events, content and PR.
A key part of the role is working closely with our leadership, client development and strategy teams to craft messaging and campaigns that effectively convey our offering to brand leaders, and making sure the brilliant work we do for clients gets the visibility and recognition it deserves.
What campaign or piece of marketing/communications are you most proud of in your career and why?
At Spirable, I led our presence at CES, one of the world’s largest industry events. For a growing startup, that was a real statement. I led on everything from the strategy and logistics of how we showed up, right through to pitching to prospects.
I’m proud of it because it taught me the importance of having a willingness to take creative risks, especially when working with modest budgets. It combined everything I love about marketing: strategic planning, problem-solving, and rolling up your sleeves to get everything done. I think as marketers we inherently are people who “make it happen.”
Who has been your biggest inspiration in your career to date and why?
I’ve been incredibly lucky to have had managers during my career who have invested in not just my development, but me as a person.
Lauren Evans, my manager at Spirable and later Genius Sports, is integral to who I am today and continues to be a role model. She guided me through opportunities that would challenge me, and it was outside my comfort zone that I grew. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her, and I still look to her as a shining example for what great leadership looks like.
My current manager, Rose Marie Adamo at PMG, has taught me so much about trust, autonomy and the power of teamwork. She’s given me real ownership and is a selfless leader who creates the space for you to be your best.
What is the biggest challenge in your sector and how is your company helping to address it?
The biggest challenge is that brands have more data and tools than ever, and that has created more complexity that often hinders performance.
There is a misconception that data equals actionable intelligence, but most growth models still don’t meaningfully connect strategy, activation and measurement.
PMG closes that gap. Our proprietary operating system, Alli, connects strategy, execution and measurement, so insights drive actual decisions and fuel performance. It’s a system built for how modern brands actually grow, because the companies that turn intelligence into action are the ones leading.
What is the biggest opportunity in your sector and how is your company helping to make the most of it?
The agency landscape is in a period of disruption. For years, the industry has relied on models that often don’t deliver for clients, but that’s shifting. PMG’s clients’ growth, outcomes and performance are directly linked to our own. When they grow, we grow.
What excites me is that AI is accelerating this shift. But the businesses that benefit most won’t be the ones bolting AI onto legacy structures. PMG was built with this future in mind, with Alli having been developed over the last 15 years. As a result, we’re able to continue investing in people and capability, at a time when many others in the industry can’t.
How important, and why, are the following in helping your promote your own company:
The press
Really, really important. A consistent drumbeat and thoughtful media presence builds credibility over time. It’s not just about landing a big feature, it’s about positioning your thought leaders, developing relationships with journalists, and being part of the conversation when it matters. We’re investing in this across our business, but especially in the UK.
Events
In-person connection is so important – now more than ever. Our industry is very relationship-driven, and nothing replaces creating spaces that facilitate and aid conversation.
This year we’re investing in tailored events, with a strict mandate to provide valuable, actionable content, carefully personalised experiences, and importantly a deep respect for attendee time.
Your company’s owned media
It’s our superpower. We recognise the value of LinkedIn, our newsletters, our content and thought leadership. It’s where we share our point of view and unique voice.
For PMG, owned media is how we stay visible between the ‘bigger’ moments and connect everything together. It enables us to bring our thinking to life, with a great example being our AI & Tech Sandbox experience at Miramar Beach for Cannes Lions this summer.
