Starting Strong: Lessons from Leading Marketing with Empathy and Impact

When I step into a new role, my goal isn’t to make waves immediately - it’s to understand the waters first. One of my favourite guiding principles is Stephen Covey’s timeless mantra:

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” 

This has been my anchor during those crucial first 90 days of any leadership role.

Immersing Myself in the Culture

The first thing I do? Listen. To the people, the culture, and the customers. Whether it’s sitting in on sales calls, diving into analytics, or chatting with team members, I aim to absorb as much as I can. Every company has its unique ethos, and it’s important to feel its rhythm before attempting to change the tune. Marketing isn’t just about creating campaigns; it’s about ensuring those campaigns align with the heartbeat of the business.

Building Relationships with Purpose

Collaboration is the cornerstone of impactful marketing. In every new position, I prioritise building genuine relationships - with leadership, my team, and other key stakeholders. One of the most powerful tools we have as marketing leaders is asking, “How can I help?” It’s a simple yet transformative question, especially in environments where marketing may come with preconceived perceptions about what it is  or isn’t - and the frustrations of what it “hasn’t done for us.” By focusing on understanding others’ challenges and pain points, we can begin breaking down barriers, particularly with sales teams.

I make it a priority to collect their concerns, from minor bugbears to major challenges, and then map out action plans that balance quick wins with longer-term priorities. I also try to get into as many team meetings as possible during my first 60 days - a period I like to call “speed dating.” It’s about taking the pulse of the business: understanding what teams do, how they measure success, and where they feel the pressure points are. This process isn’t just about fostering trust; it’s about creating a shared sense of purpose and alignment so you can understand how you are going to work with each team. With this foundation, our marketing strategies aren’t siloed but are tightly woven into the fabric of the organisation’s goals, ensuring alignment and collective impact.

Mapping the Road Ahead

Early on, I dive into a comprehensive audit of existing marketing initiatives. What’s working? What’s not? Where are the untapped opportunities? This stage is all about basing decisions and my 90-day plan on facts and evidence. I’m a firm believer in the power of data to guide decision-making, ensuring that early improvements are impactful and grounded in reality. It’s tempting to implement big ideas right away, but it’s essential not to reinvent the wheel or shut down something that’s already working simply for the sake of change. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” By analysing what’s available and listening to customer feedback, I can identify areas where meaningful improvements can be made and craft a roadmap with clear KPIs that not only delivers results but also demonstrates marketing’s critical role in driving business growth.

Marketing Through a Human Lens

At its heart, marketing is about connection. It’s not just about promoting a brand; it’s about ensuring the lived customer experience matches the promises we make. Today’s buyers are overwhelmed by choice and complexity. They don’t just want to hear about features and benefits - they want to know how a product or service will genuinely solve their problems or make their lives better.

Walking the Talk

I often say that marketing, brand, and customer experience aren’t separate entities. A brand is what you say, and CX is how you prove it. When there’s a mismatch between the two, trust erodes. That’s why I focus on internal alignment from day one, ensuring every part of the organisation is marching to the same beat. From customer journey mapping to building authentic, trusted relationships, it’s all about showing up consistently for your audience.

Empathy Drives Success

Whether in B2B or B2C, the key to successful marketing lies in empathy. Understanding your audience’s challenges, aspirations, and decision-making process allows you to create campaigns that resonate on a human level. It’s not about being flashy; it’s about being relevant and useful. For example, instead of pitching a product as the fastest or most powerful, show how it simplifies a customer’s day or helps them achieve their goals.

The Power of Focus and Simplicity

One of the greatest challenges in marketing is resisting the urge to be everything to everyone. It’s tempting to broaden your message to appeal to as many people as possible, but this often dilutes impact. Instead, I believe in the power of focus. A clear identity and specialisation not only help you stand out but also ensure your messaging is coherent and compelling.

In a world where customers conduct over 90% of their research before even speaking to a company, it’s critical that every piece of content you produce speaks with clarity and purpose. This focus extends to product development and delivery - ensuring your solutions address specific pain points and are designed with the customer in mind.

Balancing Innovation with the Human Touch

Generative AI is revolutionising marketing, offering unprecedented personalisation and efficiency. But as automation takes on more tasks, the human touch becomes even more critical. At the end of the day, the best way to understand your customers is still to talk to them.

AI can analyse data and predict behaviours, but it’s up to us as marketers to use those insights to create meaningful connections. The best marketing strategies blend the power of technology with the warmth of human interaction, ensuring that while the tools may change, the principles of trust, empathy, and authenticity remain constant.

Starting fresh in a new company is both a challenge and an opportunity. It’s about learning, adapting, and aligning while staying true to the core belief that marketing is fundamentally about people. Every step, from auditing data to mapping customer journeys, is guided by one question: How can we make life better for our customers and team? Because when you focus on the human element, the results speak for themselves.