Recognising individual achievements
On 11 June, Unilever’s Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Keith Weed, was named Marketer of the Year at the Marketing Society Awards for Excellence. The awards are judged by a panel of top marketing practitioners, and the Marketer of the Year accolade recognises one individual for their specific achievements and contribution to the industry over the past year.
Setting the standard
In a closely fought contest, Keith stood out for being the ‘driving force’ behind Unilever’s ambitious sustainability plans and for championing the philosophy that brands should build corporate social responsibility (CSR) into all their working practices rather than relying on stand-alone departments. According to the judging panel, Keith has set the standard for CSR, not just in the UK, but across the globe.
Crafting Brands for Life
The judges also referred to Unilever’s plan to take a ‘more magic, less logic’ approach to marketing – in reference to the company’s new marketing strategy Crafting Brands for Life, which strives to ‘Unlock the Magic’, as well as ‘Build Brand Love’ and ‘Put People First’.
One of the aims of the new strategy is to encourage marketers to take calculated risks and back creative ideas. The judges’ citation mentioned that, “At a time when many marketers have complained privately that the industry is becoming too focused on meaningless metrics at the expense of creativity, Keith’s vision has resonated strongly among fellow marketers.”
Influencing the industry
The Marketing Society is a not-for-profit organisation owned by its 2,600 members, all of whom are senior marketers. Over the past 50 years it has emerged as one of the most influential drivers of marketing in the UK business community and its annual Awards for Excellence are recognised as the industry’s most coveted.