After 175 years how do you keep a brand fresh and relevant? This is a question that Pete Markey asked himself when he first joined the UK’s ultimate heritage brand in Boots three-and-a-half years ago.
As with any business of this size, there are an awful lot of moving parts to take into account, from its immense reputation among the British public, to powerful stakeholders and the constant need to innovate.
Speaking at this year’s MAD//Fest London, Markey reveals that in his eyes the secret to being a good CMO is to be “part artist, part scientist and part cheerleader for the business”, most important of all however, is making the boardroom understand the true power of marketing in driving profit.
This is certainly something that Markey has managed to do in his time at the historic health and beauty retailer, persuading the bigwigs to increase the marketing budget by as much as 35% during his tenure.
Core at the heart of his strategy is ‘No more good old Boots’, to do away with this notion of the brand being tired, faded and just a comforting high street placeholder.
When Markey came in, Boots’ Advantage Card hadn’t had a dedicated TV placement for over 25 years going back to the late 90s. All that changed in 2022, when £10 million was unlocked by his persistence for a blockbuster omnichannel campaign.
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Released in three parts across 2022 and 2023, the campaign has once again brought Boots’ flagship loyalty programme to the forefront of its marketing strategy – a labour of love for Markey as, in his own words, “all the data” suggested that it wouldn’t pay off.
But these are the ways in which the retailer needs remain relevant with high-street customers, not to mention the immense amounts of first-party data that can be harnessed from Advantage Card users.
A big believer in traditional formats such as radio, out-of-home and TV, Markey reveals that 60% of Boots’ marketing channels are currently being booked using first-party data.
With the deprecation of cookies looming large on the horizon, it isn’t hard to see why the Advantage Card is set to become a vital cog in Boots’ brand strategy and identity.
Has Markey achieved what he set out to when he was brought on in 2021? Most definitely, and more, with the trusty old brand now at the forefront of marketing technology and the battle for first-party data. It’s undoubtedly a juicy prospect for many advertisers.
With a brand this healthy, it’s hard to see how it won’t last another 175 years.
