What does it take to be the CMO of an iconic British high-street retailer, like Boots? Pete Markey shares his valuable wisdom and insights from a career at the very top.

What we covered in this episode:

• The difficult second album making Boots Christmas Ad
• Rediscovering the joy of Hall & Oates
• Why Retailers are so good at making Christmas ads
• Making people feel more festive
• The importance of escaping reality at Christmas
• How Boots landed on Joy as a proposition for Boots
• The purpose of making gifting easier and more joyful
• Being CMO of a high st retailer during covid & recession
• How Boots is using pricing and Advantage card to help customers
• Going from ‘good old Boots’ to ‘oh wow Boots’
• How Boots is using advertising to reflect the full diversity of society
• The importance of telling one persons story well
• Wising up and showing older people in a better light
• How ‘Summer be ready’ campaign reflected older people as part of the story
• The role of purpose and whether it can also deliver profit 
• Never drink the kool aid on your own purpose
• How to tell your brand story internally as well as externally 
• Making the finance team your best friend
• Being shortlisted for Brand of the year in two awards
• The power of Boots advantage card as a media channel
• Meeting the challenge of Black Friday
• Being on the Campaign and Marketing Week Top 100 lists
• Impressing the kids with a Hollywood style photoshoot
• The secret to being a Top 100 CMO
• How the reality of being a CMO is different to the perception 
• Creating the framework for success and unleashing the talent 
• The hidden P’s of Politics and Persuasion
• The importance of non-marketing skill set for a CMO
• Pete’s advice to the aspiring CMO – be curious, get trained & build your network
• How Jon got a job that was never advertised
• The hidden power of your network
• What you should do right now to build your network
• How Jon accidentally ended up doing a speech at the wrong event
• The 100 day plan to meet 100 people
• Pete’s aim to terrify himself via improvised comedy