Today’s guest is Mark Sandys, Chief Innovation Officer at Diageo. The conversation covers so many aspects of marketing that Mark has seen throughout his career. We talk about Mark's entry into Diageo as a graduate trainee in 1997 to his rise within the company to his current role. Mark shares his views on the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone and how that helped progress his career in a bit of a sliding doors moment. We talk about the evolution of his marketing philosophy and the insights gained from observing consumer behaviour across the globe. We discuss the direction of innovation in the drinks market, with a focus on trends such as non-alcoholic beverages, celeb endorsed brands (still working on Ryan Reynolds as a guest) and the expanding influence of tequila. Mark discusses Diageo's innovation strategy centred on long-term planning and creating new systems and platforms rather than just products. We conclude with some advice from Mark to young marketers about understanding the entire P&L to make marketing choices that drive profit.

01:18 Experiences and Insights from Working at Diageo

08:46 Career Transitions and International Experiences

14:59 Understanding and Adapting to Different Markets

21:29 The Importance of Continuous Learning and Adaptability

30:48 Guinness's Growth Post-Covid and getting a better Guinness at home

37:31 The Concept of Platforms, Not Products

49:32 The Role of Acquisition in Innovation Strategy

52:56 The Future of Spirits: Tequila and Whiskey

57:56 The Importance of Leading the Business

Thanks to today's show sponsor The Indie List https://indielist.ie/

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