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Office: Sydney, Australia
Joined Honan: February 2020
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” —Oscar Wilde
This quote resonates with me both when approaching my role and from a personal perspective.
It acts as a simple reminder that a brand/company needs to have a point of differentiation, its own identity, tone of voice, and ‘why’ (reason for existing), to stand out in a crowded market and form a connection with its audience.
Personally, as a member of the LGTBQ+ community, it took me a long, long time to realise that if I kept trying to be someone that was not authentic to myself just to make others happy or fit in with societal ‘norms’ then I would never be happy myself. Accepting who I was, understanding that we are all different, that there is no such thing as ‘normal’ and the importance of valuing, recognising, and celebrating our differences, changed my world and was something I wish I knew a lot earlier.
I grew up in Melbourne, the second of 5 children (from multiple marriages), spending what may now be considered a ‘retro’ childhood reasonably free of technology and full of imagination.
Whilst I didn’t start out with a definitive plan or have a grand idea for my career (my modelling career ended shortly after it began thanks to my mother’s lack of interest), it was evident from an early age that I thrived in creative environments. Like many others, until I figured out where exactly that would be, I ‘temporarily’ entered the world of retail and ended up staying there for the next 25 years. Through a little persistence, asking a lot of questions, and taking any opportunity that came my way, I forged my path from being on the shop floor to store operations, from visual merchandising to advertising, loyalty to digital, and eventually finding the creative environment I was seeking as Head of Marketing with brands including M.J. Bale, Lacoste, Ben Sherman, MYER, Kmart, Jets Swimwear and Just Jeans. Apparently, the enjoyment I experienced on my first fashion shoot at the age of 3 stuck with me.
It was a casual conversation with a friend in early 2020, that led to an introduction to Andrew Fluitsma and Laurence Basell, and shortly after resulted in my decision to join Honan. As they shared Honan’s positioning as a challenger brand with a clear identity, tone of voice, and values that were obviously more than words on paper, I had all the enticement I needed to change industries and move far outside my comfort zone… and I haven’t looked back since.
Outside of work, my husband and I are rediscovering Sydney having moved back here in December with our two miniature long-haired dachshunds (Boss and Summer), and we are looking forward to continuing to explore the rest of the world again now that borders are open.
In a nutshell, my role as HOM is to lead and motivate my team to utilise our combined creative thinking and problem-solving skills to form a comprehensive marketing and comms strategy, developing initiatives and executing campaigns that build the awareness, recognition, reputation, and equity of our brands (Honan, Risksmart, and BRIC) and support the overarching business strategy. By sharing our story, our expertise, our values, and our people through innovative concepts, compelling content, tailored events, and unique partnerships that are distributed across all brand touchpoints and channels, we strive to strengthen the connection between our brands and our customers, partners, and community.
The latest word on every Marketer’s lips is ‘metaverse’ and no doubt this will continue to be a hot topic as we become more familiar with it. Best characterised as an evolution of today’s internet—the metaverse is something we are immersed in instead of something we look at. For marketers, the metaverse represents an opportunity to engage consumers in entirely new ways while pushing internal capabilities and brand innovation in new directions. Whilst there is still a fair amount of scepticism, and a cautionary approach will be needed before diving right in (since the promise may take some time to catch up to the hype), this digital marketing trend will be one to watch.
After spending over 20 years in one industry, I had assumed that fashion/retail marketing was where my skills were most suited, where I belonged and where I should confine my career. Since joining Honan, I have learnt that there is no actual boundary or limit to where my skill set can be best utilised, only the one I place on myself. If a role provides me with the motivating factors mentioned above, an ability to keep learning, build connections, and be strategically creative, then the potential for what I can achieve is limitless no matter where I find myself.
Two years in and there is still so much more to achieve at Honan, as we are growing rapidly, acquiring new businesses, and constantly evolving and building on our previous efforts. A few items on the list for the next year are:
I have been struggling to recommend just one thing and so instead, my recommendation (particularly for marketers but relevant to all aspects of life) is to stay curious! Look around, ask questions, discover as much as you can about your target market/audience/brand/colleagues, seek feedback, continually challenge and evolve how you approach things, and read, watch, listen!
