Building Brands, Shaping Futures: 3 Pivotal Lessons from 20 Years in Marketing

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🔥 Building Brands, Shaping Futures: 3 Pivotal Lessons from 20 Years in Marketing 🔥

20 years. 240 months. 175,320 hours. 10,512,000 minutes.

That’s how long I’ve been in the #marketing and #brand building game. And what an incredible journey it has been. It feels like just yesterday when I took my first step into the vibrant world of marketing, starting with the iconic Olay brand at Procter & Gamble .

 Over the past two decades, I've had the privilege of working in various industries, from beauty and personal care to tech in @Samsung Electronics and back to beauty again with @Ulta Beauty. Reflecting on this milestone, I can't help but ask myself, what would I tell my younger self about having a career in marketing? Here are the three invaluable lessons that stand out the most to me, and trust me, they've made all the difference.

✍️ lesson 1: Ignite the Power of Brand Building:

Brand building, my friends, is the alchemy of marketing.

It's not just about dropping a logo on a product or shouting your name from the rooftops. It's about creating an emotional connection, a gravitational pull that draws consumers into your orbit and keeps them coming back for more. Remember, you are not simply selling products; you are selling dreams, aspirations, and lifestyles.

Throughout my career in P&G, Samsung and collaborating with renowned beauty brands at Ulta Beauty, I have witnessed firsthand how brand building surpasses the boundaries of products and forges meaningful connections. In my time at P&G, we embraced a brand building framework known as WHO-WHAT-HOW. However, we didn't just discuss it; we breathed life into it.

At Ulta Beauty, we pride ourselves not only on building and nurturing the Ulta Beauty brand but also on fostering the growth and success of over 600 brands within our stores. As the largest beauty retailer in the United States, we establish strategic partnerships and cultivate brand collaborations across a diverse range of categories and price points. So having a brand building framework has been critical to our success.

 So, my question to you is: What is your brand building framework? If you don't have one yet, allow me to outline a few crucial elements to consider: Founder story, Purpose, Identity, Target consumer, Strategies, Experience. Regardless of the brand building framework you choose, you'll discover that it becomes an invaluable companion, journeying alongside you as you transition from one brand to another.

This consistent approach to brand building is where the true power lies. And there you have it, the first lesson: Establish a brand building framework that you can leverage throughout your ventures across various brands. 

✍️ Lesson 2: Unearth the Power of Insights to build your brand

Let me share with you the secret ingredient, the elixir of brand building: insights.

It's not enough to have a beautiful logo or a catchy tagline. You must delve deep into the hidden desires, unspoken unmet needs, and untapped aspirations of your audience. Insights are where the magic happens. They reveal that a lipstick is more than a cosmetic; it's a tool for confidence. They uncover that a running shoe is not just footwear; it's a symbol of empowerment and personal achievement. They remind us that a smartphone is not merely a device; it's a gateway to connection and endless possibilities.

As marketers, it's crucial to develop the skill of generating insights. Leveraging data-backed insights, as we do with our UB Ultamate Rewards loyalty program at Ulta Beauty, enables us to understand and cater to the unique preferences of our 41M+ members that drive 95% of our overall sales. . This knowledge empowers us to create targeted campaigns that forge stronger connections and foster brand loyalty, resulting in exponential growth for our many brands. So that is my 2nd lesson: learn to use data and insights to your strategic advantage to build your brand.

 ✍️ Lesson 3: Embrace a Non-Linear Journey to Marketing Leadership

Gone are the days of linear progression and predictable trajectories in the marketing career. The marketing landscape has evolved into a pulsating ecosystem of opportunities, where creativity, agility, and a hunger for innovation reign supreme. As such, marketing leaders are no longer confined to traditional roles.  I can speak to this personally too given that I've had the opportunity to explore various roles beyond marketing, including IT, Sales, IT/Supply chain, corporate strategy & transformation, and product innovation and incubation.

While marketing professionals are often at the forefront of driving growth in companies, the marketing career path is not for the faint of heart. It can be a rollercoaster of triumphs and setbacks, of exhilarating highs and humbling lows. . I've experienced many of these moments throughout my journey. Every time I stepped into a new brand or a new function, I faced the humbling challenge of starting with little knowledge.

This is why, all marketeers must embrace the ethos of continuous learning. The marketing journey is a constant pursuit of knowledge of your consumer, the markets and new skills. You must be a sponge, absorbing insights, trends, and emerging technologies. I vividly recall when I delved into the world of web 3.0 Metaverse projects for Samsung—I studied it as diligently as if I were preparing for my finals in college. So, here's my third and final lesson: take learning seriously and be intentional about your personal growth path.

 Closing:

As I celebrate 20 years in marketing, I can genuinely say that I've cherished every minute of it. It's an absolute privilege to build brands that shape culture and society. I am immensely grateful that this incredible journey has led me back to Ulta Beauty .

 So, my friends, if you're new to marketing, buckle up, fasten your seatbelts, and get ready for the ride of a lifetime. Embrace the uncertainty, relish the challenges, and seize every opportunity that comes your way. The marketing career path is an extraordinary voyage, and you, my friends, are the captains of your destiny.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped shape my path. Here's to 20 years and to more and to the beautiful possibilities that lie ahead!

The #PossibilitiesAreEndless with #UltaBeauty. #Brand Building #WomenInBusiness #Leadership #marketing #LeadershipLessons

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Author: Michelle is the Chief Marketing Officer of Ulta Beauty. Before that, Michelle was the Chief Marketing, Citizenship & Communications officer for Samsung Electronics America and spent 16 years at Procter & Gamble, most of her time in Prestige Beauty, then moved to become the CMO at Vertu, British luxury handmade mobile handsets. For upcoming posts, follow Michelle on LinkedIn and twitter. All statements made, and opinions expressed in this article only reflect her personal opinion.