10 ways to be the Changemakers

The Marketing Society Global Conference returned live on 10 November, gathering our industry's best and brightest for a marketing day out to get people talking, making new connections, and gathering new ideas to help shape the change that’s necessary.

It was a real joy for us to be able to share so many stories and insights from amazing Changemakers. Here are some of our highlights from the day:

• Marketers have become addicted to the certainty data offers and in doing so, forget the things that can't be counted. What we need is a radical diversity of people who are willing to experiment, take risks and do things who outcome isn’t wholly predictable - Margaret Heffernan, University of Bath
• There’s no place for awe, intimidation or fear in the workplace, especially when we need to rely on each other in our teams than ever before - Emily Chang, McCann Worldgroup China
• When we think about driving change, we think about adding components of work to make something better - but what could make a fundamental difference is taking parts away - Asad Rehman, Unilever
• Marketing is not about selling; it’s about understanding what people want, and creating it - Greg Jackson, Octopus Energy
• Change is hard, but it is often the perceived challenge that is the biggest barrier. Those who have truly harnesses the power of Neuroplasticity will tackle whatever future change awaits in their stride. - Kathleen Saxton, MediaLink
   

• As marketers, we are stewards of our brand; we decide which voices to amplify, and have the power to move people at scale. So, what if we stopped trying to justify DEI? Rather than looking at the business benefits, what if we simply focused on the fact it’s the right thing to do? - Ty Heath, The B2B Institute at LinkedIn
• The role of marketers is to provide truth to power, with a degree of wit, and convey a sense of the possibilities that if we have the intelligence, can leave our planet and ourselves a lot better off - Sir Tim Smit, The Eden Project
• Change doesn’t mean you have to throw everything out. For us, it was about growing confidence and relevance, whilst reassuring customers and establishing distinctiveness amongst competitors - Toby Horry and Katie McAlister, TUI
• People don’t care what you know, they want to know that you care - Karen Blackett, Group M
• There’s always status in marketing; now at the heart of it is respect, heart and experience, for each other and our planet - Mary Portas, Portas