Fellow Interview with Marc Nohr

We are delighted to bring you a Fellow interview with Marc Nohr, who was recently honoured as a Fellow of The Marketing Society 2023.

What’s your golden rule?

I don't have a golden rule but I do have a set of principles I try to live by. Here are two of them: Firstly, seek first to understand, then to be understood. It’s an old maxim but I have increasingly understood the importance of context as I’ve grown older. And it links to a second principle which is the importance of responding rather than reacting - something that is only possible if you take time to understand what is going on first.

Who has been your biggest influence?

I have almost too many to mention but I’ll namecheck two. Namely my father who wore his heart on his sleeve and championed his kids more passionately than any agent I have ever met. And a mother who escaped the worst horrors of the holocaust and decided to devote her life to helping others.

What is your most hated business expression?

Binary thinking in most of its forms. it tends to promote lazy generalisations, when the answer is almost always more nuanced.

What’s the smartest business idea you’ve ever had?

Hopefully the best idea is yet to come. But to date, I'd have to say the idea of setting up "Kitcatt Nohr" or Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw to use its full name. Clearly not an idea I had on my own. But we wanted to set up the best agency we'd ever worked in. And we did. It had a client list to die for, talent bursting out of every department and more awards than the shelves could handle. We were blessed and ten years after it was sold I still have staff contacting me saying it was the best place they've worked at.

Which leader do you admire most and why?

Probably the late Lord Jonathan Sacks (former chief rabbi of the UK). His blistering intellect, combined with passion and ability to communicate marked him out as exceptional.

What keeps you up at night as a marketing leader?

New possibilities - they always have kept me awake at night and I hope they always will.

Why is being a member of the Society important for your career?

Because we are defined by the company we keep. And the best marketing leaders gravitate towards the Marketing Society.

Tell us something that’s not on your CV

I once played live on stage with The Temptations