Felix Meston and his work with Voices Foundation

We caught up with Felix Meston, Marketing Manager at Hailo, to hear how his Marketing for Good experience with the Voices Foundation went and why other members should get involved.

What inspired you to participate in Marketing for Good?
Nobody is ever important enough or content with life to not give something back to the world, however big or small your offering. For me that ‘something’ is marketing, a discipline I practice every day.

Why did you choose to work with Voices Foundation?
I was lucky enough to study music at university and spent four years managing the Classic FM brand at Global Radio. Music is in my blood and I believe that every child should be given equal access to a quality music education. I benefited greatly not only from learning the language of music, but how to interact with others, play in teams and express myself on a stage in front of people. This combination of creating great musicians and boosting a child’s self-esteem is exactly what the Voices Foundation does. Working for a charity that means something personal to you is crucial if you want be taken seriously by them and make a difference.

What challenges were they facing?
Marketing needed to sit further at the heart of the Voices Foundation. Showing the organisation how powerful brands can be and believing in marketing not just as a ‘nice to have’ was my first step. To do this, I’ve co-created a vision and communications framework for them. This added to the business plan the new CEO has pulled together, working in partnership with a super consultancy called Cause4.  Crucially, there were more practical tools that the Voices Foundation needed, from refreshed branding to making the most of a Salesforce subscription and CRM. Digital has empowered smaller organisations to take much greater control over their communications, and I’ve challenged the Voices Foundation to fully embrace it.

How were you able to help them address those challenges?
The new CEO and team have great ambitions for the company so it hasn’t been difficult to get everybody thinking differently. I’ve led a workshop at their annual conference on building a vision and helped show how marketing and communications is central to this. Not just lending a strategic hand, I’ve also given them practical advice on how to package their offering – their new patron scheme we devised has grown philanthropic contributions by ten-fold this year. Finally, through digital I’ve shown them low-cost, practical examples of how they can build a database and efficiently target their audiences.

How have you benefited from the experience?
Marketers should be fully adaptable to any business and with any budget – ultimately we are always trying to achieve the same aim; building a brand that is loved. This flexibility has helped me enormously. Also, showcasing the power of marketing to others has given me a long-lasting belief in the power of the discipline in the face of an ever-changing skills landscape. As marketers if we don’t fully believe that a brand’s story can change the world, whether that’s a taxi app or a music charity, then we shouldn’t be there. 

What would you say to other marketers considering getting involved?
You have 24 hours in a day – don’t just spend them all on you. Give to others and the reward will be great. 

If you would like to find out more and see how you get involved, please get in touch. And you can browse more marketing for good content in our Clubhouse.