Interview with Robbie Millar, Effective Brands

What is your golden rule?
Never panic. I’ve learned that however bad or unexpected something is, a solution will always be found.

Who has been your biggest influence?
The person who first told me about marketing. I was fascinated, and it ended up changing the course of my life.

What is your most hated business expression?
Tax domicile. It takes a long time and a huge amount of collective skill for a country to develop a lead in an industry. The UK has such a lead in global marketing, yet risks losing that. If this isn’t addressed then one day many brands will be located in HQs in Switzerland, Belgium and other lower tax countries, along with the agency and consultancy networks that they need. Our collective task is to work daily with clients to show them that the competitive advantage of locating their global marketing departments here is so great, that they cannot risk moving it abroad.

What’s the smartest business idea you’ve ever had?
Ensuring I work in an entrepreneurial environment.

Which leader do you admire most and why?
James Dyson…if we had 100 leaders like him in this country we’d be unbeatable.

What’s your favourite word?
Optimism.

Tell us a secret
I’d love to run a small brewery.

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