#BehindtheBrandManager: Leanne Goott, "Great teams make great work."

Leanne Goot, marketing manager for Mobile in Africa

Goott believes that in modern business and marketing, there is constant pressure to do, respond, deliver, and be excellent. “The list is endless, and I got given some great advice from a close partner who has been fundamental to MIA’s success: ‘There will be potatoes to peel. The faster you peel, the higher the pile’,” she said.

Goott also believes that marketing needs time for planning, creativity, and agility when it matters. “Knowing when to rush and when to breathe, to digest and approach things holistically is critical to success and happiness for all. Great teams make great work,” she said.

Here, we find out more about her role, building client-agency relationships effectively, and what constitutes good marketing efforts…

Tell us a bit more about your role as marketing manager

No two days are ever the same. We are constantly on our toes, bringing in cool tech and improving the e-commerce customer experience. I'm involved in many activities, from launching brand campaigns to ensuring the supply chain runs smoothly and everything in between.

How would you define your brand?

MIA is a brand that makes the latest consumer technology accessible to all; you could call us "a supplier of the latest affordable cool tech."

What excites you most about your role?

Our access to the latest in IoT smart products and mobile technology! Seeing our brand campaigns come to life and experience all the hard work paying off is fantastic. We've come a long way in the last two years, and most recently, MIA has been nominated as a finalist in the New Generation Awards.

Could you tell us more about your career journey prior to your current role?

My roles, among them, have included: helping a rapidly growing digitally-driven financial software solutions and consulting company to position itself for growth and working with global teams at Accenture Interactive to develop customer journeys and complex digital marketing solutions using design thinking.

My 12+ years of experience in this field have given me a deep appreciation of the challenges. The immense opportunities digital brings, yet I remain keenly aware that the fundamental value of the marketing function lies in distilling the value of the company and communicating it in the right way – internally and externally – to grow the company, its people and its offerings, and to engage with customers fully. Moving into this role at MIA has allowed me to actively put into place all the things I've learnt in my career journey so far.

Tell us about your most successful marketing campaign

We've had many! From simple voucher code giveaways to launching new phones into the South African market, one of my favourites was "Singles Day", a shopping holiday in China that hasn't really taken off here yet, which yielded some amazing ROI last year! It was also fun running something unique.

What is essential, in your opinion, when building client-agency relationships?

Communication and trust. There are no two ways about it. If you can't have open discussions with your agency and trust that they can help steer the brand in the right direction, perhaps it's not the best fit. This is why we prefer to partner with a smaller, more agile agency.

What are the biggest challenges in marketing right now?

With the phone and tech market being such a competitive space, the most significant marketing challenge is constantly attempting to find the next big thing that will resonate well with your target audience and have a stronger brand appeal than competitors.

Striking a balance between planning, supply chain, operations, budget, creativity and agility when unexpected circumstances happen is a team effort. Ensuring you are surrounded by the right team and approach to work is everything; a healthy approach to business challenges, productivity, and stress leads to success and the joy of doing.

What can brands no longer ignore when it comes to marketing efforts?

Consumer feedback. With the addition of social media in almost everyone's marketing mix, customers will always tell you what they want, when they want it and how! If you aren't listening, they will go somewhere else, and if you are transparent and open to agility and adopting changes, they will reward you with fantastic feedback and loyalty.

Any advice for young professionals entering the field?

Take nothing personally, know your value and get comfortable with clarifying your boundaries. We are emotional creatures, and the more we work inwardly on professional and personal development, the better we work outwardly through the infinite interactions we will encounter in life.