As head of marketing and brand services at Blundstone, Amy Munting is helping steer an iconic Australian brand through its next phase of global growth. With Blundstone now sold in more than 70 countries, Munting is focused on balancing international expansion with the heritage, authenticity and consistency that have made the Tasmanian-born bootmaker a cultural mainstay.
Her career didn’t begin in marketing, after graduating university with a bachelor of arts in international relations, she learned pretty quickly that it wasn’t for her. This eventually led her down a path of marketing which began in 2014 at Red Jelly Australia. She stayed agency side before jumping ship in 2023 to client side to work at Blundstone.
Now into our second season of B&T’s CMOs To Watch, presented by Zenith, Munting joins the ranks of visionary marketing leaders redefining the playbook. This series celebrates those who balance bold ideas with business impact and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
Munting sat down with us to discuss the brand’s global growth, how she thrives in an environment that gives her the opportunity to create, learn and discover and how she would smuggle a small dog onto a desert island.
B&T: Let’s get to know you… What three things would you take to a desert island?
Amy Munting: Some kind of music player, a bottomless bag of chips and my husband. You said three things, but I also have a small dog that I’d smuggle in.
B&T: What is your passion outside of work? If you weren’t a CMO, what would you be doing?
AM: I love making things, using my hands. I recently started playing with floral arrangements and enjoy this immensely. Anything where my mind can focus on making something new.
If I weren’t doing what I am now? Maybe interior or fashion design. I do have a BA in international relations, but once I graduated, I learned pretty quickly that’s not for me!
B&T: What was your favourite campaign of all time?
AM: It’s impossible to choose one, and it depends on the day, but I have a big soft spot for 1990s ad campaigns. I love Sprite’s ‘Obey Your Thirst’. The message about trusting your gut, following your passion, and not bending to the rules really stuck with me. It’s still my go-to fizzy drink!
B&T: Now let’s talk shop. What is your brand’s top priority for the next 12 months?
AM: I’d say global growth, but with care and consistency. Blundstone is now present in over 70 countries. We are on a very deliberate journey to honour our heritage while stretching into considered brand moments for us on a global scale. It’s about showing up in all the right conversations.
B&T: What channel is exciting you the most and how do you split your marketing budgets between long/short and channels mix?
AM: The return of large-scale outdoor! Did it ever really go away? While I’m a sucker for the traditional, and I’m not sure you’d call it a channel as such, I also love the space that micro-communities are providing. It’s real. They’re true brand lovers who live and breathe the brand, completely unforced, providing real insight and stories that money can’t buy.
B&T: What is the biggest challenge you currently face in the marketplace?
AM: I’d be naive not to mention all the uncertainty in the current global landscape. Of course, that’s not just a challenge for us, but for every brand. The challenges facing our industry also present opportunities. Agility is key. Things are evolving and moving so quickly. I think uncertainty is something we need to be comfortable with, as it sometimes sparks the best ideas.
B&T: What are you most excited about in the marketplace?
AM: I love seeing this return to telling great brand stories. Tracking data and analysis is still important, obviously, but that’s not how you make a real connection with audiences. Not in this constant barrage of digital noise that we call daily life, there has to be a layer of humanity and story in what we’re doing.
B&T: Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
AM: On a desert island with my music player, bottomless bag of chips, my husband and my dog? Honestly, as long as what I am doing is still giving me the opportunity to create, learn and discover, I’ll be happy. I want to spend my career finding new things to get excited about.
B&T: Speaking hypothetically what’s one brand, product or category you’d like to sink your teeth into right now as a marketer?
AM: I’m loving working in this space where such an everyday item is pushing into fashion and culture. I want to keep leaning heavily into that. I also do some side work outside of my main role in the advocacy/NFP, and I’d love to do more of that. I’m interested in how we can further create a space where culture collides with advocacy to create some good.
B&T: Zenith believe there is untapped media potential we need to uncover. What is your prediction for media this year?
AM: I think out-of-home large media will continue its comeback. We’ll probably see guerrilla marketing on a much larger scale. For better or worse, the big game changer will continue to be AI. We need to make sure it’s a tool that supports the creative process, rather than replace it.
