Marketing Mavericks: Samsung’s Drewe Letchford

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Marketing Mavericks was a supplement in the latest mag, featuring some of Australia’s most daring and bold marketers. Today, we’re bringing you Samsung’s head of marketing strategy and customer experience, Drewe Letchford.

Brutally Simply Mo Salah’s Man

A contender for custodian of the longest job title, Drewe started his career at Unilever. He had a stint at Diageo as head of strategy (with a travel sabbatical thrown in there too), before he found his home at Samsung. An avid football (soccer) fan who once dreamt of playing for Liverpool, Drewe has settled in nicely to his career as a marketer.

My personal purpose is to ‘explore to achieve a brighter tomorrow through applied wisdom and care’. I try to live to that as consistently as I can. As a partner, dad, mate and business leader.

There’s no doubt the marketing world is shifting, so for me when I think about what always works, I believe in the power of simplicity. I believe in this in all aspects of life but I think it’s particularly critical for marketers at this current point in time. Brutal simplicity and brand building seems to be getting lost, or at least heavily undermined.

The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is approach each day as if you have already ‘made it’. This for me has been critical in trying to focus my attention on reflecting upon the achievements and experiences that have led me to today and being present enough to make the most of where I am right now. I think people (and I am terribly guilty of this) focus far too much projecting into the future with five year plans and telling themselves ‘once I have X or achieve Y then I can slow down and be completely happy’. Carpe diem!

Favourite ad of all time would have to be Carlton Draught – Big Ad. I’m a pretty simple creature and having spent a good amount of time in the drinks industry, this is one that speaks to me as an Australian, a marketer and as a consumer. I would LOVE to have made this ad and it still makes me smile just thinking about it.

Last time you cried (not onion related)?

In the car on my way to work, listening to the news about the volunteer firefighter fathers who were killed in the devastating NSW bushfires and thinking about my kids.

Last book that you read to the end?

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday.

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