SCA chief marketing officer Nikki Clarkson has been recognised as one of the top 50 marketers in Australia on the prestigious 2021 CMO50 list for the second consecutive year.
Clarkson is also the only media industry executive to be recognised as one of the nation’s best marketers. Now in its seventh year, CMO50 recognises Australia’s most innovative and effective chief marketing officers transforming their organisations.
Clarkson’s key achievements this year included leading marketing for SCA’s new digital audio first corporate strategy and within that, the launch of LiSTNR in February.
LiSTNR required the marketing function to identify and develop a new consumer journey model, employ and understand new marketing ad tech to support weekly measurement and create a new marketing dashboard for the marketing team and wider business to attribute the new product’s success.
Clarkson led SCA’s multi-functional insights steer co of experts to define LiSTNR’s target audience of ‘9.4 million Aussie Streamers’, which has subsequently grown to 10.2 million.
The team worked to determine early adopters and target these consumers to deliver early momentum and growth. Clarkson also led an end-to-end brand launch for LiSTNR, including the name, brand logo, look and feel, to positioning, creative, collateral, working closely with the product team to secure the global listnr.com URL and social handles and the legal team to determine the trademark strategy.
A cross functional group of experts also worked with SCA’s technology team to invest in several technology partners to support an ongoing data led marketing function.
Clarkson said: “I’m honoured to be included among amazing company in the top 50 marketers in Australia. However, I would not have been able to achieve this without my incredibly talented, hardworking and resilient team.
“At SCA we are proud of our culture of collaboration and innovation which sees us work together across all functions to drive outcomes such as LiSTNR, which is redefining the media landscape and continues to shape our success.
“The CMO50 program highlights and celebrates the stellar work Australian-based marketing chiefs – and by extension, their whole marketing functions – are doing to drive growth and customer engagement in their organisations today.
“It’s about celebrating the discipline of marketing as a strategic business contributor, an essential part of the c-suite, and as a function delivering sustainable commercial outcomes. This year, we also sought to celebrate the ongoing adaptability of marketers to the unprecedented situation we’ve had to navigate.”
CMO Australia publisher and editor, Nadia Cameron, said: “Every CMO showed their commitment to brand building, cross-functional collaboration, fostering resiliency in their teams, adapting to suit their customer, striving for more innovative marketing programs, and a desire to pursue growth by being the customer champion.”
Clarkson added: “As SCA embarks on its digital transformation journey, all our marketing efforts are focused on delivering a new customer value proposition to audiences leveraging LiSTNR’s exceptional and continued new content offerings.
“The digital nature of these customers and the insights we have into their optimal consumer journey, are driving the marketing strategy, as well as contributing to the wider business growth strategies.
“All our marketing solutions also focus on end-to-end customer experiences, efficient ROI outcomes and growth that ultimately deliver commercial gain to our business.”
Judges rated submissions on business contribution and innovation; a customer engagement-led approach to marketing thinking and effectiveness; application of data and technology in marketing strategy and programs; empowered, bold and agile thinking; resiliency and adaptability in the face of change; and demonstration of marketing’s commercial acumen.
