creativebrief: Why did you choose a career in marketing?

Liz Le Breton: A bit of my heart will always be with TV advertising – I loved ads since I was a kid and grew up thinking they were a defining element of our shared culture. A lot has changed in the last eight years and it’s been an incredibly exciting time to be in the industry. It’s one of those jobs where no two days are the same and you’re constantly evolving your own knowledge base to try and keep one step ahead of your audience’s wants and behaviours. The thing that keeps me fascinated by marketing is the impact it can have – to be able to stand back and show that you shifted a behaviour or engaged someone’s precious time is hugely motivating to me.

creativebrief: What do you think makes a successful career in marketing?

Liz Le Breton: Clarity, purpose and empathy. I think the best marketing leaders bring simplicity to complex problems and do so with a unifying sense of leadership and direction. Empathy is pretty crucial… I think you can really tell between the marketers who ask themselves, “Why will the person I’m trying to reach actually care about what we’re doing and saying?” and the people who get caught up spending far too much time thinking about everything else.

creativebrief: And who is a great example of this?

Liz Le Breton: Well, let’s shoot for the stars and say Barack Obama. He was voted Marketer Of The Year by Advertising Age in the US for the 2008 election campaign so I hope no one takes offence. Clarity, purpose and empathy weren’t just present in the communications – they sat right at the heart of the strategy.

creativebrief: What do you think are the main challenges facing marketers today?

Liz Le Breton: Fragmentation of media, siloed structures and anything that creates distance between our roles and real people.

creativebrief: How do you keep up with constant stream of innovation in marketing comms?

Liz Le Breton: My Apple watch curates a feed of trending results-based case studies, platform and product launches vs penetration opportunity, then wirelessly transmits it into my brain as an infographic every morning – it’s really handy. Only Joking. I’m sure that’s not too far off, but the principle of aggregating relevant highlights is key; no one has time for everything. I make time for research and like to know the detail behind the headlines. At ASOS I also benefit from being surrounded by innovation – we have to keep track of how 20-somethings experience the world, the platforms they use, the subtleties between cool, authentic, lame and just wrong – so that keeps us on our toes! We have an amazing cross-functional Customer Experience team in-house, so I’m in daily contact with colleagues who strive to deliver best practice in a wide range of specialities. It’s a unique, fast-paced, test and learn environment that throws together lots of different disciplines.

creativebrief: How does this impact your relationship with agencies?

Liz Le Breton: I think it keeps them on their toes too.

creativebrief: How do you know if you’re getting the best from your agencies?

Liz Le Breton: The work resonates with the audience, everyone in the team feels invested and together you achieve your shared objectives.

creativebrief: Of your recent work, what makes you particularly proud and why?

Liz Le Breton: Results wise, we’re already seeing the benefits from our ASOS Stylist soft launch and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Christmas campaign performs. Customers can follow Gamze, James, Kieron, Isabella, Rachel, Felicity, Rachel Mae, Megan and Freddie across social and YouTube, getting tailored edits, style advice and content that curates the best of the site to match their personal style. Give it a go and pick your favourite here. It’s a genuinely transformative way to find the best product. Given that our overwhelming choice is the number one thing people always talk to me about and the fact that “personality” is everything for 20-somethings, I’m excited to see the results.

I’ve also got to mention the #TodayIs campaign we delivered with Anomaly last year; 80 days of content and social activity that aimed to land ASOS as a daily fashion destination, not just a shop. Every 24 hours we celebrated a new facet of 20something culture. It was an incredible undertaking and the quality of work was exceptional. Out of the 80 days I think Chasing the Dawn and the ASOS All Nighter (the first ever digital House Party feat. Jessie Ware and Mount Kimbe) were the most exciting moments. In the space of 24 hours the former got 60,000+ entries and the All Nighter audience would have packed out the 02 two times over. It’s inspiring when you can drive that type of real time, immediate engagement.

creativebrief: How do you think marketers can raise the profile of marketing within their organisations?

Liz Le Breton: By being collaborative, helpful and results-driven. We also try to make sure that the internal comms for each of our big campaign moments tie up with the campaign, so that everyone experiences the message we’re giving to our customers.

creativebrief: Do you see yourself as a generalist or a specialist, does it matter?

Liz Le Breton: You need to be both. Just like you need to have the ability to see the big picture and then dive into the detail and rigour that makes it happen.