Carswell Gould’s Managing Director Gareth Miller first worked at Carswell Gould as Account Manager in 2004 to 2007. He returned in 2016 as Strategic Director, and became Managing Director a year later, overseeing the impact and growth the talented team of integrated marketing specialists deliver for some of the world’s biggest brands.
We sat down with him to find out his forecast for the year ahead, as well as some insight into his position in the company, guiding it to multiple award wins and inspiring and building the specialist team.
What is your focus for the year?
“Developing how we use emerging technology to accelerate and supercharge the impact of our clients’ marketing activities. We use a mix of cutting-edge marketing tech already, such as HubSpot, where we are a partner, ZoomInfo to fuel targeted contact lists and our own e-build promotional email platform. However, 2023 has also seen the emergence and widespread availability of AI becoming a highly useable and sophisticated tool that can only make our work and the work for our clients more efficient.”
What is your new year’s resolution for the company?
“2023 marks Carswell Gould’s 30th year and over the last three decades we have done some amazing things. Throughout this year, we will be celebrating by both looking back at highlights, as well as looking forward to what the future holds. We are always aware of current trends in marketing and consider how we can embrace them to ensure that our clients achieve marketing greatness.”
What have been your biggest challenges in this role and how did you overcome them?
“When Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown hit, it was a particularly concerning time for the business, as it was for many others. Many of our clients were forced to look hard at their budgets, and marketing is often the first place they consider. However, we are fortunate that we have a diverse range of sectors represented by our clients and this helped to minimise the immediate impact. We also have some very informed clients who understand that in these situations, it’s often good marketing that is the best commercial tonic. Therefore, we were able to navigate these troubled times relatively well.”
“Some of the strategic changes we made during covid helped to shape and transform the way we operate as a business today. The only way we came through covid so strongly is because of the strengths of our team at CG – their knowledge, skills and discipline of marketing – and because, of course, they’re wonderful human beings!”
What advice would you give to an aspiring business leader?
“Be restless – don’t get comfortable – always keep challenging yourself and roll with the punches. However, it is important to say that anyone who is successful in business, has also been unsuccessful in the past. Tenacity to keep going will help you succeed.”
How do you ensure that your team is aligned with the company goals and missions?
“You need to be clear about the direction of travel and what the company believes in. If you all know the destination and what you’re doing to get there, you can all go in the same way. Let the team be masters of their own destiny. CG has always been a place where if you have good ideas, and want to make them happen, you’re given every opportunity to do so. It’s part of our DNA.”
How do you encourage growth and development in your team?
“Keep talking, make sure that the opportunities to grow and develop are provided, make sure that the training on and outside of the job is always an option – you can suggest, but don’t be prescriptive.”
How do you keep up with the industry trends and ensure your team stays current?
“I read a lot, and talk to a lot of people, as well as doing online research. That can be more formal things like reading marketing literature, but also more informal like watching TikTok videos and then sharing what’s relevant with the team. My aim is to create an environment where they are keen to share their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas. I firmly believe that no-one has the monopoly on good ideas, and you always need to keep your eyes and ears open to innovative thinking, wherever that may come from.”
What has been your favourite thing in your time with Carswell Gould?
“I really enjoy working with clients to develop their approach to marketing, seeing the results come in and their business grow. We work on interesting things every day, but a couple of highlights are our project on Angel of the North, and a campaign for EasyJet, where we took over Southampton Airport with a bunch of skiers in orange skin-suits. But with all these highlights, my favourite thing by far, is always the next project.”
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