Margaret Molloy, CMO, Siegel+Gale
Priscillia Charles, VTQ Magazine
1. You have been leading a successful career as a Marketer for over 20 years now helping companies expand globally and create powerful content. Tell us about your background, what did you study and what attracted you to a career in Marketing?
As a young girl growing up in County Offaly, Ireland, one of my early dreams was to become a teacher.
My teachers influenced me, and I bring that mindset with me in every role I’ve held—I want to see my team thrive. While I don’t stand in front of a group of children in a classroom, a huge part of what successful marketers do is teaching. Today, as a marketing leader, I impart knowledge and educate fellow business leaders about building enduring brands via thought leadership programs and convening CMOS or executive roundtable events.
As far as my background, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and Spanish from the
University of Ulster, Northern Ireland and La Universidad de Valladolid, Spain. Shortly after that, I moved to the United States, earning a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Coming to America presented me with opportunities and possibilities that were not even on my radar, growing up in Ireland.
2. So, you’ve always had an affinity for Marketing. What are some of the latest trends that have caught your eye?
We exist in an age where the role of storytelling is becoming more and more significant. Brands need to tell a story that resonates with its consumers. The world of branding has evolved from static words and pictures to experiences. No longer is it about a logo or snappy tagline. Today, a brand’s success is measured from the summation of all its touch points. Leading CMOs must then aspire to build brands that are movements, not monuments. Brands must strive to earn consumer loyalty and create relationships with its customers, such that they will want to evangelize the brand and all its stories and experiences.
3. You are currently the Chief Marketing Officer of Siegel+Gale and based in New York, USA. Tell us about your role.
Siegel+Gale is one of the world's leading brand strategy, design, and experience firms. Part of the Omnicom network, our work span industries, from designing the iconic NBA logo to rebranding CVS Health as a pharmacy innovation company. As CMO, I oversee all new business and marketing, including demand generation, content marketing, thought leadership, public relations, social media, and new business sales pitches. I also direct our flagship study, World's Simplest Brands (formerly The Global Brand Simplicity Index). My global team creates content and delivers it to the people who are passionate about branding. Through our new business function, my team introduces the right clients to Siegel+Gale.
4. You have been named one of five top most influential Chief Marketing Officers on Social Media by Forbes magazine and in 2017 and won ‘Overseas Irish Businesswoman of the Year’ at the IMAGE magazine Businesswoman of the Year. What would be your tips to succeed in such a fast-paced environment that is Marketing?
My tips for success are:
• Be a connector: Hone your ability to connect people, to forge mutually beneficial relationships. It’s about having the vision to see the points of connection and being intentional in making those connections. Sporadic acts of connecting, on the other hand, are fleeting for marketers or any
leaders.
• Be a culture carrier: A big part of leading as a CMO is being a culture carrier. Company culture is the one true advantage that cannot be copied by
a competitor. The ability to model culture, and rally people behind company purpose and values,
is crucial for leadership success.
• Be strategic: Successful CMOs have always been strategic business leaders. While channels have evolved, and the pace of business has changed, the need to be strategic and understand the market remains constant. The role of a marketing leader is to have a strategic outlook and appreciate the dual function of creativity and analysis in the marketing process.
5. What are three qualities you admire?
I believe in hard work and respect others who possess a strong work ethic. That’s one of the reasons I chose to work at Siegel+Gale one of our core tenets is being unstoppable. In my experience, unstoppable people are tenacious and ambitious. They are assertive in a way that is still respectful of others.
I also admire people who keep their promises and follow up; people who have integrity and the
courage of their convictions. Growing up in an agrarian society, I came to understand the relationship between keeping promises, committing to hard work, and earning an outstanding reputation.
Lastly, I respect open-mindedness. I admire those who are receptive to change and who seek out various perspectives on an issue and truly putting the work into creating inclusive and diverse work environments—whether it be race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
6. The importance of content nowadays is essential. You said that “content allows you to reinforce community, by sharing the right content in the right places. It helps you reinforce community and also scale the connectivity.” In a world where the right type of content can make the difference when approaching a new market or client, what would be your advice for companies looking to take their business to the next level, globally for instance?
When done well, great content marketing affords many benefits. It builds awareness, confers authority, and gives people a reason to reach out to prospective clients. True content marketing is not self-promotional. It’s about creating materials and programs that are useful to customers, telling memorable stories, and positioning an organization as an expert in the field.
Something that is misunderstood about content marketing is the difference between the content and distribution. Marketers need to spend as much time—or more—on crafting the distribution
strategy as creating the piece. Therefore, be sure to leave room in the budget—in terms of both time and resources—to create a robust content distribution strategy. I have often seen marketing teams get bored with their content much faster than their audience does. Continually repackaging and redistributing content is crucial. The goal of content marketing is to engage the audience and inspire the desired action—whether it’s evangelizing the brand or purchasing the product.
7. How has Marketing changed in your eyes since starting in the industry, with newer technologies being developed so frequently?
Once upon a time, a brand leader’s obligation was to broadcast their message and product offerings to potential customers. However, today, with the proliferation of product in every category, the rise of social media, and review culture, marketing has developed into a multi-party dialogue. The fundamental shift is from controlling the brand message to engaging constituencies (i.e., customers, shareholders, the community at large) by crafting experiences that will resonate with them. Regardless of industry, it is incumbent on brands to be relevant to be part of the conversation that drives a company’s business
forward. Moreover, to be relevant, brand leaders must be in tune with customer needs.
8. In 2016, you launched the #WearingIrish on Twitter and Instagram, promoting Irish designers through clothing on social media. Tell us about this initiative that turned into a global platform promoting Irish fashion and its expansion.
In early 2016, I launched #WearingIrish to promote Irish fashion by inviting friends to wear garments or accessories by Irish designers during the month of March, and to post their photos on social media platforms, like Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtag #WearingIrish. Since then, the passion project has evolved from a hashtag movement to a multi-platform experience. For example, in 2018, supported
by generous sponsors, I hosted a live event program in New York City, where ten talented
designers presented their work and vision to an American audience. Another key milestone was the 2019 collaboration with Origin Theatre. Today, the WearingIrish website has an active blog featuring interviews with Ireland’s top designers. While the WearingIrish programs vary, the mission remains the same—telling the untold story of Irish fashion design. To stay up to date on new programs, follow WearingIrish on Twitter on Instagram.
9. Any new projects on the horizons that you would be working on and that you would like to share with our readers?
I serve as the New York Chair of The Marketing Society. Founded in 1959, the organization’s mission is to inspire bolder marketing leadership within its international membership. For the last three years, I have had the honor of hosting the Society’s flagship Brave Conference in New York City.