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200 fresh job cuts at Tabcorp, one-quarter of which are hitting its customer division, are the latest marker of redundancies sweeping media companies, agencies and brands – some overt, others by stealth. The economy may be on the turn but some think slow growth and cost cutting due to sustained business model pressure may be “the new normal”. 

Tabcorp has followed up 200 fresh job cuts, one-quarter of which have hit its customer division, with the exit of chief customer officer, Jenni Barnett, along with CIO, Alan Sharvin. In their place comes a new executive structure introducing a chief wagering officer position with marketing and product oversight but even closer ties to wagering revenue, plus a chief commercial and media officer role assumed by former Paramount ANZ and Network Ten regional leader, Jarrod Villani. The redundancies are the latest marker of job cuts sweeping media companies, agencies and brands – some overt, others by stealth. The economy may be on the turn but some think slow growth and cost cutting due to sustained business model pressure may be “the new normal”. 

Selling marketing’s worth while avoiding selling success every time, along with how to work with boards now obsessed by risk, were key imperatives marketing leaders from Guzman y Gomez and Uber, along with one non-executive director, tackled on a panel at the launch of the CMO Awards, powered by Mi3. In a discussion that reflected the very nature of elevating marketing’s stature in business and its role in powering growth, the trio were quick to agree challenge is the mother of opportunity if you’re able to reframe macro-economic conditions – and trust your gut as well as data some of the time.

Last weekend Netflix’s #2 trending title in Australia underlined just how good marketing and product teams in fashion, FMCG and consumer tech have got at triggering desire to the extent executives who worked for – and ran – some of the biggest names in consumer goods and ecommerce globally now say convenient consumption brought about by the ecom revolution is producing such an increase in waste it’s choking countries designated for dumped re-use and recycling – literally. Company presidents, top marketers, UX designers and even Unilever’s former CEO outline the impact of industry mastering the science of consumption for growth strategies that have already busted the thresholds for planetary trash. It’s a perplexing conundrum going mainstream if the popularity of the Netflix film is any signal.