02. How to lead like the #1CMO in Australia with Leisa Bacon from the ABC

Leisa Bacon, Director of Audiences for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, known as the ABC in Australia joins us on the show today.

In October 2020 Leisa was named #1 CMO in Australia through CMO50. The CMO50 awards are judged by industry experts and it’s considered to be a coveted and highly regarded list. This follows from previous years being ranked #2, #4, #2…. And you get to find out exactly why in this interview.

Leisa has a background in branding and marketing within the FMCG industry working for brands such as Procter & Gamble, Boots and Coca-Cola.

Leisa has an incredible track record in driving marketing transformation. Working at the ABC network which has 5 TV stations, 50+ radio stations and a mix of apps, social media, Leisa has optimised her team and achieved strong results in a complex, constantly changing and highly competitive media environment.

In this episode we discuss:

• The composition of the marketing team and how this has changed over time;
• How the ABC partnership model and the importance of prioritisation has really driven results;
• How it was possible to turn around a campaign in a weekend and how her team was able to adapt during COVID-19;
• The data capability ABC marketing is investing in and harnessing to build their diverse brands and compete with big players such as Netflix, Spotify and Apple News;
• How the ABC harnesses diversity across a range of dimensions to produce better content and creative; and
• Leadership strategies Leisa uses to align her team to achieve organisational strategic goals.

References:

• Brene Brown - Daring Greatly.
• Byron Sharp - How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know.

Contact Leisa Bacon

• Find Leisa Bacon on LinkedIn and mention you heard her on the podcast. Find out more about ABC, ABC iView or ABC Listen. You can find out more about Leisa’s CMO award here.

Contact Growth Generators

• Find out how Ty and Growth Generators can help you design and build a modern, marketing team that drives growth. Email ty@growthgenerators.io  or connect with Ty on LinkedIn.

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This episode was hosted by Ty Hayes, produced by Dylan Todd and edited by Lewis Hallam.