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Catalyst issue 3 | 2025: Stamp of approval
- 10 July 2025
The power of marketing
It’s not rocket science. We’re not saving lives. Marketers, it may surprise you to learn, tend to be quite humble about their chosen profession.
It’s not completely clear why this is. After all, you wouldn’t get such reticence from a lawyer or an accountant. Or, indeed, a rocket scientist.
Is there a belief that marketing is somehow… less? Less complex, less important, less difficult? If so, it’s misplaced. Because marketing done right is enormously impactful.
Look at chocolate bars and smoothies. Trivial items, you might think. Non-essentials, for certain. But the marketing behind Tony’s Chocolonely and Innocent Smoothies has been instrumental in bringing modern slavery and elderly heat poverty to mainstream attention – and they’ve put their money where their mouth is. Money they wouldn’t have if they couldn’t market effectively.
Look at chocolate bars and smoothies. Trivial items, you might think. Non-essentials, for certain. But the marketing behind Tony’s Chocolonely and Innocent Smoothies has been instrumental in bringing modern slavery and elderly heat poverty to mainstream attention – and they’ve put their money where their mouth is. Money they wouldn’t have if they couldn’t market effectively.
Then there’s the marketing of products that are not just helpful but essential. Dexcom glucose monitors, for example, are crucial in managing Type 1 diabetes. Or pensions – notoriously complex, yet the choices you make, based on your risk tolerance and financial circumstances, can ultimately determine whether you’ll have enough to live on in retirement.
The marketer’s skill is vital when distilling their complex product for the end consumer, so they feel confident in making an important life choice.
Realising the strengths and skills in marketing
This is why CIM continues to promote the Global Professional Marketing Framework (GPMF), guiding the skills and behaviours expected of professional marketers at all levels. In the UK, this is unusual. In Africa, it is expected. You cannot be considered a marketer unless you have completed recognised training. This makes perfect sense. You hold consumer trust, product success and the company’s P&L in your hands.
It’s very easy to say that you have certain values, that you hold some qualifications and that you will follow all the rules. We are credulous people on the whole; if you write it down, we’ll believe it. An extra layer of validation, certification or accreditation is increasingly important.
So, for marketers, CIM has its qualification levels, fellowships and now the GPMF. But there are other bodies too, which offer to verify companies’ statements. In our cover story, we explore how well these overseers perform their roles. Is slapping a logo on your headed paper enough to generate trust? And who is checking on the certifiers?
We also dive into how the government’s policy decisions are impacting marketers, from how consumer and business data is accessed, to a bill shaping how marketers can and should use AI. There’s also important information about the transfer of the management of apprenticeships to Skills England, overseen by the Secretary of State. CIM is keeping an eye on its progress to make sure future apprenticeship standards reflect the needs of the profession.
We also dive into how the government’s policy decisions are impacting marketers, from how consumer and business data is accessed, to a bill shaping how marketers can and should use AI. There’s also important information about the transfer of the management of apprenticeships to Skills England, overseen by the Secretary of State. CIM is keeping an eye on its progress to make sure future apprenticeship standards reflect the needs of the profession.
It’s ironic that one of the biggest champions for marketing leadership development in this issue is not even a marketer, but Amina Folarin, CEO of OLIVER UK and former HR professional. But sometimes you can be the exception that proves the rule – that you don’t always have to be a marketer to know what marketing needs.
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