CB Hot Suit Takes: Georgina Pownall, Managing Partner, By All Means
Photographer: Thom Rigney
CB Hot Suit Takes is our new Q&A series for extremely busy CEOs and senior leaders across the industry ~ covering careers, creativity, challenges and the song that sums it all up. Next in the hot seat is Georgina Pownall, Managing Partner, By All Means.
1. What made you get into advertising?
An odyssey of unlikeliness! I went from running an Aboriginal art gallery to, naturally, working client-side on Barbie at Mattel, and then to helping a friend out for a week at Saatchi & Saatchi where I got puzzled by the puzzle that is human behaviour. And here I am still cracking that code.
2. Which piece of work are you most proud of, and why?
There’s lots and loads, but our recent campaign for Lifestyle Communities sits at the front of my cabinet. We had the rare opportunity to rebuild the brand strategy from scratch and bring the positioning to life in a category leading way that’s working its bum off. It’s had great effects not only on consumers via share and sales, but it’s done that thing that good work does and been adopted voraciously by the C-suite, HR and teams on the ground. It’s always memorable when you get to work with smart, lovely clients.
3. What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role right now?
Right now, there’s immense pressure from procurement and CMOs to do things faster and cheaper. And while some of the new tools are brilliant for optimisation, they can’t manufacture soul. My biggest challenge is protecting the ‘big, messy, human idea’ from the algorithm. Data tells you a lot, but it can’t tell you how to make people feel something.
4. What’s the most recent thing you’ve learned?
Once your kids get past a certain age, direct parenting is no longer effective: all you can do at times is be there and give advice – and pick up the pieces!
5. What song best sums up your career so far?
‘She works hard for the money’ by Donna Summer.
Read Paul McMillan’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Celia Wallace’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Jules Hall’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Jen Sharpe’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Jaimes Leggett’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Hanne Haugen’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Adam Brami’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Matilda Hobba’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read John Marshall’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Gayle While’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Adrian Mills’ Hot Suit Takes here
Read Chiquita King’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Tim Evans Hot Suit Takes here
Read Sheryl Marjoram’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Ben Lilley’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Lisa Sutton Gardner’s Hot Suit Takes here
1 Comment
👏👏👏 Georgie Pownall is one of the best!