‘Brands have forgotten the art of storytelling’: THE ICONIC’s Joanna Robinson on the importance of brand 

Ahead of her keynote at the ADMA Global Forum, Joanna Robinson, Chief Marketing Officer at THE ICONIC, gives us an inside look at her first 18 months in the role, and shares her opinion on why brand building should remain a top priority for businesses in challenging times.

“Marketing is a formula, with the customer at the core. If you get this right, you can seamlessly change industries, categories, brands and even countries.”
So says Joanna Robinson, Chief Marketing Officer of THE ICONIC. And she would certainly know, with almost three decades of marketing experience under her belt she has pretty much done it all - from glamorous stints at Estée Lauder, to figuring out how to sell significantly less sexy products such as detergent and deodorants at Unilever.

And if there’s one mantra Robinson has clung to throughout her many roles and campaigns, it’s that brands should be both memorable and measurable. 

“A whole lot of brands have realised they’ve been so focused on measurement and the bottom of the funnel that they've forgotten about the art of storytelling. At the end of the day, consumers are human beings, and 95% of how they make decisions is driven by emotions, not by rational thought,” she says.

This mentality is something Robinson brought with her to THE ICONIC, when she started her new role as CMO last year. THE ICONIC has been a mainstay of the Aussie e-commerce space for 12 years, but had slowly diluted the focus on purist brand building in favour of the more measurable lure of paid performance.
She explains: “When THE ICONIC first blew out of the gates as a start-up nearly 13 years ago, it was all about innovation, disruption and unique customer delivery propositions. We built this traction in the market, but over the last five years, we diluted the focus on top-of- funnel or even full-funnel marketing. So what's been most effective for us is where we’re rebuilding brand relevance, and expanding our awareness strategy to remind people of why THE ICONIC is truly iconic.”

Robinson’s appointment brought a refreshed focus on brand building for the company, which rolled out an impressive masterbrand campaign earlier this year. However, it’s come at a difficult time for the retail industry, which has been hit hard by economic turbulence.

Robinson explains that although she and the wider ICONIC team were prepared to face a tough economic year, the past 12 months have been more of a challenge than expected.

“It’s been really tough, and people have felt it financially. They don’t have the same discretionary income, they’re finding it hard to pay their bills, it’s been constant. But in times of macroeconomic tightening, when people are feeling insecure and worried, that’s when it’s time for companies to be human-first,” says Robinson. 

Brand building has become even more important to Robinson over these past few months, as a solution to some of these economic struggles. As she explains, the challenges have been reminiscent of the pandemic, when it was a “time to solve, not sell”.

“We’re really focusing on making sure we’re talking to our customers in a way that empathises with what they’re going through, and not just pushing product at them,” she says. “We’re strengthening our brand building to be about more than just the products we sell.”

These challenges have also impacted Robinson personally, as she recalls one of the biggest challenges of her career occurring during her early days at THE ICONIC when she had to make a significant part of her team redundant.
“As a leader, it’s one of the hardest things you ever have to do,” Robinson says. “These people are not just defined by the function or role that they have in your team, they have families and livelihoods, they're human beings. The toll that that takes on you as a leader is always difficult.

“But you always have to do it with integrity, kindness and compassion. These are commercial decisions, but it's about how you navigate them whilst being cognisant of the impact it’s having on people,” she adds.

This leadership style is something Robinson actively works on, from employing an executive coach who has been “transformative” for her to learning from an array of thought leaders, such as Brené Brown, Simon Sinek, and Ray Dalio. 

“My executive coach holds me accountable. She helps me build a plan around the kind of leader I want to be, and not only where I'm driving my career, but how I help drive the careers of people within my team,” Robinson says.

As she prepares for her keynote at the ADMA Global Forum, Robinson is eager to share her insights and inspire other marketers to prioritise brand building in their strategies. Her session will focus on how marketers can resonate with and build a connection with Gen Z and Gen Y, as these are the “toughest segments to crack”.

“What motivates me about marketing is that emotional connection, getting people to fall in love with the brand. I have always loved the psychology of that challenge,” she says.

Joanna Robinson will be a keynote speaker at the ADMA Global Forum on August 20, alongside industry luminaries including Uber’s Lucinda Barlow, IAG’s Michelle Klein, MC Holly Ransom, and Professors Scott Galloway and Mark Ritson. Joanna will be highlighting the critical role of brand marketing in today’s business landscape. See the full lineup and get tickets here.