How do you come up with fresh marketing ideas?
Everything starts with the customer. We squeeze into the marketing director's office and brainstorm - sometimes so loudly you can hear the retail manager through the wall. We also keep in touch with teams in other regions and choose the strongest ideas from wherever they start. There are no egos, and innovation is king.
What is the main marketing challenge you face?
More ideas and opportunities than time. We are a relatively small team so we have to evaluate new and old initiatives to get the most effective up and out there.
Describe the marketing team in three words.
Love their tea.
Does the team socialise outside office hours?
Not as often as we'd like to, but we always break for birthday cake. Lamb's Conduit Street in London is great for Friday-night drinks.
What is The Economist like for training and career progression?
Both our UK managing director and our UK publisher were promoted from original roles in the newspaper marketing department, so there is a culture of keeping good people challenged and passionate.
What are the perks?
People tend to assume that if you work here you must be incredibly clever, which is rather flattering. It's also great to work with our editorial colleagues, who really are the best in the world at what they do.
Are there any downsides?
Not really, it is a tough climate out there but The Economist's circulation is going from strength to strength.
Is there anything particularly interesting about your office?
We have somehow acquired a model of an Economist-branded jet from the 80s.
Company facts
- The Economist Group is based at 25 St James's Street, London SW1.
- There are 216 UK employees; nine are marketers.
- Key brands include The Economist, Intelligent Life and The World in... series.
- The Economist sells more than 1.3m copies every week.
- Yvonne Ossman is UK publisher; Lisa Jamal is circulation and marketing director; Caroline Breakwell is brand communications manager.
- For the six months to 30 September 2008, operating profit was up 7% to £22.3m; revenues were up 12% to £139.6m.