Create culture and ditch the excuses IAG CMO Brent Smart tells the finance marketing industry

The former CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, Brent Smart, who was named IAG Group’s first-ever chief marketing officer earlier this year, has called on the financial services industry to get more adventurous and culture-focused in its marketing.

Speaking on the theme of low-interest marketing at the Mumbrella Finance Marketing Summit, Smart said the industry was missing huge opportunities, even where the briefs appeared low-interest and dull.

“Low involvement, low interest, low engagement – low tolerance, that’s what I’ve got for those words,” Smart said.

“I think they are marketing terms that are actually excuses. I think they are excuses for doing low-involvement marketing. I think they are excuses for doing boring marketing, I think they are excuses for creating more marketing pollution and if there is one thing the world doesn’t need, it’s more marketing.”