Megan Bell
Senior product manager
McCain
Having spent more than a decade in marketing, Megan Bell believes both “nothing and everything” has changed.
Now senior product manager at McCain Foods, Bell argues that while the industry’s foundations are a constant, the tools and opportunities available to marketers have changed dramatically.
"The core principles of brand building, product development and innovation remain the same as when I left university as a fresh-faced marketer," she explains. "But technology, digitalisation and the data now available allows us to get closer to our consumers, understand them and identify how to communicate with them better than ever before."
Bell joined McCain Foods in 2019 as a product manager, where she helped develop the chilled portfolio as part of the company’s new categories team. She was promoted to her current role in 2023, where she now leads portfolio growth across multiple categories, overseeing innovation from insight through to execution.
"I've been lucky to work on projects that have enabled me to [help] in identifying the insight all the way through to product and communications campaign launches," she says. "It's exciting to see how the depth of understanding we have about our consumers can really shape the success of our launches."
"Moving with your consumers, opening a two-way dialogue and continually seeking to improve consumers’ lives is the true magic of innovation marketing and one of the most exciting parts of the job."
This passion for understanding people sits at the heart of her approach. "I will forever be fascinated by consumer behaviour and how we can use that knowledge as power," she adds.
For Bell, the biggest challenge currently facing marketers is achieving cut-through while remaining authentic. At the same time, she believes the rise of AI must be handled with care.
“AI is great at supporting thinking but it will always be looking backwards,” she argues. “Brands that continue to understand that true creativity lives in looking to the future and place value in this, while using tools like AI to support that thinking, will ultimately thrive."
One of the most valuable lessons Bell has learned throughout her career is the importance of staying curious. Remaining open to learning and listening to consumers, she says, are essential traits for any marketer.
Her advice to those considering a career in marketing is to learn from experts, colleagues and industry leaders, while always "keeping it simple".
"The most powerful innovation or communications campaigns are those that are easy to understand. If you need to explain your thinking to a consumer then you lose impact and ultimately cut-through," she adds.
"Moving with your consumers, opening a two-way dialogue and continually seeking to improve consumers’ lives is the true magic of innovation marketing and one of the most exciting parts of the job."
