Olivia Williams
Marketing manager
NatWest
NatWest’s Olivia Williams has been described by her nominator as a “real rising talent”, driving an “innovation agenda” within the bank’s retail marketing team. While “consistently exceeding” her commercial targets and leading on personalisation, AI and social media native advertising, she has also contributed to company culture, running marketing mixers and a marathon walk for charity to “break down silos across teams”.
While much has happened over her decade in marketing, Williams, who joined NatWest from BT and EE in May 2023, feels the “core principles” of the discipline have remained the same. She describes this as “understanding your customer needs, wants, habits, and where they spend their time” to “deliver value in a way that resonates with them”.
What she feels has changed is the “touchpoints, channels, and the role of data”, suggesting that data in particular has become “even more central” to her role.
Right now, she feels the biggest opportunity marketers should embrace is building commercial acumen and “speaking the language of business”. This will help them demonstrate that marketing spend is “adding value to the ROI” and that marketing, as a “driver of growth”, is “far more than a support function”.
“Marketers will need to think more strategically and creatively to drive impact and truly make a difference.”
“By combining data with creativity and clearly articulating the value we bring as marketers, we can earn the credibility and influence marketing deserves,” says Williams.
She believes “preserving the art of creativity in a world increasingly driven by data and AI” is marketers’ biggest challenge. Instead, she thinks AI should be used to support routine tasks and boosting efficiency, which will free marketers to focus on “high-value activities like strategy and creative thinking”.
Going forward, she sees the job of marketing looking “very different” over the next decade, as AI will make campaigns “hyper-personalised”. Yet she notes that AI content will “flood the market”, making it “harder for brands to get real cut through”, so “impactful ideas will be essential”.
As a result, the skills marketers hone will need to change, she says. “Marketers will need to think more strategically and creatively to drive impact and truly make a difference. It feels both really exciting and a little scary at the same time, but it’s a chance to push boundaries and do things we’ve never done before,” she says.
For marketers entering the industry, her advice is to “build strong connections and stay curious”, while also ensuring they take advantage of every opportunity they are afforded.
