Emily Laws
Head of brand
Lucky Saint
Despite taking a “squiggly” route into the profession, Emily Laws has found brand marketing to be a perfect fit for her skills.
Head of brand at non-alcoholic beer business Lucky Saint, Laws started her career in PR and events before making her way to more generalised marketing roles. She encourages would-be marketers to remember there are more ways into the profession than via grad schemes with blue-chip companies.
She also encourages employers to be open-minded about who they recruit.
“I remember recruiters telling me my CV wouldn’t be looked at because I hadn’t done a grad scheme, but from my experience, people who have startup backgrounds are resourceful, driven, autonomous and make great employees,” she says.
“I can see brand marketing becoming an even more valued function in businesses over the next decade, seen as the engine for any successful business, a way to create staying power and consumer loyalty.”
Laws herself has certainly made an impact at Lucky Saint, with her nominator describing her as having been “instrumental” in growing the brand from startup to the UK’s number one non-alcoholic beer brand.
She is also described as someone committed to lifelong learning, having been selected as a 2024 Marketing Academy Scholar. Laws has developed her skills in areas beyond creativity to ensure she is adept at problem solving, financial literacy, understanding the consumer, and being able to comprehend the meaning behind data and identify trends.
One thing Laws identifies as having shifted since she began her marketing career is that people can no longer afford to specialise in one channel; most have knowledge of the full marketing mix.
“I much prefer this joined-up way of working and as a result marketing is now seen as a central function in lots of brands, especially in FMCG, as it impacts so many parts of the business and requires a much wider knowledge of the market and the consumer,” she says.
While marketing is becoming more valued at many companies, Laws laments the lack of marketers who sit on boards, but is hopeful this could change.
“I can see brand marketing becoming an even more valued function in businesses over the next decade, seen as the engine for any successful business, a way to create staying power and consumer loyalty,” she says.
Laws joined Lucky Saint as one of its first employees almost five years ago and says she values the emphasis put on “fresh consistency”, which is central at the brand.
“The challenge for marketers is to show the value of investing in brand, consistently driving home their signature brand codes again and again,” she adds.
