You joined Gain Theory after working with brands’ media strategy at an agency. What are your main observations from this transition to marketing effectiveness?
I see it as more of an evolution than a transition. The core of my previous work was taking a brand’s global media strategy and making it land in local markets. That sounds straightforward until you’re sitting in front of a local team who have their own pressures, their own stakeholder dynamics and their own valid reasons why the global plan doesn’t quite fit their reality. My job was to understand that and bridge the gap between global ambition and local execution.
Proving why global media strategy can work in-market and translating it into impactful campaigns for clients was a particular area of interest. But, over time, I didn’t just want to enable excellent media execution, I wanted to prove its impact and turn that proof into meaningful action. So, I made a deliberate move into a role where data-informed insight is central to building a stronger growth story and enables you to say with confidence: “Here’s what’s working, this is why, and this is what you should do next.”
My focus is ensuring my team always shows a clear path from what the data is saying to what decision needs to be made, because insight without action is just information. It’s as much about change management as it is about data and analytics.
Change management is notoriously difficult. What’s your approach to getting people to work on the same page amid competing priorities and perspectives?
My starting point is to understand the tensions that already exist before I try to resolve them. For example, global teams often feel like local markets don’t trust the centre whereas local markets often feel like global doesn’t understand their reality. Both perspectives are usually partly right, and I invest time listening before I start recommending.
What tends to work is finding a shared commercial outcome that everyone can rally around. When the conversation is anchored in a business result rather than a process, it becomes much easier to have honest conversations about what’s getting in the way.
Whatever we collectively agree on, I help build a clear plan for what happens next — who does what, by when, and how we’ll know it’s working.
Read more: Unfinished Business: Closing the Insight-to-Action Gap
Can you share an interesting project you’re working on currently?
With profit margins being squeezed, most of my clients are turning to shrinkflation to protect profitability. In this environment, brand equity isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s essential to surviving and thriving. Brands that have consistently invested in mental availability and emotional connection have the price elasticity to weather these decisions. Those that haven’t are dangerously exposed.
What I find rewarding is turning this observation into a plan. I use a client’s own econometric data to show exactly where they sit on that spectrum, then push hard to ensure that insight translates into real budget and strategy decisions. Connecting what the data tells us today to what the business must do tomorrow is where the real value lies.
Away from work you enjoy taking part in dog agility – what do you enjoy about this sport?
Dog agility is more of a hobby than a sport for me. I love being outside with my dog, guiding him through obstacles using commands to give direction. After three years training together, it’s incredibly satisfying to see how well he responds. He has his favourites — he’ll dive into a tunnel every time — but the seesaw is still a work in progress, though we usually get there in the end!
Beyond the fun, I can see the mental stimulation it gives him and the obedience skills it reinforces. There’s something special about working as a team and being surprised by what can be achieved through training and trust.
What podcast can you recommend and why?
The Moth podcast is built around unscripted, true personal storytelling in front of a live audience. There are no notes, no rehearsal, just raw human experience. That vulnerability is what makes it so compelling.
One story might have you laughing out loud, the next might genuinely move you to tears, and occasionally you get one that stops you in your tracks and makes you look at the world differently. But what they all have in common is they transport you to somewhere new and whatever was on your mind before you started listening fades away.
Contact Marin to discuss any of the subjects raised in this Q&A.