Tony Marlow, CMO of LG Ad Solutions, on why a career that started in research and consumer psychology at Nielsen shapes fundamentally how he thinks about brand connections, the three big career leaps that moved him from Sydney to the C-suite, and why connected TV represents the most compelling opportunity in marketing today.
"What makes people motivated, what makes them feel connected, and what can help brands make connections with people."
Why a career rooted in research and consumer psychology creates a fundamentally different kind of CMO
Tony Marlow started his career in strategic consultancy in Australia running thought leadership projects for telcos, moved to Nielsen's online practice in Sydney, then took the leap to New York in January (Sydney summer to New York winter) to join Yahoo, where he grew from individual contributor to running a 120-140 person marketing team. He has since been CMO at IAS, Data Axel, and now LG Ad Solutions.
In this conversation Marlow explains why starting in research and consumer psychology means he is always thinking about what motivates people and what creates connection, rather than starting from channel or format. He also describes the three big career leaps: the geographic move from Sydney to New York, the shift from insights professional to B2B marketer, and the entry into the C-suite where you are responsible for the whole company not just your division.
I am a marketing nerd and always have been. I have always been attracted to understanding what makes things work. Whether it was pulling apart a radio as a kid or thinking about what makes people motivated, what makes them feel connected, and what can help brands make connections with people. The psychology behind marketing is what really turns me on.
The research orientation is the deepest career anchor.
I moved from Sydney in January, going from the middle of the Australian summer to a New York January. That was quite literally a cold shock. But I started at Yahoo in New York as an individual contributor and over the years grew to running 120-140 person teams and pushing all of those B2B marketing efforts.
Geographic and professional leap combined.
Moving from insights to B2B marketing was a huge shift. From being an insights-led professional who made recommendations to actually implementing some of the marketing aspects. I went from saying here is what the research tells us to building the programme. That was pretty incredible.
The accountability shift from advisor to implementer.
First time I was in the C-suite, now you are not just being looked at for your marketing prowess. You are also a leader at the company. You are part of a broader and bigger aspect than just you and your team. Being part of the leadership team has been really eye-opening for me, how you are there for the whole company, not just your own division.
The C-suite shift from divisional to whole-company accountability.
What excites me about LG Ad Solutions and connected TV is the combination of scale, data, and the most premium screen in the home. We have access to ACR data, webOS data, home screen placement. We can help brands make genuine connections with people in a premium environment. That combination of psychology and technology is exactly what I have been building toward.
The career through-line resolves in the current role.
"Moving from insights to B2B marketing was huge. From making recommendations to actually implementing them."
Justin Cooke What drew you into marketing and media?
Tony Marlow I am a marketing nerd and always have been. Attracted to understanding what makes people motivated, what makes them feel connected, what helps brands make connections with people. Started in strategic consultancy in Australia, moved to Nielsen's online practice, then New York in January from Sydney summer to a very cold January. Individual contributor at Yahoo to running 120-140 people.
Justin Cooke What has your career taught you about being a CMO?
Tony Marlow Three big leaps. Geography. Then the shift from insights professional to B2B marketer: from making recommendations to actually implementing them. Then the C-suite: you are there for the whole company not just your division. That perspective changes everything.
New leaders and insights. No noise.