A leading global marketer and a passionate speaker on creativity, brand and culture, Brent Smart is Chief Marketing Officer of Australia's second most valuable brand, Telstra.
Previously, Brent spent five years as CMO of Australian insurance giant IAG, where his work on NRMA Insurance took it from 36th strongest brand in Australia to 5th, winning 3 Gold effectiveness awards and the coveted Grand Effie in 2021. Mark Ritson wrote that “NRMA is not just a fantastic Australian case study, it could be taught at Harvard or Stanford and positions Brent Smart as the most accomplished CMO in Australia and one of the best in the world”.
Before becoming a marketer, Brent spent 20 years in the advertising business, leading New Zealand Agency of the Decade Colenso BBDO and rising to CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi New York, winning many Cannes Lions and other global creative awards.
Brent shares his experiences as a current practicing CMO, going beyond the theory with real life case studies on how to win in a world of too much content, too much data and too much pressure on marketers to deliver commercial results. Brent leaves audiences with a dose of inspiration and actionable insights that can make any organisation 1% more creative the very next day.
Talking Points
Creativity is Your Best Bet
In a world of too much content, creativity is the only way to get noticed and remembered. This is backed up by the marketing science that proves the link between creativity and effectiveness. If you want to grow your business, creativity is your best bet.
Creativity is Your Best Bet
Unfair Share of Culture
Forget about your competitors, you are competing with culture for people's time. And the brands that get an unfair share of culture are the brands that get an unfair share of growth. You need cultural insights to understand what's going on outside your organisation, and you need to build a creative culture on the inside.
Unfair Share of Culture
When did Branding become Blanding?
So many brands look the same. Predictable and safe advertising. Generic design and experiences. It's "blanding". To break through, we need to put down the playbook and make brands distinctive again, with just the right amount of friction in the experience.
When did Branding become Blanding?
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Brent Smart | Saxton Speakers
Brent Smart is a leading global marketer, currently Chief Marketing Officer of Australia's second most valuable brand, Telstra. He was previously CMO of Australian insurance giant IAG and spent 20 years in the advertising business, rising to CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New York. His work has been awarded worldwide, from Cannes Lions to the Grand Effie here in Australia.Thought-provoking, passionate and entertaining, Brent is a brilliant speaker. Every time he’s spoken at our events, he challenges the audience with genuinely fresh, insightful and compelling ... keep reading The Lab
On behalf of ESOMAR and the 2,400 delegates, our heartfelt thanks for your keynote. You shared a story that was wonderfully engaging and touched the heart of the audience.
NRMA is not just a fantastic Australian case study, it could be taught at Harvard or Stanford and positions Brent Smart as the most accomplished CMO in Australia and one of the best in the world.
There is no better speaker on brand-led business transformation in the world than Brent Smart. His ability to marry creativity, effectiveness, and purpose is exceptional. Get him for your next gig, he’ll inspire and give extremely useful and actionable insights.
