About Speaking Workshop Podcasts Articles Contact

Episode 8

Rishad Tobaccowala on the Human Behind the Consumer.

It's A Customer's World Podcast

Read more

As the conversation gets underway, Andy and Rishad tackle the term “customer” itself. Rishad encourages leaders to not have a customer-first mentality, but rather a people-first mentality. Explaining when you focus on the customer aspects, you miss the human behind the consumer, and you miss your employees. When you shift your focus this way, you begin to deduce what people actually want and can provide it more efficiently. Andy then asks Rishad how he has seen the CMO role change recently, and Rishad discusses both pre- and during-COVID differences. He also dives into how he envisions a post-COVID future and urges leaders to stop thinking about a “new normal,” rather consider that life and business moving forward will be a “new strange.”

 

As the episode ends, Rishad shares his advice for students who are interested in pursuing a career in customer experience or marketing.

Key Takeaways

 

0:41 - Introducing Rishad Tobaccowala

2:26 - Describing customer-centric leadership

5:43 - The importance of thinking about employees first

7:03 - How to figure out what people want

11:43 - The changes that are taking place at the CMO level

17:23 - Marrying data and vision

22:35 -  COVID-19 and the future

28:30 - Rishad’s advice to students interested in customer experience and marketing

Meet Your Host: Andy Murray

 

Andy is a highly effective senior leader with a passion for growth, creating cultures that unleash talent, and building capabilities through collaboration across functions. He has held leadership roles across retail (Walmart), CPG (P&G), start-ups (Mercury 11, Saatchi X) and global organizations (Asda U.K.). A creative problem solver, innovator, and marketer, he is known for building high-performing teams and delivering results.

Andy is a lifetime Honorary Board member of the University of Arkansas's Center for Retail Excellence where he helped developed the Center's presence and Innovation conferences. He is also an Early Board Member for the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics college. Andy was inducted into the Shopper Marketing Hall of Fame in 2013 for his pioneering work in developing best practices and industry leadership in the emerging field of Shopper Marketing. He currently serves as Chairman of Asda Foundation.