Every marketer has that campaign they absolutely love – and for Lauren Bremner, it’s McDonald’s Almost Home.
Beyond managing to turn every truck into a rolling Macca’s ad with their red and yellow lights, the ad tells a poignant story of coming home, which aligns beautifully with the green lights in Lauren’s own career.
Lauren fell into marketing after a traditional communications career, landing her dream job at 21 as a Media and Communications Officer at Qantas. Years of experience in hospitality, aviation and tourism then led her to her latest position as the Commercial and Engagement Manager at aviation catering company Gate Gourmet.
In a company pivot from serving airline meals to selling meal delivery during the pandemic, Lauren single handedly built a new website in just two weeks. Gate Gourmet was the first airline caterer to shift from the skies to the ground in an effort to recoup just some of the losses that had decimated the industry overnight. It was a not-for-profit endeavour but goes to show, even when you can’t fly, you sure can run. The campaign was well received by customers, with some cities selling out almost immediately. And it was picked up by many media outlets.
When asked what she would do if she could have had a larger budget, photography is top of her list. After spending weeks standing on chairs to get the best angles for the new site’s imagery that didn’t look too orchestrated, a little money for a photographer would have been welcome help.
“Marketing isn’t always glamorous, but you can’t underestimate the power of a fantastic image.”
Without a dedicated team, Lauren had to become the go-to fix-it woman, a resourceful generalist who can make things happen with little budget. As many of us know, wearing multiple hats is sometimes just part of the job.
Regardless, her firm belief that a leader exists to benefit the team and not the other way around has meant she greatly values the company and support of those who are better than she is at what they do.
“I don’t think you can replace the value of specialists who are very good at all of the marketing skill sets. An agency is up to date with training, they’re up to date with the latest technologies. If we have the money to invest in an agency, you’re not just getting a specialist who’s doing the work for you, you’re getting a whole team of experts who are up to date with the latest trends.”
For Lauren, marketing has always been about creating a desire for a product, service or event. And today, that is underpinned by adding value to your customer. Whether it’s in aviation, tourism, or hospitality, Lauren has brought a basic five step consideration process for creating content for your customer, learned from her experience in communications. Consider:
- Who you’re trying to reach.
- How are they going to consume your media?
- Are they going to understand it?
- Are they going to agree with it?
- What’s your call to action?
In turn, keeping a CRM system or records of customer data and monthly email marketing are her biggest tips for how small businesses can tap into that customer value chain, while staying on budget.
At the end of the day, a passion for stories is what has kept her going in marketing. In the airline industry, everyone from the chefs to the pilots are in it for the love of flying. In working with an airline and then an airline service partner, she’s seen both sides of the story, and met some amazing people with incredible stories along the way.
“I want to share something with you that you may not have known before. I want to tell you a story that you may not have realised.”
Just like her favourite ad campaign tells a story of how Maccas is just as much a home as it is an away, Lauren has managed to tell stories far and wide that can take you from the ground to the skies, and back.
A little more about Lauren
- Currently listening to: The CMO Show and Wild with Sarah Wilson
- Favourite app: Instagram
- My marketing style in three words: Caring. Creative. Informative.
- Best job perk: Having an airside pass!
