Oliver Budworth, Head of Strategy, The Croc
Oliver started his career in the Marketing client-side before jumping the fence to agency life. Since then, he has worked for a range of agencies, including those at large networks like Ogilvy at WPP, leading the European marketing and advertising for Ford Performance and Commercial Vehicles in Europe.
Oliver has also helped brands like Nestlê, Carlsberg, Oracle, Cancer Research and Sage connect with people and culture through award-winning strategies and ideas.
He now leads the strategic practice at The Croc - the B2B Customer Experience agency, helping shed new light on complex challenges, combining brand and communications expertise to enable clients to navigate the complex world of B2B.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
The platform I use most is Instagram because I can stay connected to all the things I'm passionate about, such as my friends and family. I'm also a massive petrolhead, and the car community thrives on Instagram, so it's a great place to enjoy that too.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I lead the strategy practice at The Croc, a global B2B customer experience agency, working alongside some extremely smart people – we like to call them Fierce Thinkers. I'm privileged to count the likes of Cisco and AWS in our client list. So my role is extremely varied, which I love.
One day, I can be conducting customer research, the next, feeding into film production or coming up with ideas. The responsibility can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it keeps me on my toes and is why I wake up excited every day.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
Marketing and advertising can sometimes get a bit of a bad rap, but I've seen it at its best, leading to some truly amazing things. I've always been creative and working in an industry where you can be as creative as your imagination allows while getting paid for it is special. Through brilliant ideas and marketing, I love that we can influence people's hearts, minds, and behaviours.
We have the power to change attitudes or beliefs, make things that were previously unheard of famous, or transform something unloved into an object of desire. That power is incredible when you think about it. At The Croc, we're on a mission to raise the game in B2B marketing through what we call Fierce Thinking. I love that we're evangelising creativity and quality in an area that the mainstream has neglected.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
I'm going to cheat here and say two things.
The first is you should only ever do something where you're either earning or learning – but preferably both. There should always be some sort of reward for your time and effort.
The second, which I'm sure others have said, is that you should always trust your instinct. I've gone against my gut in the past, and often it's ended badly. Your instinct is a powerful force. Trust it.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
My imposter syndrome. Ha! Ha!
On a serious note, probably my family. No one can ever tell you the impact getting married and having children can have on your motivation to work harder and better than ever before. Suddenly you're responsible for others, and not only do you want to be able to provide for them, but you also want to be an inspiration to them – for them to dream big and strive to succeed in the same way you do.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
The two things I'm very proud of are my family and my career. Every day I wake up feeling blessed to have what I have because I've really strived for them. My parents grew up working class and had very little but had the stamina and ethic to work hard to achieve what they have, and I think this attitude lives in me too.
I'm more than twenty years into my career now, and getting to work with some of the best-known brands in the world on game-changing ideas is also something very humbling.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
LinkedIn and Twitter are great platforms for finding new connections – a simple post with a question and my network usually comes up trumps with a person I should speak to. But I also put myself out there a lot and go to networking events, conferences, and meet-ups whenever I can.
Never underestimate the importance of having a pint with someone when it comes to networking.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I have read a lot about the importance of being a specialist, but I think the people who often go furthest in life are just good generalists. For example, when I started in marketing, I was so naive but keen to learn as much as possible, so I spent time getting (sometimes with bribes) people from different disciplines to teach me the fundamentals of their area of expertise.
I got designers to teach me basic design principles I could apply to presentations, UX consultants to show me how to wireframe, and analysts to teach me data modelling basics. I'm no expert in these areas, but they've given me an arsenal of skills I bring into the work I do in strategy almost daily.
The other thing is writing. It sounds obvious, but being a good writer is key to strategy – having the ability to translate complexity into simplicity, to be persuasive, and all with an aim to brevity. Part of the reason I write so much is to stay sharp and constantly improve.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
There are a couple of sayings that are relevant to this question. The first is 'two ears, one mouth – use in equal proportion'. When you're starting out, and you're coming up through the ranks, there's often a tendency to want to be outspoken so that you're acknowledged and recognised. Still, I'd say listening is the most important skill someone in this industry can have. And often, a lot of the talking done in meetings is so unnecessary.
The second saying is that a planner should be 'the smartest person in the room' or the 'most useful'. But often you don't have the answer, and sometimes you're not equipped or able to be smart or useful when put on the spot - and that's fine, because, for both, there's one final saying: 'silence is better than bullsh*t'.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
First, the incredible women I've worked with throughout my career. They're the ones who've exemplified true leadership skills. They've shown me the importance of compassion and empathy while simultaneously being some of the smartest and most inspiring people I can feel proud to have worked with. So Christine Connor, Sarah Sahota, Pamela Knudsen, Angela Challands, Faith Wheller, Lydia Jones and many more – here's to you.
It's also impossible to ignore the incredible work Les Binet and Peter Field have done on proving the positive business effects of brand work that's so important to the industry.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I mentioned this earlier, but ever since I can remember, I've been into cars. Anything with wheels and an engine excites me. I've met some of my best friends through cars, and today while my collection is down to four (an all-time low), any free time I get is spent either going to car shows, cleaning my cars or continuing to restore one of my BMW's.
I've often been asked why I don't make a career out of my passion, and while I've been tempted on the odd occasion, I think you need things in your life that exist almost entirely for your pleasure and for me, it's cars, and I'd never want to jeopardise that.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
I'd sum up the past two years as ‘bitter-sweet.’ I say this because while Covid-19 has had a horrific impact on so many people across the world, including some of my closest friends and family, it has also brought some positive benefits too. For example, I've spent years commuting to work, and depending on where I've been living at the time, that could mean a journey of anything from one to four hours travel time.
Now I work from home most days, and not only do I get all that transit time back, but I also get to take my children to school and eat dinner as a family in the week. It's a luxury I'll always be grateful to have. The shift to home working has also positively impacted the B2B industry, increasing the demand for technology exponentially. The sector has grown immensely over the past two years, and The Croc has more than doubled in size as a result.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I've had several and still have a few, and they vary massively in the background, age and experience. I'm a big believer in always learning and have an amazing group of people I regularly tap into for advice. However, I'm even more of a believer in sending the lift back down and giving back as much as possible. I currently mentor several people and champion helping new talent join the industry. I've been lucky throughout my career and think everyone deserves a break. So, I do what I can.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Work hard, be helpful and make your own luck. The last point is particularly true when it comes to me personally. While I believe in fate, I think you're in control of much of it, and I think the more you do to put yourself out there and create opportunities for things to happen, the luckier you become.
Also, never wait for something to happen to you – chances are it either won't or won't be in the way you intended. Take control of your destiny and never underestimate the power of simply getting in touch with someone who inspires you. Often, you've nothing to lose.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I think the Internet is a truly incredible place that has created so many new possibilities and has so much untapped innovation potential. Still, when it comes to social media, there is a much darker side. While I value social platforms, they are often responsible in part for creating a culture where success is measured on how quickly you're able to achieve something. It took more than twenty years for me to get where I am today, and while some people might have gotten there sooner, I'm not an overnight success.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"There is no fate, but what we make for ourselves." - Sarah Connor.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Did you know IKEA is nearly 80 years old now? I didn't know until recently. I think like a business that was formed during the Second World War, it's one that today exemplifies innovation and creativity. Tapping into popular culture through its advertising, such as the recent campaign that has recreated famous rooms from shows like the Simpsons and Friends using IKEA products. Imbuing new technology in its products like furniture with wirelessly charging built-in.
Lamps that are also Sonos speakers. IKEA's drive to continually innovate while also becoming more sustainable such as abolishing sales of conventional batteries in favour of those that are rechargeable means for me, IKEA truly rocks. My kids also genuinely love going there and playing in all the rooms in the store. And let's not forget the meatballs!
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
I think the measurement of success is an incredibly personal thing. How you define your success will differ from someone else. It's important to have a goal in life, but you need to recognise success doesn't just come from reaching it because it's likely you'll always want more. For me, success is about being happy and fulfilled. If you look at your life over a set period and you've been doing things you love and have mostly felt happy, I'd say that's a great marker of success.