Marketing Masterclasses

What makes someone search for Hippo by name?
For Mark Goosen, Head of Marketing at Hippo.co.za, that decision reflects years of consistent brand building. In his chat with Declan Hollywood on Marketing Masterclasses, he shares how the business brings brand and performance marketing together to turn recognition into action.
Drawing on almost 11 years at Hippo, Mark explains why every advert should build the brand and how its familiar hippo character was central to refreshing its brand identity and rebuilding its website.
That thinking extends to how customers get insurance. He shares how the team developed an email and WhatsApp journey that lets people respond in their own time while improving conversions.
Along the way, they discuss his move from digital marketing manager to Head of Marketing, the role of creator content and why the experience after someone clicks deserves as much attention as the advert itself.

Some careers are built by changing companies, while others are built by growing within one.
Nicole Harris joined Unilever as an intern, and more than two decades later, she is the Senior Marketing Manager for Robertsons Herbs & Spices. Having built her career across local and global markets, she shares the lessons that have remained constant throughout her journey: building great brands, investing in people and staying curious as the industry continues to evolve.
Nicole and Loren also chat about her journey through Unilever, what she learnt from working at the company’s global headquarters in the Netherlands, the importance of mentorship and what it takes to build a long and fulfilling career in marketing.
A practical and honest conversation filled with lessons for marketers at every stage of their career.

When Gugu Mthembu joined Telkom, the business faced a major challenge: rebuilding customer trust.
In this episode of Marketing Masterclasses, Gugu explains why this could not be achieved through advertising alone. Every part of the business needed to work together to ensure that the customer experience matched the brand promise.
She also shares her journey from information technology into marketing and how systems thinking taught her to connect the dots between customers, operations, finance and technology.
The conversation explores the evolving role of the modern CMO, how to use AI without losing originality and why creativity should be viewed as a driver of business growth.
Gugu also shares why curiosity, discipline and adaptability have shaped her career and remain essential for the next generation of marketers.

In this episode of Marketing Masterclasses, Declan sits down with Jon Hoehler, Head of Digital Content at MTN South Africa, for an open conversation about career, leadership and the experience that completely changed his perspective on both.
Jon shares his journey through stage 4 cancer and remission, and how it reshaped the way he approaches high performance, boundaries and leading with empathy. He reflects on the importance of support, protecting your time and building a successful career without losing sight of what matters outside of work.
A powerful conversation about resilience, perspective and becoming a better leader through life’s hardest moments.

In this episode of Marketing Masterclasses, Declan sits down with Tracey-Lee Zürcher-Campbell, the CMO of Payflex. They explore what modern marketing looks like beyond campaigns and creative work.
Tracey-Lee shares her unconventional journey from studying English Literature and Drama to leading marketing at Payflex. She explains why understanding human behaviour is at the heart of great marketing and why the best marketers are growth architects rather than simply advertisers.
The conversation explores consumer psychology, trust and perception while offering practical insights into balancing creativity with commercial thinking, leading agile teams and using disciplined execution to turn great ideas into meaningful business growth.
An insightful conversation for marketers, business leaders and anyone interested in creativity, strategy and growth.