Growing up with a marketer in the family inspired Josh Sutcliffe to follow suit. These days the allure of tackling something new every day drives him, and he views every opportunity as a valuable learning experience.
How or why did you get into marketing – what sparked your interest?
From an early age, I was exposed to marketing through my Dad, which sparked my interest – combined with a couple of FMCG jobs; an internship at Spark, and a marketing major from the University of Otago – I have never looked back.
Briefly, give details of your marketing career to this point.
I have worked in FMCG during the summer holidays for Lion and was lucky to be granted an internship at Spark during a summer break which exposed me to several business disciplines – of which marketing was one!
I completed my BCom (Marketing & Entrepreneurship) at the University of Otago and then was fortunate to get a break with this fantastic job at One NZ (previously Vodafone when I joined) and given numerous opportunities within the department which has exposed me to a wide variety of marketing disciplines.
What do you love about marketing? Is there a specific type of marketing you particularly enjoy, or specialise in, and why?
Being able to work across a wide range of different projects/areas has ensured that there is never a dull moment. I am very fortunate to be working for a telecommunications that is at the forefront of innovation and digital marketing.
Is there a specific project you’ve worked on that stands out for you?
Being a part of the Brand team during the transformation of Vodafone to One NZ was definitely a stand-out for me – a type of project that most marketers may never encounter in their whole career.
This involved working with a wide range of partners and stakeholders with very tight timelines, under a strict Non-Disclosure Agreement. As a young marketer, I felt privileged that the senior team saw fit to bring me into the fold around this major piece of work that needed to be kept under wraps!
What are some of the biggest challenges you as a young marketer face in your role?
Being fresh out of university and starting a new job during the Covid lockdown was pretty challenging. Getting to know my team, the role, and the business online without face-to-face time was tough.
Social interaction within a team environment is something that I thrive on and so I couldn’t wait to get back to the office.
What advice would you give to other young marketers newish to the industry?
Try everything and say yes to it all! That way you show your eagerness to your colleagues, but it more selfishly gives you a chance to work on a large breadth of different things, and quickly you’ll figure out what it is you enjoy working on the most.
Ask questions! It’s not a bad thing to be curious – and you’ll quickly see that most people in the room are wanting to ask the same thing and in fact, everyone brings a different perspective. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know!
Where do you see your career headed in the next 5-10 years?
I try and take it one step at a time – at the moment I just want to keep learning and do the best job that I can and I’m pretty sure opportunities will open up if I keep growing.
