This winner is smart, curious, collaborative and digitally savvy. It’s her first role, and Lia Carruthers of Farrah’s is already Future Marketer of the Year at the 2024 YouTube NZ Marketing Awards.
Marketing Co-ordinator Lia Carruthers is a “crucial member of our marketing team and one of the top performers in the company”. So says Mike Murray, General Manager of Farrah’s, a business that specialises in wraps and tortillas.
She’s barely completed her studies – having received her marketing degree less than two years ago from Victoria University of Wellington – and already Carruthers has reinvigorated Farrah’s digital presence.
This is her first job, but the world of marketing is not new to her.
“My mum’s passion for marketing and communications meant I was lucky to have some insight into the industry growing up,” she says.
“The unique skillset needed to be a successful marketer – creativity, strategic and critical thinking, research, data analysis, communication and interpersonal skills – intrigued me.”
Along with her interest in understanding human behaviour, “marketing was a career path that sounded both exciting and challenging,” says Carruthers.
Before taking on the full-time role at Farrah’s, she undertook an internship at Stanley St to get a taste of what the world of agency looked like.
Working in-house for Farrah’s is exactly where Carruthers wants to be.
“Being in a small, dynamic marketing team of three, I have taken on a huge range of responsibilities and thoroughly enjoy each,” she says.
From the get-go, she brought a breath of fresh air to the family business established more than 20 years ago.
Carruthers is across all of Farrah’s socials, and launched the brand’s TikTok channel.
Murray says one highlight of her marketing career so far is her TikTok ‘Chef Series’, made in collaboration with a key influencer. The team says Carruthers overdelivered week-by-week across both Meta and TikTok, with the ‘Chef Series’ becoming Farrah’s most successful TikTok campaign in terms of engagement.
And her work doesn’t stop at socials.
“My all-time favourite thing about marketing is that I’m constantly learning, including upskilling in Dunnhumby and Quantium shopper data,” she says.
“I am now able to quickly pull insights and analyse them to answer key business questions and inform executive-level decisions.”
With the launch of Farrah’s Pizza Bases, Carruthers contributed to sales while ensuring engagement was high with influencer kits and social posting.
The same goes for the launch of the Farrah’s Sweet Chilli Wrap.
“Being in such a small team, I’m involved in the nitty-gritty of these projects, from pulling data and insights that inform business cases, to attending packaging press-passes and photoshoots. Then there’s leading some epic influencer PR kits, creating recipe content, working with internal stakeholders and external agency partners to bring the products and integrated marketing campaigns to life,” she says. “I love it!”
With a strong interest in AI, data and insights, Carruthers is open to experimenting and innovating her approach to marketing – whether it’s social media or for significant product launches.
In a fast-paced environment where trends are ever-evolving, Carruthers makes it an effort to be on top of new tech, even though knowing which one to apply can be tricky.
But, she says: “I love learning about it all, and have been sure to attend AI workshops to further upskill in this area, for example.”
Her can-do approach led the Farrah’s team to bestow Carruthers with a ‘Lead, Never Follow’ award at its annual Values Awards.
Farrah’s says that her mindset of growth, creativity, energy and new ideas has been vital in growing the business.
“Carruthers’ quality of work and passion for her role is exceptional. All of our campaigns in the past year have been touched by her and are better for it,” says Farrah’s Brand Manager Courtney Butcher.
Carruthers is valued by her company, and the feeling is mutual.
“I am surrounded by an incredible team who truly value my input and perspective, who want me to grow and succeed, and who trust me with some big responsibilities,” she says.
She pays tribute to the “exceptionally talented marketers and business leaders who are helping shape my career”.
And she’s looking ahead, thinking about how she’ll be able to mentor young marketers in the years to come.
“I’m confident I’ll be well-positioned for making a significant impact in the world of marketing.”
This was first published in the 2024 September-October NZ Marketing Magazine issue. Subscribe here.
