Izis Weatherhead: Building the BK Brand

Izis Weatherhead

From tax law to ‘selling’ burgers, 2020 TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards Young Marketer of the Year Finalist Izis Weatherhead is helping global fast food giant Burger King reach new customers. She sits down with NZ Marketing to share her thoughts on big brand marketing and her aspirations for the future.


Izis Weatherhead completed a Double Degree in Law & Commerce (Tax & Marketing majors) before commencing her career with Deloitte. After her initial year with Deloitte Weatherhead decided she wanted to pursue a marketing career and secured the role of Marketing Coordinator at Burger King (BK) in January 2019. Now a Product Specialist for the burger brand, this young marketer has dreams of taking her chosen career path way beyond ‘flipping burgers’.

How do you go from Tax to Marketing?

I chose marketing as one of my majors for my commerce degree. I’ve always loved art and was into drawing, painting and creating things when I was at school so I chose a marketing major because I knew it would give me that creative outlet as well as strategic and wider business knowledge.

Describe your current role at Burger King?

In my current role as Product Specialist I manage four product categories (value, desserts, beverages and snacking) and digital marketing platforms (social media and CRM). I’m also part of the delivery project team.

Why do you think the marketing for brands such as Burger King needs to have cut-through?

There is a lot of marketing noise out there so it is important to have attention-grabbing marketing that will make an impact. Particularly for BK,  as we are a challenger brand, we don’t have the same budgets as our large competitors so everything we do needs to stand out and add value to our business and our customer.

What do you love about marketing?

I studied law and commerce and after finishing uni I started a graduate role as a tax consultant. While working in professional services gave me invaluable experience, it made me realise that I was craving something more creative and that’s when I made the move into the marketing industry.  Shifting into marketing was the best decision I’ve made and it reinforced where my passion lies.

I enjoy that it is a combination of creativity and commerce. It is very fast paced and involves finding new ways of doing things which means there is never a dull day. I particularly enjoy CRM because it allows for greater personalisation and engagement which strengthens customers’ connection with the brand.

What does it take to be an award-winning marketer?

I think it is important to be a good problem solver and be able to assess multiple ways of doing something then recognising the best way to move forward. It’s also key to be nimble and adaptable to keep up with a changing world.

What has been your most significant career achievement?

Launching our new CRM platform and implementing a more consistent CRM calendar with greater targeting, segmentation, engagement and personalised messaging. Improving our coupon and loyalty programme and feeding this into our CRM strategy.

What are some of the biggest challenges you as a young marketer face in your role?

Keeping on top of fast changing technology, increasing competition and increasing consumer savviness around advertising.

What advice would you give to other Young Marketers entering the industry?

Be like a sponge, learn as much as you can and capitalise off every opportunity. I’ve always put my hand up to be involved with projects or sit in on meetings which has meant I’ve been exposed to a lot early in my career and gained lots of experience.

Where do you see your career headed in the next 5-10 years?

I want to keep progressing and taking on more responsibility so I can be in a management position and ultimately train the new talent coming through. 

Do you have any mantras for success that you follow?

Keep asking questions and always try to figure it out yourself before asking someone else.


To read the profiles of all the winners from the TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards 2020, get a copy of our Awards Issue, here.

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