Neil Els

At Marketing Trends, we are discovering what drives Australia’s top marketers. Neil Els, Marketing Manager at Atos Australia, tells us in this episode about the company’s “Future-Ready” approach and how his passion for Storytelling led him to Marketing.

Career & professional background

Neil, how did you start working in marketing?

I have always been interested in storytelling, whether it be lyrical or visual. When I saw the opportunity to do it in a business context, which allows you to communicate your organisation’s values, beliefs and even products/services, I grabbed it with both hands.

If you weren’t working in marketing, in which other industry do you think you might be?

If I weren’t involved in marketing, I would work in either sports retail or advertising in a creative director role.

Marketing & Industry Trends

What role does marketing play Atos?

Marketing plays a vital role in our organisation. Essentially, we are the mouthpiece to our prospects, customers, partners and employees. We have the opportunity to shape the narrative of our business by being the first point of contact between our organisation and its clients.

What type of impact has COVID- 19 had on your industry?

As difficult as Covid-19 has been for the economy, it has required organisations to transform their businesses digitally in order to survive. At Atos, we believe that we act as a partner for your digital transformation. So Covid-19, with all the unfortunate repercussions, has brought about the acceleration to digital, which we at Atos specialise in.

What is the most exciting trend or innovation happening in your field in terms of marketing?

The use of Artificial Intelligence is forever pushing the limits of what can be done and what the future could look like. At Atos, we believe in being “Future-Ready”, which I believe AI contributes to in leaps and bounds.

As a marketer, what do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your industry in the future?

There is a saying that nothing is new under the sun. We live in a day and age where markets are becoming increasingly flooded, and the oversharing of information is becoming increasingly evident.

The biggest struggle will be for organisations to stay relevant to trends while remaining true to their identity and their stakeholders, and not become lost in the noise of competing to be heard/seen.

Tools, recommendations & sources of inspiration

What does a typical day look like for you? How do you structure your week?

I tend to break my days and weeks up into different segments.

Meeting Mondays is where weekly planning takes place. I try to start off reading emails that may have come through during the night from our global team, then catching up with my team, hearing what is on the agenda for them, followed by campaign management to see how we are faring on that front.

The latter part of the day and week is reserved for writing case studies, blog posts and researching relevant trends and topics.

What brands do you take inspiration from?

I have always been a close follower of Nike, Adidas and brands such as Apple. I find that a blend of good storytelling and creativity can sometimes trump innovation and new products.

The one software you can’t work without and why?

Trello has been a firm favourite for many years as it allows me to order my thoughts and my projects. Canva has come to my rescue at the 11th hour on multiple occasions.

What are three resources you would recommend for anyone working in the industry?

I would recommend the book Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller to anyone that’s learning how to tell the story of your business.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the creator of Nike, is also a great book for those wanting to learn what perseverance looks like.

And in terms of understanding the why, what and how of business I would definitely recommend Business Model Generation, by Osterwalder & Pigneur.