Martin Butler

Martin Butler's Biography

Born into retailing, Martin Butler is a true hybrid. Part retailer, part marketer, Martin uses this unique combination to inform his clients and audiences. Regularly sharing his views in articles and editorials, he now enjoys travelling the world researching and writing on winning the war for the modern customer. His keynote lectures at international business schools and conferences highlight the non-negotiable importance of never-ending change, the dynamics of the customer revolution and the absolute role of 'emotion' in modern commerce. Martin has also enjoyed considerable success by developing  highly interactive workshops that help customer-facing organisations put the modern customer where they belong - at the heart of the business - he calls these his corporate 'mind-set' sessions!

 

During a thirty year career Martin has worked in many top international advertising agencies including the DMBB, Grey and Saatchi networks. He started his career working for clients as diverse as Nestle, News International and Playtex but within a few years became one of London’s youngest advertising agency owners by launching his own company.

 

Through almost twenty mergers and acquisitions Martin eventually built his own business into one of the largest privately owned advertising and marketing networks in the UK. He sold his businesses several years ago but throughout an entrepreneurial career gained a reputation as a retail specialist having worked in every market sector. From fashion to fragrance and from finance to food, his company boasted many high profile clients including Harrods, Burberry, Swarovski and Habitat. His network advised countless major brands on retail positioning including Barclays, Mitsubishi and the Royal Mail. Martin also worked with a host of international brands advising on strategic development including, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Austin Reed, Global Refund and Dunkin’ Donuts.

 

In 2005 Martin wrote the internationally acclaimed book on best practice retail branding, ‘People don’t buy what you sell, they buy what you stand for’ and often uses this provocative assertion as the basis for his interactive sessions on world-class marketing.

Sponsored by the World Retail Congress, Martin launched his second book 2010, ‘The art of being chosen’. With findings being drawn from every continent this book benchmarks and celebrates retail best practice from a round the world, A robust, two and a half year research programme involved interviewing, face to face, 100 of the world’s leading retail founders and CEOs and from this Martin has identified the ‘Six secrets to retail success’. Martin has delivered lectures and workshops on the findings from his book in several destinations around the world including: New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa, USA, Middle East, UK and Europe - interestingly, many of these engagements have been delivered to non-retail audiences eager to understand what can be learned from the planet’s largest and most competitive business sector: Retail (arguably the purest form of commerce, certainly the ultimate customer facing business). Martin enjoys astounding business leaders from every profession on the skills that can be learned about ‘leadership, corporate mind-sets and customers’ from the best-of-the-very-best retailers.

 

In this new book Martin distils the essence of a lifetimes work into 50 steps for true customer excellence.

 

Packed with examples, anecdotes and case studies from world class businesses, top retailers and customer experts from around the world, this book will entertain as it instructs. As feedback and tributes support, Martin's knowledge and expertise in this area is well respected. But at the end for him it boils down to one guiding principle: It's not about us, it's all about them.

 

Commerce is going through a period of unprecedented change. To thrive organisations must find an emotional edge. They must look to be chosen, they must be customer obsessed. Above all, they must care...!

 

Martin's new book shows them how. His talks and master classes take audiences behind the scenes of phenomenal successes highlighting the creative thinking required to win the war for the modern customer.

Speaking Topics Include

Embracing Today's Most Important Business Issue

Engagement: Getting Everyone in the 'Loop'

Gatecrashing the CEO 'Love-In'

Getting Emotional in Modern Business

Getting Personal in Modern Business

Leadership: Defining the Future

Secret of Success from the Giants of Retail

The Importance of 'Talent'

The Importance of a Business Being Different, Not Just Better

The Importance of Culture

The Problem with Profits

The Retail Gene

Understanding the Role of Brand

What Modern Business Both Large and Small Can Learn from Global Retailing

Winning and Retaining Customers