Jump to main content
Quick send CV Upload a brief

Achieve more with less

Marketing leaders are often faced with a seemingly intractable problem: their CEO demands that they achieve more, while their CFO expects them to spend less. The business environment has become increasingly complex and uncertain. As a result, marketers are required more than ever before to justify all expenditure and maximise the business advantage created by each activity.

To be effective in today’s environment, a team needs to be purposeful, creative and collaborative. A strong purpose allows the team to mobilise around a shared focus. Creativity is essential for marketers to develop value-creating ideas that punch above their budget. And in a rapidly changing environment, marketers need to collaborate effectively to make the fullest possible use of the range of skills across the team and beyond to solve business challenges.

 

As a marketing leader, how do you develop your team’s talent to deliver the best possible results in today’s business environment? And are your learning and development programmes also helping you to attract and retain top talent?


At Pimp My Cause we understand the dilemmas faced by marketing leaders. Pimp My Cause was created by marketers who believe that marketers and good causes have a lot to learn from each other. The pro bono marketing opportunities that we’ve created support over 2,000 good causes and have generated over £18 million of social value for the beneficiaries of the causes. And at the same time we have supported marketers in becoming masters of marketing efficiency and effectiveness by exposing them to some of the toughest marketing problems in the country.

This has led us to create our Challenge talent development programmes. In our programmes, corporate teams stretch their skills by tackling the marketing challenges of charities and social enterprises, which have smaller tiny budgets or in some cases no budget at all. 

When marketers work to solve big Challenges that are very different to their day jobs, it allows them to develop a greater confidence in their own abilities and those of their colleagues. When supporting a cause partner they are required to use creativity to get results, rather than high budgets. And by supporting the work of good causes they find deeper inspiration and a new appreciation of how their skills can contribute to society.

The Nectar partnerships team at Aimia, for example, was tasked with creating loyalty engagement plans for five causes including Sky Badger, which provides support for families with disabled children. 

Laurence Stock, Director of Nectar partnerships, said, ‘We created the Loyalty for Good Challenge at a time when we were reinventing how Nectar works and needed the team to develop their entrepreneurial skills. It enabled us to mix up teams and break down any silos we may have had and also created a flat structure so that everybody on the team had the opportunity to lead.’

And it achieved breakthrough results for Sky Badger as well. Their work with the Nectar team led to a 570% increase in schools participating in their awards programme, which helps to reduce the bullying of disabled children.

Sony Mobile has run two Challenges with Pimp My Cause. 

Catherine Cherry, the Marketing Director of Sony Mobile, North West Europe, said, ‘Getting the chance to work with good causes has been a great inspiration for our marketers. And applying their marketing skills in a new context has been a useful way to further develop the talent we have in our team’.
After participating in a Challenge, marketers from the Sony team reported that they enjoyed working on more strategic marketing and business briefs then they were usually faced with in their day job. And they also gained a new appreciation for their own budgets after experiencing what charities have to accomplish with so little resource. 

Paul Skinner, Founder of Pimp My Cause, said, ‘Investing in your team’s talent development and achieving a positive social impact through a cause partner is a great way to attract and retain the best talent’.

 

In addition to running team challenges, we also support individual marketers who are interested in stretching their skills by working with good causes. And with over 2,000 good causes in our network, we pride ourselves on finding the right cause match for any individual or team to fit their learning goals and their interests.


Challenging yourself or your team to become great at marketing on a shoestring could be the best investment you’ll ever make.
 

Pimp My Cause has partnered with EMR to support the development of marketers’ careers by providing volunteering and team talent development opportunities. Marketers interested in getting involved can find out more by emailing anna@pimpmycause.org.

 
List #1

Related posts

The most valuable marketing skills to hire for in 2025

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

07/01/2025

Summary

The marketing industry has never been known to sit still. In 2025, it’s moving faster than ever. Between the rise of AI, changing customer expectations, and pressure to do more with less, the skills

Teaser

Here, we’ll take a look at the most valuable marketing skills that drive value today, with some insights that will help you identify where to invest for long-term success.

Read more
Marketing salaries: The trends you need to know about

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

07/01/2025

Summary

When it comes to salaries in marketing, you can’t afford to keep your cards close to your chest. According to our latest survey, 78% of job seekers are unlikely to apply for a role without a specifie

Teaser

Our latest salary survey and market report brings the biggest salary trends of 2025 to the forefront. Here, we dig into the numbers behind the latest marketing salary trends.

Read more
How to ask for a pay rise in marketing

Teaser

Career advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

07/01/2025

Summary

New trends and technologies have continued to revolutionise the marketing industry, opening up a wide array of exciting new career opportunities. However, 2025 presents a far more complex job market t

Teaser

Here, we’ll take a look at salary trends and how to apply them when you’re looking for a pay rise.

Read more
Why employee retention is the biggest marketing hiring challenge in 2025

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

06/16/2025

Summary

Hiring great marketing talent has never been easy. In 2025, the recruitment landscape has changed. The biggest challenge facing hiring managers isn’t just about finding great candidates. It’s about

Teaser

Here, we’ll dig into the statistics behind this challenge and give a helping hand with some employee retention strategies.

Read more
Marketing salary benchmarking for 2025: What hiring managers need to know

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

06/16/2025

Summary

While today’s marketers are looking for the full package, salary remains key to attracting and retaining top talent. Fair pay is important and this year it’s under the microscope more than ever. With

Teaser

Marketing professionals are informed and clear on what they want from a job. That makes benchmarking salaries much more effective than taking a vague approach to what’s competitive.

Read more
Contracting in 2025: Smart Strategy or Temporary Fix?

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

05/27/2025

Summary

As employers enter the second half of 2025, the pressure to remain commercially resilient while managing ongoing cost constraints is shaping how hiring decisions are made. Amid continued salary stag

Teaser

As employers enter the second half of 2025, the pressure to remain commercially resilient while managing ongoing cost constraints is shaping how hiring decisions are made.

Read more
What do Marketing Professionals Look For in a Job in 2025?

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

04/30/2025

Summary

The landscape of hiring a marketer has changed. A solid job spec isn’t the be all and end all anymore. Today’s marketing professionals are making career moves with more intention than ever. Marketers

Teaser

Take a look at what marketing professionals want from their job in 2025.

Read more
How to Write Effective Job Descriptions for Marketing Roles

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

04/30/2025

Summary

When it comes to hiring the right marketing professionals, getting the job description right is crucial. Knowing how to write a job description means you’re doing more than just list responsibilities

Teaser

Here, we’ll break down the anatomy of a job description and give some top tips for writing marketing job advertisements.

Read more
Hybrid Working in 2025: Evolving Expectations, Office Tensions & The Role of Salary

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

04/14/2025

Summary

Three days in the office. No change in salary. Hybrid working is evolving. What does that mean for employees and employers in 2025?What was once presented as a benefit is now a source of tension. Acro

Teaser

Three days in the office. No change in salary. Hybrid working is evolving.

Read more
Marketing Recruitment: Challenges, Trends, and What to Expect in 2025

Teaser

Hiring advice

Content Type

Articles

Publish date

03/31/2025

Summary

Looking Back at 2024For much of 2024, marketing recruitment across the UK has contended with a series of setbacks. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics showed a steady decline in

Teaser

For much of 2024, marketing recruitment across the UK has contended with a series of setbacks. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics showed a steady decline in vacancies, with figures falling to 916,000 in early 2024—a modest reduction on the previous quarter but part of a longer-term contraction.

Read more
View more