002 Abba Newbery
Chief Marketing Officer, Insignis
Abba Newbery is Chief Marketing Officer at Insignis. Before that she was CMO at CIRCA5000 and Habito where she was my boss for four years. She’s a creative force of nature and we made some very cool, career-defining work together. If you want to go deep, here’s her episode of the Uncensored CMO podcast.
“Best advice I ever got was to realise that everyone is an expert at their own job and marketing!”
The interview
What’s your coffee ritual?
I have a double expresso when I get into work, and then I try to lean away from the coffee after that, but I normally succumb to a post-lunch pick-me-up.
What was your first marketing job?
I began my career in media agencies and ad agencies. My first marketing job was at Habito in 2017.
What finance apps do you have on your home screen?
I actually have no finance apps apart from my Apple Wallet on my home screen. My HSBC app gets the most usage - I’m terrible at financial admin.
Which newsletter, podcast, or book do you recommend most?
I love the Uncensored CMO podcast, Obviously Awesome by April Dunford is my most thumbed book, Benedict Evans gets my newsletter love.
What’s an underrated growth channel in fintech?
We are betting hard on direct mail this year.
What keeps you up at night?
Probably the menopause (!) but otherwise fretting that our big new brand campaign, soon to launch, works as hard as I think it should.
What’s one fintech brand (other than your own) that’s getting marketing right?
I think the Money / Monzo work is great, especially as it feels like an homage to Hell or Habito!
Why is marketing so hard?
Best advice I ever got was to realise that everyone is an expert at their own job and marketing! It helps me as a mantra to deal with all the stakeholder feedback!