003 Richard Cook
Social Media Lead, Monzo
Richard Cook is currently the World’s Strongest Man and Social Media Lead at Monzo. He’s extremely online, a master of his craft, and writes openly about what work is really like. I’ve saved a ton of his posts and refer back to them often. If you don’t follow him on LinkedIn you should - he gets social better than anyone out there.
“Anything that uses humour as a central hook is a winner in my book.”
The interview
What’s your coffee ritual?
It depends! If I’m in the office, I’ll grab an oat latte on the way in. If I’m working from home, I’m pulling out the Aeropress and pretending I know what “blooming” is.
What was your first marketing job?
My career started in Customer Service at Spotify. We’d do fun things like sending people a customised playlist when we’d solved their problem. I didn’t realise until later that technically I was learning key marketing skills that I still rely on today.
What finance apps do you have on your home screen?
Monzo, Starling, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Zopa Bank, Chase, Chip – your wealth app, Wise, Tandem Bank, Atom bank, PayPal, Coinbase, Freetrade, and the NS&I Premium Bonds prize checker app. Yes, I know.
Which newsletter, podcast, or book do you recommend most?
I really enjoy the Panic World podcast, which covers the various moral panics that have gripped the internet over the years, which as a Social Media Manager is something very close to my heart.
What’s an underrated growth channel in fintech?
Organic social! It’s often overlooked because of the problem with attribution, but if you believe - as I do - that brand building is the key to long-term growth, there are few better channels to use.
What keeps you up at night?
Right now, my seven-month old son. But in general, mostly just the worry about staying relevant on social. You’re only as good as your most recent win on social, and people move on very quickly.
What are the most useful measurement tools you use in your work?
The social platforms themselves can be pretty decent at giving you the raw data on post performance, often better than expensive tooling situations that do their own black box estimates. And nothing beats a good old spreadsheet.
What’s one fintech brand (other than your own) that’s getting marketing right?
I really like Plum and their recent Improv your Finances campaign. Anything that uses humour as a central hook is a winner in my book.
Why is marketing so hard?
Because it looks easy! We all watch TV and see tube ads and think “I could do that!” but the end product is a result of so much you don’t see. The approvals, feedback, research, deadlines... it’s all such a stress. Oh, and the typos.