On Wednesday, May 14, 2014, CEW (UK) welcomed Fiona Pearson, brands director, Boots own brand and exclusives at Boots UK, partners of the CEW (UK) 2014 Beauty Awards, to its mentoring series. Pearson gave her insight into her diverse career at Boots UK, as well as what she has learned from her experiences and her secrets of a successful career in beauty.
Pearson joined Boots UK as a graduate trainee in 1988, starting a long and varied relationship with the Boots brand. Her career developed across trading, brands and marketing, and she most recently became brand director for Boots brands and exclusives three years ago. Pearson spoke of the importance of working for a brand that you truly believe in, along with having a passion for products and putting the customer first.
She also spoke about Boots rich heritage, a company founded in 1870 that to this day remains accessible and cares for its employees and customers. Pearson said the company aspires to be inspiring and dynamic and constantly evolves to cater for its 30 million customers who shop in store each year. She brought this to life by showing CEW (UK) members a selection of advertising campaigns that have been created through the ages, including the latest launch for the iconic No7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serums.
Pearson also shared the thinking behind the groundbreaking ‘Four Weeks. No Mirrors’ advertising campaign—a deep understanding of women and the knowledge that it is not just what the products do that matters, but how they make women feel.
She also highlighted her key learnings from her career to date:
- Know your brand
- Understand your customer
- Think about working in retail; you can learn a huge amount from it
- Be eager to learn
- Keep calm and be yourself
