Ruth Yearley

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Ruth Yearley

Insight & Strategy Director

Ketchum
London

“Do it with passion. Believe in your truth”

From a traditional start in client side research and planning with Unilever, Ruth Yearley has since moved into the more free form and creative area of new product development, focusing on planning in an industry that still struggles to formally integrate creative strategy into its campaign process. In particularly, Yearley is best known for serving as brand and consumer guardian, thanks to a relentless focus on asking questions and bringing in much stimulus and insight from the outside world.

How do you define innovation?
A constant scratching at the door of complacency.

Most innovative PR/comms campaign you’ve seen in the last 12 months?
Spotify.

What brands and/or agencies are most innovative when it comes to marketing/PR?
IKEA.

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider ‘innovative.’
My most innovative moments have been when training others. Finding ways to explain to people what I do. Systemising that which is instinctive and finding exercises to allow people to practice.

In what area of marketing/PR do you see the most innovation?
Content & creative.

How would you describe the communications/PR industry’s level of innovation?
About the same as other disciplines.

Where do you see the greatest opportunity for marketing & PR to become more innovative?
Planning & analytics.

Who most influences how innovative a brand’s marketing/PR is?
CMO.

Who is your mentor and why?
Anyone calm — they complete me.

How do you find inspiration?
By always paying attention. To the most quotidian and seemingly uninspiring. Searching for the common sense truths that I can apply to challenges.

What is your advice for people seeking to bring new ideas, ways of doing things to their organizations?
Do it with passion. Believe in your truth.

In your opinion, what’s the most innovative place in the world?
W1A, BBC broadcasting house.

What’s your favourite time of day and why?
Walking to work — podcasts on. Feeding my personal data bank.