How Chris Harrop's commitment to sustainability and passion for British manufacturing led him to be named B2B Marketer of the Year

Summary

Marshalls was 122 years old in 2002 when Chris Harrop joined as group marketing director, and he has built a foundation for another century of success.

Chris has transformed a sales-driven organisation into a flexible marketing machine, and the leading brand in its sector. His commitment to sustainability and ethics has been key, and Marshalls’ impressive list of accreditations have attracted customers such as hundreds of local authorities and the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Chris’s ownership of new product development, and know-how in reaching risk-averse audiences, saw new products comprise a record 17% of sales last year. 70% of installers say Marshalls is the best manufacturer for end-user satisfaction. The Marshalls YouTube channel is closing in on seven million views.

Chris has expanded the influence of marketing within Marshalls, and the influence of Marshalls on the industry and UK manufacturing. He served as UK chair of the UN Global Compact, and is the current chair of Made in Britain. He even went to the North Pole to raise awareness of climate change.

This determined example setting and his success in creating distinctive, differentiated, defensible customer value propositions, based on deep customer insight, makes Chris a worthy candidate for Marketer of the Year.

About Chris Harrop

Marshalls was 122 years old in 2002 when Chris Harrop joined as group marketing director, and had evolved into a concrete products manufacturer. Sustainability in construction was an emerging issue, and Chris’s job was to build a foundation for another century of success.

Value and influence

Now, Chris has set his values right through Marshalls, building the strongest brand in the hard landscaping products category, commanding premium prices in a standardised market. But Chris’s influence goes beyond Marshalls. He has raised his industry’s ethical standards, and advanced the cause of British manufacturing.

Background

Previously, Chris was an account man at the University of Advertising that is J Walter Thomson, and a global sector development manager, helping Shell International to understand customer needs. He learned that the key to marketing is developing distinctive, differentiated and defensible value propositions built on customer needs, offering superior products, and partnering with the right agencies.