Episode 237: Marketing as Intrapreneurship with Ben Pawsey, VP of Marketing at HPG
Ben Pawsey is the VP of Marketing at HPG, one of the largest promotional products suppliers in North America, comprising 10 specialist brands including Hub, Origaudio, Debco, and more.
Ben is a hybrid, analytical-creative thinker; he has a background in Industrial Design and has over a decade of experience leading ambitious design, brand, and marketing campaigns. His experience has ranged across multiple industries, including media publishing, e-commerce, event production, fashion, and electric bikes, and has included time at series-A startups, nonprofits, and more.
As an industrial designer, Ben’s a unique marketer, solving problems through the lens of design, development, and strategy. He leads a large team at HPG. He’s passionate about sustainability and just one of his previous successes includes leading a global marketing campaign partnership with Timberland that generated more than a billion media impressions, and has earned 4 Pyramid Awards for Branding, Marketing Campaigns, and Technology development.
Ben was born in Bristol, UK before becoming a permanent US resident in 2010, and is now based in the San Francisco Bay.
Today, we talk with ben about:
his team & structure
how they prioritize projects with so many brands
how industrial design impacts his marketing strategy
his tech stack
and his best advice for both suppliers and distributors when it comes to marketing excellence