Brand Manager of the Week: James Lacey

Describe yourself in three words.

Chirpy, hopeful, perfectionist.

What would you be if you weren't a brand manager?

I still hold on to that dream of being a train driver.

What advice would you give someone starting their marketing career today?

Always start by working in a brand/product/service area that interests you as a consumer as well as a marketer – it makes it easier to get into the mind of the customer.

What was your finest hour?

Helping to launch Nissan Juke in 2010.

What's your greatest ambition?

To learn another language fluently – just got to decide on one and get cracking.

If you were a brand, what would you be and why?

Dependable, with an eye for quality – John Lewis.

What is your favourite ever marketing campaign?

Honda's 'Cog' mesmerised me the first time I saw it. It appealed to the gadget-tinkering technologist in me.

What is your all-time favourite slogan?

BBC iPlayer's 'Making the unmissable unmissable' has a simplistic beauty.

What hobbies do you have?

Movies, country walks, the occasional bike ride. Basically, anything but the gym.

What is your favourite pub?

The Cricketers in Meopham, Kent – a beautifully restored windmill by the beer garden and immense chunky chips.

If you had three wishes, what would they be?

Remembering names after one introduction; non-iron shirts that really are; and, if I'm running a minute late, the train is too.

What have been your best and worst freebies?

Best was a trip to Le Mans; worst was a 'set' of scented candles and travel clock.

What headline would you like to read in Marketing?

'World agrees on one mobile operating system.'

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk