Most Creative Marketers: Chloe Saklow

Crossing boundaries is a feature of Chloe Saklow’s life. Having started her career agency-side, with planning roles at JWT and Euro RSCG, before the BBC and Johnston Press, Saklow shifted client side. Her start at the DfE in late 2017 was a leap into the Civil Service that Saklow never saw herself taking. “Could I bring my agency and multimedia experience to bear at the DfE? Would I fit in given my professional background? I was so compelled by the opportunity to lead the teacher recruitment campaign and service that I was ready to give it a shot.”

And it’s working. Saklow, who defines creativity as “finding new, previously unimagined ways to express ourselves and our ideas” has done just that, to build ‘teaching’ itself as a brand. From 2018’s "Every Lesson Shapes a Life", through Havas London, which follows a pupil throughout her school journey, to the national "Get into teaching" campaign, which launched last year, the work drives home the point that teaching can make a real difference.

And Saklow has enlisted a supporting cast of real teachers to underscore the unparalleled role that teachers play in shaping young people’s lives. "Tuesday", also from Havas London, shows a day in the life of secondary school teacher Addison Brown, who works at Bedford High School, Greater Manchester.

“It’s important to me to feel empowered and able to effect change,” says Saklow, who feels her move from the commercial arena to public service has paid off, crediting her strong grounding in marketing principles. “Working on something so purposeful is an honour – but whether you are selling teaching or crisps, the process is the same and your proposition has to be rooted in product truths.”

Connect the dots

The mix of right- and left-brain thinking required in Saklow’s early roles as a planner has formed the cornerstones of her skillset at the DfE, where she relishes the mix of insight, data, and intuition that underpins strategic development. Perhaps a perfect fit for the teaching brand, Saklow is inspired by words, particularly the writings of Toni Morrison (Beloved), Glennon Doyle (Untamed) and Ethan Kross (Chatter) and the spoken words from podcasts like Fortunately, and Louis Theroux's Grounded.

But it’s an appreciation of “the intangible magic of creativity in solving business problems and boosting performance” that Saklow believes all marketers should foster. This, plus an “innate curiosity about the category, brand and audience, alongside an ability to recombine and connect disparate dots.” The resulting brief, she says, should enable creativity to flourish, and business needs to be met. “I enjoy the process,” Saklow says, “as well as the final output, which is greater than the sum of its parts.”

“One foot out of the door”

Having worked with Havas London since their appointment to the DfE business in May 2018, Saklow recognises that collaborating with agency partners means just that: a true partnership built on mutual trust and understanding. “It's important that creative agencies understand their clients' culture as well as the specifics of their business problem,” Saklow says. “I also think a good partner knows when and how to push a client out of their comfort zone.”

And she’s no stranger to pushing herself. Excited about continuing to transform the Get into Teaching Service and the journey to apply to teacher training: “It's just the beginning,” she says.

Saklow predicts the next generation of marketers will be the most digitally savvy and sophisticated yet, but welcomes the challenges ahead. “There's talk of those of us with a few years under our belts facing a digital skills deficit. This is a challenge – but an exciting one, which will keep us on our toes. It reinforces the importance of a culture of ongoing learning and perhaps the value of reverse-mentoring.”

And it’s further proof that in future there will be more boundaries to cross. But Saklow’s unfazed: “Marketing and strategy skills are endlessly transferable; moving between sectors and organisations is eye-opening and valuable, enabling you to add more tools to your arsenal. A senior colleague advised me to always keep one foot out of the door. I've often reflected on this, as I think my value comes from the different experience and perspective I can offer.”