Background

British American Tobacco (BAT) is the world’s most international tobacco group in terms of its spread of global markets, with brands sold in more than 180 markets.  BAT operates a responsible business in a controversial industry and the company’s approach to responsibility runs throughout its activities – from crop to consumer.  The proactive approach which the company takes to responsibility contributes to its longer term sustainability and is one of the reasons why it is one of the top performing shares in the FTSE 100.

BAT’s business originated in 1902, as a joint venture between the UK’s Imperial Tobacco Company and the American Tobacco Company founded by James ‘Buck’ Duke.  Over the last century BAT has developed into a truly global enterprise.

BAT recognises that its business starts with its consumers.  Providing brands which meet the needs of adult consumers who have chosen to smoke involves a deep understanding of those consumers – their requirements, drivers and how best to ensure that BAT’s brands present a relevant offer to those consumers.

Meeting the challenge for marketing training

The Marketing Excellence Series is BAT’s global learning programme for everyone in marketing. The first series of modules with this name was launched in 2002.  This was an evolution of previous training programmes for staff working in Trade Marketing and Distribution – the field force who work directly with retailers and distributors – and those working in Brand Management – developing consumer offers and ensuring that BAT brands continue to profitably meet the needs of adult smokers.

The marketing function in BAT is the largest single function in our business employing 35,000 staff in different roles.  Each country is unique, with its own challenges from different regulations, consumer preferences and retail environments in which BAT marketers are expected to operate.  The regulated nature of consumer communications in the tobacco industry also presents a challenge to marketers – how do you market a brand in an environment where – in the most extreme cases – it is illegal to even display the product on the shelf?

Even new people recruited from other Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies have a lot to learn once they enter the tobacco industry.

It’s important that they learn quickly.

One mistake by a brand manager which gives the impression of irresponsible marketing can spread across the world at the click of a mouse in a connected world, with ensuing reputational damage that can reach all BAT’s key stakeholders – from investors to retailers to farmers to governments.

Marketers must learn efficiently and effectively.  Cost efficiency in a training programme provided for 35,000 people in 180 different countries is a real issue – sending people on courses is not always a feasible option and anything which provides more access to high quality training for more people is obviously of interest to a commercial organisation.

Secondly, effectiveness is all important. The programme needs to be global – training in standards which must be adhered to in all countries and all territories in which BAT’s iconic brands are available.  But, every market is different, so in order to be locally effective there needs to be space for the inclusion of local materials and local components linked to each and every module.

Not only is training for marketing people important to ensure the continuation of successful and mutually beneficial relationships with retailers and the continued growth of the company’s brands, it has wider management and leadership implications. By far the majority of general managers in different countries started their career in marketing.  Getting the training right for new recruits – both new entrants and experienced, mid career recruits – is a central part of the organisation’s strategy to attract and retain the very best talent in the tobacco industry and across global FMCG companies.  The solution created couldn’t be a cut price, tick the box exercise but needed to provide a real opportunity for individuals to manage their learning and through doing so managing their career.

In 2009, Infinity Learning recommended to BAT that it was time to revise and redesign the whole of MXS – forty modules across five levels of learning.  To ensure continual availability of training to this vital audience, the programme revision should involve staged releases of the material to the different end-markets and regions – over the course of a two year roll out period.

A comprehensive curriculum

The revised version of MXS is a comprehensive marketing curriculum – from day one induction to specialist modules for senior team members.  All modules are available as interactive multimedia e-learning, or as workshops with full facilitator notes and localisation guidance for local managers. These are used where learners may otherwise be prevented from accessing the modules by technology or language barriers.

Each module has a global component – common across all markets – and a local component, where local line managers will support implementation through short workshops or one to one sessions to ensure a direct link between organisation practice and competencies, and local needs, market conditions and consumers.

After the completion of the comprehensive induction module – the learner will be advised to complete the four core modules – designed to ensure a common competence across four key topics common to all marketers within all markets and all marketing functions. As well as the modules themselves, the ‘learn more’ function provides documents, links and tools to support the application of the required knowledge and skills.  Every module has a series of work based tasks, with detailed coaching notes for line managers to ensure that there is a clear path between learning and knowledge acquisition and work place behaviour.

The modules are managed by a unique web 2.0 learning management system – MXS Homepage based on Infinity’s Involve technology. We wanted to create the ‘amazon.com’ of learning. It enables learners to rate and comment on each module, enter into conversations with coaches, subject matter experts or other learners and build their own learning plan – publishing the dates by which they expect to complete each component and keeping track of the modules and other learning resources they have used.

Once the core modules are completed, the innovative MXS Homepage will use the learner’s individual profile to not only track learner completion and pass rates but also to recommend relevant modules to meet job role requirements and recommend programmes based on the choices made by other users with similar profiles. Each role type has its own route through MXS, but each individual can tailor their own learning journey through personal interest or through specific development needs that they have identified with their coach. The work based tasks – called springboard exercises – are designed to prompt high quality coaching conversations between learner and line manager.  Each time a learner downloads a springboard exercise, an email is automatically sent to the line manager prompting them to discuss the learning undertaken, supplement global knowledge and skills with local information and briefing and set up a coaching session to ensure the learning is implemented in daily practice.

MXS isn’t limited to the MXS modules.  All other marketing training programmes across the whole BAT marketing function, have been mapped to MXS modules and training areas. This offers signposts to other learning and development opportunities and resources.  Administrators in different regions can also upload additional materials to MXS Homepage, organically growing the resource base for either the entire audience or a defined geographical or functional group.

A fresh look at module design

The revision isn’t simply about the way in which topics are organised or the content of the modules.  Based on extensive research and evaluation with over 2000 marketing experts, learners, coaches, line managers and the end-market based Marketing Skills Development Managers (MSDMs), Infinity worked hand in hand with the Global Marketing and Talent team in BAT’s headquarters, Globe House – to create a best in class learning programme.

As with many large organisations, PowerPoint was ubiquitous, but learners had suggested they weren’t that excited by the endless bullet points they experienced elsewhere in the business.  So the workshop versions of MXS modules have banned the bullet point – using exciting graphics and comprehensive headlines (along with detailed speaker notes for both presentations, group exercises and discussions.)

The e-learning versions use multi-media to the fullest extent possible – dividing each module into 20 minute sections to support learners accessing the learning they need when they need it.  Videos of marketing staff from across the world, senior leaders, subject matter experts, consumers and customers – ensure these are media rich learning experiences.  Learner interactions with exercises and activities are designed to support the embedding of key knowledge and to prepare each learner to apply what they have learned and to build their skills.

The MXS Homepage creates a feedback loop enabling real time feedback from learners and coaches alike.  The MXS governance process through the Marketing Skills Development (MSD) community ensures feedback is considered and where required updates are made to materials to reflect user requirements.

Is it working?

The revised MXS programme went live for its first stage release in November 2009.

Between November and May 2010, 3,755 new users have registered on the system.  The induction programme has been launched 8,637 times and individual modules are averaging between 4 and 5 stars in user reviews.

Some of the additional comments from learners and their managers include:

“Congratulations to you first and everyone who contributed to build such a user friendly learning platform!  This is simple, but full of content, bold, striking, understandable, colourful and user-friendly.”

“This platform is more engaging and interactive than the old one.  I like the new interface and navigation, learning planning, simple language and lots of useful information.”

Svetlana Omeltchenko, Global Marketing Development Manager and owner of MXS in BAT has been amazed at how the revision to MXS has rejuvenated marketing learning within the organisation:

“The evaluation of the previous way we delivered marketing skills and training was comprehensive and we knew we had some work to do.  However, more than 70% of respondents already believed that the original MXS was contributing to performance improvement in the work place. But we knew that as MXS became familiar fewer and fewer marketers were accessing the materials and there was a danger that end-markets would want to rectify low take up rates by designing their own training.  This is not only hugely inefficient it is contrary to our business strategy. As we drive to become a globally integrated enterprise, we need every marketer in every country to have a globally consistent understanding of our business, skill set and ways of working.

It was really pleasing for us that after all the hard work and time invested by the team across BAT and our partners Infinity, the user feedback was so positive. Not only that but we’ve now shared some of our work with other, similar companies who are simply blown away by both the vision for the whole project and the quality of its execution.”

Head of Learning at Infinity, Robin Hoyle agrees: “We had an option of tinkering at the edges of the old marketing programme or taking a much more radical approach.  The original consultation with learners was far from negative.  It pointed out some issues we needed to address and some issues with particular modules or the way individual sections worked, but most people were pretty satisfied with the training available.  But there was enough insight from our users to say we should be bold and take the programme into the 21^st Century, using web 2.0 tools alongside best practice learning design and a full blended solution. It worked and the resulting programme is one the whole team can be really proud of.”