The Fishbowl: Liz Moseley, Good Housekeeping

The Fishbowl

The Media Leader’s interview series asks the media industry’s top salespeople 10 revealing questions, drawn from our fishbowl. The questions will be drawn at random and contain some tricky posers set by the commercial chiefs themselves.

This week, it’s Liz Moseley, managing director at Good Housekeeping and Good Housekeeping Institute.

Liz Moseley has held several marketing and leadership roles throughout her career, including at Telegraph Media Group, News International, Bauer Media, Ascential and Manifesto Growth Architects.

Before joining Hearst UK as MD for Good Housekeeping and Good Housekeeping Institute, she spent more than four years at Tortoise Media as partner and editor.

What are clients most excited about right now?

Oh no, I’m worried I might be about to say AI… But, instead, and I’m biased of course, the clients I see — lots of them — are excited about where we’re taking this brand and especially about the audience it serves.

I’ve a whole new story to tell; it’s a re-education really, about the women this brand reaches — sexy, funny, wealthy, interesting, take-no-shit women. In print and across all our new digital touchpoints. Women you’d want to hang out with; women you’d fancy.

Honestly, you’d never have a better day out than with GH women. When I do the presentation with all the customer insight in, I love watching how much it makes people laugh. Clients are definitely excited about the potential with GH; especially with the GHI — what we can do for brands is so different from anything else on offer.

If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?

I’d have an extra day in the middle of the week that’s only mine — everyone else gets frozen in time and I get a clear day to think, plan, refocus.

What is one important skill that you think everyone should have?

The ability to self-critique.

What’s your favourite ad of all time?

Not sure it’s an ad as such, it’s a branded project. But I’ll never forget “The Wilderness Downtown” for Google Chrome.

Why are you passionate about media?

Because I love popular culture. From when I was four reading Twinkle, 14 reading the NME or 24 reading Elle, magazine journalists gave me a way to understand how to mediate and express my own personality through popular culture.

I couldn’t imagine not working somewhere that is creating, shaping and responding to popular culture — and working with brands is a huge part of that. It’s enormous fun. And I think it matters.

What’s your best advice for someone who wants a job in media sales?

“Know your numbers” is good advice for anyone in any industry. And give your boss a break.

We talk a lot about how people coming into the industry now have different needs and expectations of work and employment, but less about how people like me who’ve been at it for decades have been through the mill in this industry.

I think it would help everyone if we tried to appreciate each other’s weirdnesses in the context of what we’ve experienced, as well as what we’ve achieved.

Peer question: When you started your career, what was your biggest weakness and how did you overcome it to progress?

I was in a furious sulk for six months in my first job. I still have a tendency to get a bit “poor me” when things are tough, get cross or visibly stressed. It comes from a good place mostly — it’s because I care and I want to do a good job, but it doesn’t really help anyone to go throwing your weight around or muttering darkly in meetings. You just look like an idiot. I won’t say I’ve overcome it, but I am at least aware of it and I try to keep a lid on it.

Question from Rachel Sutton, head of brand partnerships, Ocean Outdoor

Peer question: What is a buzzword that you never want to hear again?

I hate it when people use the phrase “customer service” about internal relationships. You know, “the HR team want to give great customer service”, meaning to their colleagues. It’s so affected and weird.

Question from Pippa Scaife, VP brand partnerships, NBCUniversal

Peer question: What interview question do you always ask anyone looking to join your company and what answer are you looking for?

I ask them “What are you like?” and I want to hear an answer that is honest, self-aware and that makes me laugh.

Question from Dan Durling, MD, Alight Media

Peer question: If you could work anywhere in the world, where would you and why?

I absolutely love working in central London. It would be nice to have my own office overlooking the river, but I’d settle for my own desk and a small drawer to keep pens and Post-it notes in like we had in the 1990s.

Question from Lydia Parker, head of international agencies, Samsung Ads Europe