Six Slices Interview: Adrienne Sharp, Director of Marketing, Sharp UK

What myth would you like to bust about marketing? 

That marketing is the “colouring-in department” or the team that makes things look good once the real thinking has happened. The best marketing starts much earlier, and it asks difficult and challenging commercial questions: who are we trying to reach, what problem are we solving, why anyone should care and what behaviour are we trying to change? Great communications and campaigns matter, but they're the tactical output of strategic thinking, not the thinking itself. 

For me, marketing is one of the most powerful growth levers in a business. Deployed and utilised effectively, we shape strategy, uncover customer insight, influence product innovation and identify where the next opportunities lie. If we do our job well, we don't just create awareness, we drive innovation, build trust and help the business to grow. 

Other than your own - which brand do you most admire and why? 

Over the past few years, M&S has achieved something many established brands struggle to do, it’s become relevant again, without losing the trust and loyalty that built the brand in the first place. Its turnaround hasn't been driven by a single campaign, but by a relentless focus on product quality and innovation, customer insight and a modernising of how the brand connects with people.  

Rather than trying to be something it’s not, M&S has made itself culturally relevant, genuinely desirable and part of everyday conversations again. Proving that reinvention doesn't have to mean creating a new identity. Sometimes it’s about having the confidence to evolve, invest in the customer experience and telling your story in a way that resonates with a new generation.  

It has also remembered how to have a bit of fun. From “picky bits” becoming part of the national vocabulary, to pistachio-flavoured everything and a fashion range that suddenly feels current again, M&S has found a way to be both trusted and talked about. And that’s a powerful combination.  

In order to lead a great team, what one thing should any aspiring leader not ignore? 

I’ve had the privilege of leading several fantastic teams throughout my career. Talented people can cope with pace, pressure and high expectations, but they really struggle when priorities aren’t clear, and if there’s no bigger picture vision to work towards. I find that people do their best work when they understand the destination and feel connected to something bigger than their individual role. 

One of the most important things a leader can do is to create that clarity without stifling creativity. That means setting a clear direction, helping people understand what matters most (prioritisation frameworks) and ensuring everyone can see how their work contributes to a shared purpose. It also means protecting the team from distractions that feel urgent but offer low to no value.  

Equally, leaders should pay close attention to the energy in their team. Team culture is so important. Passion and positivity are infectious, but equally, a consistently negative influence can have a disproportionate impact on team morale and performance if left unaddressed. Encouraging team members to bring a solution with every problem is an easy way to flip the script.  

A showcase of Sharp’s new branding.

Where does your best thinking happen - and why? 

I really enjoy the fast-paced, high-pressure nature of B2B tech marketing, coupled with a complex corporate environment, it’s a strong motivator for me. I enjoy the intellectual challenge. But everyone needs a break and a way to decompress, and for me that’s walking in nature, wild swimming, yoga and now running (yes, I’m afraid I’m one of those annoying Park Runners). I also find some of my best ideas come whilst I’m driving, and listening to music, when my mind is free to wander.  

In marketing, what have you changed your mind about? 

I used to believe consistency was mainly about control: keeping messages, visuals and channels tightly aligned. Consistency matters, but I have changed my mind about how to achieve it. In a complex business, consistency does not come from being the brand police and trying to control every asset. It comes from giving people a clear strategic spine: who we serve, what we stand for, what proof points matter and how we make choices. If that’s strong, teams can adapt for different audiences without diluting the brand. To ensure we live up to this, we launched a Brand Hub on our intranet and ran workshops with internal stakeholders to take everyone on the journey and to embed the understanding. We also launched our new proposition and positioning within a new document generation platform so we could ensure that every document, presentation and proposal created by non-marketers was aligned, consistent and bang on brand. 

Adrienne Topping is responsible for leading the connection between brand, digital performance, content and commercial growth at Sharp UK. As Director of Marketing, over the last 18 months she has built and developed a dedicated SEO function, evolving the team’s focus and projects against a changing search landscape where visibility is increasingly shaped by both traditional search engines and LLMs. Alongside this, she has led the launch of Sharp’s new brand positioning, helping to sharpen the company’s story, strengthen its distinctive brand assets and create greater consistency across customer touchpoints.