Brands must get back-to-basics and focus on customers in order to raise their game, according to Kristof Fahy, Moonpig’s CMO.

“Something happens when we get to work. We forget we’re human beings…At work it’s easier to forget who pays your wages – the customer. “We seem to do things that would drive us nuts in the real world,” said Fahy, speaking at MAD//Fest x DMEXCO@home last month.

In a provocative presentation, Fahy used the example of when Moonpig realised its message to ‘deliver tomorrow’ actually meant ‘dispatched tomorrow’: “Would you be happy? No. So why do we do it?”

Fahy, who replaced Andre Rickerby as CMO at Moonpig just over a year ago, called for brand marketers to stop treating customers as abstract concepts, avoid practices that irritate, and be passionate about the products they work om.

“When your passionate about about your product and the people who use it, not only will you be a happier person your product or service will be way better too. And Of course, you’ll get paid,” he said.

Over 80 speakers from brands including Diageo, Fever-Tree, VICE, Direct Line and Just-Eat spoke at the event, which was a collaboration between MAD//Fest and DMEXCO.

MAD//Fest will be publishing video highlights over the coming weeks.