The Marketing Club of New York (MCNY) celebrates each of our Silver Apple honorees with a profile that dives into their career and goals. We spoke with honoree Andrew Yost, Chief Marketing Officer, HomeServe USA prior to the Awards Gala in November 2022. This is his story.

The Customer (TC): Did you choose marketing or did marketing find you?

Andy Yost (AY): A little bit of both. I don’t think I knew it was marketing, but from an early age I was intrigued by brands, particularly cars. BMW, Mercedes, you name it. Each car left a different impression and I found that fascinating. I’m fascinated by consumer insights which drives me even today.

TC: Marketing and data are inextricably linked. What’s your favorite story about how you used data to solve a marketing problem or discovered something unexpected to act on?

AY: Years ago, I worked on a continuity business where the revenue model was built on high prices and service fees. A customer’s loyalty wasn’t rewarded. By partnering with my data & analytics partner, we built a test plan to prove that lowering prices and fees for our best customers would yield greater purchasing and ultimately higher revenues. Our testing proved to be correct which led to a new approach being rolled out for that business.

TC: Who is one person that most profoundly affected you in your career? How so?

AY: I have been fortunate to have had many great mentors throughout my career. The leader who taught me the importance of being a compassionate leader was Al Kelly, who I supported in his role as head of consumer card marketing at American Express. He inspired everyone on his team simply by listening and engaging in a highly personal manner. It’s an approach I’ve tried to emulate throughout my career.

TC: Do you have a favorite client story or project story to share?

AY: I believe in the power of innovation coming from deep within the organization not simply from your leaders. When I was the CMO at Gannett, we needed to quickly revamp a corporate social responsibility program and I enlisted several talented junior level employees to help develop the strategy. They ended up creating a next-gen, social-first engagement program that allowed our brand to appeal to a younger, more socially conscious audience…a win for the brand and our consumers!

TC: What’s the best business/career advice you’ve ever received?

AY: Ask for forgiveness and not permission.

We can all find reasons why an opportunity won’t work, but operating from a place of what’s possible without limits can unlock even better solutions. From a brand refresh with a complex media network to re-envisioning the customer experience for a longstanding continuity business, the innovation would not have happened if we had simply played by the rules.

TC: What’s one key piece of advice you’d give to a person choosing to enter the marketing world?

AY: Be curious and stay connected to changing consumer trends. It’s more than staying connected through what you’re reading, but also tapping into people who know these trends firsthand. Having trusted colleagues of all ages and levels of experience is key. What you may see as relevant, others might not. When I was looking to market to a Gen Z target audience, I enlisted partners who knew that market, so the work was authentic and resonated the consumer.

TC: What do you think will be the biggest priorities for marketers five years from now?

AY: While staying on top of audience trends and advances in data and technology is essential, authenticity will always be a top priority for the brands that win in the marketplace. A brand like Apple has maintained its relevance for decades by remaining authentic.

TC: Tell us something surprising about you.  

AY: The strangest job I had was harvesting, cleaning, and packing alfalfa sprouts in college. It was also my shortest time in a job!

TC: What are a couple of your favorite outside interests?

AY: In my spare time, I like to cook. Bring on a complicated holiday meal, and I will go to town. The problem solving and coordination are things I enjoy. And the joy of bringing an amazing meal to the table is even better.

TC: Well, MCNY will be serving up a meal to you on November 10. We look forward to celebrating you – and with you – there!