What Makes a Best-in-Class Marketing Academy?

We’re building a global marketing academy for a major drinks business. And at the start of the project, one question kept coming up:

What does a best-in-class marketing academy actually look like?

To find out, we went straight to the experts. Our team interviewed the people behind the most admired academies in the industry — from Unilever, Reckitt and PepsiCo to Kering and beyond.

We listened. We studied their models. We dug into what worked — and what didn’t.
Then we layered in our own experience: from taking part in world-class academies ourselves, to managing teams through them at brands like Diageo and Coca-Cola.

Because most teams are trapped in what we call the triple trap:
🕒 No time.
💸 No budget.
🫥 No trust.

Overloaded calendars. Underfunded learning. And a culture too anxious for honest assessment. The very system that’s supposed to fuel marketing growth is running on empty.

Marketers want more — and they expect more. According to Magic Numbers, 70% of marketing L&D is seen as irrelevant or disconnected from real work. No wonder there’s skepticism!

The best academies break this cycle. They earn trust. They make the case for growth. And they offer a clear signal: this will move the needle — for your performance and your career.

The best-in-class marketing academy blueprint

Across dozens of interviews — and multiple co-design sessions with clients — seven principles kept surfacing.

We’ve built our latest global programme around them. In truth, they’ve become our own mental checklist. A filter for what separates a box-ticking academy from a culture-shaping one.

Here are seven field-tested principles to help you build a marketing academy that truly lands (and lasts).

1. Start with culture, not curriculum

“It’s not an academy — it’s transformation.”
– Haley Eiser, Global Marketing Capability Lead, Reckitt

Before you plan the syllabus or book the speakers, start with a belief.

The best academies begin by asking:
What kind of marketer are we trying to create?

Unilever called it a “creative effectiveness reset.” Diageo had a “brand belief system.” In our most recent build for a global drinks company, we co-authored a documented ‘Way of Marketing’ — a strategic playbook that defines what brilliant marketing looks like for their brands and culture.

It becomes the spine of the academy. Because without shared beliefs, skills don’t stick.

2. Market your academy like a brand

“We didn’t make it mandatory — we made it magnetic.”

– Sharon Barraclough, PepsiCo

The best academies don’t feel like L&D. They feel like a movement.

There’s anticipation. A launch moment. A buzz.

We took cues from Canva’s flagship event, Canva Create, when designing one of our launch experiences. Think:
– Real marketer voxpops
– A big reveal of the solution
– A clear emotional hook: This is your moment

It’s a shift from push to pull. From programme to platform. From admin to ambition.

3. Design for difference

“We need to serve the full marketing population — but one-size-fits-all won’t work.”
– Regional Marketing Leader, Global FMCG

The best academies don’t just scale — they flex. That means building:

• Foundation tracks for junior and mid-level marketers

• Advanced tracks for senior leaders

• Local tailoring by market, category or role

• Flexible formats: live, virtual, on-demand, in-flow learning

In our current build, we mapped two distinct journeys — Foundation and Advanced — each with their own rhythm, language, and experience.

Relevance is everything.

4. Create a career accelerator

“It should feel like something you’re proud to be invited to.”
– Global Marketing Director, Spirits Brand

People don’t just want learning. They want career value.

That’s why the best academies create moments of status: selection. Showcase. Recognition. Visibility. Certification.

In our latest programme, we’re using things like:

• Business-critical challenges for Advanced delegates

• “Master Cut” final showcases to senior leaders

• Peer voting, badges, and leadership comms

Learning is the reward — but it’s framed as reputation-enhancing, not remedial.

5. Build a facilitation faculty 

“You need people who can do more than facilitate. They need to carry the culture.”
– Kathryn Calder, Unilever

Outsourcing delivery often means outsourcing impact.

That’s why the best academies build internal capability — by creating a faculty of coaches, not just facilitators.

We created a Facilitation Faculty: A hand-picked group of marketers trained to coach, challenge, and inspire.

We invest in both their content mastery and their ability to host transformational learning experiences.

6. Focus on what happens next

What happens after is what really counts.”
– Kate Hearn, Unilever

Most learning programmes fade when the calendar ends. The best ones don’t.

They:

• Use nudges and content drops to keep momentum
• Engage managers with toolkits and trackers
• Create social learning structures — peer pods, clinics, buddy systems
• Tell progress stories that build pride and visibility

In our latest programme, we’re using Spotify-Wrapped-style data stories to celebrate progress and keep learning alive in the day-to-day.

7. Make It measurable

“It has to link to something bigger than attendance.”
– Capability Director, FMCG

If you can’t measure change, you can’t prove value.

The best academies measure across three levels:

• Learning (did they get it?)
• Behaviour (are they doing it?)
• Impact (is it working?)

At LockSmith, we design every academy with KPIs in mind — not just to prove ROI, but to continuously improve the programme over time.

Final word

We’ve seen what happens when capability is done well.

What separates the best academies isn’t just the frameworks, the formats, or even the content. It’s belief — and here’s what that means:

Marketers believe this programme will stretch them.
That it’s worth their time.
That it will open doors and sharpen their craft.
That it’s led by people who get what great looks like.
And that it’s designed for their real-world challenges, not a generic skill list.

Crucially, they believe it matters to the business.
That it’s tied to how marketing drives growth — not a side project or box-ticking exercise.

When that belief is in place, everything changes.

Marketers show up — not because they have to, but because they want to.

That’s what a best-in-class marketing academy unlocks.

You’re not just transferring knowledge.
You’re instilling confidence.
You’re building belief in the value of marketing — and the people who do it.

Let’s talk Marketing Academies

📩 knockknock@locksmith.works
📅 Or book a call here to explore what a tailored Marketing Academy could look like for you.

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