Casla Conversations... with Samantha Damon, Head of Marketing at Atlantic Pumps

Millie Hurst, 29th October 2025

At its root, Samantha Damon’s career in marketing is deeply connected with who she is and where she comes from. ‘I was brought up in Teignmouth on the south coast of Devon – it’s a beautiful part of the world, and I always thought tourism and marketing are really important to the south coast.’

‘That sparked my interest in marketing, from a travel and a destination perspective,’ Sam explains on a Google Meet call. ‘I also felt tourism marketing was a very people-based career, and I've always thought that I’m someone who has a lot of ideas, so I thought this could really work for me.’

For the last year and a half, she has been Head of Marketing at Atlantic Pumps, but Sam’s working life has spanned many sectors – from legal and property to hospitality and manufacturing. ‘I’ve enjoyed learning about different parts of the marketing mix and developing from there without specialising,’ says Sam. ‘I think working in different industries has been quite refreshing, because you're taking marketing fundamentals and applying them in different organisations and markets.’

What’s working in marketing right now?

‘Our new training academy, webinars, and “Lunch and Learns” are really reaping the rewards and helping us to get in front of people and have conversations,’ Sam shares. Her team has also seen some great traction and conversion from writing specific, relevant gated content, such as white papers and guides, and then outreaching to a specific audience through LinkedIn ads.

Short-form video is also proving highly effective, which we’re big advocates of at Casla. Sam’s team recently launched a brilliant ‘People Behind the Pump’ series, which involves short video interviews with members of staff, asking them about what a typical day looks like with a few quirky questions thrown in. ‘The amount of interaction we've had with them has been amazing. I think people just want to hear about people,’ Sam says.

‘We all have busy lives - people are generally time poor, aren't they? So, watching a 40-second video summarising a message is sometimes far better than having to spend five minutes reading a whole blog post. But giving the ability to dip in and learn more if they so want to is something that we shouldn't forget either.

‘We launched a new website in July - we’ve had some really good feedback and leads that are coming through as well, but we have also seen visitor traffic decline at the same time. From reading up on it and listening to others, both customers and agencies like Casla, people are finding the answers to their queries before even clicking through to a website,’ Sam comments. Sam recognises the importance to keep up to date with technological developments, including AI!

‘I also believe that direct mail is having a comeback because it’s something so personalised that you can actually open. We get such a large volume of digital communications, our inboxes are full constantly, so trying to stand out from that noise is important.’

What is the biggest lesson you've learned in your career so far?

‘One big lesson is the importance of active listening. I think it is key in life generally. Everything's a two-way conversation. I think as individuals, we can form the answer before we’ve even let the person we’re speaking with finish. It’s easy to make assumptions when you haven't taken the whole scenario on board, and that can lead to communication frustrations, because everybody needs the opportunity to speak.

‘My second big lesson is that every day is a day for learning, and to never give up. You've got to constantly keep looking at yourself and your personal development. I always look at my grandmother, who turned 101 in May. She has a very similar attitude - she reads the news on her iPad and says that the reason she stays young is her mindset and perspective that every day is a school day.’

What does an average day look like for you?

As a Head of Marketing, much of Sam’s time is spent supporting and managing her team, with what she describes as a “hands-on but hands-off” approach. ‘I'm trying to pull myself away from getting too involved in the weeds and trying to look forward to not just the next quarter but ahead to next year, and looking at how we can evolve as a marketing team supporting the strategic growth of Atlantic Pumps.

‘But there are always the left-wing requests that come in, phone calls, PR opportunities or emails that land in your inbox. We have a management huddle early doors every morning - a quick 10-minute call on any risks or issues that the wider business may be facing. Then I always grab a good cup of coffee to start the day.

‘As a marketing team, we use monday.com as a planning tool, which is brilliant. My team use that really effectively. So I’ll then look at the structure and the plan for that day. We tend to have a full marketing meeting every Monday in the afternoon for 40 minutes, where we touch base.

‘On a Friday, the team update what their tasks are for the forthcoming week, and the meeting on a Monday is really to look at any high-level roadblocks or challenges that we have as a team, and we can all flag any ad hoc requests that have come through.’

Best advice for people starting out in marketing?

‘These days, there is an assumption that hybrid working or working from home is a real advantage, but that really depends on the project at hand. I think that even if you're in the early part of your career and you're a content writer, for example, and you need some quiet time, great, go to a quiet part of the office or indeed work from home.

‘But you can't underestimate the interaction with your team members from a communications perspective, even hearing what's going on during the day, or sitting near other departments in the business. I think particularly when you're sat in a marketing function, you can learn and absorb more.

‘If I were to give anybody any advice, it’s that every day is a learning day. I would also say a key piece of advice is to always come forward with your own ideas and suggestions. No idea is a bad idea, particularly in marketing.

‘I'm a strong advocate of piloting something to see if it works, with the right planning behind it. Let's see if it works or whether we reap the intended rewards, and if it hasn't, let's learn from it. I think that would be a big piece of advice for me, don't be afraid - think it through, but yeah, go for it!’

Favourite marketing buzzword (that you secretly love)?

‘“Let’s not boil the ocean.” My team always laugh when I use that when I'm briefing them on projects,’ Sam says. She recalls an external project manager she worked with at a previous company telling her, ‘Sam, don’t boil the ocean,’ during a massive website development project. ‘Sometimes, you can look into a project in so much detail that you just need to take a step away and ask, “What are we trying to achieve here? What's the intent? Let’s do what's needed to get it done rather than overcomplicating it.”’

Tool you can’t live without?

‘The internet and monday.com,’ says Sam. ‘I have a remote worker in Somerset, and it means any of us at any time can dip in and have a clear picture of what we're working on. It's taken a bit of time to set it up to work for us as a team, but it's working really well. There's some great functionality that you can use to avoid using too many communication tools as well.’

Last great piece of B2B content you saw?

'It has to be Jim Collins' video, Clock Building, Not Time Telling.'

Biggest marketing myth?

‘Marketing stops once the sale is made. No way! The reality demonstrates that the marketing engine needs to keep working like an ecosystem. Customer retention, loyalty programmes and advocacy are part of a successful long-term marketing strategy.’