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Nuno Teles, chief marketing officer of Heineken USA
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Whether you run marketing for a Fortune 500 company or you’re trying to bump up brand awareness for a mom-and-pop shop, speaking to your consumer with a clear, bold message on the right platform is vital to your success. At any level, a well-honed message can draw fresh business. No matter your company’s size, keep the following in mind:
Create a clear brand message: Find one very clear brand positioning statement that is meaningful to your brand and easy to understand for consumers. Don’t muddy the waters with a slew of disjointed messages.
Be creative: At Heineken, we always say that you need to step out of your comfort zone in order to progress. Marketing allows us to have fun and be creative—take that clear brand positioning statement and boldly present it to the world. Big-name celebrities or large-scale sponsorships may not be in your budget, but consider a local spokesperson or rally behind a popular regional sport that’s important to your key customers.
Remember the three-S rule of marketing—science, story, and speed. Whenever I approach a new campaign, I think about how these pertain to my big, bold idea. First, make sure you understand the science or insights gathered around the topic. Then, what is the relevant story you can create based on these insights that will be meaningful to your consumers? And finally, understand the speed at which you can deliver this story. In today’s hectic world, timing is everything. Make sure you have all three S’s in order—a great story grounded in sound insights means nothing if you don’t get it out there.
Go digital: While TV, radio, outdoor advertising, and print are still great platforms when used as part of a strong 360 marketing campaign, digital can be an affordable way to get people talking about your business. You can often reach more millennials more efficiently through digital marketing than any other channel. If you have only a small budget for marketing, focus your efforts on increasing your digital presence in a way that really engages your consumers, such as short video content.
Keep abreast of megatrends: Megatrends are long-term macroeconomic and cultural shifts that shape the consumer world. Here are three that have been important for us at Heineken USA and may be relevant to your business as well.
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The Mexification of America: The US market has been increasingly influenced by Mexican consumers. We see this in many categories, but especially in food and beverage.
Flavor promiscuity: Seven out of 10 consumers want to try new flavors.
Shift to the best: Millennials are increasingly interested in products and brands they think are the “best” in quality, not just what their friends are recommending.
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Trends like these can help shape the way you look at your business and develop your marketing campaigns—whether you have millions of dollars to spend on a global campaign or just a couple hundred to boost your Facebook and Twitter posts.
Nuno Telesis the chief marketing officer of White Plains-based Heineken USA.
The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Westchester Magazine editorial staff.
