Curiosity is, for Beatriz Navarro, Renault Marketing Director, the key to addressing a profession in continuous change. It is essential to stimulate strategy and creativity and also to not become obsolete in the face of the constant innovations brought by market evolution. And it is an essential quality for those who are starting their career in the sector.

The management ensures that it is cultivated by reading, observing what other brands are doing, both in the automotive industry and beyond, attending conferences, talking with other professionals or working with their collaborating agencies. The important thing, he says, is to find gaps in the agenda to always try to find inspiration to keep creativity active.

It is one of the messages that the President of the Spanish Marketing Association sends in one of the questions posed by Reason Why in the Nova Marketing Leaders podcast, from the global talent network Nova Talent and hosted by the marketing consultant Jesús Cubero. Participation in this space is part of the contribution to the profession that we have made since reason.Why in different contexts.

Throughout the conversation, Navarro and Cubero share their vision on the current marketing situation, the role of brand values ​​and price in purchasing decisions, the importance of creativity, the relationship with the competition or the essential elements that a marketing department must have.

Value marketing

In the podcast, the management reflects on the evolution that marketing has experienced, going from being focused on advertising, product and medium to focusing on data, purpose and experience; also venturing that data and personalization will be what defines the discipline in the future.

This change, he assures, has occurred in response to the needs and demands of consumers, who are no longer looking for just a product, but for companies with purposes and values. Renault, like other automobile companies and the rest of the brands in the ecosystem, have adapted their speeches to highlight their commitments, especially taking into account the trend towards homogenization of products.

Hence, aspects such as safety, technology or sustainability have gained prominence in the communication of the motor world compared to messages related to power or speed. “In a world in which products are increasingly becoming commodities, resembling one another, what a consumer is buying is what is behind that product.“, says Beatriz Navarro. “The discourse is opening so that new consumers better understand what is happening when you buy a product”.

However, price continues to be a determining factor in the consideration and purchase decision, especially at a time of economic complexity that pushes households into a savings mentality. However, Navarro assures that the brands’ proposal “It has to be very well packaged“, that is, it has a good product, a good pricing strategy, an interesting added value, a purpose and some values.”Years ago the customer was only interested in the product and the price. Today many other things are valued”, he maintains.

In the case of Renault, this “packaged” proposal, being a global brand, is defined from international management, but communication allows each market to work on “last mile activations”, that is, local strategies to connect with the public. This is how the brand developed the “One R5volution Leads to Another” campaign, worked together with Publicis Spain, to promote the 100% electric Renault 5 E-Tech model.

The campaign highlighted five qualities of the vehicle through the real stories of five figures who have involved some personal or professional revolution. Thus, he conveyed sustainability through Javier Goyeneche, CEO of Ecoalf; innovation from the hand of thoracic surgeon Diego González; the prank with the cook Carlos Maldonado; the design through the artist Coco Dávez; and the iconic character alongside actress Michelle Jenner.
Five chapters were created that made up a series, hosted by Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, available on Movistar+ Plus.

It is the campaign that Beatriz Navarro claims to be most proud of. Thus, in his conversation with Jesús Cubero he highlights his success and the boost it gave the brand to become number one in sales in the category.

“One R5volution Leads to Another” is an example of how Renault’s media mix, and by extension, that of many other brands, has changed. It is a reflection of how channels such as branded content, connected television, social media or collaboration with influencers are already protagonists of marketing and communication strategies.

The figure of the ambassadors also finds a place in this installment of the podcast. Renault’s campaign for the R5 featured figures such as the actor Miguel Herrán, the chef Dani or the model Ariadne Artiles, and as a result of the collaboration Beatriz Navarro points out that having this resource is favorable as long as they meet certain requirements. Among them, sharing the brand’s values ​​and being truly passionate about the product. On the other hand, it is better not to include them in the communication if the interest in the project is only based on the economic aspect, if they have a connection with another brand in the category or if their digital presence is controversial.

Creativity and competition

Throughout the conversation, Beatriz Navarro also reflects on the relationship with the competition. The board defends that a friendship relationship based on inspiration can exist. “You have to be friends with a rival brand, because you always have to be up to date with what it does, learning from it, identifying what you can improve on and what makes you stand out.“, he states. “I think it is essential that there is competition because I think that is what helps brands to be better”.

Asked precisely about the competition, the Renault Marketing Director highlights positive elements of Toyota, especially in its pioneering advance in hybridization and the competitive advantage they achieved with it. However, he considers that Renault has the strong point of design, emotion and local manufacturing in Spain, something that, according to him, is something that the customer values ​​more and more.

The growing competition, however, has led, in Navarro’s eyes, to advertising saturation, which can sometimes be understood as a commoditization of motor advertising. “We are in a moment in which in the same break there are four car advertisements. This makes it difficult for the consumer to differentiate between them.“, he comments. “But I think that each one is developing their brand, and that we are seeing spectacular spots that we have not seen for many years.”.

In this regard, Beatriz Navarro considers that creativity is essential for building a brand and working on differentiation. However, also remember the importance of data for developing strategies. “I believe that data and market insights are what have to help creatives create a great idea, and make it different.“, says. “Creativity is what moves passions and people, but behind a great campaign there is always great insight or great market data”.

Women, seniors and new talent in marketing

This installment of Nova Marketing Leaders also addresses the sociological aspects of the marketing profession and, more specifically, in the automotive sector. It is still an eminently male industry, but Beatriz Navarro believes that it is a trend that is slowly changing.

In this sense, the company’s commitment to female talent stands out. To illustrate this, he cites the appointment of Katrin Adt as CEO of the Dacia brand; or the work carried out by Paula Fabregat-Andreu, Design Project Director at Renault for segments A and B, in the design of the R5 model. She also mentions the company’s promotion of STEM training among girls and young people.

“Having female talent helps put women at the center of the messages and in the creatives themselves“, he points out. “We brands are changing our speeches to adapt them to the relevance of women as an audience and their presence in purchasing decision making.”.

The new President of the Spanish Marketing Association also analyzed the trend towards an increasingly younger profile in the CMO position. He attributed the situation to a current of ageism and also to the general perception that young people have a better understanding of the digital tools, so necessary today, or that they are capable of deploying more agile leadership.

“I think it is a mistake, because what the CMO has to do is set the strategy and where the brand should go, and surround himself with great specialists capable of executing that strategy. But to create that strategy you have to have the experience of having done it many times.“, comments Navarro. “And when we talk about leadership, leading teams is learned over time. “I am a better leader now because I have been able to work on the experience in the last 10 years.”.

At this point, provide some keys. He considers it essential to create space and opportunities for professionals to grow, make mistakes, and be able to correct and learn from those mistakes. “In my teams I don’t want ‘well-managed’, I want people who think, who challenge me, and even challenge me and make me review myself”, comments the directive.

In this regard, he also offers some advice to new talents entering the industry. In addition to curiosity, it highlights perseverance, staying true to the essence of oneself and learning to be brave to make decisions along the way. Although he recognizes that luck also influences the forging of a professional career, being in the right place at the right time, he concludes by celebrating hard work and perseverance.

You can listen to the full conversation here: