Benjamin Maas’ Post

Changing sides, changing lives? From #adagency to client. Or how I understood for the very first time what the heck clients do all day long... How often did I and my colleagues ask ourselves, why a client is not answering right away or why the heck it's so tough to actually come back with a decision or why they didn't get excited for one of our creative ideas. The reality is: I had no idea what their actual job is like. Naive, maybe even a bit arrogant when I now look back. 😳 So how is my life looking like now as #brand director Redcare Pharmacy? A fairly simple yet underestimated revelation: You do so much more than ads.  🤯 When I entered my job more than 1,5 years ago, I had to get on track of so many things at the same time. Understanding the organization, the brands in each market, the markets themselves, the creative output, the struggles & challenges, cross-functional projects and in my case the biggest #transformation in terms of brand that one could get: A complete #rebranding of the corporate brand, employer brand and customer brand. The second thing I learned pretty fast: You underestimate the size of the organization. Starting at #Redcare I suddenly had not 15 colleagues in a weekly exchange, but more than 100 colleagues. Colleagues from very different professions and background talking about things I had not heard of or only little touchpoints with. I learned so much about what it takes to be a pharmacy and a pharmacist (Louisa Wehleit shout out to you), about customer experience with Thomas Draheim, user experience and tech with Kanchi Navaratnam and Björn Wieland. It goes way beyond advertising. And that makes it challenging and super exciting every day. And talking about not only advertising: I learned a lot about channels that in classical advertising do not play such a big role: CRM, SEO & SEA. How #performance marketing is working in its core and why a split into new and existing customers is a smart thing to do. Thanks to Sabrina Rosenkranz, René Selzer, Joffrey Petit and Mark Michla for your patience with me. ❤️ 🤓 How is your day looking like? Any similar experiences?

Across categories, many of today’s most noteworthy CPG success stories are coming from challenger brands. Join us as the leaders of some of these high-flying companies offer insight into the tools, tactics, mindsets, and disciplines that they’ve put to work in order to disrupt categories and steal market share from their larger competitors. We’ll also introduce some of the industry’s top agency partners and solution providers that are equipping challenger brands for battle. Register Now... It's FREE! https://lnkd.in/g9jckjts Conversations On Retail, Paradox

15 years has flown by, and the journey continues… For someone who has been working in business and brand development for more than 25 years it feels like self-promotion should come far more easily than it does. But 15 years deserves a mention and for sure there is a huge amount to celebrate and be grateful for. What I presumed would be a shorter-term response to a need to achieve a better balance with my young family, has become my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Spending my first decade working with outstanding global brand agencies gave me a tremendous start and a good sense of how I wanted my career to unfold. Starting on my own wasn’t planned. It was scary at times and, as all solo artists know, you must hold your nerve. The highs are high, the lows are low, and resilience is the key to keeping things moving forward. From repositioning global brands to helping start-ups find their place in the world, sorting knotty brand architecture to segmenting complex stakeholder audiences, creating campaigns to supplementing the skills of internal brand and marketing teams, my work is varied, and I love it that way. And, as diverse as my projects, so too are my clients from Amazon to Walgreens Boots Alliance (no ‘Y’ or ‘Z’ clients so far, sadly) and loads in between. I’ve also had the chance to work with some outstanding agencies and individual partners who I now count as good friends. So, a big shout out and THANK YOU to all of you who have given me an opportunity to work with you over the years and for those who haven't, please get in touch. Whether you’re looking to solve a big strategic conundrum, run a workshop to galvanise your team or just need an extra pair of hands to get stuff done, I’d love to hear from you. #BusinessGrowth #BrandStrategy #StakeholderResearch #AudienceSegmentation #GalvanisingTeams

I'm excited and honored to have joined Perceptual Advisors as Managing Director, CPG/Food & Beverage Practice. I'm leading our global efforts to support brands in these growth categories that are projected to surpass $11 trillion globally by 2030. Since the announcement was published, here are the top questions people have asked me: Who is Perceptual Advisors? We're a unique communications, marketing, and public affairs firm with a team of more than 50 professionals around the globe all of whom have served in senior roles with iconic companies, in government, and with leading marketing & comms agencies. Why did I drink the PA Kool-Aid?  In short, it's because of the people and the value proposition we offer our clients. Those of us (like me) that have ample experience both on the in-house/brand and agency side can appreciate how compelling it is. People: Our team includes former senior executives across the globe from eBay, Visa, Tesla, AT&T, Aston Martin, Crispin Porter Bogusky, Burson Marsteller, Rolex, Proctor & Gamble, the U.S. Congress, and many more. They've successfully managed campaigns for companies like Facebook, AT&T, IBM, Ferrari, FedEx, HP, Unilever, Metlife, Mondelez, Symantec, Burger King, Allergan, SoftBank, Ford, and the list goes on. Value proposition that sets Perceptual Advisors apart: - Unparalleled Access to talent & capabilities: C-suite level professionals across industries, geographies and marketing/comms disciplines - All-senior team: No hand-offs to inexperienced staffers handling your business. - Hands-on approach: From strategy to execution, our entire senior-level team actually does the work. - Deep experience: Our team has successfully dealt with nearly every type of issue, challenge and opportunity CPG, F&B and most industries are moving at breakneck speed and facing unprecedented changes. We have a lean, agile and smart team of experts that deliver a strong ROI and successful outcomes quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. Sound good? Reach out to me to catch-up and chat about how Perceptual Advisors can help you tackle some of your pain points and/or opportunities. Talk soon. #problemsolvers #allseniorteamallthetime #perceptualadvisors #opentowork #Food&Beverage #CPG

All ends with new beginnings. ✌️ My interim assignment at Colruyt Group is over, and with that, my chapter as a Senior Marketing Consultant at 4P square is coming to an end. Since January 2021, I have worked on exciting projects with organizations such as Deloitte, BSH, Brussels Airport, and Colruyt Group. Let's briefly look back at what I take away from this period: 💡 My assignment at Deloitte immediately sharpened my consulting skills: high-level presentations, project management, and internal communication. 💡 At BSH Home Appliances Group, I learned a great deal about branding and campaign management. And I even picked up some good household tips and tricks! 💡 As a Marketing Activation Manager at Brussels Airport Company, I gained a wealth of knowledge about brand loyalty, customer journeys, and brand activation. Secretly, it was my favorite assignment, even though it was accompanied by the most challenging period in my life - the loss of our son*. 💡 At Colruyt Group, I found myself in one of Belgium's largest companies. Stakeholder management was the key to success there. A big thank you to 4P square | Expand your possibilities. For the pleasant collaboration. For the many opportunities. For the valuable experiences. As I'm writing this, I'm almost at the Swiss border, driving to Italy on a +4000km road trip before d(r)iving into my new challenge: going full-time with PJV Digital. Next stop: Milan. Andiamo! 🇮🇹 #NewChallenge #NewBeginnings #Entrepreneurship #Marketing

We’ve been setting up a brand new field marketing function at GWI for the past few months. Why? I believe collaboration and alignment with our revenue partners is key to our success. How do I see field marketing? ↗️ Owning joint targets with revenue. ↗️ Shared analysis of what is / isn’t working and what needs to be adapted based on the results we’re seeing. ↗️ Marketers sit in our core verticals alongside their peers in rev, mirroring the org design in revenue. ↗️ The marketers are viewed as an extension of the revenue team. ↗️ GTM strategies are created together, and presented to the business and reported on cohesively. ↗️ There is super tight alignment between field, DG, ABX and content. Field are the linchpin to making this work. Events are a major part of a field marketers role (not their sole responsibility) and as part of a broader field marketing function they become more strategic and revenue-focused, with ownership over generating or accelerating the sales pipeline, depending on the goal.

Why do Beiersdorf and I match so well? Because we share the same CORE VALUES:   Courage: Coming from a big family where it was new to choose the way to study, change city of living or go abroad it took me some bold decisions to come here. Beiersdorf as a company needs to do bold decisions with courage all the time to be globally successful. So, I see a match. 😉   Simplicity: This is not that easy, because some things are just complex, for sure in a big company, but having this value in mind it helps a lot getting things done. The same happens in my individual life as working mom - my interpretation is also: stay on track to the target, don't lose your way in details or: concentrate on the outcome.   Trust: The core value is coming naturally for me. I am trusting people and always assume they have a good intent. People are usually intrinsically motivated to do their best. This I feel from my line manager (thanks Susanne Iser & Misel Ahom !), my awesome team which I am working in and from the whole company, too.   Care: "Care Changes Everything" is not only the key message of Beiersdorf's recently launched new Employer Value Proposition it is in the genes of the company and, coming from a big family where care is a main habit, it is in my genes, too.   This is why Beiersdorf and I are a match since more than 6 years. What do you think, do your core values matches with the company you are working for? Otherwise I can recommend to have a look on our jobs at Beiersdorf: https://lnkd.in/e23HBrxe #beiersdorf #CareChangesEverything #CoreValues

I have been working at Omnicom Media Group for two and a half years, initially at Hearts & Science and now at Beauty Co-Lab. It has been an unexpectedly rewarding journey. During a recent conversation with friends, the question came up: "What do you believe has been the key to your professional development?" In reality, it's a complex question because I believe it hasn't been a single factor or a solitary secret. Below, I'll share the aspects I believe have contributed to my professional growth. 'SECRET' 1 When I began my journey at Hearts, I had the belief that I had a good understanding of marketing. However, I soon realized that what I knew was only a small part of the broader marketing landscape, and I had much more to learn. Here, I encountered my first significant challenge, which I consider the initial 'secret': turning 'NO' into 'YES.' Many times in corporate environments, it is mentioned that certain things cannot be done or are impossible. However, I don't believe that to be the case; there are always alternative solutions. Maintaining an open mind and the determination to carry out tasks, even when faced with a multitude of 'it can't be done' responses, not only challenges us but also nurtures our professional growth, as we strive to provide innovative solutions. Another significant contributing factor is the support from your manager and team. I received tremendous support, especially from Juan Pablo Esparza Hernández and Gina He, for which I am incredibly grateful. Their patience and knowledge have been invaluable. Furthermore, having their support on a seemingly "impossible" task (it was challenging) not only aided my personal development but also proved beneficial for the entire team. "Believing in yourself and not imposing limitations will not only assist in your professional development but also contribute to your personal growth."

The latest issue of Catalyst from CIM | The Chartered Institute of Marketing is out. If like me you enjoy reading about peoples marketing career journey, you might be interesting to read how Nikki Vadera progressed.

Ah Q4 - not just time to review the past nine months, but look ahead to what’s in store for 2024. In particular, account management will be more important than ever for fostering client-agency relationships built on trust, and therefore return business. Since account teams are responsible for understanding the needs and goals of their clients, they need to be educated on the best solutions, services and technology out there to ensure satisfaction and loyalty. Next week’s Advertising Week New York will be a great opportunity for client services professionals to learn from industry leaders, and network with peers and brand teams to discover the latest trends and innovations. Featuring over 300 speakers, 200 sessions, and 100 workshops across four stages covering every aspect of marketing, advertising, tech and creativity, it's a must-attend for anyone looking to grow their accounts. To succeed in 2024, agencies will need to adopt a set process while developing custom-tailored strategies for client needs, all while analyzing project performance through detailed reporting. Leadership teams also will need to assign the right strategic account managers to their key accounts by leveraging a curated team approach highlighting specific skillsets. By doing so, agencies can build trust, loyalty, and advocacy among their clients, leading to return business and positive word of mouth via satisfied client referrals. ** Going to attend #AdvertisingWeek next week? Share below what you're looking to get out of it! #marketing #advertising #agencylife #clientservices #accountmanagement #businessdevelopment