Juliana Hosken, CMO of Suvinil , our guest in this edition of The CMO Talks, is an executive who is out of the curve. She has a wealth of experience in agribusiness, a very important sector of our Brazilian economy. She has been with Basf for almost nine years and today heads up marketing for one of the company's most important business units. In this chat, we talk about the last few years of the pandemic, Suvinil's main actions for this year and a lot of career insight. Enjoy!
Thiego Goularte: Juliana, what are you currently working on?
Juliana Hosken: We are undergoing a major transformation of culture and brand renewal at Suvinil. As part of this process, we have just launched a new concept for choosing colors on digital platforms, which will soon be extended to physical stores. The color choice stage is one of the main challenges for consumers in the painting journey and we have invested in different tools to simplify it. In addition, in January we held a major online event aimed at the marketing areas of our customers (paint stores, distributors and building materials stores), Suvinil Conecta. It's the second time we've held this event, which was designed to increase the exchange of knowledge about digital, innovation, trends, consumer insights and Suvinil's strategies, and thereby support our customers more closely in their transformation journeys. I'm also working with the team on some launches and on the next wave of our open innovation program, Fora da Lata.
Thiego Goularte: We're living through COVID-19. How has this affected you personally?
Juliana Hosken: In many ways. I've redoubled my care for my health and my concern for the balance of everyone in the family. With the home office, I've been able to organize my time better and intensify my physical activity, which has been fundamental during this period. Another big change is that I've been following the routine of my two pre-teen children more closely and participating more in the day-to-day running of the household. This has been a privilege, despite all the sadness of this pandemic. The home office is challenging and can be exhausting, but we have to look on the bright side and be even more attentive to our mental health.
Thiego Goularte: You work for a company that is highly recognized and valued in the country. What was 2020 like for you?
Juliana Hosken: It was a good year for Suvinil's business. Paint and building materials stores were classified as essential activities and remained open most of the time. The home became the center of everything and many people rushed to renovate and make their environments more suitable for their new routines, more pleasant and even more colorful. We made adjustments to our plans, invested in getting closer to our audiences and intensified the generation of online content aimed at inspiring and helping with the task of painting and decorating. A highlight in 2020 was Pintar o Bem, an initiative that offered emergency financial support to 1900 painters in the most vulnerable situations during the initial months of the pandemic, when services were practically paralyzed. We set up a solidarity fund and managed to bring together many partners to reinforce this initiative with the painters.
Thiego Goularte: Has there been any adaptation in the language of communication?
Juliana Hosken: Yes, in almost everything we've done. In the first half of last year, we launched the Suvinil Na Sua Casa campaign, with the motto "Your most colorful days" and the use of light and empathetic language to inspire and lighten the moment. Our color trend study, Suvinil Revela 2021, featured the documentary "Colors as an antidote", which invites people to open up to new sensations and emotions and to embrace their homes as a sanctuary. Suvinil's color of the year, called Half Light, was inspired by the shades of sunset, which became a symbol of hope during the pandemic.
Thiego Goularte: And what worked in this period and what didn't work in this period?
Juliana Hosken: The balance is positive. The teams collaborated very well with each other, managed to complete the projects and create a lot, even from a distance. It was an intense year of work, but we invested in moments of relaxation, we talked about mental health, we made people aware of the boundaries between work and personal life and to take more care of themselves. We ended the year satisfied with the internal climate that was created, the feedback from employees and the results we achieved for the business. On the other hand, we missed being able to monitor the point of sale and the day-to-day running of the market more closely. Visits, conversations and face-to-face observations were sometimes needed to refine our marketing decisions. We also missed the face-to-face, relaxed moments of planning and creation. We were able to alleviate this with different workshops and facilitations, but nothing replaced the energy of our team when they met.
Thiego Goularte: People staying at home more and more has, in a way, boosted the demand for renovations, painting and the like?
Juliana Hosken: Yes, a lot! To give you an idea, there was a 78% increase in searches for "future home goals" on Pinterest. 55% of people in class A and 39% in class C made some changes to their home decor during the pandemic and 42% of construction retailers saw an increase in sales compared to 2019 (data compiled by Vimer).
We believe that this is a movement that will continue in 2021 and in the coming years. The home has been valued, the concern for comfort has grown, as has the need for welcome and the search for well-being.
Thiego Goularte: Are you working with the remote team? If so, how has the exchange with the team been?
Juliana Hosken: A large part of the marketing team has been remote since the beginning of the pandemic, but the technical assistance, customer service, trade and technical insights teams, which are also part of marketing, have partially returned to their workstations with all the safety protocols and prioritizing online action when possible.
We conducted a survey and found that collaboration between marketing teams increased in 2020. We used tools like Miro and new meeting models to encourage exchange. We also invested in workshops on psychological safety, adapting to change, assertive communication and creativity, according to the priorities throughout the year. All of this has helped to make remote working more enjoyable and efficient. We had almost 30 people join the marketing team in 2020 who had never been to the office. They report that they feel welcomed and integrated even at a distance, something that would have been difficult to imagine in other times.
Thiego Goularte: After 2020, do you think marketers will change their concepts about the market, consumers and the like?
Juliana Hosken: Absolutely. The change was already happening and was accelerated in 2020. At Suvinil, we identified in 2016 how consumers were more connected, engaged and participative in their choices, looking for convenience and uncomplicated solutions. We prepared for two years and in 2018 we undertook a major repositioning of the brand. The entire painting journey, consumer motivations and needs had changed and we needed to adapt. The year 2020 has shown us that change will be constant and marketers need to be open to learning all the time, always ready to recalculate routes and take risks.
Thiego Goularte: Does that apply to agencies too?
Juliana Hosken: Yes. The only certainty is change and both marketing professionals and agencies need to be open to reviewing concepts all the time, to listening, learning, co-creating and collaborating more. I believe that companies and agencies should be part of a single system and together seek to give more meaning, authenticity and humanize relationships between brands and people. This cannot be done alone. We need connection, collaboration and diversity more than ever.
Thiego Goularte: There is a very strong discussion between in-house models or traditional models with agencies, how have you dealt with this?
Juliana Hosken: This depends a lot on the dynamics of the business and the way a brand operates. At Suvinil we have no intention of strengthening in-house. The hybrid model currently works for some topics in our digital ecosystem and for themes related to colors and inspirational content, but the traditional model predominates. I believe that both the agencies and the in-house team benefit from the diversity of people and projects to always be more creative.
Thiego Goularte: What skills will be essential for marketing professionals from now on?
Juliana Hosken: Marketing professionals need to activate and exercise their curious and learning minds to be able to grasp and keep up with all the trends and changes and make the right connections with their market. I can't name just one skill. Creative thinking, openness to learning and effective communication are my bets.
Thiego Goularte: You have a CMO position in a huge company. What's the bravest thing you've ever done that you're proud of?
Juliana Hosken: I've worked for almost 18 years in the agricultural market, in marketing, communication and sustainability. I followed the evolution of this sector for a long time. The decision to leave this enchanting market, so important for Brazil, and embrace an opportunity at Suvinil in 2016 was an act of courage for me. I am driven by the new, by continuous learning and I discovered that what I love is marketing as a tool to engage, transform and generate a positive impact on people's lives. On the farm or in people's homes, with farmers or painters and decorators, I continue to work with themes that inspire and motivate me.
Thiego Goularte: What advice do you have for marketing professionals starting out in their careers?
Juliana Hosken: I advise professionals starting their careers to look for inspiring mentors who can challenge them. I think it's very important to be open to learning in different areas before defining a single career path, as well as always studying and keeping up to date. Every experience, however irrelevant it may seem at the time, will add to a professional's education and all knowledge will connect at some point.
Thiego Goularte: What advice would you give younger Juliana?
Juliana Hosken: I'd tell her to invest early in her self-knowledge. Everything becomes lighter and more enjoyable when we know ourselves better, we are clear about our priorities, our limits, strengths and development points. Maturity brings this, but the sooner professionals understand their path to balance, the quicker they will be able to channel their energy into the things that matter.
