Big Marketing LearningsFrom Central AmericaTrips

This happens along six years working for Clairol, Beauty

Care products,a Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

My objectives were quite clear:

1. Reverse the negative sales trend and understanding the region and

each country needs.

My objectives were quite clear:

2. Lead the regional sales/ marketing team to implement the regional

strategy but with their own business marketing ideas.

I spent a lot of time traveling to better understand the market,

challenges and issues.

So this are the main lessons learned:

All countries in the region wanted strategic guidelines from regional and

headquarters.

A: Importance of being part of a Global/Regional

Marketing Plan

Simply to know:

• The target groups for Haircolor / Haircare products• Resources Available• Main creative concepts• New products launch calendar• And A&P supports for its business

B: Liberty for the regionHaving regional Marketing plans meant

tell countries what has to do but not necessarily how to do it.

Sometimes region did not follow worldwide marketing strategy as planned, just

understand the reason why.Sort of idiosyncrasies. Sometimes what works in Panama does not work well for Guetemala.

C: Provide A&P support

Along with resources and strategic guidance, most loved elements were

Creativity as well as Content.

Region look to HQ for basic messages as a initial point for

plans execution and tropicalization.

Advantage: all countries in the region speaks the same language; Spanish.

D: Creativity and Content

I learned that different countries prefer their content delivered in

different ways.

Let’s see it in this way:Headquarters

Worldwide delivered guidelines in a set of content (tv spots, briefs, marketing studies, etc.)

RegionEnable countries to adapt and refine the content to their specific needs to address the final consumer

As a result, each country’s marketing plan execution

was almost equal.

While one or two countries may work with similar solutions to reach their targets, another country may choose to do some advertising or promotion to get target audience

directly.

At the end, region was able to reach Sales & Marketing

objectives, delivering Budgeted numbers every year. Luckily.

The challenge for me was to develop Empowerment with my team and understand the people

behavior of each country, to provide effective strategic guidance.

And I got it!

The end of the story is:Clairol was acquired by P&G and as of today the Clairol

products as such, no longer exist on the market… sadly.

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