Caroline gives her expert insights into the world of global marketing

This month Account Director Caroline Allard sat down with Content Writer Andrew Hair to discuss her experience in global marketing and the insights and expertise she brings to the team at Onyx Health.  

Tell us how you got involved in the fast-paced world of marketing and communications 

I have always had a creative mind and was eager to explore an environment that would stimulate my imagination, which is why I turned to marketing. I was fascinated by the different layers of communication and the multidisciplinary approach that launching a new brand or product requires.  

From market analysis to product design, I soon realised the diversity of tasks was something I was naturally good at understanding and managing. I initially studied international trade, leading me to business management studies and finally onto specialising in marketing and communications. 

You’ve worked with some of the best-known brands in the world. What have you learned from working in global communications?  

Working for worldwide brands means that you not only get to work on amazing projects, but your work also gets to be seen by so many people, which brings a lot of personal pride. 

With a career in the communications industry spanning over 10 years, I have worked on global accounts, including Nissan, Disneyland Paris and UEFA.  

Helping big companies also means working with different people, cultures and personalities. 

I take pride in the different teams I have worked with, getting to know people and understand their way of working to produce the best collaborative work to the highest standard.  

One of the most exciting challenges of working with global brands is integrating the multi-disciplinary features of a communications team, such as design, digital, marketing and PR to develop the right creative solution for the business.  

Understanding everybody’s special unique qualities and encouraging their key skills to thrive are my key takeaways from working in these teams. This is something I bring with me everywhere I go. 

What insights does your global comms background bring to the team at Onyx Health? 

I always like to “take a step back”. If you’ve worked with me, you’ll know that I say that quite a lot. Avoiding jumping into easy conclusions and solutions, going back to the market insights and data and thinking outside of the box to solve a problem is essential for a solid global strategy. 

I strongly believe in ‘one solution doesn’t fit all’, and it’s important to be adaptable, however keeping brand consistency across different markets is essential to brand recognition and a strong market positioning. 

What would be your advice to help brands in adapting their global marketing with the global health crisis we’re currently facing?  

While global marketing investigates adapting strategies to the different market situations that each territory has, COVID-19 is bringing a common ground to all of them, leading everybody to align with very similar situations and actions. 

All territories are trying to follow similar health rules, such as social distancing, more regular hand washing as often as possible and avoiding unnecessary travel.  It is the simplest messages that are resonating throughout the world.

In these uncertain times, there is an opportunity to reflect on the core values of your brand, your messaging and the role and responsibilities your company has to society. Ask yourself this – is there something you can do at a global level that will help your customer or their community either now or in the future that resonates with your brand values? If this strikes a chord, but you’re not sure where to start, drop us a line. We’d be happy to help.