by PUMA is bridging the gap between brand positioning and storytelling through market research at MRMW EU 2023
MRMW: Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your talk at MRMW EU, and what would you like delegates to remember?
Oana: Embracing change is one of those underrated skills that should always be at the core of any brand’s strategy, especially in the volatile times we are living in. Market research plays a crucial role in understanding these changes and the needs of the audience. The balance between owning your data whilst listening actively to your audience and ensuring the brand values are at the helm of decision-making will be vital in navigating the next few years. And I am excited about exploring the opportunity created by bridging the gap between consumers and brands through storytelling and a unique brand positioning.
MRMW: How has this impacted your work and your organization?
Oana: A brand is nothing without a unique positioning and close interaction with its consumers. Throughout my career, having worked with some of the biggest and most recognizable consumer-facing brands in the industry, I learned that what matter most is the unique positioning a brand occupies in consumers’ minds and hearts. Market research plays a pivotal role in understanding this positioning. So, this is always the main focus for me and my team when we build our strategies and set up our goals for the year – never to lose that close interaction with the consumers whilst building on our brands’ existing equity.
MRMW: MRMW EU emphasizes on new tools, methods, and technologies in the realm of market research. What are two things you hope to crowdsource more info on in your conversations?
Oana: I am very interested to connect with peers in the industry on AI driven marketing and innovation. As technology develops on this, I am pretty sure the way we understand marketing today will have to evolve. How can marketing processes be streamlined and automated? How can copywriting and creativity evolve with the aid of AI driven tools? How do we distil complex market / consumer insights & data into actionable strategy decisions? Just some of the questions I am curious to exchange on with my marketing peers.
MRMW: With ever-evolving tech stacks, which one has been a real game-changer for you in terms of the use of your time, changing the way you work, or helping you deliver better results?
Oana: Apart from the obvious ChatGPT, my team and I are exploring other AI-driven tools like Midjourney to see where those take us regarding creative output. AI offers a broad spectrum of marketing tools to draw inspiration from and play with right now.
MRMW: What motivates you to join the MRMW EU conference, and what are your expectations?
Oana: I am so excited to join MRMW EU in Berlin, especially looking forward to the market research insights and have the opportunity to exchange knowledge with marketing peers across different industries. It is always refreshing and interesting to connect and discuss what is new in their fields and learn from them!
MRMW: Oana, you also host a podcast, Unmtchd. Can you tell us more about it?
Oana: Yes! My podcast is called “Unmtchd.” (Short for “unmatched”) and is an exploration of the future of marketing and how we, as marketers, can navigate it together. In my position, I have a big network, and I can access lots of interesting people and information about strategies, tools, tech, methodology or new business models, which I hope other marketers will find these insights, especially those related to market research, invaluable. It is all part of this idea of collaboration and exchange, which makes it easy for all of us to work collectively towards a sustainable and positive marketing experience with the level of interconnectivity we currently have access to.
MRMW:Thank you very much – we look forward to hearing more from you at MRMW Europe 2023!
Hurry, seats are limited! Don’t miss your chance to collaborate with leading brands such as PUMA, Porsche, Mars, Reckitt, Ikea, Warner Bros, Mondelez and many more.
