Page 22 - Strategic Marketing Complete

MEET THE CMO

I find it special that I’ve got a job that brand. It was during this period ongoing support of efforts to protect
plays into both of those spaces.” that she also studied part-time to the nation’s water resources (almost
complete her MBA at GIBS. R50-million donated to date), as an
proud moments example.
Nobanda kicked off her career with “I love studying and I thought it was
Brandhouse Beverages, marketing useful from a long-term perspective “We can’t be successful in an
Smirnoff RTD (ready-to-drink) to have a broader qualification,” she unsuccessful country. If South
products, then moved to Unilever explains. Africa succeeds as a country, the
to market tea. She subsequently bank will grow. So we have to get
relocated It was also involved. Organisations don’t exist
to Dubai to time for her in a vacuum. They exist in societies
become the to move out where there are challenges to be
Category of the FMCG solved.”
Director for environment.
skin products, “I’m an FMCG
responsible marketer at
for Africa, the heart, but the Challenges
Middle East opportunity for
and Turkey. real innovation marketers
is limited –
It was there you might face
that she revolutionise
enjoyed her margarine
greatest career once every There are two key challenges
highlight to 100 years,” that modern-day senior
date. “We Nobanda marketers face, says Nobanda.
launched the observes. She The first is to have a good in-
Ponds brand fancied the depth grasp of digital marketing.
in the Middle challenges The second is to ensure they
East and being posed in have strategic influence within
the organisation.

“If you’re a senior marketer
while digital is enabling the and don’t have good digital
disruption of the banking status quo, knowledge, then you’re going to
fail – because you don’t know
it is simultaneously creating new what you don’t know. You have to
learn the digital world. You have
ways for the likes of nedbank to to be able to challenge your
digital team and your digital
engage with consumers. agencies.”
When it comes to having
strategic influence, she believes
the company really committed. the telecoms and banking sectors, you shouldn’t simply be the
Overnight we built the shelves and both of which are experiencing person who gets asked to do an
made the product available in stores. significant disruption. advertisement when a product
The billboards went up overnight has been developed. “You must
too. We worked really hard and grew A move to Vodacom followed, where influence the product. You
market share from zero to 10% in she was Executive Head of Post Paid should be able to ask questions
one year. I am very proud of that,” for nearly three years before taking such as: ‘What is it that our
she recalls. the plunge into banking. clients actually need?’ ‘What are
we trying to achieve with this
a love of studying Contributing to society product?’ ‘Does it make sense,
Nobanda then moved to SAB to How does she view the future for based on our brand essence?’.
become Executive Assistant to big corporates in South Africa? She As a senior marketer, you should
Marketing Director Ian Penhale, and believes it’s important to contribute be able to have broad influence
then General Manager for the Hansa to society and points to Nedbank’s within the business.”

p20 - Strategic Marketing