A year ago, you made a comeback into marketing. Did it pay off?

Yes, absolutely! The most surprising thing has been to notice that while the range of communication and marketing tools has become more digital it has also become more complex. It is a huge challenge for businesses to navigate the jungle of opportunities and make impactful and business-driven marketing. The original idea of digital channels was to network people and audiences, and to enable companies to have their own voice heard more directly by their staff, investors, partners and customers. The world was supposed to become better, but instead it is now more complex, tricky and fragmented.

Which of your marketing skills are still relevant today?

After 20 years of analyzing brands, marketing and operations of growth companies, I have noticed that the same challenges and opportunities have not gone away. In fact, it has become even more difficult to make a profit. If marketing used to be about communication and creativity in certain channels, then now it is also about technology, analytics and cloud services.

What kind of wins have you seen in responsible marketing communications?

I have seen Brandkind become a partner of many big marketers. Brandkind and its customers have grown and developed together to carry out responsible work, and the kind of cooperation models have been set up where the customer can rely more heavily on Brandkind’s expertise and increase the meaning and impact of their marketing.

What kind of opportunities do you see with AI?

Digitalization and new technologies run in cycles. It can take years of stagnation before suddenly a lot happens. This is the year of artificial intelligence and we can see it affect a lot of things pretty quickly. But it is also problematic; it is not a water-to-wine solution. I think Brandkind’s definition of AI as a co-worker and enabler is a good approach.

What other marketing trends are in the air?

Investing in marketing performance, efficiency and balancing your own actions and the use of partners. Making marketing an even more important part of your business. These are eternal marketing issues, but they haven’t changed at all. Fragmentation, complexity and difficulty in integrating the everyday work of marketing.

This is your first year – do you still plan to continue on the board of Brandkind?

This was only round number one! Board work at Brandkind has been really pleasant because it has balanced the needs and interests of owners, customers and employees. The Board of Directors has been on the side of the company as a whole and its customers and employees. I have learned a lot, had nice moments and collaborated. Some really interesting projects are underway and others will certainly see the light of day soon as well.