Growth, Brands and More Podcast Filiberto Amati

In this episode, I talk to Paul Markovits, whom I met in the late 90s and early 2000s at P&G in Brussels. He went on to have a terrific career at P&G before moving back to Bucharest, where he worked—among others—for Vodafone, Heineken, and Carlsberg.
Paul is a brand champion and a consumer expert and has worked with critical global brands in local market reality, adapting and executing global strategies in Romania.
The discussion covers strategies for maintaining the local relevancy of global brands, with insights into Paul’s career journey from market research to brand management in various sectors like consumer goods, telecom, and beer. The conversation also delves into striking a balance between a brand's functional and emotional attributes, the importance of solid execution in strategy, and the roles of different marketing tools. Finally, they address the ongoing debate between performance marketing for immediate sales and long-term brand building.

In this episode:
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Meet Paul
01:51 Paul's Career Journey
08:44 Brand Strategy Insights
09:44 The Role of Functional and Emotional Attributes 15:49 Challenges and Successes in Craft Beer
22:45 Global Brand Strategies
24:20 Heineken's Global Citizenship Strategy
27:30 Tackling Gender Bias Locally
28:34 Global Brand Manager's Toolbox
29:38 Balancing Global and Local Strategies
32:20 Measuring and Executing Strategy
37:33 Bridging Strategy and Execution
44:20 Marketing Toolbox Essentials
49:19 Performance Marketing vs. Brand Building
51:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts








This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filibertoamati.substack.com

The second part of my chat with Roberto Roccatti, former CEO of Galvanina, Tomarchio, Lurisia, and Royal Unibrew Italy, and previously with Allied Domecq.
From Roberto’s LinkedIn Profile:
Executive with strong record of value creation. Success in sales, marketing and supply chain reached in different markets and sectors.Experience working with entrepreneurial realities, public companies and investment funds.Responsible for full P&L with proven capability to deliver profit through turn over growth, costs control and working capital optimization. Strong in interpersonal relationship with a passion to support people’s professional growth.
In this episode, we discuss marketing strategies for economically frugal environments. The episode highlights the importance of a clear focus, simplicity, and understanding of commercial dynamics to create an impactful marketing toolbox. The conversation delves into balancing creativity with practical execution, ensuring simplicity in communication, and the challenges brands face in various channels. The dialogue also covers the significance of geographic targeting and consistent brand execution, both locally and internationally, emphasizing the importance of building a solid strategy aligned with practical execution. Real-world examples like Heineken and Aperol illustrate how strategic focus and consistent messages can drive brand success. The episode concludes with insights on collaborating with investors and balancing growth and brand equity.
In this episode
00:00 Introduction
00:56 The Marketing Toolbox in Frugal Environments
03:06 Importance of Simplicity in Marketing Execution
07:08 Challenges in Marketing and Trade Dynamics
16:53 Strategies for Small vs. Big Brands
22:27 Balancing Execution and Strategy
34:13 Managing Investor Expectations
36:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts









This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filibertoamati.substack.com

This is the first episode of my chat with Roberto Roccatti, former CEO of Galvanina, Tomarchio, Lurisia, and Royal Unibrew Italy and previously of Allied Domecq.
From Roberto’s LinkedIn Profile:
Executive with strong record of value creation. Success in sales, marketing and supply chain reached in different markets and sectors.Experience working with entrepreneurial realities, public companies and investment funds.Responsible for full P&L with proven capability to deliver profit through turn over growth, costs control and working capital optimization. Strong in interpersonal relationship with a passion to support people’s professional growth.
Host Filiberto interviews Roberto, the former CEO of Galvanina, about international marketing, consumer trends, and brand strategy. The guest details his extensive experience in the beverage industry, working across Europe in various roles, from family businesses to multinational corporations. The discussion delves into what constitutes a good brand strategy, emphasizing clarity, focus, and the importance of adapting global strategies to local markets. They also explore the challenges of balancing short-term opportunities with long-term brand goals, recruiting the right people, and the complexities introduced by social media. Featuring real-world examples from brands like Red Bull and Guinness, Roccatti discusses the importance of consistent execution and the potential pitfalls of brand repositioning. The episode concludes with insights into the time and effort required to successfully implement a brand strategy in competitive markets like Italy.
In this episode
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Guest Introduction: Roberto Roccatti
01:33 Roberto's Career Journey
03:31 Defining a Good Brand Strategy
07:25 Brand Strategy and Execution
13:54 Challenges in Brand Repositioning
24:43 Measuring the Impact of Brand Strategy
39:57 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser








This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filibertoamati.substack.com

The second part of my interview with Chris Maffeo of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast
This is Chris’ LinkedIn summary:
My love for the industry comes from afar, coming from a family of F&B distributors since 1884: The business survived two world wars but closed shop with my Grandpa’s passing, just after marking the 100th anniversary, when I was 6. All that’s left are my childhood memories of products and flavors and a black & white photo of Nonno Vito, known in town as Don Vito, proudly sitting in front of the entrance, that I keep in my wallet. Fast forward, my last 20 years started with a master's degree, living in a few countries 🇮🇹 🇬🇧 🇧🇪 🇫🇮 🇸🇪 🇨🇿 , 🇩🇰, 450 flights worldwide, and jobs I had always dreamt of until something changed.In 2019, I received one of those calls that a son living abroad hopes he will never get: my mum had passed away without the time to say goodbye. I looked at my 5-month-old daughter and decided it was time to stop being her career-driven, frequent-flying dad and start building the foundations of the woman she would become. I decided to quit highly paid senior corporate roles and repurpose my life and priorities.I deep-dived and realized that I had never accepted that 100 years of family business learning could disappear, leaving only great memories behind. Verba volant, scripta manent! My mum, a Latin teacher, would always say.So, I decided I would not let that happen again and committed to documenting the learnings from my mistakes and successes, having my daughter in mind as a potential reader.3 months later, I set up my own company.Regardless of what her path in life will be, she will be able to use those learnings and they will be saved for the next generations. Until she is ready for them, I've decided to share my experience with drinks brands founders and employees to help them fast-track their learning curve avoiding mistakes that can cost them tons of money.
In this episode
00:01 Intro
01:15 What is a Drinks Builder?
06:22 How do you sell the first Bottle?
07:24 The role of community
11:37 Creating Demand
19:53 Demand and Ecosystem
27:41 The Beverage Builders’ ToolBox








This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filibertoamati.substack.com

Our Guest: Chris Maffeo of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast
This is Chris’ LinkedIn summary:
My love for the industry comes from afar, coming from a family of F&B distributors since 1884: The business survived two world wars but closed shop with my Grandpa’s passing, just after marking the 100th anniversary, when I was 6. All that’s left are my childhood memories of products and flavors and a black & white photo of Nonno Vito, known in town as Don Vito, proudly sitting in front of the entrance, that I keep in my wallet. Fast forward, my last 20 years started with a master's degree, living in a few countries 🇮🇹 🇬🇧 🇧🇪 🇫🇮 🇸🇪 🇨🇿 , 🇩🇰, 450 flights worldwide, and jobs I had always dreamt of until something changed.In 2019, I received one of those calls that a son living abroad hopes he will never get: my mum had passed away without the time to say goodbye. I looked at my 5-month-old daughter and decided it was time to stop being her career-driven, frequent-flying dad and start building the foundations of the woman she would become. I decided to quit highly paid senior corporate roles and repurpose my life and priorities.I deep-dived and realized that I had never accepted that 100 years of family business learning could disappear, leaving only great memories behind. Verba volant, scripta manent! My mum, a Latin teacher, would always say.So, I decided I would not let that happen again and committed to documenting the learnings from my mistakes and successes, having my daughter in mind as a potential reader.3 months later, I set up my own company.Regardless of what her path in life will be, she will be able to use those learnings and they will be saved for the next generations. Until she is ready for them, I've decided to share my experience with drinks brands founders and employees to help them fast-track their learning curve avoiding mistakes that can cost them tons of money.
In this episode
00:01 Intro
07:21 What is a good brand strategy?
14:20 The Thread between strategy and execution
21:24 Setting the Right Expectations on Brand Building
27:29 Frugality, Money in A&P and Time
31:55 The Bottom-up Strategy
44:41 Should an ample opportunity arise, can you change your strategy?







This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filibertoamati.substack.com

Our Guest: Clarice Pinto, former Campari, Stock Spirits, LVMH, ING.
In this episode
00:01 Intro
03:26 Consumption Occasions, Rituals
06:02 Building Rituals in Spirits: The Perfect Serve
07:49 The Marketing Toolbox
11:28 The Balance Between Mental and Physical Availability
13:50 Activity Prioritization in the Marketing Plan
18:01 GenZ and side effects
22:15 The Future of Social Media
28:54 Conversion vs. Equity Building Dilemma








This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filibertoamati.substack.com