05 Nov Belgian Marketing Awards – Marketing Leader(ship) of the Year: Valérie Morfitis
As Global Media Director at Unilever, Valérie Morfitis has witnessed and shaped the transformation of marketing and media from the front row over the past decades. For those who know her keen view of the future of marketing, her nomination for the Marketing Leader(ship) of the Year is no surprise.
Ask Valérie Morfitis to elaborate on the marketing challenges she’s been privileged to grasp in her career and you get a story that reads like the history of marketing in the first quarter of this century. Think of the transition to a strategy with “infinite loops,” putting the consumer at the center of every stage of the customer journey, or deploying data-driven targeting of communities. “In the selection committee, we were struck by the vision of digital marketing,” adds Dirk Oosterlinck on behalf of that selection committee. “Valérie bet on an evolution from digital marketing to marketing in a digitized world. In doing so, she is making a clear statement: we as an industry are beyond the stage of implementing digital marketing and need to look deeper into how to do marketing in that fully digital world. That is an important difference and an insight with which she holds up a mirror to many Belgian marketers.”
Marketing in a digital world
From this insight, Valérie Morfitis helped Unilever make the leap from spreading messages to building valuable consumer experiences in an environment where technology and human needs merge. For Unilever, her current global role within food brand strategy focuses on creating integrated marketing strategies that enhance brand engagement. Previously from Belgium, she drove the creation of Unilever’s Belgian digital hub. She led the digital transformation, including the implementation of data management platforms and the development of marketing strategies more responsive to changing consumer needs.
Within that digital reality, Valérie Morfitis also believes strongly in the potential of technology to make marketing more effective. A recent example of a great AI realization is the launch of “Meal Reveal” for Hellmann’s in partnership with Google. Meal Reveal is an innovative AI tool that helps users turn leftovers in their refrigerator into tasty meals. The project, which Unilever launched in the United Kingdom this year, yielded not only high user satisfaction but also positive media coverage and increased brand engagement.
Onstereotiep
Valérie Morfitis is also known for her commitment to inclusion and diversity in marketing. She launched the “Unstereotype in Media” initiative, a program aimed at engaging underrepresented groups and advertising more fairly. “We want to give everyone a voice,” Morfitis explains. “We are targeting underrepresented groups and communities with our brand communication strategies while mitigating ethical risks. We are committed to developing training, thought leadership and tools that Unilever’s local media and agency teams can use and integrating ‘Unstereotype’ into our established planning and measurement processes.” This approach typifies Valérie Morfitis, who loves to build bridges. “My professional goal has always been to build bridges to create impact together,” she says when we ask her about her main motivations. “I strongly believe in connecting: with consumers, with agency partners, with media and, of course, with my team.”
Inside and outside the industry
Bridges Valérie Morfitis builds just as much in the broader marketing sector. She serves on the board of directors of the UBA and the CIM, and she was a director of the Mediamadammen, a network of women leaders in marketing, for eight years. She also served on the jury of the Effie Awards and the AMMA, and this year leads the jury of the IAB/BAM Mixx Awards. She also likes to carry her expertise beyond the industry, for example, she is a non-executive board member in the cultural sector, for Museumpass.
Whether in campaigns or in people management, inside or outside the sector, always working for the long term is the constant in Valérie Morfitis’ thinking. So in conclusion, she predicts a bright future for brands that are culturally relevant and make meaningful connections with their target audience. “Marketing is increasingly driven by building communities and relationships over time,” she concludes. “If brands are able to add value within their communities, then they have a huge competitive advantage.”
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