In today’s digital age, businesses are constantly looking for new ways to innovate and grow. This is where the CMO comes in. The CMO is responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies that will help the business reach its goals.
Carla Bastos da Fonseca, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at BI4ALL stands out as a leader in this landscape where innovation thrives and business growth takes center stage. With over two decades of invaluable experience in Management, Marketing, and Strategy, Carla is a Senior Executive who redefines the art of strategic thinking.
Throughout her illustrious career, Carla has been an architect of high-impact marketing strategies that carve pathways to success. She is renowned for her commitment to driving business growth and amplifying brand visibility. Carla’s strategies are not just plans- they are winning blueprints marked by exceptional performance, efficiency and tangible results.
Let’s delve into Carla’s journey, a world that thrives on innovation and differentiation!
Brief our audience about your journey as a Marketing leader to your current position at Bi4All. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?
From the early stages of my career, I’ve always been passionate about the world of marketing, management and communication and its dynamic nature. My journey began with a strong foundation in marketing principles, which I gained through formal education and hands-on experiences in different businesses.
I started my journey by working in a small (but huge) company, where I learned the importance of responsibility, creativity, purpose, teamwork, and adaptability. This experience taught me how to develop marketing and communication campaigns from scratch to achieve significant results. I progressively climbed the ladder and transitioned into larger companies, where I had the opportunity to work on worldwide companies, create marketing departments from scratch, develop business-oriented strategies and deliver excellent results.
During my journey, I’ve embraced digital transformation and its impact on marketing, and there is enormous potential in the digital world if we combine assertive strategies with data-based decision-making, allowing leveraging strategies and ensuring maximum ROI. This focus on analytics has allowed us to drive successful campaigns and demonstrate the measurable impact of marketing efforts to stakeholders.
I arrived at BI4ALL in 2016 as Marketing Director, and today, I am part of the Board due to work recognition. I cannot fail to mention that over the years, I’ve worked with extraordinary people and amazing teams who inspire me deeply!
Challenges during the journey?! Of course, I had and still have. We all have! The difference is in how we face these challenges and turn them into growth opportunities.
Tell us something more about Bi4All and its mission and vision; how does Bi4All thrive towards enabling advancements in the dynamic business arena?
Focused on goals, value creation, innovation and delivery, BI4ALL helps organizations to achieve better results by optimizing their organizational structure and control systems, allowing them to have solutions that optimize decision-making.
To achieve high-performance results, we invest a lot in our team. We have a team with extensive experience and in-depth knowledge, certified and highly qualified employees who comply with industry best practices.
We transform organizations of all dimensions into more agile and vigorous organizations that anticipate the unpredictable, adapt quickly to market changes and are better prepared for the future. It is extremely important that our clients are satisfied to work with us and that we can always respond to their primary needs.
Our solutions can bring countless benefits, direct and indirect, to organizations. Total control of information, combined with analytical data management, provides various variables that help you choose the best path for a strategy. Knowing the organizations’ panorama from different perspectives makes the error significantly minimized.
Enlighten us on how you have been impacting the sector through your expertise in the market.
Marketing is a dynamic, complex and challenging area due to the diversity of projects we work on simultaneously and the amount of “behind-the-scenes” that are not visible. The secret? I am passionate about Management, Marketing, Communication and Innovation! I love developing strategies that contribute to business growth and brand awareness. I am focused on creating winning strategies and oriented towards high performance, efficiency and results.
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary work is often detailed, and I am passionate about details. A good Marketing strategy can attract, inspire, involve and be relevant to customers (and potential customers) and, consequently, to business results. It is the one that stays in the memory, enhances the brand’s values and goes beyond the objectives.
But, in a world as fast-paced and demanding as the one we live in, it is challenging to think of a winning formula because what works today will not have the same impact “tomorrow”, so it is crucial to be in constant learning and have a fantastic team that works with the same focus.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?
With the constant evolution of businesses and markets, leveraging technological advancements is crucial in making marketing strategies and solutions more resourceful and practical. The relevance of technology like Marketing Automation platforms or Data Analytics & AI solutions in Marketing is increasingly evident. The ability to make informed decisions, personalize strategies, optimize campaigns and understand the customer journey gives companies substantial competitive advantages and better positions them to achieve success and build stronger, longer-lasting relationships with their customers and prospects.
What, according to you, could be the next significant change in the global marketing industry?
Predicting the following significant change in the global marketing industry can be challenging, but there are several emerging trends and technologies that have the potential to reshape the landscape:
- Metaverse and Virtual Experiences: Brands might explore immersive virtual experiences, events and even virtual stores within this digital space.
- Blurring the lines between online and offline interactions; Augmented Reality Shopping-where brands can reshape the e-commerce landscape by allowing customers to virtually try on products before purchasing, enhancing the online shopping experience.
- Social media and influencer Marketing: according to the target, all brands need to keep up to have a presence and use the platforms effectively.
- Content Marketing plays a vital role in conveying the brand’s message, engaging the audience, and driving desired actions if we add Artificial Intelligence. It can be a powerful tool to enhance the effectiveness of marketing strategies and provide incredible opportunities to reach the target audiences
- Marketing Automation: It streamlines and enhances marketing efforts by allowing businesses to deliver personalized and relevant content to their target audience at the right time and through the proper channels.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals?
I am motivated by making a difference, knowledge, creativity, innovation, and people. Motivation leads to achieving dreams, overcoming challenges and overcoming obstacles.
Looking ahead, my journey as a Marketing leader continues to evolve and is fuelled by the desire to remain at the forefront of innovation and create impactful strategies. The rapid pace of technological advancements and shifts in consumer behaviour only excites me further, as I want to continue to drive impactful and successful global marketing strategies.
I still think about the legacy I want to leave and the impact I can have and give to the world around me. I want to continue to grow as a person and professional, make a difference, drive innovation, and contribute to the success of my team and the organization.
What would be your advice to budding leaders who aspire to venture into the marketing industry?
Leadership is a continuous journey of growth and development that requires self-reflection, learning, and practice. In the world we live in today, where complexity is increasing, organizations increasingly need inspiring leaders who can guide them in the right direction. Therefore, leaders must have robust management and leadership skills to achieve and deliver good results.
A leader must be available to listen, teach, learn and inspire. I enjoy helping bring out the best in each team member, making them discover and enhance their talents. Being a leader also makes team members shine by giving them opportunities to evolve. I can leave four pieces of advice:
- Self-awareness is vital. Evaluating your strengths and weaknesses helps you understand your leadership style and the areas you must focus on.
- Continuous learning, never stop learning. Embrace growth opportunities through formal education, conferences, mentorship, or self-learning. Stay curious and open-minded about new ideas and perspectives.
- Developing practical communication skills, including active listening and precise delivery, allows you to connect with and inspire others.
- Leading by example, empowering others, and raising a positive and inclusive work environment is crucial for building trust and motivating your team.
