WFA Global Marketer of the Year 2018 nominees: Ikea's Claudia Willvonseder - 'purpose is key'
In order to find the world's top marketer, The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has partnered with The Drum for the Global Marketer of the Year award 2018.
The shortlist for this year’s award features heads of marketing from Coty, Diageo, Ikea, Mastercard, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Votes are now open to the industry and the WFA caught up with nominee Claudia Willvonseder, Ikea's general manager for its Swiss operations to discuss brand purpose.
Willvonseder, who until last month occupied Ikea's chief marketing position, has striven since 2014 to ensure that social change is at the forefront of flat-pack retailer's vision.
"The great thing is that Ikea has always been a company which has been and is driven by our founder [Ingvar Kamprad's] vision, which is 'creating a better everyday life for the many people,' explains Willvonseder.
With this message in mind, the marketing campaigns Willvonseder and her team have launched in the past few years are focused on family, joy and sustainability.
"We should be inspired by our purpose. [Initiatives like championing] the circular economy and making commitments such as our 100% sustainable cotton guarantee... all these decisions and activities show that as a brand we take our purpose seriously and take responsibility in not only our business but how we contribute to society."
Willvonseder sees internal corporate culture as the future of marketing and feels it is much more important than advertising. She points out that: "in lots of discussions, marketing is often put equal to advertising which I firmly believe it is not. Thereby, marketers should influence from inside; the company and the culture."
Watch the full interview with Willvonseder above. You can vote for her, or the other finalists for the WFA Marketer of the Year Award, here.