Jaime Lobera, partner and strategy director at APPLE TREE, brings years of experience working with top FMCG names from Kraft to Campofrío and Mahou. Throughout his career, he has brought his unique perspective to the world of brands, focusing on the consumer and the impact that brands can have on people’s lives – what he calls ‘marketing with purpose’.
In a recent ‘Virtual Coffee’ session, Jaime joined Bill Derrenger and Fran Ares, advisor and CEO of the agency Glocally, to talk about his career and share his current insights on brand strategy. For Jaime, “Marketing is a powerful tool for value creation and social transformation. Brands talk a lot; they transmit a lot of messages to their audiences, and these can be communicated in many different ways. Fortunately, we are seeing more and more brands that not only think about their business objectives but also seek to make a positive impact on society and the communities in which they operate.”
Jaime joined APPLE TREE in 2020 after 25 years at the helm of marketing departments. He began his career at Unilever, has been CMO of companies such as Campofrío, Mahou San Miguel and Kraft (Mondelez) and is a former chairman of the Spanish Association of Advertisers (AEA). These shifts have been constructive for Jaime and helped him to grow professionally: “By moving between companies, you learn a lot. You change the culture, the environment, the people – who, in the end, are the ones who make companies what they are. For me, it was very productive because, in each one, you endeavour to implement everything you have learned in your career to date.”
One of the most significant periods was the time he spent at Campofrío. “In 2007, I joined Campofrío, and it was there that we started working on the idea of ‘marketing with purpose’. A way of marketing with values; communication that seeks to convey positive messages to society, messages that promote unity and cohesion between the brand and its audience, its community.”
Jaime emphasises the pressing need for organisations to urgently reassess their goals, bringing them up to date and making them relevant to the new reality, now and in the future. This is not a theoretical exercise to fill pages of PowerPoint or annual reports but an exercise that demands a predominantly practical approach. Once the aims have been outlined, they should be integrated into companies’ business strategies. Purpose should be lived and used to reshape companies, our society and our world. He adds: “I have seen personally, and through working with my teams, that brands can transform society and have a positive impact through their messages and commitment.”
