November 24, 2014

Spotlight On: Derren Sequeira, Vertical Lead FMCG UK & Ireland at Facebook

Derren Sequeira, Vertical Lead FMCG UK & Ireland at Facebook, chairs The Figaro Digital Marketing Conference at the Emirates Stadium in London on Thursday 27 November. We caught up with Derren for a quick preview of some of the issues he’ll be discusssing

Hi Derren. You’ll be introducing the Figaro Digital Marketing Conference on Thursday. What can we expect to hear from you?

I’ll be posing the question, what exactly do we mean by ‘digital transformation?’ Is it the transformation of digital devices, connectivity and content, which we’re currently seeing? Or is it that we are living in a time of fundamental transformation of behaviours that will shape the digital landscape of tomorrow?

In the short term marketers have the opportunity to pivot their business to be more digitally focused and gain a competitive edge. In the long term, the consumer of the future will be a digital native who will never have known a world without the internet. If brands have not integrated digital into their business fully, they will struggle to maintain relevance.

We’re impatient! Can we have one take-away from your presentation?

The consumer is king. The best thing marketers can do is go where consumers spend their time.

What’s the single biggest issue facing marketers in your sector at the moment?

In FMCG consumer behaviour has transformed considerably in the last three to five years and this change poses the biggest challenge. The weekly shop which included well known, established brands has evolved into multiple weekly shops. It may include an online shop and a wide range of brands, including supermarket-own brands. The discounters Aldi and Lidl have disrupted the market and are stealing share, so brand advertisers who rely on established retailers have been hurt. Those that can move fast in digital will have a better chance of winning. Those who have inertia risk being left behind.

What factors do you anticipate dominating digital marketing in 2015?

Video; mobile; data-led targeting.

The Figaro Digital Marketing Conference takes place at the Emirates Stadium in London on Thursday 27 November 2014.