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Blog Raquel Padovese teaches how to move up in a scale-up and become Marketing Director

Raquel Padovese teaches how to move up in a scale-up and become Marketing Director

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In the last episode of our AmplificaCast, we had the opportunity to learn about the inspiring journey of Raquel Padovese, Marketing Director at Skyone, a fast-growing company. Raquel's story exemplifies the power of passion, adaptability and continuous learning in marketing.

Initially, Raquel did not aim for a career in marketing. Her love of reading made her consider law, but a late discovery changed her choices.

During a gap year, exploring different courses and jobs, she discovered marketing. A quick course and learning tools like Illustrator and Photoshop sparked her interest, leading her to pursue a degree in marketing.

Her career began with diverse experiences, from clinic receptionist to financial assistant. However, it was when working in a printing company, as a sales representative, that she got closer to marketing. This experience motivated her to seek an internship in the area, consolidating her passion and directing her career.

Raquel Padovese's story inspires those seeking a career in marketing. She shows that, with curiosity, flexibility and dedication, it is possible to build a successful career, even with an uncertain start.

Discovering and diving into the corporate universe

Currently employed as Marketing Director at Skyone, Raquel Padovese has a unique trajectory, which involves the transition from a family environment linked to public security to the dynamic corporate world.

Growing up in a family with a police tradition, Raquel was a pioneer in entering the corporate sector. This decision took her on a different path, full of challenges and learning.

At the beginning of her career, Raquel searched for her professional identity, exploring different areas before settling on marketing. Thus, her first internship at Panasonic introduced her to the corporate world.

Then an opportunity at an American technology company, GXS, opened the door to the world of B2B marketing, setting it apart from its B2C-focused peers.

Diving into B2B marketing and career advancement

The experience at GXS was a turning point for Raquel, who found herself immersed in B2B technology marketing, an area little explored by her peers at college. This challenge motivated her to deepen her knowledge and stand out in a field full of complexities. Nevertheless, his time at GXS, followed by the transition to OpenText, was fundamental in shaping his marketing and business vision.

Raquel's professional career was marked by a series of diverse experiences that broadened her perspective. Working in companies of different sizes and cultures enriched her repertoire and prepared her for greater challenges.

Before joining Skyone, Raquel also ventured into entrepreneurship, co-founding a company. Although this initiative was brief, it was a valuable experience that contributed to her development as a leader.

Raquel Padovese's journey is a testament to the importance of goal setting, flexibility and continuous learning in building a successful career. Her story inspires professionals to seek growth, face challenges and embrace the opportunities that the corporate world offers.

The fight against prejudice and the search for equality

Raquel Padovese shares a remarkable experience of gender prejudice in her professional career. During an internship, she was informed by the manager that she could not be hired due to the director's policy that he did not accept women in the position. Although at the time she moved on, seeking other opportunities, this situation made her reflect on the persistence of prejudice in the corporate environment.

Padovese highlights that, although it was an isolated situation, it is likely that there are many unnoticed prejudices that affect women's career paths. Thus, she emphasizes the importance of self-evaluation and personal growth, seeking to be better every day, regardless of external barriers.

The Marketing Director believes that gender equality will be achieved when comparisons based on gender cease to exist, but until then, it is necessary to fight for space and recognition. The interviewee argues that everyone is human being and deserves the same opportunities, regardless of gender.

Skills development and diversity of thought

When it comes to developing skills, especially in management positions, Padovese highlights the importance of learning to deal with people and recognizing each person's individuality. She highlights the need to evaluate performance and quality of work, regardless of gender or other personal characteristics.

Raquel also emphasizes valuing diversity of thought in a team, which, although challenging, can bring significant results in terms of innovation and problem solving.

To deal with the complexities of management and the development of diverse teams, the interviewee reports on her experience in leadership courses, which helped her to better understand aspects of management and self-knowledge. She believes that developing leadership skills involves deep personal knowledge, which allows you to understand and enhance the skills of team members.

Padovese concludes that the success of a diverse team depends on the ability to recognize and value differences, promoting an inclusive and productive environment.

Company culture and commitment to Skyone

Raquel Padovese highlights the importance of business culture and commitment for a professional to remain on the team. She emphasizes that, when hiring someone, it is crucial to consider the company's context.

For example, the desired profile for an employee at Vivo, where she previously worked, differs significantly from the profile sought at Skyone, a fast-growing scale-up with a young and dynamic culture.

Padovese emphasizes that the first assessment must be adaptation to the company's culture. Without this compatibility, the professional may not achieve the expected performance or feel dissatisfied.

Furthermore, on the behavioral side, constant learning, commitment, dedication (not necessarily in terms of hours, but in productivity and focus), and the ability to get involved with events in the company and the area are valued.

Effective communication and accountability are also key aspects.

Balance between technical and behavioral skills

For Padovese, keeping an employee on the team depends on a balance between technical and behavioral skills. Technically, the professional is expected to be competent in their area of ​​expertise, bringing techniques, methods, innovation and results. In marketing, this can range from specializations such as events and digital marketing to more generic profiles, such as campaign management.

She highlights that, at Skyone, complexity has increased significantly with the expansion of products and markets. When he joined the company, the marketing team consisted of just five people, responsible for different functions and with a limited budget.

Today, the company has multiple sales channels and a platform with more than 20 products, which multiplies the complexity of marketing operations. Padovese highlights that, throughout this growth, it was necessary to structure the marketing team in order to follow the company's evolution, maintaining a balance between the technical and behavioral skills of employees.

The structural evolution at Skyone

Raquel Padovese reflects on a period of intense learning at Skyone, marked by rapid changes and the need to adapt the structure of the marketing team to new business strategies. Initially, the team's growth was maintained with the same structure, focused on channel marketing.

However, with the introduction of a new go-to-market model that did not rely exclusively on channels, the need for restructuring became evident.

In 2022, together with the executive leadership, Raquel led an in-depth reflection on the positioning of marketing within the company and the changes necessary to align the team with the new business objectives.

This reflection resulted in a disruption in the existing structure, with significant changes in roles, responsibilities and reports. Raquel highlights the importance of being open to continuous changes and, sometimes, radical disruptions to rebuild and adapt the team to new market directions.

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A new marketing structure and international expansion

Today, Skyone's marketing structure is divided into three main cores. The first is brand management and digital marketing, which are kept together to ensure great synergy between the two areas, although digital marketing is also strongly connected to demand generation.

The second core is marketing operations, which includes campaign planning and a team of specialists focused on content, events and associations. The third core is product marketing, which works more closely alongside products and is responsible for understanding market trends and bringing data and research to feed the rest of the team.

Furthermore, Skyone expanded its marketing actions beyond Brazil, reaching the United States and Latin America. To improve synergy and speed of implementation of international strategies, the team responsible for international marketing was integrated into the product marketing core.

Raquel also discusses the transition to remote work during the pandemic and how the company adapted to the hybrid model. She emphasizes the importance of encouraging communication and the exchange of ideas between team members, especially in a post-pandemic scenario where isolation and independence at work have become more common.

Skyone seeks to reestablish the dynamic of face-to-face collaboration, encouraging conversations and joint decisions to strengthen team spirit and creativity.

Skyone's rebranding process

In mid-2022, Raquel Padovese and her colleague Lauro focused on the need to revitalize the Skyone brand. Recognizing the importance of an adjusted team structure and the injection of new ideas, they opted for specialized consultancy.

The goal was not just to change the brand, but to dive deep into the company's DNA to rediscover its purpose, vision and core values.

Through a series of workshops and interviews with customers, partners and potential customers, Skyone was able to redefine its direction and objectives. This process of self-knowledge revealed that the company had reached a new level of maturity.

From a vibrant and youthful startup, Skyone has evolved into a robust organization, with cutting-edge technology and complex projects. The rebranding was designed to reflect this new phase of growth and experience, while maintaining the company's essence of innovation and flexibility.

Expanding the presence of the Skyone brand

To communicate this transformation, Skyone planned the launch of the new brand in conjunction with its annual event, Skyone Connect. By adjusting the date of the event to coincide with the company's 10-year anniversary in October, the team ensured the rebrand was presented in an impactful way.

With over 17.000 customers in its ecosystem, it was crucial that the change was communicated widely. Skyone decided to expand its market presence through a comprehensive institutional campaign, using various media channels. This was a first for the company, which had never explored such a broad street campaign.

The decision was influenced by the saturation of digital marketing during the pandemic and imminent changes in the industry, such as the elimination of third-party cookies. Testing a combination of online and offline media has become essential to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

The challenge now is to demonstrate the value of digital marketing and the impact it can have on the business. Raquel is focused on highlighting the importance of online presence and educational content to reach the 95% of potential customers who are not yet ready to buy.

Skyone's branding strategy, therefore, aims to build a lasting connection with the audience, ensuring that the brand remains relevant and present in their minds in the long term.

Conclusions based on the teachings of Raquel Padovese

In an ever-evolving business world, the importance of marketing has never been more evident than now. Our AmplificaCast episode with Raquel Padovese, Marketing Director at Skyone, highlights this reality by discussing the role of marketing in building a brand and career in a fast-growing company.

Padovese's experience at Skyone serves as a powerful example of the impact marketing can have in driving a company's growth and expansion.

Marketing, as highlighted by Padovese, is fundamental to generating revenue and business. The ability to prove the value of marketing through metrics and translate that into tangible results is crucial.

In a dynamic business environment, it is essential to adapt marketing strategies to the specific needs of the company and the market context. Skyone, for example, launched its first institutional campaign after ten years of history, reflecting a moment of expanding its operating channels and entering new markets.

The vital role of marketing in any company

In addition to generating demand in the short term, marketing plays a vital role in the medium and long term, focusing on indicators such as customer acquisition cost (CAC), customer lifetime value (LTV) and sales cycle reduction. .

These aspects highlight the importance of consistent branding and the need for a strong analytical approach to marketing. Combining creativity and analytics is critical to success in the digital age, where artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping marketing practices.

Collaboration between marketing and sales is another crucial aspect covered in the podcast. The integration of these departments is essential to ensure a cohesive and effective approach to generating business. Experience at Skyone shows that the synergy between marketing and sales contributes significantly to the company's success, with joint actions resulting in greater efficiency and results.

In conclusion, marketing plays an indispensable role in the growth and development of companies in competitive markets. Raquel Padovese's reflections on AmplificaCast reinforce the need for a strategic, analytical and collaborative approach to marketing.

As the business landscape continues to evolve, the ability to adapt and innovate marketing strategies will be increasingly crucial to the success of companies.

Raquel's advice for marketers at all levels

Raquel emphasizes the need for marketing professionals, especially in management positions, to be agents of change, with a strong sense of responsibility and the ability to connect different areas of the company. They must be able to build processes, be excellent with people and embrace new challenges, always seeking to contribute to the company's results.

For those starting out in their marketing career, Raquel advises deciding whether to become a specialist or try different areas. Regardless of the choice, it is essential to invest in knowledge and always be up to date, as marketing is an area that changes quickly, driven by changes in consumer behavior and technology.

She suggests that, instead of limiting themselves to traditional training in marketing, professionals seek to specialize and acquire broad knowledge in complementary areas, such as administration, economics or technology.

Raquel also shared her passion for sports and the importance of balancing work with leisure activities, such as playing footvolley, running or practicing CrossFit. Additionally, she emphasizes the value of reading and listening to podcasts for ongoing learning and professional development.

The humility to learn and the willingness to prepare for future challenges are essential, especially in a fast-growing environment like Skyone. Raquel highlights the importance of taking responsibility, making decisions and being prepared to take risks, which requires study, experience and exchange of knowledge.

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