In marketing for a tenth, Tiago Fleming, from Banco Carregosa, in first person

Tiago Fleming was going to study engineering, started working in finance, but pursued a career in marketing. As well as being marketing director at Banco Carregosa, he's a goalkeeper and, "for his friends”, a DJ.

Tiago Fleming, marketing and communications director at Banco Carregosa, missed out on an engineering degree by a tenth, which would have made his life very different from what it is today. "Until I was 18, if people asked me what I was going to be, I'd say an engineer. But it's a good thing I didn't get in, I certainly wouldn't be a very happy engineer today,” he says.

When he was younger, Tiago Fleming had a "very particular taste” for electronics, so he liked to open, dismantle, assemble and fix various devices such as radios, televisions or gameboys. "Until the 12th grade I was studying for an engineering degree but, fortunately, I didn't get in by a tenth, which meant I went into management and then marketing,” he recalls in a conversation with +M.

His career then took a turn towards marketing, and his career at Banco Carregosa has now come of age, since he joined the bank in 2006. He now leads a team of seven, soon to be eight.

In terms of strategy, Tiago Fleming says that he sees marketing as "much more than communication”.

In terms of earned media, the brand develops a "huge number of very close relationships with the editorial staff of the main media outlets”, which have a "very strong affinity” with Banco Carregosa's targets, he says.

"We have a very large and very regular presence with the main media in the area of business, companies, finance, markets and the economy, so we have a number of spokespeople in the media on a daily basis, whether in print, online, on television or on the radio. This is something that is strategic for us, because it brings great credibility and has a persuasive and trustworthy effect on our targets", he explains.

In addition, the brand also works with paid media, and a large part of this strategy is developed through digital formats. "We communicate a lot in digital, in all dimensions and formats, an area we've been working in since 2006, so we're extremely well equipped and have a lot of competence in digital marketing. That doesn't mean that we don't have a blended strategy, a complementary strategy with traditional and offline formats, mostly press,” says Tiago Fleming.

"And so here we make a communication mix that ends up making sense for the target we're addressing. But, for example, in private banking we no longer work above the line. Here we work much more along the lines of below the line, and we work much more along the lines of events, sponsorships and relational strategies to communicate, interact and create unique experiences with our clients,” he says.

This strategy provides "a huge amount of satisfaction for our clients and potential clients, but above all also a huge amount of relationship capital”, bearing in mind that private banking "is still a luxury business” and that Banco Carregosa wants to be "close to luxury brands”.

"We have to move, interact and be, in a natural way, where the people who have a lot of money are, and therefore Banco Carregosa has a very assiduous and relevant presence in these types of initiatives, not least because that's where the first bonds with potential clients are established. And it's often these kinds of initiatives that also allow us to build loyalty with current customers,” he adds.

 

The challenge this year is the "consolidation of customer data”

In addition, the brand is investing in a presence on social networks, not only by creating content around the brand, but also by creating content around its "social responsibility of financial literacy”, as well as communicating products and some promotions.

In developing its strategy, Banco Carregosa works with various agencies. "We work very closely with all of them and we don't have anything exclusive, we end up choosing agencies based on their skills and the added value they bring to the business,” explains the marketing and communications director.

The brand thus works with various agencies such as SKA Development (in terms of branding and advertising), Shift Thinkers (rebranding), Why Articulate (content marketing), Carma (clipping), Opal Publicidade (events). Banco Carregosa also works with various Havas group agencies such as Havas Media, Arena Media, Ecselis and DBI (media buying, digital marketing, data and SEO).

Although he didn't actually go into engineering, Tiago Fleming's career began in the financial area, at BCP, and then at Finibanco. He realized "easily” that it wasn't the financial area that motivated him, so he went into marketing, an area he has never left and where he has around 25 years of experience. "I knew that if I wanted to have another type of responsibility, to have a very in-depth understanding of management and financial management, to have this more transversal view of management, I could become a better marketer,” he says, adding that he has always been very connected to the market and has always had a ‘great passion’ for brands, communication and advertising.

In marketing, what fascinates him most is "the ability to have a strategic vision of the business and to structure a plan of action and tactics in order to implement strategic plans”.

And so, "this duality between long-term and short-term thinking, combined with a mindset of thinking about the customer, looking at the market, consumer trends, the competitive dynamics of competitors and then, on top of that, thinking, structuring, setting up and then managing the entire business model from a marketing perspective, is something that truly fascinated me and continues to fascinate me,” he says.

With this in mind, he joined Throtleman in 1999, where he had the opportunity to work in England. He then went to Spain to manage Sketchers' Iberian business, which gave him a "very concrete vision of marketing from a practical point of view”.

After about a year and a half with the American brand, and still in Spain, he was then commercial director of the Spanish luxury brand Joaquin Berao. About a year later, he began a process of returning to his country of origin, working as a consultant until he joined Banco Carregosa.

Since marketing has always fascinated him, he also "grabbed” the opportunity that arose to teach at IPAM (Portuguese Institute of Marketing Administration), where he has been a lecturer since 2013, giving different classes, ranging from relationship marketing to consumer trends, e-commerce or digital marketing.

In addition, and in what he sees as his "social responsibility as a marketing professional”, he has been a member of the APPM (Portuguese Association of Marketing Professionals) since 2018, taking on the role of vice-president about two years later, a position he still holds.

Originally from Foz do Douro in Porto, Tiago Fleming lives in Leça da Palmeira (Matosinhos) with his wife, Ana, and their two children, Artur Maria (12) and Maria d'Alegria (10).

"When people ask me how I manage to do so many things, I usually say that when I'm with each of them, I dedicate myself 100%. And this, it may not seem like it, takes a lot of commitment, which requires a lot of planning, a lot of organization and a lot of discipline in time management. But for me, in fact, the family pillar is ahead of all the others”, he says.

"For me, family is fundamental. I don't miss my son's soccer match and I don't miss my daughter's riding lesson. I have to organize myself and I don't miss out, and I accompany them and am present, at school, in their activities, in their lives. I'm happy to feel that as well as being a father I'm also a friend to my children. But in fact it's a way of being in life and I think it's important because more than professionals we are people, and being people we are family”, he adds.

Despite the various activities he engages in, Tiago Fleming still finds a place for sport. Proof of this is that he still plays football, as a goalkeeper, in the veterans' district championship, with weekly training and competition on the weekend.

This passion for sport came from an early age. In addition to being a high-level tennis athlete, he also practiced rugby and sailing. Football is indeed the sport to which he has dedicated the most time, having started his career in this sport at youth level.

In addition to sport, he is also "passionate about music”, including working as a DJ. "I’m not a club DJ, but I’m one for friends’ parties,” he says. The little bug, which already existed, completely awakened during the period he was in London, in 2000, when he came into contact with many DJ friends, so he decided to buy equipment.

Being "very eclectic” in music, its base is electronic, especially with regard to the musical genres house, chill out or electronic jazz. "Still in the 90s, I was fortunate to catch the beginning of raves. And then when I lived in Madrid I had the happiness of being in the best clubs, with the best international DJs. And I didn't stop going to Ibiza for many years. Today, the father of two children, unfortunately it’s no longer possible, but I still go out at night, from time to time, and stay current in music”, he says.

Another passion is photography, a hobby that, however, has been left "a little aside”, as "there is no time for everything”.

As the greatest challenge in his life, he points to arriving at night, putting his head on the pillow and saying that he made people happy, that he had a good day, but thinking that tomorrow will be even better.

"I think being happy is the most important thing anyone can hope for. And the concept of happiness is very broad. Especially after the pandemic, we have to think a little about the really important things in life and prioritize them. A person who has health, family, friends, who has fun, and who at the end of the month still has a little money to not have to worry about... can't ask for anything more", he concludes.

Tiago Fleming in direct speech?

1 – What campaigns would you like to have created/approved? Why?

At a national level, the Super Bock campaign "Para Amigos Amigos, uma Cerveja Cerveja” (2022). Centered on celebrating authentic friendship relationships, the campaign included a limited edition of bottles with 10 temporary labels, challenging consumers to identify the characteristics that best define their "friend”, a very intelligent and assertive communication strategy to generate emotional engagement with the young people. I emphasize simplicity (less is more) and authenticity. It is a campaign that, at the same time, strengthens brand loyalty and promotes a more interactive and fun experience for the consumer.

In international terms, I highlight Patek Philippe's "Generations” campaign, which stood out to me for highlighting the brand's philosophy that its watches are not just owned, but cared for to be passed on to the following generations. The slogan "You never own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation”, emphasizes the durability, sentimental value and heritage associated with its watches, positioning its luxury watches (value-added assets) as family legacies that transcend time.

2 – What is the most difficult decision for a marketer?

The most difficult decision for a marketer is to defend strategy and the long term to the detriment of tactics and the short term, that is, resisting immediate pressure to build a lasting and sustainable brand value.” Also the balance between innovation and risk. Marketers constantly need to decide to what extent they should invest in innovative and disruptive ideas that can differentiate the brand, while generating value and tangible results.

3 – Are you always in (your) top of mind?

My motivations in life and professions and full-time: husband of the (amazing) Ana; Father of (the reason for our life) Artur Maria and Maria d’Alegria; my (proudly) immediate family; Banco Carregosa, APPM and IPAM.

4 – The ideal briefing should…

Essentially it should be short and define the basic promise well in a few words. The ideal brief should be clear, objective and inspiring, providing essential information about the market context, the target audience we are addressing, direct and indirect competition, campaign objectives and expectations, while leaving room for creativity and innovation.

5 – And the ideal agency is one that…

They are the ones we work with at Banco Carregosa. Each one very strong in their specialization. They are all business partners, co-creators, they understand and deeply live the "Banco Carregosa” brand. They add strategic value and creative abilities. It adapts very quickly to market changes so that, together, we can achieve differentiating and sustainable results.

6 – In advertising, is it more important to play it safe or take risks?

In advertising, it is important to take risks and innovate, as it allows the brand to differentiate itself, remain competitive and transmit a competitive value proposition to the targets we target. Even in traditional sectors, such as banks, this approach is essential for building relevance and leadership.

7 – What would you do if you had an unlimited budget?

If I had an unlimited budget, I would maintain a rational and efficient approach, directing each investment in a strategic and cost-effective way with the aim of achieving concrete results. In a market where almost no brand truly has "unlimited” resources, the effectiveness of the investment is always decisive. My "American” marketing school argues that marketing must always generate concrete and tangible results, translated into return on investment.

8 – Advertising in Portugal, in one sentence?

Advertising in Portugal has shown significant progress in creativity and impact, but still faces some challenges in balancing authenticity, innovation and risk versus the "safe” comfort preferred by many brands. In a market that can still be risk averse, there is a need to take bolder steps and experiment with new approaches. Advertising professionals and agencies often have creative and disruptive ideas that could generate strong competitive dynamics, but they often come up against caution and a preference for proven tactics.

9 – Is it brand building?

Brand building is above all authenticity and consistency, in a long-term vision. It is the ability to maintain a relevant identity throughout the customer's life journey, continually reinforcing the brand's values, personality and value proposition. All of these attributes create recognition, trust and an emotional and empathetic connection with the target audience that brands target.

10 – What profession would you have if you didn’t work in marketing?

It would probably be in the engineering areas. Interestingly, today I clearly understand the advantages that a degree in engineering brings to management and marketing management. Engineering courses develop a unique mental capacity, teaching you to think in a structured way, to reason logically and analytically, and to solve problems with method and precision. These skills today are extremely valuable in creating effective marketing strategies and making informed, rational decisions.