LUCIA ALVAREZ
Marketing FMCG Director / Food & Beverages LATAM
*************@*******.***.** Mobile (55) 37 07 02 46 PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Strategic Marketing Professional, with more than 20 years’ experience in FMCG in Multinational Food Companies with proven experience in creating a compelling vision and developing remarkably creative strategies while building profitable growth and developing engaged, diverse and inclusive teams. Achieved a “Bronze” Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Awards. Resourceful and positive leader with high tolerance for uncertainty, adaptability for working with diverse business models. Passionate food lover. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1. Marketing & Innovation Director: Jan 2018 – Jun 2019 ACH Foods – ABF Associated British Foods MX Business Unit. Net Sales: US$ 165 MM. This position is responsible for the Innovation and the Strategic Positioning of all brands of ACH Foods Mexico. Main challenges:
• Creating valuable and profitable brands through emotional equity in highly commoditized categories.
• Increasing awareness of ACH brands in groceries categories.
• Generating Digital acumen within the Marketing team aimed at optimizing website and social media for SEO, SEM and usability.
Accomplishments:
• Increased Aladino Peanut Butter awareness levels from 81% to 95% through communication campaign which successfully repositioned the brand as a “healthier spread” for Health & Wellness focused audiences resulting in 25% increase of the Peanut Butter category in 6 month period.
• Abandoned a “price and trade promotion” strategy and developed unique emotional positioning approach for Capullo Canola Oil supporting a higher price with minimum impact on volume.
• Repositioned Mazola as a super premium all-purpose oil raising the brand from a declining SKU to become the most profitable asset in the portfolio.
• Launched new Karo Syrup flavors: Butter & ChocolateHazelnut increasing brand profitability by 25% vs PY.
• Developed a more efficient media mix for the INCA Shortening communication campaign, increasing “dependable” levels form 85% to 91%.
• Created the next 3 year Innovation Pipeline for Peanut Butter and Syrup categories while supporting value audience insights in each category.
2. Marketing Director: Sep 2016 - Dec 2017
Grupo Herdez . Net Sales: US $990 MM .
This position is responsible for the McCormick Business Unit P&L, which is the most important profit contributor for Grupo Herdez. Main challenge:
• Maintaining the brand’s 70 years of uninterrupted leadership, relevance, profitability and $400 MM Net Sales. Accomplishments:
• Recovered Mayonnaise TOM, from 65% to 69% vs PY through memorable communication campaign.
• Decommoditized the Marmalade category through recovering core value for the consumer and increasing line profitability.
• Introduced an affordable Gourmet Tea line in order to take advantage of the growing tea consumption trend reaching 7% SOM in the first year.
• Launched profitable Mayonnaise line extensions: Mayo with Bacon and Mayo with Habanero chili as well as developing a Guacamole Mayo to widen Mayonnaise consumption opportunities targeted towards a “Foodie & Millennial” audience.
• Revamped the Herbs and Spices line image in order to attract category incomers, and increased profitability through packaging reengineering.
3. Marketing Director: Apr 2011 – Sep 2016
Quala México: Net Sales: US$ 400 MM,
This position at Quala - Bonice de México is responsible for the Marketing, Design and Market Research departments. Main challenge:
• The sell-out of this much loved and popular ice cream brand had significantly decreased over the previous 5 years due to lack of effective innovation and limited initiatives per year which were focused almost exclusively on the spring-summer season.
• Maintaining the most profitable brand for Quala México, with US$110 MM Net Sales. Accomplishments:
• In house development of efficient Communication Strategies for all the Bonice TV commercials, eliminating the cost of hiring Advertising, Design and Market Research Agencies.
• Created and introduced “Triangulito”, the first shelf-stable chocolate, milk-based ice cream in Latin America increasing the average price point and profitability by 6% with no volume reduction vs PY.
• Developed and launched “Bonice Doble”, the first double flavor freezer bar in Latin America, increasing both volume and profitability by 8% vs PY
• Increased product mix profitability by 15% in 2013 launching a co-branded promotion with BonIce freezer bars and Miguelito chili powder.
• Reduced Marketing department head count from 10 to 6 through the redesign of all internal processes with zero loss of efficiency.
4.- Marketing Manager: May 2006 – Oct 2010
Campbell’s de México. Net Sales: US$ 80MM.
Main challenge:
• For the previous 8 years, Campbell’s had lacked the innovation necessary to significantly impact business levels. Sustainable new products and relevant communication development were required and expected. Soup Category Net Sales: US$ 25MM.. Accomplishments:
• Achieved a “Bronze” Lion at the 2008 Cannes International Advertising Awards for a Film with the 2007 and 2008 TV Campaign, which is the first Cannes Lion for a Film in the history of the Mexican Food business. This campaign also resulted in 6% sales increase and an effective memorability upturn for the brand.
• Created and launched the first Condensed Soup innovation in 10 years resulting in a current contribution of 4% in volume over total Soups.
• Introduced a new category with the launching of the first RTS Chicken Broth in the Mexican market.. 5- Marketing Manager: Jan 2002 – May 2006
Grupo Herdez . Net Sales: US $580 MM.
A) Barilla Marketing Manager: Main challenge was for Barilla to raise Mexican consumer awareness of pasta as a main dish. A significant increase in sales volume was expected. Net Sales: US$90 MM. Accomplishments:
• Developed Barilla 5 year Strategic Plan which included new product launches and creating a recipe mass communication strategy.
B) McCormick Senior Brand Manager: Main challenge was to cease commoditizing the Mayonnaise category and to reinvigorate a non-innovative, classic but powerful and beloved brand. Net Sales: US $400 MM Accomplishments:
• Launched the plastic cap for McCormick Mayonnaise after 55 years of using a non-consumer-friendly metal lid and launched the Chipotle Mayonnaise and all flavored Mayonnaise lines in PET squeeze bottle.
• Introduced first re-design of Marmalade and Mayonnaise labels for 10 years which are still current today, and launched the Low Sugar Marmalades line, resulting in an increase of 7% in market share against the premium Marmalade brand.
6.- Senior Brand Manager: Sep 1992 – Sep 2001
Con Agra Foods Inc. – Verde Valle. Net Sales US $500 MM Hunt’s and Verde Valle Senior Brand Manager.
EDUCATION:
• Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) Guadalajara, Jal. Mexico Marketing & Business Administration.
• Bilingual
• Graphic Designer and Cartoonist.
ADDITIONAL:
• Named as one of the top ten Mexico’s Marketers in “Who is who in Food Marketing in Mexico”, Marketers blog by Adlatina, Mar 2019.
• Judge at The Effie Awards 2017, Mexico’s edition.
• Youtube channel: Lucia Alvarez Reel
• Instagram: lucia_monera
• Photographer.