Staying Curious

Marketing starts at the moment of Choice.

For Efrain, retail is much more than the final touchpoint.
It's where brands either win or lose.

Creating visibility isn't enough. The goal is to create desire, using deep consumer understanding and occasion-based insights.

"It's not just to show up in a distinctive way, but ultimately to create desire at that moment of choice."

This is all the more important as consumers spend only a few seconds making decisions in-store. And so fast, only emotions work:

"You have a very limited amount of time to break through.
The brain processes emotions much more rapidly, so making sure we're taking those emotions into account is really important."

Culture creates connection.

One of the surest ways to evoke emotion is relevance — tapping into the cultural moments that matter to consumers and their peers. That's why great campaigns don't exist in isolation.

Whether it's Guinness at Christmas or Don Julio during Día de los Muertos, success comes from connecting brand stories with real cultural occasions and delivering a consistent experience across every touchpoint.

Simplicity is a competitive advantage.

In these moments, brands don't necessarily play the main role. They have to earn every second — and one lesson that has stayed with Efrain since his consulting days at Accenture is the discipline of clear communication.

"Simplicity is a beautiful thing. We can always add layers of complexity later."

The best ideas are often the ones that can be explained in the fewest words and executed consistently.

My takeaway 

Perhaps the best summary of the conversation came from Efrain himself:
"I tend to live by the credo to stay constantly curious."

In a world where consumer expectations, technology, and culture are constantly evolving, curiosity may be the most valuable skill of all.

And if you have any questions to our contributors or me, just let me know.
Gordon

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