NCP Talk with Tina - Head of Marketing

Tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Tina Kaiser and I have been working in marketing in the software industry for 12 years now. At NCP, it will soon be 9 years, including 4 years as Head of Marketing. I feel very comfortable at NCP and am happy to have such a positive relationship with my colleagues.

Outside of work, I enjoy diving and I wouldn’t want to miss out on an annual vacation by the sea. I am also a passionate Ice Tigers fan (our local ice hockey club here in Nuremberg). I hope it’s not too obvious at work on Mondays whether the weekend was successful for the Tigers. 

What qualities should a person have to be suited for the position of Head of Marketing?

You should certainly have a good overview of the diverse possibilities and requirements in today's digital world. You must be open to change and, of course, creativity and adaptability help in the fast-paced environment. Since everything is connected, from graphics to web presence, advertising activities, and communication, good team collaboration is very important. As a leader, you can foster and steer that. Emotional intelligence is generally required in leadership positions to understand the motivation and situation of team colleagues.

As a woman in a male-dominated industry – and then also in a leadership role – how do you feel in this position?

Often there are more men in our industry, although there are more women in marketing positions. Humor and quick-wittedness have always helped me. If you are a technical expert in your subject, you will be respected, and I feel no difference between women and men. Mixed teams benefit from their contrasts, which is why our department is deliberately diverse and functions very well with a mix of experience and fresh young ideas.

You’ve been in marketing for some time now. What has changed there in recent years?

A lot! Through social media and the intensive use of digital media, our entire reality has changed. Content is often only skimmed and it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the flood of information and advertising through design and an interesting message. The pandemic first paralyzed the event industry and then changed it. Everything is more digital, even brochures or business cards. Currently, there is also a focus on sustainability – is the paper brochure still necessary and can the promotional pen be made of sustainable material?

Then there were issues like the GDPR, which of course everyone welcomes on a personal level, but which make our lives incredibly difficult in marketing. Especially when it comes to finding out which marketing measures work well and are accepted or not. I want to provide the most helpful content possible, but no one voluntarily contributes their data for the evaluation.

What role will AI play in the future of marketing?

At the moment, AI is on the rise in all areas, whether it’s individual functions in tools, generating texts, or with AI-generated images. We will see in the coming years how creatively and diversely AI can be used. No one wants a purely artificial world, but we could all certainly use a helping hand at times. I think a lot will depend on how well AI is implemented.

Humans will certainly not be completely replaceable here, because in the end, business is done between people and emotions and personality play a role. I doubt that AI understands a market, the target group, complex products, and advertising opportunities as well as an experienced marketing manager does. Or at least I hope so, because we want to keep doing our job in the future.

NCP has incorporated the topic of social sustainability into their brand values. How do you assess the relevance of a diverse and inclusive work environment for the economic success of a company?

By now, hardly any company can afford to ignore this. A diverse and tolerant society must be reflected in companies. The issue of environmental protection and awareness can no longer be ignored by anyone, and a lot can be achieved with small changes. It is important that the company leadership is on board. In any workforce, there are many minds with ideas. For example, we have a sustainability working group made up of employees from all departments, so we can advance the topic together. This feels good for the employees and makes us even more attractive as an employer.

As a head of marketing, do you watch advertisements from other companies (for example, in the evening on the sofa in front of the TV) more consciously? Do you have a favorite advertisement?

I must admit that I have become immune to traditional TV commercials or online banners in my private life – mostly, I feel annoyed rather than entertained or informed. I only take notice of humorous ideas that hit a nerve. An IT provider with an ad featuring a scatterbrained marketing director has stuck in my mind. What unfortunately works very well is the Instagram algorithm. Here, promotional content for gift ideas or my favorite topics has worked more often than I would like.

Finally, a question with a not so extensive answer. Describe NCP in one word.

Best-in-class