What Brands Can Learn from Octopuses with Miguel Simoes

Looking at some of what Miguel Simoes has pulled off throughout his career is something of a marvel. For example, he’s the guy who helped a luxury ice-cream brand grow their global turnover by almost 700%. Soundbites aside, that really just scratches the surface. His expertise in turning businesses around comes from a career working across pharma, retail, automotive, financial services, beverages, health and beauty, spirits and food. But his ultimate passion lies in fast-moving consumer goods.

He speaks with the kind of expertise that only 20+ years experience can garner. It’s clear that one of the main reasons for his success is the unique way he picks up problems, and spins them around to view them from a different angle. He’s been captivated by the way people interact with brands since his university days, with a keen eye for assessing why certain things work, when others simply don’t. A Portuguese native, Miguel has moved his way around much of the globe. He’s learned through analysis that in order for businesses to thrive, they must keep people front and centre.

For Miguel, brands need to shoulder responsibilities far greater than what we might expect. The marketing ecosystem is about more than product and consumer. Here, he lifts the lid on how brands can survive the waves facing them today - whether they be economic unease, environmental upheaval, or geopolitical risks. And funnily enough, according to Miguel, brands could learn a lot from the all enduring octopus…

LBB> Miguel, you are fascinated by how people interact with brands - but how did you find this passion? Was it something that you found growing up or did it come later in life?

Miguel> During university, while studying marketing, I discovered my fascination with the way people interact with brands. I became aware of how certain brands pulled me in, others attracted my friends and colleagues, and how and why others were ignored by them and by myself. Something as simple as a brand sticker on a notebook or a poster in a room, was already saying something about someone or myself. I quickly understood the power a brand can have in building a sustainable business and I started focusing my studies on marketing and communication.

LBB> What are some brands that you personally have loved interacting with and why?

Miguel> The NBA comes to mind. It is a brand I enjoy and interact with quite frequently because it owns constituent ingredients that are far more powerful than many other sports. Together, these ingredients contribute to the overall brand's attractive positioning. Within the sports entertainment industry, I don’t see many brands with such extraordinary consistency.

First, as a sport (or product) basketball is accessible for people of all ages and skill levels. Young people can easily play pickup games, join local leagues, or engage in casual basketball activities, fostering a sense of connection to the sport. These are the product foundations of the NBA.

As an entertainment product, it delivers high-quality and high-intensity games, with a special focus on fast-paced play, three-point shooting, and highlight-reels of dunks, making it exciting and appealing to young audiences. It has consistently produced basketball legends and iconic players who capture the imaginations of young fans. Superstars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and many others have not only excelled on the court but also become cultural icons, serving as role models and sources of inspiration for young people. It has also played a significant role in popularising basketball culture, including fashion trends (e.g., sneakers and streetwear) and music genres (hip-hop and rap).

As a teenager, basketball was a sport that I followed with curiosity, but with a certain distance. But a few years ago, I began to admire the consistency between the product and the brand and began to consume it, follow, and interact with the brand more frequently. It is obvious how young people from many countries are increasingly connecting with the NBA and its players, fostering a sense of inclusion and a shared global passion. The formula is so consistent, that it will become one of the most popular sports, products, and global brands.

LBB> Your expertise lies in managing global accounts for what brands need today. In your opinion, what are some of the biggest challenges brands are facing right now?

Miguel> While navigating such turbulent times international brands face unprecedented challenges. To win the race in their categories they need to stay agile and responsive to changing circumstances. These challenges require strategies that from my perspective, must be driven by positive dissatisfaction. It is their obligation and responsibility to innovate across all aspects of business from supply chains, to enhancing digital capabilities and adopting sustainable practices – all while continuously monitoring the global business environment which can include regulatory changes, economic uncertainty, global health crises, geopolitical risks and more. Wow. That is a lot, and that is why a strategic and creative agency job is to help brands simplify and cross this increasingly complex environment to win the races of their categories.

LBB> How do you see this evolving over the next few years? What steps can brands take to overcome these challenges?

Miguel> One day, I heard someone reply to a journalist, "give predictions only at the end of the game". It’s impossible to predict the future. The past few years have proven that the brands that are more aware, open, and responsive to changing circumstances, will be the ones with higher chances to overcome the challenges and succeed. The octopus, represented in our own logo, has survived on this planet for over 300 million years because of its fluidity and ability to adapt. It is the only organism that routinely self-edits its own DNA - a model for how brands should behave today.

LBB> You have over 20+ years of experience in the industry across multiple sectors. If you had to only pick three, what are the most memorable moments you have had in your career so far?

Miguel> I would say the most memorable moments were those related to the positive impact we were able to generate with our creative strategies - our work. Whether it is helping clients achieve their goals, for example by helping build a luxury ice cream brand that became a global icon of pleasure (beyond its category), growing almost 700% its global turnover. Or helping tackle cross cultural taboos on women’s health or making body positivity and inclusivity a part of a heritage brand’s DNA. These are good examples of the several moments that have been deeply rewarding for our teams and myself.

LBB> Now as CEO of LOLA MullenLowe and MullenLowe Western Europe, what are your ambitions for the coming years?

Miguel> I would say that our main ambition is to continue helping our clients, our people, and our partners, to do the best work of their professional lives. We call this attitude "Crazy ambition makes serious things happen".

Our clients value the contagious effect that our entrepreneurial attitude generates in building their businesses and we will keep working in that direction with them.

Recently we were named one of the 10 best creative agencies of the decade by Cannes Lions. My ambition is to show the positive impact that the quality of talent I have around me can provide to a few new international clients, with the ambition to make serious things happen in their companies and in their categories.

LBB> You have also travelled a lot with your work, originally from Portugal and spending time in Paris and Madrid. What have you learned about advertising and creativity from these different regions?

Miguel> The three countries you mention have incredible talent, but they have very different creative cultures and performances. Those nuances that have been very interesting to observe and manage in some way. From my experience, it isn’t so much the country that moves the needle in making the best creativity that multiplies from one country to the world. Again, it’s the ambition and determination of its players to try to grow, benchmark themselves continuously and push their self-demand to the best work of their careers.

While working in the three countries, we tried to always value and respect individuality and diversity, to generate more dynamic, creative, and resilient attitudes. I’ve learned that embracing diversity and treating individuals as unique human beings, rather than as stereotypes or nationalities contributes to the vibrancy and strength of a community and is essential for fostering a better world for everyone.

LBB> Finally, what’s the biggest lesson that you have learned in your career that you still live by today?

Miguel> Your question reminded me of a thought from Leo Burnett, the pioneer American advertising executive who founded a worldwide agency that ranks among the giants of the industry today.

He sums up perfectly what I have learned in my career and that I still live by today.

“What helps people helps business.”