Gael De Talhouet
101 Great Minds on Music Brands and Behavior
Gael De Talhouet, Vice President, Brand Building, Essity
Gael de Talhouet is an accomplished Marketing and Digital Senior Executive with more than 25 years of success across the consumer goods and e-commerce industries. Gael is an expert in driving business growth with superior brand experiences across channels and touchpoints. He has worked in big global companies such as L’Oréal, Heineken, Henkel and currently Essity, and is also an entrepreneur, having created his own company, as well as having worked in e-commerce and tech start-ups. His broad areas of expertise include brand marketing, digital transformation and e-commerce. Gael has lived in different cultures, in France, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Germany. Gael was the first in showcasing a disabled person in brand advertising in France, and Essity has collected numerous awards, including Cannes Gold, Glass and Titanium Lions for progressive creativity and business impact.
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“You don’t marry someone based on data; you don’t AB test your future husband or wife. The best things in life happen when they just ‘feel’ right.”
— GAEL DE TALHOUET, VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND BUILDING, ESSITY
Reese: Could you talk a little bit about your approach with consumer brands at Essity?
de Talhouet: We decided some years ago at Essity to integrate the digital transformation team with the best marketing expertise that we had. It was strategic, and now we’re able to look at the customer journey and figure out where, when and how to provide the best experience. I help the company work towards a common destination in terms of how to build strong brands, both internally and externally, and how to implement these initiatives across our different markets. We believe in providing products that are changing people’s lives for the better, improving hygiene and well-being, therefore making people happier. Working with the brand teams and different markets, we can learn together and provide better experiences. As a result, we’ve become a better company.
“You don’t marry someone based on data; you don’t AB test your future husband or wife. The best things in life happen when they just ‘feel’ right.”
Reese:What role does audio play at Essity?
de Talhouet: We have pockets of progress. There’s a lot of potential, and while we won’t be world champions in every area, our role is to make sure that when it happens, we’re able to scale it and make it systematic. We’re not a company who tells people what they should do, but part of my role is to empower people who are passionate. In some of our brand campaigns, we already have proprietary soundtracks that are unique and mentioned by consumers as part of the brand experience. Some teams have jumped on the voice opportunity to connect closer to consumers. We see audio not as a marketing technique but as a way to be present with our customers in the places and moments where they need us.
Reese: What do you think when you look at the future of sonic?
de Talhouet: More and more people consume content individually, not just in one place but on the move. People might listen to a podcast, so they have the sound, but they don’t have the visuals. At the same time, they can look at video or social media, but they don’t have sound, so it’s very hard to understand what builds the experience. Right now, we don’t have a way of understanding what people hear, what they see, and what they feel. So, my main question is when and how do we make sonic a consistent brand experience? One good reason to have a strong sonic identity is that if people hear you without seeing you, then you’d better be sure that your sound makes sense and is consistent with what your brand stands for.
Reese: So, do you believe in measuring the data?
de Talhouet: You don’t need to measure everything. As marketers, we make a difference by making the right decisions without all the required data. As leaders, we make a difference by empowering people to make the right choices, not to drown in data. The only thing that matters is to measure if consumers love our brands more. And love is not only based on data. You don’t marry someone based on data; you don’t AB test your future husband or wife. The best things in life happen when they just ‘feel’ right. Data is the proxy that keep us connected with our consumers. You don’t win ‘with’ data, you win ‘based on’ data but ‘with your customers’.
Reese:There will be half a billion smart speakers by the end of 2024, and $40 billion in sales in screenless ecosystems by the end of 2021. What would you say to colleagues who don’t know how to perform in that space?
de Talhouet: There’s no burning platform so nothing’s going to happen if you don’t work on the sonic identity for your brand. As a professional, it’s easy to discard. I mean, are you going to lose market share? No. And internally, is anyone going to call you to tell you that you’d better work on your sonic identity before the end of the month? No. That’s never going to happen. You will still have a good life. But if you want to do what’s right for your company and your brand, you can’t ignore it. Sound plays a very big role in people’s lives, and if you’re not aware of that, then you’re not as good a marketer as you think you are. Marketers must realise they need to work on it and that it will strengthen their brand and the personality of their brand. Being unheard is as painful as being unseen.
Reese:I think many are looking at the numbers and are realising that they have to market to a smart speaker…
de Talhouet: For me, personally, smart speakers are not a natural one. I was one of the first believers, but now I see it as a closed environment. In the end, the only voice that people are going to hear is the voice of Google or Amazon or Siri. On top of that, how much do people really want to talk or listen to brands? I now have my smart speakers on mute because I don’t want them to hear my conversation. I find it intrusive. The only time I unmute my Alexa speaker is just to tell her to switch on the lights, and then once I’ve done that, I put her back on mute immediately. So, in all honesty, the important questions are ‘Is the voice of your brand adding value to consumers at home?’ and ‘are you the best placed to answer customers’ questions?’ If you have a migraine, which probably happens if you are reading my interview, do you ask your doctor or a pharmaceutical company?
“Sound plays a very big role in people’s lives, and if you’re not aware of that, then you’re not as good a marketer as you think you are.”
Reese:Finally, what would you really want people to think about with regard to sonic in the digital age?
de Talhouet: I’m in marketing because I believe that it helps people have a better life. It improves their well-being and the pleasure they get out of life. Those are the small things that get us out of bed in the morning, and for me, that’s where a sonic identity can make a difference. “I like that sound” is a small thing, but even a small thing can bring a bit of happiness to your day. If our brands can do this, then we are successful. You just have to ask, ‘Is hearing my voice making people healthier, better or happier?’ If yes, this is the best sonic outcome you can have.
Note: The interview took place in Munich on the 5th of October 2020.
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