Benjamin Pagel

Brand & Marketing Strategy Advisor

Benjamin Pagel
Hamburg, Germany

Experience

Jan 2014 - Present
11 years 2 months
Hamburg, Germany
Hybrid

On-Demand Troubleshooting

Self-employed (glu-works.com)

KEY CLIENT & PROJECT EXAMPLES (CONTRACT):

ORKLA Healthcare "Möller's" (11/2024 - ongoing)

  • Development of a global brand platform for “Möller’s” (Omega-3 supplementation) to empower growth from portfolio extensions and untapped geographies
  • Translating the global positioning into portfolio architecture and coherent creative

ETERNA Mode GmbH (07/2024 - 09/2024)

  • Developing the cornerstones for a long-term brand rejuvenation that appeals to modern fashion shoppers without alienating legacy customers
  • Developing first pathways to simplify an excessively complex product range architecture

Mazda Motor Europe (05/2022 - 01/2024)

  • Development of a new brand platform for European markets to elevate brand relevance, audience engagement and distinctiveness
  • Assessment and recalibration of creative agency collaboration for efficient deployment

British American Tobacco (02/2018 - 03/2024)

  • Numerous projects across risk reduced products and innovations, such as "tobacco heating", "vaping" and "modern oral"
  • Project samples: development of master playbooks for the CEN region as well as go-to-market approaches and supporting local markets with toolkits for launch

Shell Int. & Shell DE (03/2021 - 06/2022)

  • Strategic lead for a campaign development in the context of Shell's transformation into a net zero integrated energy provider (client: Shell International)
  • Development of a change & communications strategy to facilitate all corporate relations messaging in the context of the energy transition into renewables (client: Shell DE)

Upfield (07/2021 - 01/2022)

  • Rejuvenating the biggest and most long-standing portfolio brand "Rama" in a challenging and highly competitive market environment
  • International brand footprint development and translation into creative/packaging guidelines

Welthungerhilfe (02/2021 - 11/2021)

  • Facilitation of a brand redesign process inside-out to support the growing global presence in a meaningful and distinctive way

Porsche / PIA Group (09/2020 - 12/2020)

  • Supporting a cross-functional client & agency team (PIA) to redesign the communication organisation and its workflows in line with content requirements (formats and touchpoints) to streamline the creative asset production process and its deployment

UNICEF (11/2018 - 07/2020)

  • Leading the process to carve out UNICEF Germany's brand footprint for enhanced comprehension and emotional engagement with the private donor base
  • Guiding implementation through development of campaigning framework & tools

Lidl International (01/2018 - 03/2020)

  • Numerous projects with Lidl "Non-Food" international across diverse topics
  • Project samples: development of a new campaigning model (asset development), sustainability communications, portfolio architecture, product innovation, etc.

Vodafone (12/2014 - 04/2017)

  • Strategic agency lead (Scholz & Friends Group) for Vodafone Germany (B2C & B2B) covering all projects evolving from "Brand Strategy & Insights" client team
  • Exposure to full breadth of the product & services portfolio (mobile, broadband, TV, etc.)

Mercedes Benz China (01/2014 – 12/2014)

  • Strategic agency lead (BBDO) for Mercedes-Benz Greater China
  • Project samples: brand campaign development, launch / relaunch of several car lines such as AMG GT, S-Class Maybach, E-Class and SMART in alignment with Mercedes-Benz HQ
Dec 2007 - Nov 2013
6 years
London, United Kingdom
Hybrid

European / Worldwide Planning Director

BBDO Worldwide

01/2010 - 12/2013: Worldwide Planning Director on Mars Inc. cat brand portfolio (Whiskas, Sheba, Perfect Fit)

12/2007- 12/2009: European Planning Director on Mars Petcare Europe covering brands such as Sheba, Cesar, Perfect Fit, Frolic, Catsan

  • Covering the full breadth and depth of brand & marketing management in close partnership with senior global leadership client-side
  • Enabled the agency to secure substantial on-top client business (double-digit mm USD)
Jun 2007 - Nov 2007
6 months
Hamburg, Germany
Hybrid

Strategic Planning Director

Jung von Matt

Extensive reassessment the RWE brand foundation to inspire a relevant and engaging creative expression in a "low-interest" commodity industry (utility companies)

Jun 2007 - Nov 2007
6 months
Hamburg, Germany
Hybrid

Independent Strategic Planning Director

Self-employed

Sep 2006 - May 2007
9 months
Hamburg, Germany
On-site

Strategic Planning Director

Jung von Matt

Strategic planning lead across car lines and global markets

Projects samples:

  • Evolvement of the brand equity model
  • Assessment and optimisation of range architecture (car line glossary)
  • 4Matic campaign development
  • GLK-class launch
  • SL-class "big facelift"
Jan 2004 - Aug 2006
2 years 8 months
London, United Kingdom
On-site

Strategic Planning Director

Scholz & Friends Group

  • Strategic agency lead on the development of "Zewa" master brand strategy, portfolio- and communication approach across Western- and Central-Europe across category segments (toipa, hankies, paper towels)
  • Strategic agency lead on portfolio and marketing strategy development for Mars Snackfood's European 'Nutrition for Health & Wellbeing' hub (agency counterpart to Mars Inc. portfolio director)
  • Strategic agency lead across Tchibo product categories (food & non-food), markets (DACH & Central-Eastern Europe) and communications channels
Jul 2002 - Dec 2004
1 year 6 months
Frankfurt, Germany
On-site

Senior Strategic Planner

J. Walter Thompson

  • Strategic guidance on brand and campaign developments for DWS Investment (Deutsche Bank's mutual funds provider)
  • Strategic agency lead Germany for localisation of an evolving global brand strategy in collaboration with Vodafone and JWT HQ's London
Jun 1999 - Jun 2002
3 years 1 month
Düsseldorf, Germany
On-site

Consultant / Senior Consultant

BBDO Consulting

  • Shaping the internal positioning and roll-out of Daimler's global eBusiness incubator "DCX.NET" to accelerate and synchronise the company's digital transformation activities
  • Extensive brand repositioning of "E-Plus" (KPN's German mobile network provider) and subsequent development of through-the-line communications
  • Deutsche Bank group brand architecture evaluation and optimisation in line with expanding customer facing offerings across diverse audiences ("Deutsche Bank" vs. "Deutsche Bank 24" vs "MaxBlue")

Summary

Good listener with some empathy to understand consumer and client needs across cultures, markets and business functions. Well-structured generalist with a decent ability to combine data analytics with intuition, experience and creativity. Able to get to the sweet spot in a quick and efficient way. Essential Skills: - Giving direction in complex environments - Brand development that translates into creative marketing excellence - Great storytelling - Building sustainable client partnerships - Troubleshooting and change facilitation in times of disruption and/or crisis Philosophy: Listen first. Filter out the noise. Get done what really matters with some pragmatism.

Languages

German
Native
English
Advanced
French
Intermediate

Education

Oct 1995 - Dec 1998

Cologne University

Dipl.-Kfm. · Business Administration · Cologne, Germany · 2.2

Oct 1993 - Jul 1995

Julius-Maximilians University Wurzburg

Vordiplom · Business & Economics · Würzburg, Germany · 2.6

Sep 1984 - Jul 1993

Friedrich-Koenig Gymnasium Wurzburg

Würzburg, Germany · 1.9

Certifications & licenses

Google Project Management

Google

AI in Business & the Future of Work

Lund University

Corporate Sustainability

Bocconi University

Driving business towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Erasmus University Rotterdam

AI Deep Learning

DeepLearning.AI

Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path

Google Cloud Skills