Candice Ayad is known for driving digital acquisition through strategic thinking, team leadership, and focusing on optimisation and data-led targeting. She brings more than 12 years experience, a contagious energy and a passion for innovation, to help brands grow their digital maturity.
She has recently moved to insurer RACV to lead the personalisation strategy across web and app journeys. But away from work this leading senior marketer is extremely family orientated and has a deep love for art.
Now into our second season of B&T’s CMOs To Watch, presented by Zenith, Ayad joins the ranks of visionary marketing leaders redefining the playbook. This series celebrates those who balance bold ideas with business impact and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
B&T sat down with Ayad where she lifted the lid on her plans to grow the RACV app, tackle the fragmented and evolving customer landscape and art being her therapeutic outlet.
B&T: Let’s get to know you… What three things would you take to a desert island?
Candice Ayad: My husband and son—the entertainment!
A flint—the survival necessity. Finally, my hours of Survivor watching will come in handy.
My arts and crafts box.
B&T: What is your passion outside of work? If you weren’t a Senior Marketer, what would you be doing?
CA: Probably an Artist. I’ve been painting since I was young and over the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with Resin and Textured Art. Although hard with a toddler running around, whenever I have a free moment, I turn up the tunes and create a new piece of art for our home. It’s my therapeutic outlet!
B&T: What was your favourite campaign of all time?
CA: My answer to this question changes so often. As a marketer obsessed with data, I loved Spotify Wrapped. So rare to see a brand pull in user-generated content in the right way, across a variety of channels. It resonated with so many different people and created a truly personalised narrative. Plus, people love learning about themselves (Me. I am people!), and I loved that it tapped into this.
Patagonia – ‘Don’t buy this jacket’. A risky move but was fuelled by their brand values which I found powerful. All built from the question ‘How do we convince people to only buy what they need’ which was such a juxtaposition in the retail category. A nice example of emotional branding and building brand trust.
B&T: Now let’s talk shop. What is your brand’s top priority for the next 12 months?
CA: I’ve just started a new role (new mum, new role – let’s go!) and outside of improving and growing demand in our category, we’ll be diving headfirst into growing our App and enhancing our experience for our customers through personalisation and tech enablement.
B&T: What channel is exciting you the most and how do you split your marketing budgets between long/short and channels mix?
CA: For me, it’s not one specific channel but more about how you use and measure the channels together that’s getting me most excited. MMM and other forms of measurement tools are incredibly important to understand the balance and plan with the right insights to underpin your strategy. Finding the right balance between budgets is always tricker, especially in a competitive marketplace. But it’s imperative to ensure you can scale short channels and reap the brand benefits over time.
B&T: What is the biggest challenge you currently face in the marketplace?
CA: Big ideas, limited budget and user fragmentation across channels and touchpoints continuing to multiply… but are we fast enough to keep up?
B&T: What are you most excited about in the marketplace?
CA: Navigating a fragmented and evolving customer landscape—especially with AI being centre stage. Within my new role, focused on Personalisation, I’m super excited to be at the forefront to try and help solve this.
B&T: Where do you see yourself in five years time?
CA: I have absolutely no idea! I didn’t expect to be where I am five years ago but I’m excited about how my new role will evolve me as a digital marketer. I do hope I’m still accelerating brands digital maturity and pushing boundaries…. and of course, still having fun while doing it!
B&T: Speaking hypothetically what’s one brand, product or category you’d like to sink your teeth into right now as a marketer?
CA: I’ve dived into Insurance and I am ready to hit the ground running. It has so many layers and I can already see so much potential.
B&T: Zenith believe there is untapped media potential we need to uncover. What is your prediction for media this year?
CA: I think Brands will lean into media placements that can truly unlock personalisation – we’ll see more creative executions and experiences. As they say, Attention is earned.
The brands that are ready (and can truly measure impact!), will break their media strategy ‘status quo’ and lean into placements and AI-fuelled media buying tools.
