Facebook CMO On Trust, Storytelling And Zuckerberg’s Legacy

Facebook CMO On Trust, Storytelling And Zuckerberg’s Legacy
Edward Pollitt
By Edward Pollitt
SHARE
THIS



When Antonio Lucio joined Facebook as global CMO last year, it was a turbulent time for the social media giant to say the least.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal was fresh in the minds of the public, the FTC had the company under its microscope and a (now complete) investigation by the ACCC was in full swing.

Having spent time in senior positions at global heavyweights HP Inc, Visa, PepsiCo and Kraft, Lucio was more than qualified for the position in Mark Zuckerberg’s inner sanctum, and yet the challenge he faced was unique to any other in his career.

Despite all of its commercial success, Facebook had very little experience in direct to consumer marketing.

The billion-dollar platform needed to learn how to tell its story.

“Showing the ‘how’ is part of my mandate,” Lucio said during a keynote presentation at Advertising Week APAC in Sydney on Thursday.

“From a marketing standpoint… we need to create a persona for the Facebook corporate entity.”

With Facebook having acquired Instagram and WhatsApp in recent times, the company is now tasked with the difficult balancing act of owning and running a host of leading tech platforms, while simultaneously putting on a unified front.

“We need need to create that corporate persona that owns the responsibility part of the narrative, which is improving across election interference, fake news, data management and privacy,” said Lucio.

“Have that conversation more directly with opinion leaders, with journalists and consumers and then allow each of our individual apps to drive value.

“One of the most important things that we can and must do to preserve the integrity of advertisers around the world is ensuring that the experience of each and every one of our users has within the app is meaningful and valuable.”

Slowing down

There is no doubt Facebook has changed tact over the past 12 months.

The ‘Here Together’ campaign focused on the changes it had made in protecting people’s privacy, while more transparency tools have been added to show users why they see certain ads.

Lucio explained this had been led by a concerted effort to slow down, a far cry from the one-time unofficial slogan “move fast and break things”.

“Over the last 11 months at Facebook I have seen change,” he said. “Radical and fundamental change in the way that people behave, the things we embrace.”

“Slowing down significantly, which is a big cultural shift. You have to slow down to ensure things are right.”

And while starting a cryptocurrency may not be everyone’s idea of ‘slowing down’, it is consistent with the sentiment of enacting social good and ideas of brand purpose.

Zuckerberg’s legacy

Lucio spoke in-depth about his boss Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg founded Facebook when he was just 19 and became the world’s youngest billionaire in 2008 at the age of 24.

In many ways, the world has watched Zuckerberg grow up.

From the ‘Zuckerberg doesn’t believe in privacy’ leak on Twitter in 2010 to his testimony in front of US Congress last year, the public has had plenty of opportunities to make up its mind on the company founder.

Lucio explained that with Zuckerberg now well into his 30s, he is starting to think of his legacy.

“He (Zuckerberg) doesn’t need the money,” Lucio said.

“He wants to make sure that all platforms that have been built actually end up working for advertisers and for people.

“I’ve been able to see very fundamental proof that the intent, the resources and the money required to actually make some very fundamental shift is going to happen.

“I want to be part of the solution, as opposed to just sitting in the line criticising.”

Please login with linkedin to comment

Antonio Lucio CMO Facebook Mark Zuckerberg

Latest News

Bryce Mills & Ebony Boadu Will Take Over triple J Breakfast In January
  • Media

Bryce Mills & Ebony Boadu Will Take Over triple J Breakfast In January

triple j has announced that Bryce Mills and Ebony Boadu will take over triple j Breakfast in January 2021. Hailing from Moranbah via Woy Woy, 26-year-old Bryce Mills got his start in community radio, presenting on 2SER, before absolutely sweating triple j management to give him a job. Mills jumped at the chance to helm […]

Palo Alto, California, USA - January 02, 2018: Google parking street/pavement sign. Title of a Google on a parking spots for Google employees in Silicon Valley.
  • Technology

Google And Facebook Explore Options Ahead Of News Media Bargaining Code

Both Google and Facebook are both on the lookout for local content partners, according to reports, ahead of the introduction of the News Media Bargaining Code. The AFR has reported that Google has been in contact with Nine, News Corp and Seven West Media in recent weeks, to gauge the interest of a potential deal. The report […]

Recommended

by B&T Magazine

B&T Magazine
Camille Baumann Joins eWave As Chief Customer Officer
  • Marketing

Camille Baumann Joins eWave As Chief Customer Officer

Global independent commerce innovator, eWave, has announced the appointment of Camille Baumann to the new role of chief customer officer. Baumann brings a wealth of expertise to eWave. Previously MD of Accenture’s Microsoft Business Group (Avanade), she was part of the Global Executive Leadership team, heading up APAC and Latin America regions to deliver Connected […]

Big Brands Follow Familiar Formulas In This Year’s Christmas Campaigns
  • Opinion

Big Brands Follow Familiar Formulas In This Year’s Christmas Campaigns

In this guest post, Dear Stoyteller’s MD Mike Drysdale dissects the four big retailers Christmas’ TVCs and finds, in spite of COVID, they’re following a very familiar festive formula… This year more than ever, for businesses big and small, the Christmas ad campaign may feel like it’s make or break. What’s the theme? Nothing too […]

Opinion

by B&T Magazine

B&T Magazine
Heart Foundation CMO Chris Taylor Departs
  • Marketing

Heart Foundation CMO Chris Taylor Departs

Chris Taylor will be leaving the Heart Foundation after almost three years as chief marketing officer. As the organisation’s first CMO, Talor had a mandate to establish a first-class marketing team to drive the Brand, Marketing and Digital strategies and support the organisation’s move into a new era as it transitioned from nine separate entities […]

Can’t Carry Ya Pints? The Four-Beer Holding Super Schooner Has Arrived
  • Marketing

Can’t Carry Ya Pints? The Four-Beer Holding Super Schooner Has Arrived

In a year full of challenges and set-backs, Ogilvy Sydney set out to solve a problem which has long troubled Australia’s beer drinking community—how to carry four schooner glasses at the one time. This tricky dilemma is hotly debated online among a passionate subculture of schooner carrying experts, with Facebook and Instagram groups devoted to […]

WPP AUNZ Announces It Will Give Back Staff Salary Sacrifices

WPP AUNZ Announces It Will Give Back Staff Salary Sacrifices

WPP AUNZ has today announced the return of the majority of salary sacrifices made by staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the positive financial results for the business, and the announcement of return to full salaries in August, the news reinforces WPP AUNZ’s commitment to the wellbeing of its staff whilst recognising sacrifices made during unexpected circumstances. The decision offers […]

Australian National University Pitches Creative Accounts
  • Advertising

Australian National University Pitches Creative Accounts

The Australian National University (ANU) is approaching the market for agency partners offering services in the following categories: creative services, public relations, marketing and brand for the next 3-7 years. ANU is a highly esteemed national institution known for its excellence in research and teaching and has been ranked as Australia’s number one university since 2004 […]