Spark Foundry’s Caroline Hugall joins Moments with Marketers… in Uber Rides to share why brand clarity is the foundation of moment-led marketing – and how smart brands are shifting focus from the spotlight to the lead-up.
Timing is everything – but only if you know exactly what you stand for.
In the latest episode of Moments with Marketers… in Uber Rides – a new video interview series by Uber Advertising – Spark Foundry’s chief strategy officer Caroline Hugall jumps in the back seat with Uber Advertising’s Michael Levine to unpack how brands can capitalise on moments that matter most to audiences.
With a career spanning global integrated campaigns and local behaviour-shifting initiatives, Hugall brings both strategic rigour and creative optimism to her view on moment-led marketing.
Her career-defining experience? Working on Coca-Cola’s global platform for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
She recalled: “It taught me everything about big, creative ideas that travel, about integration of media and about big events and how important they are to brands.”
That early lesson in the power of brand clarity has stuck with her. For Hugall, showing up in a moment only works when there is an overarching strategy to support the activity.
Hugall said: “The key to success is having a clarity of voice of what your brand wants to stand for.
“The brands that know that do it really well,” she added.
Hugall points specifically to Nike’s partnership with the FIFA World Cups and Aldi’s messaging around Christmas as examples of the success that can follow when brands align their participation in cultural or sporting moments with a clear and consistent brand identity.
She said: “These are brands that really look for moments in events that ladder up to who their brand is.”
Hugall also challenges the traditional idea of what qualifies as a “moment.” Famous examples of moments may be Black Friday, Christmas, and so on – but she reveals that seasonal moments are particularly relevant to Australians and sometimes overlooked.
She shares a recent campaign with Cancer Council Australia that centred on summer – not as a retail window but as a seasonal behaviour change opportunity.
Hugall explained: “Events aren’t just big sporting moments or retail spikes. Seasonal moments can be super important for brands, specially when you try and change behaviour.”
Looking forward, Hugall sees a major opportunity for marketers to optimise in the lead-up to moments. Post-COVID, she says, those early windows are getting longer and even more important.
She added: “There’s just huge opportunities for brands to play in the pre-moment moments.”
It’s a reminder that great brand-building isn’t just about timing – it’s about meaning, consistency, and knowing when (and why) you belong in the conversation.
Watch the full series of ‘Moments with Marketers… in Uber Rides’ on B&T’s YouTube channel, with more episodes rolling out soon. Our first two episodes, featuring Tourism Australia’s Susan Coghill and Telstra’s Dan Lacaze, are live now. The series was created by Uber Advertising.
Stay tuned for upcoming interviews including Alex McLean (General Manager, Marketing at BMW Australia) and Joanna Robinson (Chief Marketing Officer of THE ICONIC).
