For Manuel Medina, working very hard is essential to grow and be recognized, “You don’t have to be afraid of taking risks or raising your voice”.
By Alejandra Duarte
Manuel Medina started 20 years ago after deciding to study Industrial Engineering. His first introduction to marketing was when he applied as an intern for consumer brands such as P&G, Unilever and Mattel. Being Procter the company that would see the beginning of the successful trajectory of one of the leaders of the brand with the highest growth in televisions and refrigerators, Hisense. P&G gave Manuel Medina the opportunity to go to a regional role in Venezuela, to the Latin American offices, from there he would end up moving to Panama after the firm bought Gillette, a brand with which he started as a brand assistant, brand manager , until carrying the entire man care portfolio.
Later, it began handling home care brands, from fabric softeners like Downy to dish cleaner like Salvo. It was from then on that Manuel Medina had a single premise, to understand the consumer. “Who is he, what motivates him, what makes him make the purchase decision. It is essential to have defined what you want when building your brand and of course touch the emotional. If you already know who your consumer is and what you want to offer them, then start with how you are going to execute it”.
This premise became the basis for him to start a new stage in other industries after 11 years at P&G. He even took the risk of co-founding a startup by creating a digital bank that is now a unicorn. Now at Hisense, Manuel Medina works so that the brand is number one in the top of the Mexican market.
Manuel Medina assured that one of the strongest trends is the world of streaming, platforms that are experimenting with ads within their subscription model, “We still don’t know how it will evolve, but what we do know is that people are watching everything weather on demand except for live news and sports”.
One of the challenges that Manuel Medina, CMO for Hisense in Mexico, faces is to continue building the brand in people’s minds, and not only for televisions, but also for premium refrigerators, chest freezers, different kitchen, air conditioners and even cell phones. Manuel Medina seeks to position Hisense as a brand with a robust portfolio, with products made in Mexico at the Rosarito, Baja California plant, or at the Monterrey plant.
Manuel Medina reiterated that you should not be afraid to take risks and raise your voice, for him working very hard is a fundamental part, but above all enjoying when you build a brand, especially because it is about connecting with people.