Ricardo Ramos Lazcano

 

IN A NUTSHELL:

• IED Milano
• Brand Management and Communication - 2012
• Strategy Manager at Barrows Global

YOU AND IED:

Q.: do you agree with Elizabeth Gilbert's statement: “We are lucky that inspiration talks to us at all; it’s so much to ask that it also explains itself”?  Where does inspiration come from, according to your feeling? 

A.: I 100% agree with Elizabeth Gilbert. Inspiration is forever sought and rarely found.  On those rare moments when you actually get a visit from your muse, you must not overthink but collect all ideas, even those ones out of your comfort zone. Inspiration may come from diverse scenarios; it’s how you train yourself to listen to it that matters. 

Q.: inspiration usually gives birth to stories. If you could give a rate to storytelling, which percentage would you rate the importance of it in our lives? Does storytelling help us to live better?

A.: I’m not sure if it actually helps us live better, but storytelling definitely helps us live more inspired lives. Not just big brands, but any product and project needs to tell a great compelling story to truly resonate with consumers and users. Storytelling certainly is the biggest factor leading us in our buying experience. 

Q.: currently, you are a Client Strategy Manager. What does it mean to be a Strategy Manager nowadays? Which are the priorities in your daily work, approaching different markets, countries and people?

A.: “ a Client Strategy Manager is a hybrid between an Account Manager and a Brand Strategist. “

My daily task is to take care of the client's relationship, manage and coordinate each project, and produce the idea externally. Working in a global company means that I’m responsible for national as well as international effective executions. Every day I get to work directly with the client, the creative, the production and the strategic team.

Q.: why did you decide to come to Italy to further your education?

A.: yes Italy, but more precisely I chose Milan - the global capital of design and aesthetic trends. I knew that if I pursued my education immersed within all these moving ideas, I would have had a better understanding of myself.

Q.: did IED teach you something really inedited, that you will treasure among all of your studies?

A.: IED prepares you for the ugly reality that is the competitive workspace.

“ Every class, project and exam is as close as you can get to real-life work scenarios. “

Still today, I truly value the learnings I receive from all real-client projects I get to participate in.

Q.: if you would be a visiting professor for a marketing lecture, what would you recommend to students: pandering to the current mainstream or being one of the pilot flames of a new era? 

A.: new and existing brands are at a stage where constant evolution is a must and consumers' demand for the next best thing is pushing us (as brand and client managers) to constantly innovate. You must become a living Google, filled with consumer and market insights to answer your clients (never-ending growing) questions of this ‘I-want-everything-now’ era.

Being prepared with information is half the battle; you must also define your personal brand as soon as possible.

“ Companies don’t hire your title; partnerships don’t start with a CV: who you are as a brand is what matters out there. “

You must sell yourself and create a path for your personal brand to grow.