Carlota Pico recently spoke with Alexandra Hinz, a social media expert with over 10 years of marketing experience at B2B and B2C companies. Alexandra currently works at Victorinox, the original retailer of Swiss Army knives, which today sells a wide variety of products around the world. As social media team lead, she manages a truly global brand with more than a million followers. She let us in on the secrets of coordinating this massive network through social media, storytelling and content strategy.

You can watch the full conversation in the video above or on our YouTube channel, listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify, and read our recap below.

Key takeaways

  • For a global brand like Victorinox, the core themes of communication must remain consistent, even as content is localized and adapted to each market’s cultural context.
  • Traveling extensively and learning multiple languages will serve content and marketing professionals well; firsthand experience with diverse perspectives is invaluable.
  • User-generated content is incredibly important for a B2C company, as it lends authenticity to brand messaging and ultimately results in greater click-through rates. 
  • The key to promoting a business on LinkedIn is finding your specific niche; for example, Victorinox might focus on selling their luggage to business travelers. 
  • When it comes to building a blog, it pays to have dedicated authors who are experts in the subject matter, rather than hiring a general SEO-focused agency.

If you just see a photo or video of a product, you can’t fully experience it. More background and storytelling allow you to really explore and feel it.

Rapid-fire recs

What’s an app or tool that you can’t work without?

Slack makes it much easier to work together with a team that’s spread out all over the world. It’s also helpful for communication with partners and agencies, in order to share and exchange information. When I’m working from home, I can’t live without it. 

Also check out: 8 best tools for running an effective multilingual blog

A marketing influencer who you follow?

I don’t follow individual influencers, but I do follow hashtags about digital transformation and social media marketing trends. I think this is a good way to stay updated and informed by getting a general overview, rather than information from one specific person. 

A valuable resource, event or group?

DMEXCO is a digital marketing fair in Cologne where you can network with a lot of interesting people, partners and representatives from the biggest social media channels. It gives you all the latest news and insights into the digital world, with a real “wow” effect. 

Also check out: 7 online networking groups for content marketers on Facebook & LinkedIn

Connect with Alexandra and Carlota on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Melissa Haun, a freelance content creator based in Lisbon.

For more insights into social media leadership, check out:

Provide value on social media – Bianca Spada, social media manager at Red Bull

The art of social media campaigns – Justyna Ludwiniak, global social media manager

Social media is for everyone – Gareth Crew, EMEA social media manager

To see the full transcript, click on page number 2 below. 

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