Career growth · 4 min read
Marketing Isn't What You Say, It's What You Decide
A 20-year brand builder on how marketing earns its seat at the table by deciding, not just communicating.
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Most marketers are measured by what they produce: the campaign, the spot, the deck. Emma Ruiz de Azcárate measures herself by something harder, the decisions behind them.
She has spent more than 20 years building brands, from the agency trenches (Coca-Cola, BBVA, Ferrero) to Direct Seguros, AXA, and now Pelayo, where she leads both clients and marketing. In this episode of Marketing Leaders by Nova, Jesús Cubero talks with Emma about an argument that is simple and uncomfortable: marketing earns its seat at the table when it decides, not when it talks.
Marketing is what you decide, not what you say
When Emma joined Pelayo in 2018, the brand had history but little around it. No CRM, no digital marketing, no customer experience function. The real work wasn’t a new logo, it was building the capabilities that make marketing count. The rebrand came three years later, as the last step of a deeper transformation, not the first.
“Marketing isn’t just talk and communication. It’s making brave decisions that add value to the business.”
Emma Ruiz de Azcárate
A sponsorship that only buys visibility isn’t enough
Pelayo backed the Spanish national football team for 14 years, then moved to the ACB basketball league. With a limited budget, visibility alone isn’t the goal. Every asset gets activated for engagement with clients, agents and employees, and for lead capture. It’s the opposite of dropping a logo where everyone happens to be looking. The “En tus zapatos” campaign made that literal: with boutique agency Piel Creative Studio, Pelayo sent a size-53 basketball shoe to each point of sale, tying the brand promise to the distribution network that delivers it.
“Our budget is limited, so every euro we invest has to give us the most it can. We can’t afford visibility alone.”
Emma Ruiz de Azcárate
In insurance, the cheapest option rarely wins
Insurance looks like a price war, and auto insurance often is. But Emma argues the first decision is emotional, and price only justifies it afterward. Comparators, and now AI tools, make it easy to line up coverage against price. Even so, people won’t hand a delicate moment, a breakdown, a flooded kitchen, a death in the family, to an unknown brand they’ve never heard of. Trust and notoriety are what put you on the shortlist in the first place.
“In insurance, it’s not all about price. The cheapest option doesn’t always win.”
Emma Ruiz de Azcárate
What’s overrated, and what’s underrated
Emma is wary of chasing the new for its own sake. Everything is AI now, everything is digital, and the consumer, she points out, is still the same consumer. What gets undervalued is consistency: holding a position long enough for it to mean something.
“Novelty for novelty’s sake is overrated. Consistency is underrated. Holding the line, keeping a long-term view, is always underrated.”
Emma Ruiz de Azcárate
The CMO’s seat at the table
Emma describes the CMO role as running at two speeds, under pressure to deliver in the short term while protecting the long-term view marketing is supposed to bring. She sees an opening for marketers on boards, which have leaned on financial profiles, and took a director-to-board-member course to be ready for it. Her advice to the next generation: learn to speak the language of business without forgetting what marketing actually adds. And when she hires, commitment, drive and teamwork come before technical skill.
“They’ve leaned heavily on financial profiles, but boards need strategic profiles, and profiles that bring the customer into the room too.”
Emma Ruiz de Azcárate
Watch the full episode
About the guest
Emma Ruiz de Azcárate is Director of Clients and Marketing at Pelayo, the Spanish mutual insurer, and a board member of the Spanish Marketing Association (AMKT). Over more than 20 years she has built brands from the agency world (Coca-Cola, BBVA, Ferrero) to Direct Seguros and AXA. Connect with Emma on LinkedIn.
This episode is part of Marketing Leaders by Nova, hosted by Jesús Cubero. Connect with Jesús on LinkedIn.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Emma Ruiz de Azcárate?
Director of Clients and Marketing (CMO) at Pelayo, a Spanish mutual insurer, and a board member of the Spanish Marketing Association. She has built brands for over 20 years, from agency (Coca-Cola, BBVA, Ferrero) to Direct Seguros and AXA.
What is the 'En tus zapatos' campaign?
Pelayo's campaign with boutique agency Piel Creative Studio to launch its basketball sponsorship. It sent a size-53 basketball shoe to each point of sale, tying the brand's 'we put ourselves in your shoes' promise to its distribution network.
How does Pelayo approach sports sponsorship?
After 14 years with the Spanish national football team, Pelayo now sponsors the ACB basketball league. With a limited budget, it activates every asset for engagement with clients, agents and employees, and for lead capture, not just visibility.
Can a CMO become a board member?
Emma argues yes. Boards have leaned heavily on financial profiles, but she sees an opening for strategic, customer-focused voices, which is why she took a director-to-board-member course.