Conversation with Business Insider's CMO to Watch: Paloma Azulay's Creative Capital
Uncovering the "secret recipe" of successful global brands with Paloma Azulay, VP Brand Marketing at Hulu, former Coca-Cola, Tim Hortons, Popeyes.
Recognized as Business Insider’s “CMO to Watch” and AdAge’s "Woman to Watch,” Paloma Azulay is a trailblazing marketing leader with over two decades of experience in creative marketing and brand building. From shaping the global identity of icons like Coca-Cola, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons, to her current role as VP of Brand Marketing at Hulu (a Walt Disney Company), Paloma’s journey has been defined by a confluence of culture and branding.
As I’m 20 years old and trying to find my footing in college and career, I was curious to hear about Paloma’s path; Her background and early interests, universal truths in brand building, experience in Corporate America, and nuggets of wisdom. I felt honored to connect with Paloma and get some nuanced insight into her Creative Capital.
What originally drew you to branding?
I’ve always been fascinated with brands. I remember at 6 or 7, I’d sit in the car with my dad and point out logos. He was an artist who loved painting pop culture themes — like Disney and Coca-Cola — so growing up hearing his passion, branding came naturally. I never questioned my degree choice — it was always communications and advertising. And I continue loving it.
Your dad often said, “A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” How does this guide you?
My dad always told me to “go experience”—it’s the free spirit of an artist, so-to-say. After 11 years at Coca-Cola Brazil, I felt stuck in my comfort zone, and wanted to work abroad. When I was offered the role of Creative Excellence Director in Europe, I was nervous — I had a baby at home — but my dad reminded me, “Ships are meant to travel.” And he was right. I relocated more times than I could count — Rio, Vienna, Toronto, Miami, and Los Angeles. Leading in different cultures has become a rich learning experience. It forces you to adapt and be humble.
You've worked on global campaigns. How do you create a unified brand identity while catering to diverse audiences?
It’s about being “glocal” — balancing global appeal with local relevance. I studied Coca-Cola’s approach, and their success lies in a timeless, universal purpose: connecting people through sharing a Coke. Across China, Ecuador, Brazil, people share the same human desire to connect.
In Brazil, Coca-Cola thrived by embracing local culture — sponsoring Mardi Gras, folk events, and, of course, soccer. That’s the key: Find that global, unified idea, and execute it using local insight.
In design school we often hear, “if you design for everybody, you design for nobody.” What’s your take?
When you try to please everyone, you’re going to lose what made your idea special. In many cases in branding, it’s about understanding your audience and staying focused on what matters to them. Of course, you can’t ignore consumer insights, but you also can’t be afraid to push boundaries or find the edge of your design. Otherwise, you risk losing everything.
What is the biggest change in branding that you've seen in 20 years?
Branding used to be easier. People watched TV, anticipated your advertisement, and paid attention to it. Now, attention is fragmented. No one cares about ads, so you have to break into culture creatively— through influencers, UGC [User-Generated Content], or performance marketing. Social media makes targeting audiences easier, but too many companies expect instant results. Building a brand is a marathon. It takes years of consistency, and not everyone has the patience for that.
Looking back at your career, what campaign are you most proud of?
One campaign I’m especially proud of is for Tim Hortons. We reconnected Canadians to the brand by telling “true stories.” We were lucky to hear from Canadian hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, whose dad saved an autograph from our hockey legend Tim Horton — which inspired Wayne’s career. We created an iconic brand moment, and Canadians loved it.
If you were to give a commencement speech to my class, what would you say?
The first thing I’d say is to be aware of what makes you strong. What are your talents? Everyone has a talent, and if you feel out of place, it’s not you—it’s the wrong environment; The wrong place, the wrong company, or the wrong job. Self-awareness comes with experience, but it’s so important.
Above all, work on things you believe in. In a world full of fake content, if you truly believe in something, you’ll inspire others to believe in it too. Authenticity is everything. When I work with a new brand, I always ask: “Why does this brand matter to people?” If I can connect with that, then I can help others connect too. Life’s too short to work on projects you don’t believe in.