Spilling the T with Roberta Lombardi

Roberta Lombardi’s mission for growth and her love of the thrill that comes with change has propelled her to leadership roles in Consumer Marketing at tech giant Meta . She sat down with Together TV’s Francesca Aita to insist that luck has played a part, but her infectious and exuberant drive fuelled by a career across Automotive, Tech and Media/Entertainment certainly lent a hand in her success.?

Following a recent appointment to Together TV’s marketing advisory group, Roberta reveals what motivates her daily, the key to thriving in a tech giant and how AI is transforming the industry.

Francesca Aita , Together TV : Congratulations on your new role in the marketing advisory group for Together TV. What motivated you to join?

Roberta Lombardi , Meta: Thank you for having me. It's great to be part of such a diverse group of experienced people in the industry. What attracted me to the role is the potential of having an impact that spans personal and professional motivations. As you grow in your career you realise you can have a big impact on people every day, and this role brings me closer to the opportunity to make a difference.

Francesca: What has your journey been to get to lead EMEA Consumer Marketing at Meta?

Roberta: First of all, I've been lucky to work across different industries and brands in various marketing roles working with many talented people. I have always thought of Growth as a by-product of continuous learning. Many people think career growth is only vertical. For me, it has always been about broadening my horizon and nurturing innovation.

I studied Marketing and Business as I've always been passionate about writing, storytelling and creativity. My very first work experience was as a Copywriter before I moved into automotive, where I got to launch, grow and evolve brands like the Fiat 500 and The Range Rover Evoque. Then I took a leap of faith, left Automotive after 10 years and joined 亚马逊 where I had the opportunity to lead Alexa's launch in Europe. It was quite funny at times because my Italian accent then was, if possible, even stronger than it is today, which led to some amusing miscommunication with Alexa...Then I moved to Sky in a more commercial role to drive growth and innovation across existing and new verticals.?

Finally, I landed in Meta nearly three years ago, where I felt I could further scale the breadth and depth from my previous experience

Francesca: How has your role changed across different industries?

Roberta: What I've learned from moving industries is that the marketing fundamentals don't change. For example, you still need to deeply understand the market, identify your core audience, crystallise your value proposition, promote it in a way that is relevant to the audience and effective for the business. However, there are a couple of things that flex. An example is the tension between arts and science, which is the essence of marketing. There are businesses that tend to focus more on one over the other, but the reality is that you need to allow the nuances in the data to add value. You need to crack the right balance, and that's an art, or a science if you like, in itself.

Francesca: What have you found most rewarding in your role at Meta?

Roberta: There are two things that I have found really energising. They are: the power of communities and partnering with creators.

When you see the live impact your products or services have on communities that truly benefit from them, it's very rewarding. And it creates an opportunity to demonstrate the value of your brand in a way that is relevant, authentic and that can generate advocacy. One example is a program my team ran when I joined, called Community Voices , which highlighted everyday stories from communities who experienced Meta’s products’ value. From new parents using Facebook groups for finding a nanny in their neighbourhood, to communities using Meta’s AR/VR immersive technologies for medical training.

And the second thing is partnering with creators. Influencer marketing as such is not new. But what I found different in Meta is that you get to really integrate creators end-to-end in your strategic and creative development process. It's not just about thinking of influencers as a channel, but thinking of them as a partner, from co-creation to amplification of content.

Francesca: Social media has revolutionised the world. Meta’s Platforms are used daily by billions of people. It has been part of a massive change for Together TV and the media industry. How do you think social media has transformed the media ecology?

Roberta: I'm just going to take a step back, and remind ourselves...Continue reading Roberta's full answer and the rest of the interview on Together TV's website >>