Meet Vincent Gass,

Head of Marketing, BU ICS

What makes you passionate about marketing?
Marketing is a unique node where all functions meet together to turn ideas into products, organizational growth and eventually prepare a better world for tomorrow. I am fascinated by the way disruptive innovation can impact us and how quickly market trends can change with new technological enablers.

What are the challenges of your job?
I am responsible for a team where all typical disciplines of marketing are represented and structured across four centers of excellence: segment marketing, portfolio value management, launch execution and market intelligence–globally and in five regions. We qualify, segment, position and target growth opportunities by fueling our innovation pipeline for more than seven different industries—from paints and coatings to personal care. You need a great combo of analytical skills and a strategic mindset to overcome this complexity.

How do analytical and creative skills interact today?
Our customers operate in saturated markets. To be considered a strategic partner, rather than a simple supplier, you not only need to surprise them with new ideas, they expect you to tell the full story—from the consumer needs the product serves to the market trend it addresses, the value proposition, its main benefits and how you formulate the ingredients. It all starts with creativity but ends up with analytical skills to sell that creativity. One cannot go without the other.

»Strategic marketing sells the full story—not just a molecule.«

How is the »new« marketing integrating with other departments?
Let’s cite the three musketeers here: One for all, all for one! Marketing, sales and application development are our three main pillars to discuss, prioritize and execute our strategy. It’s the most important step of our »new« marketing journey. Together with the »Leading Marketing Organization« (LMO) we have discussed governance structures that have shared goals. This means that my new team has KPIs that are aligned with the other functions’ KPIs to let these truly diverse departments pull in the same direction.

What keeps your mind open?
Since I process tons of ideas and concepts every day I look for ways to revitalize my inspiration for the next day. Something I found out that helps a lot is scuba diving. By concentrating on your breath, you learn to keep a relaxed focus. At the same time, it’s highly strategic—just as marketing. For each dive, you set your destination when you are above the water’s surface. The deeper you go, the more tactical you need to be to put your journey into motion.

What is your favorite Clariant product and why?
I would go for our sugar-derived products, GlucoTain and GlucoPure. These unique surfactants not only outpace market alternatives in performance (e.g. flash foam) but also bring in new emotional claims like softness. Plus, they are renewable. Not having to choose between performance, cost, and sustainability makes them relevant in almost all industries. A true chemical beauty!

Join us
to think ahead.