Claudia David was recently hired as the company’s communications and brand director
Sodexo recently hired Claudia David to strengthen the brand and also involve more employees in the company’s global strategy. The idea is to increase engagement for the benefit of the institutional image with the internal and external public.
She says that the focus is to arouse the teams’ interest in the company’s mission and purpose, “after all, quality of life starts at home”. For her, the role of communication is to provide information in a clear, transparent way that makes sense for the day-to-day of employees.
Below are excerpts from this interview.
You recently took over as communications and brand director for Sodexo On-site Brazil. What are Sodexo’s objectives and what is the intention in adopting an integrated communication strategy?
I joined the organization to work on strengthening a global brand that is currently present in 56 countries and serves 100 million consumers daily, 1.5 million in Brazil alone. In this new challenge, I aim to develop Sodexo On-site’s communication strategy in Brazil, helping to drive business growth in the local food and facilities market with a focus on B2B, in addition to strengthening and strengthening relationships with our stakeholders. . Added to this, we also need to constantly involve our employees in the global strategy of the brand, to increase engagement and strengthen our institutional image with our internal and external audiences.
What is the role of communication in this context?
I believe that our role as communication, especially in a scenario as challenging as the one we are experiencing with the pandemic – in which changes are increasingly rapid, constant and, especially, has transformed the way people live, work, feed, consume and care for –, drives us to take information even more clearly, transparently, that actually makes sense for the daily lives of our employees, customers and consumers. Thus, we have to work even more integrated, connecting internal and external communication and generating real value for all those with whom we have a relationship or with whom we seek to create/strengthen a relationship. In this sense, we must closely observe the new human behavior and trends in the market in which we operate, because only then will we be able to meet the needs of all those we serve and, above all, support the company in its process of transformation and growth.
What is the communication strategy?
The focus is to arouse the interest and engagement of our teams in Sodexo’s mission and purpose, after all, quality of life always starts at home. Our employees are the main brand ambassadors, those who believe in, experience and practice our values daily – team spirit, service spirit and spirit of progress. We are a company of people for people and Sodexo’s trajectory is based on caring for individuals at all stages of their lives, helping to improve their daily lives in every way. That is why the success of our business lies in the immersion in our way of being and doing and in the ability to develop and involve our employees in Brazil.
What are the plans in relation to the marketing strategy?
I arrive at Sodexo On-site to be in charge of the area of communication, brand and institutional relations in Brazil, in addition to being part of the Regional Leadership Committee. The company also has a marketing area that is part of the business strategy in each of our four operating segments in the country, with a marketing head and team for each of the segments. This concept allows us to delve deeper into the challenges of the market sectors in which we operate, providing integrated, customized solutions aligned with the needs of our customers and the types of industries in which they operate.
And what’s the point?
Our goal is to act as a unique partner, providing food and facilities services so that our customers can focus 100% on their core business. From cleaning and cleaning environments, going through building maintenance services to solutions in corporate restaurants, cafeterias, clinical nutrition in health institutions and school meals, Sodexo On-site has more than 100 service categories and a team of specialists. in various professions. We currently operate in Brazil in four business segments: corporate, which serves offices, industries in general, banks, consumer goods, food & beverage, technology, automakers, airports, etc.; health, which provides services to hospitals and health institutions; education, to serve schools and universities; and energy and resources, which operates in mining companies, oil companies, oil platforms (offshore), hydroelectric plants, plants, wind farms, etc.
Will the company have an advertising campaign?
Sodexo always develops campaigns and communication and marketing initiatives to strengthen its brand in Brazil and worldwide and leverage its results and sustainable business growth. We are currently working on developing an integrated communication strategy.
The company’s strategy is to strengthen the brand. What path was outlined to achieve this goal?
Sodexo’s solidity in the Brazilian market is the result of a culture that observes and acts according to the changes in the world and in social behavior, to continuously meet the needs of our customers and consumers, as well as guaranteeing excellence in all stages of our internal chain. And, as a communication area, our objective is to use the channels we have to get closer and relate to our audiences and, thus, strengthen the position that Sodexo already has, of bringing quality of life to people, and generating, each time more, knowledge of Sodexo’s expertise and differentials in its food and facilities services.
What is the company’s position in Brazil, in particular, and in Latin America?
For the Sodexo Group, Brazil, despite being a country, is considered a region, just as Latin American countries are positioned in another region for the company, which we internally call Latam. This is due to the size/representativeness of the Brazilian operation and its plurality for business, which puts us in a very strategic and important position for the company globally.
Does Sodexo have a sustainability project?
For us, growing responsibly means continually seeking to make the best choices in a safer, healthier and more beneficial way for the planet, generating a positive impact on society. To this end, Sodexo redefined its strategic guideline for sustainability with Better Tomorrow 2025 (which replaced The Better Tomorrow Plan, created in 2009), implemented in 2016, when the company inaugurated its Strategic Sustainability Plan. The strategic plan was updated to encompass the UN 2030 agenda – 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In this way, the goals and commitments to be achieved by the year 2025 follow the guidelines of this global agenda and are in line with the SDGs. With BT 2025, we are committed to improving the quality of life of our employees and all those we serve, contributing to the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries where we operate. And this is a constant work to improve the way our employees are received and supported by the company and how we continuously improve the quality of food and services that are provided daily to people around the world, corroborating the way we position ourselves in society. and in the communities in which we operate.
Does the company partner?
We also work in partnership with the Stop Hunger Institute, a non-profit organization created and maintained by Sodexo. Stop Hunger is a leading global force in the fight against hunger with over 23 years of commitment. In Brazil since 2003, several Stop Hunger initiatives have been carried out consistently and with important contributions. In order to expand its operations, in 2015 the Stop Hunger Institute was created in the country, a Civil Society Organization of Public Interest (OSCIP) that involves Sodexo stakeholders, engaging employees, customers, users and suppliers and members of society in general, with the objective of strengthening the fight against hunger in the country and contributing to improve the quality of life of disadvantaged people.
Does Sodexo also invest in social programs?
We currently have several programs, including the Cozinha Escola, for training vulnerable people with a course that teaches sustainable cooking practices, hygiene and food safety techniques, financial management and entrepreneurship; and the Solidarity Food program, an initiative that allows the donation of surplus production from Sodexo’s restaurants to organizations that help people in situations of hunger.
Food services during the pandemic have experienced a giant leap. How much was that growth?
The foodservice market had to look for opportunities in new consumer habits in the face of an unexpected pandemic scenario. I can say that Sodexo has been attentive to people’s habits and behavior and the environment in which they live, especially during this period in which we are still living. We reinvented ourselves in order to continue bringing a complete portfolio with different options for our customers, who think about flexibility, health, well-being and appreciation of local cultures and keep up with the new demands and growth of the foodservice market.
After the struggle of having to meet a huge demand, what are the main goals of the brand today?
Sodexo is increasingly attentive to the users’ life journey to understand their behaviors, habits and preferences, to know how they use spaces, which contributes to greater productivity. In addition to periodically mapping new opportunities that can generate a positive impact on the experience of our employees, or that support our customers to reinvent themselves, innovate and drive the continuity of their business safely. These are key points that form part of Sodexo’s business strategy, which we will continue to look at very carefully going forward.
