Ep 86: Marisstella Marinkovic is the Chief Marketing Officer for Nissan North America

Feb 14

Nissan is the first automotive brand that we’ve had on the show and we are thrilled to be in conversation with the Chief Marketing Officer of Nissan North America, Marisstella Marinkovic! Automotive marketing is different from all the others in many profound ways, and Marisstella is here to highlight those differences and explain why her industry is the best to work in. After a quick review of her first year in her current role, our guest walks us through Nissan’s Heisman House and Big Game campaigns, how the introduction of college athlete sponsorships has changed the dynamics, how Gen Z’s need for authenticity has influenced the marketing landscape, and her summation of automotive marketing theory. Marisstella also explains how the complexities of her job fuel her, how she and her team use influencers, what she thinks about mentorship, what Nissan North America has planned for 2024, and her advice for new and aspiring marketers who are looking to follow a similar career path.

Key Points From This Episode:

Why romance novels are Marisstella Marinkovic’s secret passion.
A review of her first year as Chief Marketing Officer of Nissan North America.
Exploring Nissan’s Heisman House campaign.
How it’s possible to sponsor college athletes, and how it’s changed sponsorship dynamics
Nissan’s approach to their Big Game (Super Bowl) commercial.
Authenticity, and Gen Z’s influence on marketing.
The theory of automotive marketing.
Why Marisstella appreciates the complexities of her job.
How it takes time to see the results of marketing in the automotive industry.
The way she and her team use influencers.
Marketing areas that she’s prioritizing in 2024.
Debunking unpopular opinions about marketing.
Her nonautomotive experience and how it applies to the work she does today.
Our guest’s sales pitch for joining the automotive marketing industry.
Nissan’s approach to mentoring, and our guest’s advice for young, new marketers.