Andrew Simon, a marketing technology professional at SAP in Canada, discusses the integration of mindfulness in marketing, emphasizing the importance of taking pauses, creativity, and managing negative emotions. He shares top three tips for professionals to enhance mindfulness in their own lives.
Mindfulness in marketing involves taking a pause, considering creativity, and dealing with negative emotions.
Emotional intelligence and empathy are essential in marketing, helping craft effective strategies and resonant campaigns.
Deep dives
Andrew Simon's Role at SAP and Mindfulness Program
Andrew Simon has been working at SAP for 8 years in marketing and customer data solutions. In addition to his core role in customer success, he also runs a successful mindfulness program at SAP, inspired by his interest in mindfulness and emotional intelligence. The program was kickstarted after Andrew took a course called Search Inside Yourself at SAP, focusing on cultivating mindfulness and emotional intelligence within the company.
Andrew Simon's Career Evolution
Andrew Simon's career initially started in telecommunications technology, where he realized the importance of addressing the emotional aspects of problem-solving. Transitioning to roles in software companies and eventually SAP, he incorporates emotional intelligence in his varied responsibilities, highlighting the essential connection between people and technology in his career trajectory.
Impact of Mindfulness Program at SAP
The mindfulness program at SAP, rooted in the Search Inside Yourself course, has shown significant benefits to participants. Surveys conducted before and after the program revealed improvements in focus, creativity, engagement, and reduced stress levels. The program, with a waiting list of 10,000, has been instrumental in fostering a culture of emotional intelligence, leadership, and empathy at SAP.
Applying Mindfulness in Marketing Roles
Andrew Simon emphasizes the importance of empathy and emotional intelligence in marketing roles. Understanding and leveraging emotions play a crucial role in crafting effective marketing strategies. By building a broader emotional vocabulary and connecting with the audience on an emotional level, marketers can enhance their impact and create more resonant campaigns.
Being mindful in marketing can mean anything, from taking a pause before answering an email, to considering your creativity and learning to deal with negative emotions. In this episode, host Will Francis has a fascinating conversation with Andrew Simon at SAP in Canada who works in marketing technology but has an official side hustle as a mindfulness coach within this global giant.
Stay tuned to the end to get Andrew's top three tips anyone can take away into their own professional life.