Hi, I'm carolina marques
senior strategist
Turning complexity into clarity through insight, creativity, and human understanding.
Based in Lisbon, driven to take the next step abroad.
about me
I BRING TEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN MARKETING INTELLIGENCE, BRAND STRATEGY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
My work is grounded in a simple belief: turning insights into direction, direction into clarity, and clarity into work that matters.I’m ready to take on a new challenge — bringing analytical thinking, creative instinct, and the resilience that only years in fast-paced agency life can build.
current experience
VML, Lis
SENIOR STRATEGIST
(2024-current)
I lead cross-functional strategy across brand, communications, digital experience and omnichannel journeys for global and national brands. I specialise in transforming complexity into direction — blending insight, creativity and the ability to activate teams around a shared narrative.
BRAND & COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Helping brands transform complex challenges into multichannel campaigns or brand positioning that resonates with the final audiences. Leading strategic work for national and multinational brands across financial services, retail, technology, wine & beverages and non-profit sectors
INSIGHTS, EQUITY & GROWTH Translating global data, cultural signals, and behavioural analysis into clear diagnoses of brand health, growth territories, and strategic opportunity - embedded into broader brand and communications thinking
JOURNEYS, ECOSYSTEMS & DIGITAL EXPERIENCE Designing and optimizing omnichannel journeys across the full customer lifecycle, and co-developing digital experiences in close collaboration with UX, UI, and development teams
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES ALIGNMENT Working strategically to ensure creative output is perfectly algined with clients' business objectives, translating strategy into impactful solutions that drive measurable results and create positive, sustained impact on business performance
NEW BUSINESS Defining strategic direction for national and international pitches, shaping insight-led creative proposals, aligning cross-functional teams around a shared strategic narrative
+ PROJECT LEAD
(2021-2023)
Bridging strategy and project management for international clients such as Microsoft (London) and PMI (Belgium). Driving alignment across teams, building structures, and delivering strategic work with operational precision.
how I leverage AI in my everyday work
Making AI useful, not fashionable
I embed WPP Open* into strategic workflows to accelerate research, surface patterns and widen strategic exploration — using AI where it genuinely adds clarity, efficiency and momentum, rather than novelty.Designing for adoption, not dependency
I develop AI strategy frameworks that support intuitive, responsible use across teams, enabling better thinking and stronger collaboration — without compromising strategic rigour or creative integrity.
*WPP Open is an AI-powered operating system for marketing designed to integrate creative, media, and production teams to boost efficiency and accelerate content production.
WORKING WITH
CLIENTS
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
VML PORTUGAL
AGENCY OF THE YEAR 2024 & 2025
Co-author of award-winning Effie cases
Montepio AM 2024
Leroy Merlin 2025
Cases
Selected projects illustrating how strategy translates into action accross different contexts.
DANONE - global shopper journey
Industry: Food & Beverage
Turned a global YoPro platform into a high-impact shopper journey, crafting a sharp message matrix and orchestrating key touchpoints to drive choice, visibility and performance at shelf and beyond.
LEROY MERLIN - inside the brandscape
Industry: Retail
Decoded Leroy Merlin’s brandscape through a deep-dive into equity, relevance and competitive tension, revealing strategic opportunities to sharpen positioning and unlock sustainable growth.
MONTEPIO AM - rejuvenating the brand
Industry: Financial Services
Reimagined the brand for a new generation, blending cultural insight, bold campaign thinking and post-launch learning to build renewed relevance and a future-ready brand direction.
previous experiences
NOS, Lisbon (2017-2019)
CX & GO-TO-MARKET
Industry: Telco
Led customer experience and value management initiatives across B2C and B2B, covering product launches, pricing evolution and satisfaction drivers. Defined strategic go-to-market and communication frameworks adapted to multiple sales channels and levels of digital maturity.
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AUTHEOS, Amsterdam (2016)
DIGITAL BRAND STRATEGY
Industry: E-Commerce
Built and activated the brand strategy to drive acquisition and retention, integrating digital and offline actions. Orchestrated content, website optimisation, social media, email marketing, events and sales enablement into a cohesive, performance-oriented ecosystem.
skills
A versatile mindset shaped by open, horizontal thinking
🧠 Strategic Thinking♟️ Brand Planning💡 Creative Briefing🏃♂️➡️ Customer Jounerys💻 CX/UX📊 Data & Insights🤖 AI💁♀️ Project Leadership📂 Project Management
tools
WPP Open AI · WPP BAV* · Google Analytics · SEMrush · Google Ads · Meta Ads · Google Trends · Carrd · Hubspot · Mailchimp · Canva · Trello · Slack · Smartsheets · Jira · Figma · Miro · NodeXL Pro
*WPP BAV (BrandAsset® Valuator) is the world's largest, longest-running, and most comprehensive proprietary database of consumer brand perceptions.
certifications
A well-curated list of things I’ve studied on purpose
Strategy Masterclass (Sweathead)
Strategy Finishing School (Julian Cole)
Creative Briefing Unlocked (APG UK)
Agile Strategy (APG UK)
Google Ads
BAV (WPP)
NodeXL Pro (social network analysis)
STUDIES
🎓 Master's in Marketing Intelligence (Nova IMS, Lisbon), thesis - "Online co-creation communication & brand personality through SNA"🎓 Bachelor's in Management (ISEG, Lisbon) - Marketing Director, AIESEC Lisbon (ISEG) while completing my degree
a glimpse of what inspires me
I am introspective by nature, yet deeply drawn to connection — a contradiction that often makes me an extrovert.Awareness of time, presence, and life fuels my adventurous side, from sleeping under star-filled skies to stepping beyond my usual persona through theatre and drawing.I am passionate about life and people, always seeking what nurtures me and brings genuine joy.
Thank you!