Insight Out: Giuseppe Fiordispina on Marketing at SEAT and CUPRA
How do you build culturally relevant brands? And how do you combine this with a data-driven marketing approach? Giuseppe Fiordispina, Marketing Director at SEAT Germany, gives us his answers.
Marketing’s boldest voices: Giuseppe Fiordispina on bold marketing at SEAT and CUPRA in Germany
Tens of thousands of courageous marketers are expected to attend DMEXCO 2025, united by its motto “Be Bold. Move Forward.” Among them will be leading industry figures who put this approach into practice every single day – and Giuseppe Fiordispina is a prime example. SEAT Germany’s Marketing Director shares his experiences as part of our series, “Insight Out: Marketing’s Boldest Voices.”
About Giuseppe Fiordispina:
Marketing Director at SEAT Deutschland GmbH since August 2018, Italian-born Giuseppe Fiordispina has a wealth of experience in the automotive industry. After studying for a marketing degree, Fiordispina began his career at Armando Testa in 1999, rising through the business to the position of Account Director. In 2006, he moved to Fiat Germany, initially as Head of Media & Communication and later becoming Head of Brand Marketing Communication. This was followed by a foray into the world of electronics: From 2013 to 2016, Fiordispina worked as Head of Communication Management at Samsung before returning to the automotive sector. In 2016, he joined Opel, first as Head of Marketing Communications Germany and then as Group Head International Brand Management & Brand Strategy.
What’s been your boldest marketing move so far – and why would(n’t) you do it again?
Giuseppe Fiordispina: That would be the spectacular campaign at Frankfurt Airport back in 2009: We hung a Fiat 500 Cabrio upside down from the airport ceiling – a powerful visual statement that left a lasting impression. The installation played with a paradoxical composition: A vehicle that’s usually situated on the street was presented in an unusual way – above the audience – which naturally guaranteed maximum attention.
- For: If the goal is to attract attention by means of visual provocation, this approach is effective. Bold, unusual staging makes brands more memorable.
- Against: It was a very complex project – logistically, technically and in terms of safety risks. I suspect it wouldn’t be feasible now. What’s more, in today’s digital age, the cost of a challenging real-life stunt like that would be somewhat disproportionate.
These days, I’m firmly focused on creating a digital, culturally relevant experience: mixed-reality showrooms, community platforms, collaborations involving music, film and gaming – that’s the modern, scalable way to create emotional anchors for brands.
When was the last time you stepped outside your marketing comfort zone – and why was that necessary?
Giuseppe Fiordispina: One step that was totally new to me involved introducing a modular, data-driven marketing toolkit that has allowed CUPRA dealers to run targeted, automated campaigns via partners like Google or Meta for the first time. This approach was outside our comfort zones to the extent that it disrupted established processes and demanded significantly more personal responsibility and expertise from dealers, with the aim of increasing efficiency, optimizing reach and generating demonstrable impact. The digital toolkit was developed in response to a key problem: Many automobile dealerships don’t have big marketing teams or in-depth online expertise, which makes it difficult to reach out to customers effectively. The tool frees dealers from this problem while also creating a scalable, data-driven marketing approach that has been proven to work – and has delivered results.
Imagine you had to start your marketing campaign from scratch tomorrow – with an unlimited budget: What’s the first thing you would do differently?
Giuseppe Fiordispina: Actually, nothing would change in terms of the strategy and brand territories for SEAT and CUPRA in Germany. Maybe I would think even bigger – but in the end, any budget is always “too small.” ☺️
When you think ahead to 2026, what strategic challenge keeps you awake at night?
Giuseppe Fiordispina: There’s one question that plays on my mind: “How can we ensure that people don’t choose CUPRA – but rather choose who they want to be because of CUPRA?”
It’s no longer just about automobiles or traditional advertising for me. It’s about building a brand that’s culturally relevant, moves people emotionally and becomes part of their identity. If we can do that, then we’re not just an automobile brand. And that’s exactly what drives me when I look ahead.
What message would you like to send to your colleagues throughout the marketing business?
Giuseppe Fiordispina: Right now, I’m really interested in the debate about the future role of CMOs. In my opinion, a CMO should be regarded as a sounding board to help develop strategy, with a clear responsibility for the customer, for innovation and growth. Companies don’t need “white-space fillers” anymore. Sooner or later, that task will be performed by machines and AI agents anyway. In the future, CMOs will have to manage both people and machines, AI agents. Their added value comes from focusing on strategic brand management and innovation management. If this doesn’t happen, CMOs and marketing departments won’t be seen as growth drivers, so they’ll have little or no influence on corporate strategy. Brands will then simply become commodities.
Culturally relevant marketing at SEAT and CUPRA
Giuseppe Fiordispina puts the DMEXCO motto “Be Bold. Move Forward.” into practice at SEAT Germany. This is evident in SEAT’s marketing campaigns, which communicate brand values clearly and emotionally. And the motto is also reflected in the views Giuseppe Fiordispina has shared with us about the future of the marketing industry as a whole.
Would you like more insights into how the marketing world and the role of CMOs are likely to evolve in the years ahead? Want to put your company, your strategic marketing and your career on course for success? Then come to DMEXCO 2025 in Cologne on September 17 and 18! Get your ticket here.
