Better Marketing Pod Ep. 53: Nissan's Miki Hamamatsu on rebuilding one global brand and why internal belief comes first

In this episode Miki explains Nissan's shift to a lighthouse brand: one definition, one interpretation, clear guardrails to steer by. Brand, in his words, is not always a democracy, and while the debate beforehand is genuine, Nissan's future positioning was settled by decision at the highest level of the company. He is also candid about where that work had to start. Internal research found that only 30% of Nissan employees understood the company's brand equity and just 14% believed in it, and he makes the case that internal brand engagement is the most underrated lever a marketer has, precisely because it never arrives as a campaign anyone can put their name to.

You will also hear a discipline you could copy this week. Miki sends his weekly marketing performance assessment straight through to his agencies, market problems included, then watches the questions that come back. We cover what more than 15 years with the same agency group actually buys you, how Chinese EV competition is compressing launch timelines, and where AI is doing real work in localisation and analytics rather than sitting in pilots.

Miki has sat on the WFA's Asia Advisory Board since January 2023, and he closes on where the industry goes next. He argues that advertisers are adopting AI faster than shared standards for transparency, effectiveness and governance are emerging, and that advertisers have a perspective worth bringing to those conversations. He also returns to a familiar theme. Across Asia in particular, pressure for short-term performance is crowding out the long-term brand investment that sustainable growth depends on.

If you are working on global brand consistency, agency partnership or the case for long-term brand building, listen in and share this with a colleague.

The Better Marketing Pod explores the industry's biggest stories and the people in the industry who are shaping them and is ideal for CMOs looking to lead brand transformation. Subscribe here: