#CareerFocus With Nadine Damen Director of Marketing At The Capital Hotels
1, Tell us a bit about yourself.
I like to think of myself as a ‘career woman’, which I think is code for ‘professional juggler’. Anyone who works a full day has kids and runs a household probably shares this side hustle with me! It’s not always easy juggling all of these at once, but when you get it right, it’s really fulfilling. I’m fortunate to have a good support system that allows me to ‘have it all’.
I’m a proud mom of two great boys (aged 11 and 14 years) and my hubby and I have been married for 17 years (and counting). I’ve been in the Marketing space for most of my career and am fortunate to have worked on some great South African brands across a couple of industries. One of them I’m most proud of is the time I spent launching kulula.com and building that brand into a household name.
Fast forward to the present day, where I’m heading up the marketing team at another disruptor brand but in the hospitality space. The Capital Hotels, Apartments & Resorts. I’m really lucky to enjoy what I do and live by the mantra “Do what you love, and love what you do”.
In my spare time, I love to exercise, especially on my Rebounder, eat my body weight in sweet treats, and enjoy a glass of wine with my hubby.
2. What work do you do?
I’m a ‘Brand Builder’ and like to think that I build brands using my approach of being quirky, memorable, and consistent in the marketplace. I specialize in integrated marketing which ensures all elements of the marketing I do, must ‘speak to each other’.
This means every bit of a new or existing campaign, brand story, customer touchpoints, and even internal marketing must all link back to the brand’s initial purpose and the company’s business objectives. I work closely with the General Managers of all our hotels, our Director of Sales, and our Revenue Team to ensure we get as many ‘bums in beds’ as possible and our hotels, apartments, and resort are always top of mind.
3. How long have you been in the industry?
I started out at Comair making flight bookings in the Telesales department and moved around until I landed up in the marketing team. I then decided to sharpen my skills and studied part-time while working to complete my IMM National Diploma in Marketing.
4. Has your work always been your passion? Tell us why?
I’ve always loved the idea of marketing – it’s such an exciting industry that is constantly evolving. No two campaigns are the same, even in the same industry, and if you want to stay topical, you must be on your toes and keep abreast of the latest trends.
Marketing touches so many areas that you can’t possibly be bored – from advertising to social media to using AI to make my job easier, there’s always something cool to do or new to learn. I also love that it’s rewarding to see how you can shape the personality of a business by building a brand to suit it. If you do it well, it will resonate 100% with your customers (or potential customers).
5. Being a woman in the industry – what does it take?
Unlike aviation, which was mostly male when I worked there, I think marketing is filled with great female leads. I think you have to be very organized (it’s driven by deadlines, normally very tight ones!); a self-starter, and motivated to get things done, even if it means getting your hands a little dirty. I’ve never minded getting stuck, so I think it’s a great fit for me.
6. What has been the most difficult challenge of your career?
It’s going to sound like a cliché, but COVID was the most challenging. The hospitality industry almost collapsed and many of my peers are still out of work because of it. I’m grateful for my team and the MD/owner at The Capital Hotels, Apartments & Resorts who helped to lead our business to survive and now thrive because of it.
We pulled off some crazy campaigns, at the drop of a hat, and managed to keep our hotels open and staff employed through the pandemic. Something I’m very proud of.
7. What advice do you have for other women in your industry?
It’s a fun-filled, fast-paced industry, but one that I think is great for go-getter women who like to be in the thick of things. You can learn so much and specialize in many different fields that you’ll never get bored.
Short bio
Nadine Damen is the Director of Marketing at The Capital Hotels, Apartments & Resorts. Nadine is responsible for marketing across the group of apartment hotels in South Africa, working alongside the General Managers to help drive revenue, manage guest experiences, and create brand awareness for the group.
Nadine showcases her passion and unique personality in all things. She enjoys challenging the status quo and taking the road less travelled. Nadine lives by the mantras “Love what you do and do what you Love” and “Try everything, twice!”
Contact information
- nadine@thecapital.co.za
- Social media links
- https://www.instagram.com/nadinedamen/
- www.linkedin.com/in/nadinedamen