Here at Little Red 
, our clients are an extension to our agency family. We wanted to introduce you to the faces behind the brands we work with and what makes them tick!
In the next instalment of our ‘Meet the Client’ series, we’d like to introduce Jon Stanley, VP Marketing at Caesarstone UK & EMEA.
What are your main responsibilities at Caesarstone?
I am the marketing director for Caesarstone UK, looking after advertising, PR, digital & social media, product development and launches, GTM strategy and CRM. I’ve been known to clean the showrooms too – I like being hands on.
How did you come to work in your current role?
After many years working in the global luxury industry, I was contacted about the role at Caesarstone, who were on the cusp of launching its direct business in the UK. The brand is the premium player in the market, so my previous experience chimed with the UK MD. I knew a little about the brand and reputation already and felt that there was a big opportunity for Caesarstone in the UK.
What is your most memorable career moment?
I have been very lucky in my career to travel a lot and to enjoy some frankly amazing experiences. From driving speed boats in St Tropez and on Lake Como to driving Rolls-Royce Dropheads down the Pacific Coast Highway. I’ve had many a ‘pinch me’ moment. Even some of the most stressful occasions were fun, like shooting a 5 million euro concept car in central London, unpermitted, on a random Thursday night and stopping the traffic in Piccadilly.
What is your favourite part of working for Caesarstone?
I genuinely love the product and the design and R&D team are among the best I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Their creativity and passion put them up there at the top. We are also fortunate to have a first class, hugely fun and capable team in the UK too, not least my marketing colleagues. As a new staff member remarked to me at the last Christmas Party as we went to take our seats, “there is no one that you wouldn’t want to sit next to”.
Which is your favourite Caesarstone product and why?
We have a core collection of around 50 products in the UK, of which there are at least six or seven that I covert for my own home. Statuario Maximus is one of our hero products and I love its subtlety and elegance. However, I would have to go with Rugged Concrete because it was such a game changer for the market when it launched. It has opened up a whole new aesthetic for designers and consumers, as well as going to own to spawn the award-winning Metropolitan Collection.
What is your favourite activation you’ve managed over your career?
Simply impossible to pick just one. Our Caesarstone party – A Rough Night – at Bargehouse on the Southbank a few years back was so much fun and an event that people still talk about now.
Booking Goldfrapp for what was a fairly extravagant launch event at One Mayfair was pretty memorable, as was getting the back seat of a £300,000 car signed by all the performers at the MTV EMEA Awards one year.
Who are your three to follow on Instagram?
Another tricky one. I follow a lot of design feeds but far too many and too good to whittle it down to three. Let’s go with Natgeo, Tate and Modern House, all of whom post images that always make stop and look.
Any tips for working from home during the Covid-19 crisis?
Develop a routine that provides some separation from work/home time. Use the time that you would normally be commuting to exercise. Stay away from the biscuit barrel.
What do you think makes a great PR team?
Know the journalist and the publication, appreciate their audience and provide an appropriate story or angle. Be more creative than the next guy.
Your go-to location for a breakfast meeting / business lunch / after work tipple?
I don’t think you can go wrong with the Wolseley. Always great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
What is your favourite social media channel and why?
Instagram. All pictures. A mixture of work, friends and family and inspiration.
