At Hazera, we are proud of our dedicated team, which works passionately to provide our growers with the best products. While we tend to put our products in the headlines, it is the Hazera team who are behind our success. Let’s shine the spotlight on Maria Martinez, Marketing Communications Manager from Almería, Spain.
Maria Martinez is 30 years old and has been with Hazera for almost nine years. She started in finance at Hazera and gradually began combining both finance and marketing communications. “When I started, the Marcom department didn’t exist at all. We only had a Facebook page but we didn’t use Instagram or other platforms,” Maria explains. “So I created the Marcom department. Then we began to professionalise our marketing actions more and more.” While she also handles finance responsibilities—sometimes stepping in for the finance manager during maternity or sick leaves—her passion lies in marketing. “While finance is all about clear numbers and predictability, marketing allows me to think outside the box, be creative, and work on something different every day.”
Maria’s connection to agriculture runs deep through her family. “My family has a greenhouse, and they have been working in agriculture for years. My grandfather also had a open fields where he used to grow all the fruit and vegetables that they ate in the house. I remember when I was a child, I used to go to the open field with my cousins and grandparents in the afternoon to pick up apples, lemons, and potatoes. So, I’ve been in contact with agriculture since I was a child.”
What is a common myth about your field of expertise?
“I think that in these last two years, people have been thinking of Hazera Spain as a company that innovates a lot and is always doing different things,” Maria shares. She recounted how their innovative approach has become their signature:
“Last year we did 3D billboards which we placed along the highway, and one girl saw the billboard, only seeing a flash of the Hazera logo. But she immediately asked me, ‘Is that 3D billboard from Hazera?’ When I said yes, she replied, ‘I knew it had to be from Hazera because it’s something very different, very innovative, and this is something only Hazera does.'”
Maria continues, “People always say we’re the only company doing very different activities. When we go to fairs, everybody likes to visit our stands because they know they’ll see something totally different compared with the rest of the companies. Marketing is very important, because it often is the first glimpse you get from the company.”
In your opinion, what is the most important personality trait someone should have to work in your industry?
Maria emphasises that “the secret of Hazera Spain is the team. When you enter the company, the feeling is that everybody is working, but if someone laughs, another laughs also. We try to have a very good environment.” She stresses the importance of connection in marketing work: “For social media, for different events, you need to have a good connection with people. Because even though we sell products, we’re a company that works for people. It’s very important to have a good positive attitude. Never say this is impossible. Especially in marketing, flexibility is crucial. If you can’t do something today, tomorrow you can.”
Tell us about a project you’re proud of and why.
“This year I’m very proud of the cinema campaign, and I am not only proud because of the result, but also because of the process,” Maria says enthusiastically. The ambitious project began when General Manager Manolo mentioned being at the cinema with his daughters and suggested doing something cinema-related. “We thought about this campaign in July of last year. We couldn’t tell anyone anything because if another company did something similar with cinema, the campaign would have been a total disaster.” The comprehensive campaign included a 15-minute film about the Heredero tomato variety, cinema advertisements for other varieties like ZiMMan, Nemeton, Pendragon, and Windsor, billboards designed like movie clapperboards, a Women’s Day cinema team-building event, and a premiere complete with red carpet. Despite challenges, including unexpected rain during filming in typically dry Almería, the campaign was a tremendous success. “This was Heredero’s first commercial year, and we sold all the seeds. Our marketing campaign had a result.”
What does “Hazera- Growing Together” mean to you?
For Maria, Growing Together represents collaboration at every level. “I do a lot of collaborations with influencers, and with other companies. I think the right way to grow is to collaborate because we can learn together. Also, Growing Together is reflected in our commitment to the clients— for example, this year we celebrated family days and invited people to the cinema to see our film. We don’t want to only involve the clients with Hazera, but like to involve their families as well. Because if the family is involved, they’ll have a good vision of Hazera and they are going to talk to other people about Hazera.”
Tell us something about yourself that most people do not know.
“The majority of people, external and sometimes internal, think that I studied marketing because I do everything related with marketing. But the reality is I studied finance and accounting,” Maria reveals with a smile. “Everything I learned was by myself. I did a lot of online courses, learning how to edit videos, how to create good social media planning. When I started in marketing it was like an obsession for me. I started following marketing companies, reading marketing books, and listening to marketing podcasts. While finance taught me precision, it’s marketing that allowed me to think beyond limits and write the story I’ve always wanted to tell.”
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