S3, Ep9 – In conversation with Freya Evison
28 April 2023
Building and growing a business and brand as an entrepreneur ensures your role is constantly evolving on a daily basis. Through this podcast, Life & Smile, the conversation has advanced rapidly by bringing together some of the most successful leaders across many and often contrasting industries.
Today we bring it back to dental where we meet Freya Evison. As the Marketing Manager for Northern Europe at Colgate-Palmolive she is at the centre of a caring, innovative growth company that is a reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets, and our planet.
We have been so delighted that Colgate have sponsored Series 3 of our Life & Smile podcast and on this episode, Dr Reena is particularly excited as a dental expert herself to share and further explore the world of Colgate.
Conversation Show Notes – The Recap
Freya joins Dr Reena on Harley Street, where they start the conversation by highlighting how Colgate is the number one toothpaste brand in the world, with four tubes sold in the UK every minute.
Dr Reena asks Freya how Colgate ensures it stays one step ahead in breakthroughs with the latest technology and best-in-class ingredients.
Freya explains that with such a well-established brand like Colgate, which is deeply rooted in heritage, the company is constantly evolving and transforming. It’s vital for Colgate to stay at the forefront for both professionals and consumers, maintaining relevance in a fast-changing market.
All innovation within Colgate is driven by ‘people’, ensuring they are always at the heart of the brand. Freya notes how Colgate prefers to refer to their audience as ‘people’ rather than consumers.
They strive to understand behaviours and challenges, developing products and services that respond to real ‘people needs’ — innovation is only successful when it addresses genuine demand.
Another key element of Colgate’s innovation is their outstanding research and development teams. The brand has unparalleled resources with over 700 technologists worldwide working on new technologies, ingredients, formulas, and clinical studies. Freya shares that Colgate also has six strategic innovation centres globally.
What truly makes Colgate special is how they connect their scientists with the wider organisation — a proven method that ensures they remain cutting edge.
Dr Reena builds on this, emphasising the importance of referring to people as ‘individuals’ rather than just ‘consumers’. Speaking as a global dental expert, she highlights the significance of treating patients holistically, not just focusing on their oral health.
As a household name, Colgate employs over 34,000 people worldwide, all dedicated to improving health and wellness. Freya discusses Colgate’s passionate commitment to oral care within communities — a key brand achievement.
She highlights the recent charity initiative Colgate x Change Please: Driving for Change, which repurposed London buses to provide vital oral health services to homeless and vulnerable people on the front line.
Continuing this commitment, Colgate is also known for its dedication to improving the oral health of children through Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, which has reached more than one billion children since 1991. Freya offers an exclusive insight into the huge impact this long-standing project has made on young smiles, showing how deeply passionate the brand is about working with governments, schools, and communities to provide oral health education.
This is now more important than ever, especially post-pandemic and in light of the cost-of-living crisis. Colgate is dedicated to supporting both children and parents by providing resources to instil good habits and navigate challenging brushing times.
As the number one recommended brand by dentists, Dr Reena shifts the conversation to how Colgate ensures it remains the most trusted oral care brand in a competitive marketplace.
Freya confirms the keyword is ‘partnerships’ — Colgate builds partnerships to develop trust, focusing not on pushing recommendations but on understanding challenges and how the brand can help.
Freya adds that Colgate is heavily committed to education in dental schools and places great importance on building and maintaining trust in communities.
Turning to Freya’s personal career, as a marketing leader working internationally, she has been with Colgate for over eight years, initially joining through their graduate programme after studying History at the University of Cambridge. Dr Reena asks about Freya’s transition into the dental industry and advice for others passionate about brands and people.
Freya passionately advocates for career development by focusing on transferable skills and applying them across different contexts. Her advice: Think big, be bold about your ambitions, imagine the possibilities, and seek them out. She also stresses the importance of finding mentors you admire and trust to guide and support you.
Regarding retail and commercial industries, Freya notes how they’ve evolved dramatically over the past decade due to digitalisation and consumer demand for instant access.
She confirms how the digital landscape has been the engine for vast brand transformation at Colgate, revolutionising how people engage with oral health and consume information. This shift has also transformed advertising, now spanning multiple omnichannel touchpoints beyond traditional TV.
Freya emphasises the importance for Colgate to reflect the society they serve, stating digital transformation has been an exciting focus for the whole team.
When discussing new products and trends, Dr Reena asks about shifts in the dental and health industries that Colgate plans to embrace.
Freya highlights whitening as a major focus moving forward, with increased demand post-pandemic as people become more self-aware of their smiles.
She also stresses the importance of value, especially amid inflation and cost-of-living challenges, where consumers must make more careful choices. It’s crucial for Colgate’s people to continue accessing the best quality and new technology.
Episode Key Takeaways – The Best ideas
Innovation is only successful when it addresses a real, human need.
Be curious. Approach lifestyle and consumers from a genuine, human perspective.
It takes a village to make things happen. Build trust with others, but remember—you must ‘walk the walk.’
Instil good habits early in children, as these behaviours tend to stick for life.
Building successful partnerships is rooted in trust. Foster this by delivering experiences and products that truly make a difference.
Relevant experiences often come from unexpected places. Don’t limit yourself to existing skills—be willing to strip them back and explore new possibilities.
Embrace opportunities, especially those that push you outside your comfort zone.
Find amazing mentors—look up, down, and sideways. You don’t need only those more advanced than you and never hesitate to ask for help.
You might also like
Previous episodes
S2, Ep8 – In conversation with Paula Lester
Renowned for her work as Managing Editor & Features Editor at Country Life magazine and appearing on the likes of BBC Breakfast as a voice of true industry authority, Paula Lester joins Dr Reena in conversation to give us the full behind-the-scenes access to her city and country lifestyle combined.
S3, Ep11 – In conversation with Simon Thomas
Dr Reena was particularly keen to be joined in conversation on this very inspiring and motivating episode by a household name who many of us will of course recognise instantly from his Blue Peter years. It is of course Simon Thomas.
