Q&A with Charlotte Ashton, Global Marketing Coordinator of Ritz-G5
What is your role in Ritz-G5?
In a global company as expansive, both geographically and physically, as Ritz-G5 I firmly believe that communication is the key to success. As Global Marketing Coordinator, it is my responsibility to ensure smooth communication between all three territories (Brazil – UK – Asia) and all team members.
How long have you been working with your client, Ritz-G5?
I have been working with the Ritz-G5 team for over 2 years now.
What does your typical day look like?
Busy! Being here in London, on GMT, gives the UK marketing team an advantage in that we can respond quickly in the mornings to requests from the Asia office, the UK office around midday and then from the Brazilian office in the afternoons. On a daily basis, the UK marketing team is responsible for creating and posting news and keeping the Ritz-G5 website fully updated, writing the monthly SkyRize newsletter, ensuring client relations with UK buyers are in good order, researching and preparing market reports such as the Buyer’s Guide to Natal, enter awards, liaising with the Brazilian office for the latest project information and updates, undertaking PR activities to ensure Ritz-G5 is properly represented in the media, handling the UK social media channels and ensuring the Agent Network Manager has all the relevant marketing materials required.
What’s the most enjoyable aspect of working together with a leading developer such as Ritz-G5?
The diversity is always challenging and working with such a proactive and enthusiastic team here in the UK. We are all working towards the greater good of Ritz-G5. Being able to gain an in-depth understanding of the Brazilian real estate market and equally the Asian investment appetite also interests me personally as well as having the freedom to explore exciting, new and innovative marketing techniques.
Are you originally from London? What do you like most about the city?
Yes I am, pretty much the only Londoner left in London! This city is my home and I just love it. Coming to work in central London every day still gives me a buzz and my lunchtime run around Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park is a great reminder of how lucky I am to be able to live, work and play in this top global city.
Why do you think Brazil, particularly Natal is so appealing to investors and property buyers from abroad?
As an emerging market, Brazil still, despite rapid economic growth and social progress over the last decade, presents a massive opportunity for property buyers. For Asian clients, the distance may make holidaying in Brazil prohibitive but the high yielding investment opportunities makes it a no brainer compared to leaving money in the banks with such low interest rates.
For buyers in locations with closer proximity to Natal (UK, Portugal, Italy, USA and within Latin America itself) having the option to own a holiday home in near enough paradise, at the fraction of the cost of a traditional holiday home is highly appealing! Lower land values combined with labour and construction costs make holiday homes in Brazil very affordable and even more so today with the real having fallen so much against hard currencies such as sterling, the euro and US dollar.
In your role as Global Marketing Coordinator, how do you oversee global marketing activities and ensure consistency?
The honest answer? By being very pedantic and asking to see and sign off all materials before publication. I fully appreciate that it must be frustrating for other team members to take this extra step but over a decade of doing this work has taught me that an extra pair of eyes can’t hurt and often ensures the consistency of message and tone that companies such as Ritz-G5 are looking for.
What has been your biggest professional achievement whilst working with Ritz-G5?
Winning the two International Property Awards 2015/16 for Majestic Village and Costa Azul was a massive achievement however I must say that this was a real team effort (as everything should be). From Aidan and Sandra helping us collate the information at source out in Brazil, to Fernando and Joao assisting with collateral and imagery, Nina using her expert copywriting skills and Ana in her compilation and safe delivery of the awards, it was a true collaboration which resulted in great success.
How do you see the future of foreign property investment?
Strong! Certainly here in the UK, with the recession firmly over and sustained economic growth, the appetite for property investment is very much back. As most will know, property is very cyclical and I believe we are at the start of another 5 -7 year cycle. It started with the recovery of the UK domestic market, then buy-to-let investment and now foreign property investment is once again in vogue. That said, the global financial crisis did leave its mark – buyers, whilst their appetite is back, their attitudes towards risk and security have changed. That’s why it’s so important for Ritz-G5 to mitigate as much risk as possible when offering investments in Brazil.
And the future of Ritz-G5?
Bright! Natal is known as the “City of the Sun” and a new dawn truly is here as the city grows and matures. Every time I return, the progress and development is clearly evident which is very encouraging especially as Ritz-G5, as the largest construction company in Natal, is so pivotal to this transformation.
For more information on Ritz-G5 operations in United Kingdom, contact Charlotte and the team on +44 207 183 7565 or visit www.ritz-g5.com
