Supermarketing: Meet Ofri Shabo – CMO of Magnum Israel

The ice website takes you behind the scenes of the marketing industry in Israel in a series of personal interviews with the senior names in the industry. This time: Ofri Shabo, CMO of Magnum Israel, talks about the move with Noa Kirel that almost didn't happen, reveals a surprising love for gardening – and explains why one day he plans to leave everything and go teach financial literacy.

Ofri Shabo in short

"I am 44 years old, married and a father of three (and also two cats), living in the town of Matan. I am the CMO of Magnum Israel."

Key milestones in your career?

"I started my professional path as an economist at Bank Hapoalim, but the world of marketing always attracted me. I got a chance at Osem as a temporary brand manager, when the temporary became permanent – and led to four fascinating years that were a marketing school for me. From there I moved to Unilever, as the breakfast cereal category manager. I experienced the salmonella crisis 'from inside the boardroom' and understood how significant the connection between consumers and brands can be. After two years, I advanced to marketing management for the personal care world at Unilever, when during this period we managed, among other things, to overtake Procter & Gamble in market share in several key areas in the toiletries field. In addition, I took a significant part in establishing AXE as the leading deodorant brand for men in Israel.

The next stop in my career was at Strauss, as the marketing manager of the coffee division. For five years we achieved many successes – including doubling the turnover of the capsule category, exponential and profitable growth of the coffee website, replacing the immortal presenter of Turkish coffee (Aviv Alush) with a new presenter (Tuna) and creating a new communication and business strategy for the brand.

From Strauss I advanced to my current role, as the CMO of Magnum Israel (formerly Strauss Ice Cream). For me, this is a wonderful role, and one that is also especially tasty. As a member of the management and CMO, I am required to bring professional and managerial challenges to the decision-making table. Today we are building a new company almost from scratch (after the separation from Unilever and the company's IPO), with the goal of creating a strong foundation for it that will allow it to grow, compete and lead over time."

Project/campaign that you led and are particularly proud of?

"My first significant move at Magnum Israel was the collaboration with Noa Kirel and Adidas, in which we launched a special edition of SAMBA shoes inspired by Magnum Double Raspberry and in collaboration with artist Aviad Amarghi. Together we managed to generate significant social resonance, grow in market share and strengthen the brand equity of the Magnum brand. In this context, it is also time to reveal: I actually intended to launch a different move, and it was my excellent team that insisted on this move. I am glad that I had the confidence, the ability to listen and the courage to execute the move with Noa.

The same concept also led us to the decision to bring the Magnum Bar back to Israel this summer after five years of absence. For many, it is much more than ice cream: an experience that has become an inseparable part of the Israeli summer over the years, a place where you come with family and friends and create memories. After the challenging years we all went through, we felt it was the right time to bring back this iconic experience, but to do it in a way that fits today's Magnum.

In recent years, Magnum has been working to create a deep connection to the worlds of fashion and lifestyle, and this time we brought this connection to expression in an experiential and extraordinary way. Every ice cream became a piece of jewelry with a gemstone and every visitor became part of the experience. In this way, the entire visit felt like a meeting between fashion, culinary and the worlds of luxury. We actually created an experience here that is not only tasty, but also one that you feel, photograph, share and remember."

If you had to train the next generation of marketers, what would be in your curriculum?

"This is a question from which you can build a syllabus for at least a few semesters. There are several key tools that I think the next generation of marketers will need:

1. Ability to connect data to a sharp insight and an applied conclusion – as technology accelerates and access to information becomes easier, it is easier to lose direction and scatter in the sea of information.

2. Development and training of emotional intelligence and listening – good marketers listen to what is said and also to what is not said, because sometimes the real breakthroughs are hidden between the lines.

3. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals – precisely now, in an era where everything is instant, the real advantage lies in a deep understanding of the fundamentals of marketing. Do not compromise on theory and do not compromise on in-depth learning of case studies."

Which Israeli brand do you think is doing an excellent job and why?

"I love and appreciate the work of Tnuva in the yogurt worlds. The company changed the packaging design, improved its quality and found a point of differentiation with added value against the competition. Launching the yogurt in a 500 ml family pack, with the goal of increasing consumption and the shopping basket, is an example of simple and clean work that creates a lot of value for the brand, the retailer and the consumer."

If you had to choose another field to work in, what would you choose?

"Financial education. I have wanted to do a teaching certificate for years. Unfortunately, in academia they have not yet managed to crack the formula that would allow for teaching certificate studies alongside a full and demanding job. But here I declare: one day it will happen, I will go to teach and educate."

Something few people know about you?

"I am an amateur gardener. I buy the small seedlings at the nursery, and I really love the growth process, the consistent and unique care that every plant requires."