In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Julia Lirio, Marketing Director at roadsurfer. roadsurfer is transforming the camping and van life experience across 14 countries by positioning camping as a hip, young lifestyle choice rather than a niche hobby for retirees. Operating in the fast-growing outdoor recreation market, roadsurfer offers camper rentals, camping spots, long-term rentals, and van sales through a brand that makes outdoor adventures accessible and Instagram-worthy. Julia shares how her team navigates the challenge of matching elevated consumer expectations with the reality of van life, while scaling marketing operations across diverse international markets with a centralized approach.

Topics Discussed:

• Repositioning camping from niche hobby to mainstream lifestyle brand

• Building marketing operations across 14 international markets

• Balancing brand storytelling with performance marketing measurement

• Managing consumer expectations vs. reality in experience-based products

• Scaling creative content production through influencer partnerships

• Implementing AI for content localization and customer segmentation

• Transitioning from CEO to GEO optimization strategies

• Building centralized marketing teams for international operations

Lessons For Consumer Marketers:

Don’t Separate Brand and Performance – Integrate Them Through Creative Strategy

Julia rejects the traditional separation of brand and performance marketing, instead organizing campaigns around creative messaging that can work at different funnel stages. A TV campaign with clear call-to-action becomes performance-driven, while Meta campaigns focused on outdoor lifestyle feelings can build brand awareness while being optimized for performance. This approach allows budget allocation based on trackable results regardless of funnel position.

Focus on Emotional Triggers That Transcend Product Features

The most successful campaigns at roadsurfer don’t focus on camper specifications but on capturing the emotional desire for outdoor freedom and escape from daily routine. Julia’s breakthrough campaign example from earlier in her career – a Father’s Day video that went viral by focusing on paternal emotions rather than job-related messaging – demonstrates how emotional resonance drives performance even in practical purchase decisions.

Leverage Product Experience as Content Creation Engine

Julia’s strategy of partnering with influencers and content creators through van exchanges (product for content) creates a scalable content pipeline. Their internal photographers and videographers also use the product directly, eliminating 99% of agency dependency. This approach works because the product naturally creates Instagram-worthy moments, turning every rental into potential marketing content.

Build Mini-Agency Structure for International Scale

Julia’s team operates as vertical specialists (performance, SEO, CRM) who function as internal agencies serving generalist country marketing managers. This structure allows deep channel expertise while maintaining local market knowledge. The country managers handle market-specific insights and competitive intelligence, while specialists optimize execution across all markets.

Prioritize Universal Emotions Over Cultural Localization

Rather than heavily localizing campaigns for each of 14 markets, roadsurfer focuses on universal emotional triggers that work across cultures – the desire for outdoor adventure, freedom, and escape. They make tactical adjustments (like increasing diversity in UK influencer partnerships) but maintain core emotional messaging that resonates regardless of geography.

Use AI for Scaling Creative Assets, Not Creating Them

Instead of using AI to generate new creative concepts, roadsurfer focuses AI implementation on multiplying existing high-quality content through automated localization and quick adaptation for performance marketing. With extensive content libraries, their challenge isn’t creation but efficient scaling across languages and markets while maintaining brand quality.

Implement “Less is More” Philosophy During Rapid Growth

Despite operating across multiple countries and products, Julia emphasizes focusing on core channels (Meta, Google, email) that deliver proven results rather than constantly testing new platforms. This approach prevents team overwhelm and ensures optimization depth, especially important when managing 30-35 team members across four products and 14 markets.