Global Marketer and Innovator – Interview With Nikolett Vilmos

Nikolett Vilmos is a Master’s educated marketing and advertising professional, currently holding the position of Head of Marketing at Christie’s International Real Estate Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, part of the storied Christie’s brand with 250+ years’ heritage, present in over 50 countries and 6 continents.

In her role she spearheads the marketing department of one of the Middle East’s leading luxury real estate brands, bringing first-hand insights on how longstanding internationally renowned brands stay ahead of the curve in an evolving digital landscape.

Born in Hungary and educated in London, her professional experience in digital marketing spreads across a range of industries besides real estate; from hospitality, through retail to blockchain. She has previously served as Performance Director for a Google Partner advertising agency managing over £1.5M of combined monthly ad spend for clients across various digital marketing channels.

She has later founded her own performance marketing agency specialised in serving blockchain and fintech clients. The agency was one of the first of its kind, mastering the development of innovative, compliant and effective marketing campaigns on heavily regulated ad platforms for clients.

Nikolett regularly speaks on global stages from London through New York to Dubai, on digital marketing strategic and tactics. She is the host of ‘High Life-The Podcast’, discussing business drivers, marketing strategies and global lifestyle trends with leaders of a wide range of luxury industries, such as the CEO of Dubai Golf, or the Communications Director of a Michelin starred restaurant group.

Nikolett has recently been awarded the Global Recognition Award for exceptional leadership and innovative marketing strategies in luxury real estate.

 

How Did Your Journey Into The World Of Digital Marketing Begin?

 

I was educated in finance with a strong analytical mindset and a genuine enjoyment in data analysis. While I’ve always been drawn to numbers, I was equally fascinated by the power of marketing, the impact of smart campaigns and how the combination of creativity and consumer psychology can shape perception, influence behaviour and build or break brands.

Marketing plays a far greater role in business success than most people realise and, in many ways, operates on a subconscious level, which I found intriguing.

The intersection of data and creativity naturally led me to digital marketing, a field where I can combine both analytical and creative skillsets to drive measurable impact. After completing my undergraduate studies, I started with entry-level marketing roles in London, gaining initial practical experience in campaign execution, content strategy and performance analytics and I later pursued a Master’s Degree in Digital Marketing and Data Analysis that equipped me with an in-depth knowledge on the art and science of digital marketing.

What Has In Your Opinion Been The Biggest Change Over The Last 10 Years In Digital Marketing?

 

Digital marketing is an ever-changing landscape, and the speed of change is exponential. One of the most significant transformations in recent years has been the rise of AI, not only on a software level, but also in how marketers do what they do.

Major platforms like Meta and Google have implemented AI-driven tools that automate campaign optimisation and management, creative delivery and targeting, for example Google Performance Max, Responsive Search Ads (RSA), Smart Bidding, Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) and Automated Advance Targeting. These tools leverage real-time big data to deliver desired outcomes based on predictive analytics and machine learning, significantly reducing the need for manual input and traditional A/B testing cycles.

However, it is important not to allow automation tools to fully replace human insight and to weaken brand authenticity. A common mistake marketers make is focusing on quantitative measures on the expense of delivery quality.

For example, we have seen that while Performance Max campaigns deliver positive results in terms of traffic and lead quantity, the quality is lower than that of other campaigns. We combine software-based data and optimisation with manual analytics and insights to achieve optimal performance.

Another major shift has been the increasing dominance of mobile and social platforms. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok no longer serve as just discovery channels, they have become full funnel ecosystems, where users can discover, evaluate and directly purchase products and services without ever leaving the apps.

Tools like TikTok Shop or Instagram Forms have significantly shortened the customer journey, reduced friction, and empower brands to transact with customers within one platform, eliminating the use for traditional landing pages and redefining what purchase journeys look like.

Finally, we cannot ignore the impact of data privacy regulations. GDPR went into effect in 2018, and fundamentally changed the way businesses collect, use and manage data forever. Today, we often hear about the importance of first-party data which has become the holy grail for marketers, and as we are heading into a cookieless world, it is gaining an increasingly crucial role.

 

What Does Omnichannel Marketing Mean To You And Why Does It Matter?

 

The traditional concept of the ‘Rule of 7’ suggests that a potential customer should encounter a brand’s marketing messages at least 7 times before making a purchase, however it is even higher for complex and higher value purchase decisions, such as real estate. Some studies imply that it is closer to 14. And it’s not only frequency that matters but channel diversity plays a critical role in building trust too.

The larger the variety, the more credible and consistent the brand appears.

There are also multiple drawbacks to over-relying on a single channel. Firstly, focusing all your efforts and investment on just one platform limits your visibility to that platform’s audience, which can lead to missed opportunities and limited lead flow.

While it’s true that certain platforms will perform better for specific industries or audiences, it is recommended not to ‘put all your eggs in one basket’. For example, while the majority of our audience can be reached on Google, it would be a mistake to ignore smaller, niche and localised search engines.

Secondly, the digital landscape can evolve rapidly and often unpredictably, making businesses vulnerable to policy and algorithm changes. For example, consider the recent temporary ban of TikTok. Brands that had built their strategy solely around that platform faced immediate disruption to their customer acquisition and had the ban lasted, it would have been detrimental to their business.

Similarly, the introduction of the above mentioned GDPR in 2018 had a major impact on businesses that were heavily reliant on third party data; seeing a significant reduction in their targeting capabilities and reach.

A balanced multi-channel strategy increases brand exposure while reduces risks, creating a sustainable foundation for long term growth.

 

If You Were Starting An Online Company Or Brand, What Would Be The First Thing You Would Do And Why?

 

A common mistake many new businesses make is investing too much time and resources into developing a product without first validating the concept. As a founder, you might have personal assumptions about your target audience or what features will resonate, but without data these assumptions are no more than mere guesses.

Instead of striving to perfect your product before going to market based on unsubstantiated assumptions, a more effective approach is to validate demand early. A simple and cost-efficient way to do this is by setting up a landing page with a waitlist to assess traction and to prove the concept.

In parallel, by testing various value propositions, creatives and audience segments through paid campaigns on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, you can quickly gain insight into which messages resonate, which demographics engage and which version of your brand positioning drives the most interest. This creates a valuable feedback loop, helping you build a product and brand identity informed by real audience behaviour and based on a validated understanding of what potential customers actually want.

 

What Do You See As The Emergent Trend In Digital Marketing Over The Next 2 Years?

 

I see AI continuing to advance and drive transformations in digital marketing over the next 2 years. Particularly search marketing is where I see the most significant shift happening in the near future, with AI powered search technologies overtaking traditional search models and platforms. Both Google and Bing have been aggressively integrating AI language models into their algorithm to deliver more context-aware, predictive and conversational search results.

At the same time, AI-powered conversational agents such as ChatGPT are redefining search behaviour by enabling users to engage in natural, complex and dialogue-based interactions, and to receive educated and personalised responses. This shift is redefining the traditional keyword-based concept and driving marketers to optimise for natural language models.

While this shift is still in its early days, we have already implemented traffic analysis from AI sources into our SEO strategy, in order to stay ahead of our competitors.

In addition to search innovations, generative AI is continuing to change content marketing. Especially AI-generated synthetic media is going to become more and more prominent, challenging how brands communicate. We ourselves are experimenting with digital personalities that allow content creation at speed and storytelling at scale, however, we aim to remain authentic and transparent in a world where the lines between real and synthetic are becoming increasingly blurred.

 

What Is The Best Digital Marketing Campaign You Have Ever Seen?

 

One of the best ones I have seen was Airbnb’s ‘Live Anywhere’ campaign that redefined how people live, travel and work, creating a true global lifestyle shift. Great marketing campaigns are culturally relevant paying close attention to real-time customer needs and behaviour patterns.

While almost all businesses were required to pivot as the world changed during Covid19, Airbnb did it particularly well and faster than traditional travel or real estate brands. Instead of focusing on the properties and prices, they changed the narrative emphasising how people can live during the peak of remote working. The campaign involved inviting 12 people to live in Airbnbs around the world for a year, all expenses paid and sharing their experiences on social media.

The user generated content was leveraged as both organic and paid content across a diverse range of channels, including social media, streaming platforms and programmatic placements. They further encouraged all guests and hosts to post their stays and work set up using specific hashtags to build even stronger social proof.

Moreover, they redesigned the product experience with flexible search and smart filters around remote work and monthly discounts. It was content marketing, influencer marketing, UGC, PR and smart product design in one move. They created a storytelling engine that encouraged users to see Airbnb not just as a booking site, but a lifestyle enabler.

As a result, Airbnb saw a 25% year-on-year increase in long-term stays (28+ days); searches for stays longer than one month became the fastest-growing booking category; and created a new customer segment: the digital nomad.

They succeeded in repositioning the brand and building industry leadership in not just travel but also real estate adjacent verticals. They didn’t just reflect a cultural change but created it. The lessons Airbnb has taught marketers are to respond quickly to real-world shifts, to redesign experiences to match evolving needs, to leverage genuine user generated content and to lead cultural conversations rather than follow them.

 

What’s Next For You?

 

In the ever-changing field of digital marketing, I thrive to continuously learn, embrace new technologies and stay ahead of the curve. As such, I am looking to leverage AI and to integrate it more and more into our marketing department as a tool for operational efficiency, smarter decision-making and innovative content marketing.

I’m also working on expanding an international footprint, with a particular emphasis on attracting global investment into the Middle East. This involves developing cross-border collaborations, international marketing campaigns, and growing my podcast into new markets.

I continue to work closely with Fortune International Group in Miami, capitalising on the natural synergy between the two markets. The key objectives are to improve investment flow in both directions, and to implement transferable learnings from one city to the other.