Nathalie Moolenschot is a Marketer of the Year finalist in the YouTube NZ Marketing Awards 2026.
The winner will be announced on September 2.
Name: Nathalie Moolenschot
Job title: GM marketing & eCommerce, Animates
In a couple of sentences, sum up your career so far.
I’ve been fortunate to build a career across some of New Zealand’s most recognised brands, including Westpac, ASB, Air New Zealand, Warehouse Stationery and now Animates.
Looking back, it feels like my journey has mirrored the evolution of marketing itself. I started when personalisation meant Excel spreadsheets and direct mail campaigns, before evolving into CRM, digital channels, loyalty, customer experience and digital commerce as marketing’s influence continued to expand.
One of the things I’ve learned is that people rarely make decisions as rationally as we think. During my time at Warehouse Stationery, even shopping for something as simple as photocopy paper had emotional drivers behind it.
Since then, whether it’s been engaging with a loyalty programme, choosing a home loan or deciding on pet food, I’ve been intrigued by the interplay between logic and emotion in customer decision-making and how that shapes growth.
Today, marketing has a much broader mandate than communications. It should influence customer experience, product, technology and business strategy because customers don’t distinguish between those things. They simply experience the brand.
How have you used out of home in recent campaigns?
One of my favourite examples was our ‘Happy is…’ campaign. We wanted to celebrate the unique relationship New Zealanders have with their pets.
The campaign brought relatable pet moments into everyday life through highly visible out of home placements that reflected the joy, humour and occasional chaos that every pet parent recognises.
We’ve increasingly used out of home to build emotional connection. At the same time, out of home gives us the opportunity to educate customers about the broader ecosystem of services and expertise that Animates offers.
What I love about out of home is that it reaches people when they’re not actively shopping, creating connections that make brands easier to remember when a purchasing decision arrives.
In an era where marketers can measure almost everything, out of home reminds us that not everything valuable is immediately measurable. Sometimes the most powerful thing a brand can do is make someone smile on their morning commute.
How do you incorporate sustainability into your marketing initiatives?
We’re fortunate to be working with Tadpole as we develop our sustainability roadmap and ensure we’re focused on initiatives that genuinely make a difference rather than simply ticking boxes. Sustainability can be a difficult area for brands to navigate, so it’s important that our approach is authentic, measurable and aligned with the way we operate as a business.
From a marketing perspective, we apply the simple principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Whether we’re considering campaign materials, event assets, signage or promotional collateral, we continually challenge ourselves to reduce unnecessary production, reuse existing assets wherever possible and recycle responsibly at the end of their lifecycle.
Often, meaningful impact comes not from one major initiative, but from hundreds of small decisions made differently every day.
We also recognise the role marketing can play in helping customers make informed choices. As a pet care business, we can educate pet parents about responsible ownership and products that support more sustainable outcomes.
A highlight from the past year?
Without question, the ‘Pawprint petition’ stands out.
Never in my career did I imagine I’d find myself sitting in Parliament advocating for legislative change alongside significant leaders from across the animal welfare sector.
What made the experience so rewarding was seeing the role marketing can play beyond driving business outcomes. Great marketing can influence communities, shape conversations and help organisations bring their purpose to life in ways that create genuine impact.
Another highlight has been the continued evolution of our Top To Tail Care education platform. As household budgets have come under pressure, many pet parents are looking for ways to manage costs without compromising their pet’s wellbeing. Through Top To Tail Care, we’ve made trusted advice and education more accessible, helping customers understand which choices matter most for their pet’s health. It’s rewarding because it allows us to support pet parents through challenging times while reinforcing Animates’ role as a trusted partner and highlighting the expertise our team members provide every day. Especially at a time when many businesses are reducing investment physical environment and customer service.
Equally, one of the things I’m most proud of is seeing people in my team back themselves, take on bigger challenges and grow into new roles. Six team members achieved promotions or significant career progression, and creating an environment where talented people can thrive is something I value deeply.
Marketing is ultimately a team sport. Watching people challenge themselves, be courageous and achieve things they didn’t think possible has been every bit as rewarding as any campaign, award or business result.
What are you looking forward to?
One of the reasons I still love marketing is that it never stands still.
I’m excited about what the next wave of technology will unlock. The combination of AI, data, digital commerce and customer experience is creating opportunities that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. Used responsibly, these tools can remove friction, deliver more relevant experiences and free marketers to spend more time understanding customers, solving problems and creating meaningful connections.
Personally, I’m looking forward to proving that old dogs really can learn new tricks.
After more than 20 years, I’m heading back to Uni to complete postgraduate study. One of the things that has kept me engaged throughout my career is that there’s always another challenge to solve and another opportunity to understand customers better. As customer expectations evolve and technology continues to change what’s possible, the learning never stops, and that’s exactly what makes marketing such a rewarding profession.
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 88, Sept-Nov 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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