Julia Lirio's Playbook for Managing 35 Marketers Globally

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