Editor’s Note
In an era where AI is reshaping luxury, TAG Heuer is doubling down on authenticity as its core value. We spoke with Marketing Director George Ciz about how the brand is reimagining customer experience and product development—and why its return to Formula 1 reflects a deeper commitment to innovation and excellence.
George Ciz, TAG Heuer
At a time when artificial intelligence is revolutionizing luxury, TAG Heuer is rethinking the customer experience and product development with authenticity. Its marked return to Formula 1 illustrates this dynamic, driven by a quest for excellence and innovation. An interview with George Ciz, the brand’s marketing director.
Customer knowledge is more strategic today than ever. How do you leverage it at TAG Heuer to guide both product development and your marketing strategy?
We live in a world where customer knowledge is essential. It is impossible to meet consumer expectations without truly understanding them.
At TAG Heuer, our approach is resolutely omnichannel: we seek to offer a consistent experience across all our touchpoints – boutiques, e-commerce, CRM, retail partners.
We consolidate all these sources to obtain a unified view that we analyze.
With the help of artificial intelligence as well?
Absolutely.
Artificial intelligence allows us to process this mass of data more efficiently and extract immediately actionable insights.
It is a lever we are integrating more and more into product development, creation, and even our communication campaigns.
This allows us to accelerate processes and explore ideas more quickly. At TAG Heuer, we like to be at the forefront, so you can count on us to be very active in this area.
TAG Heuer is at the crossroads of innovation and heritage. What is your overall vision today, and how are you refining its positioning in an increasingly competitive watchmaking landscape?
TAG Heuer is an extraordinary brand, and I consider myself lucky to evolve it at this pivotal moment. In recent years, we have embarked on a strong approach of moving upmarket and increasing visibility.
Our vision is to become and be perceived as the leader in prestigious sports watches. To achieve this, we have worked enormously on quality – not only product quality, even though we have made great progress with our 5-year-guaranteed in-house movements. We have also improved design and the entire customer experience. We have reviewed our distribution network, transformed our communication strategy, observed our sister brands within the group like Hublot for inspiration.
Precisely, let’s talk about Formula 1. Why is this platform so strategic for TAG Heuer today?
Formula 1 is special for us. Today, there are many collaborations, but many lack authenticity. In my opinion,
People want what is real, sincere. And our partnership with F1 is precisely that. It dates back more than 60 years. Few people know this, but TAG Heuer has more world championship titles than almost all the teams – only Ferrari has more! We were partners with Ferrari in the 70s, then with McLaren with Senna and Prost, official timekeepers of F1 from 1992 to 2003, and now with Red Bull Racing. This return to F1 is a true return to our roots. That’s why our campaign is titled “We are back”.
But why is it strategic? Because
24 iconic major cities, a global audience, a rapidly growing female viewership, aligned values: innovation, performance, excellence. The margins in F1 are tiny, everything must be perfect. It’s the perfect reflection of our philosophy.
F1 is an extraordinary visual metaphor for what TAG Heuer embodies: surpassing oneself, pushing physical, mental, and emotional limits. This is what we say in our campaigns: “Don’t crack under pressure”, “Success is a mind game”, etc. This sport is the most beautiful visual expression of mental strength. I often think about these drivers, what they feel getting into the car, at 250 km/h, with enormous mental pressure. It’s a unique discipline, a cultural phenomenon more than just a sport.
What is the measured impact of this partnership? Have you seen an increase in brand awareness and engagement?
The impact is spectacular, particularly on digital engagement, which we monitor very closely. A few years ago, TAG Heuer was the 7th watch brand in terms of engagement (likes, comments…). In 2023, with our campaign for the 60th anniversary of the Carrera with Ryan Gosling…
