Name: Nicki Barton
Job title: Global Color Marketing Manager
Location: Slough
Country: England
Who is Nicki Barton?
I joined what was then ICI in the late 1980s as a graduate trainee and have worked in lots of different parts of the paints business. I’ve been in my current role for nine years. I’m based in Slough but my role is global and is all about establishing Deco as THE Color Authority in the minds of people everywhere. I head three global teams including the Aesthetic Center, which is our creative hub.
I live in Chalfont St Peter, not far from Slough, my husband’s name is Clive and we have three sons: Josh, 9, Ben, 7, and Jake, who’s six. As you can imagine, with three boys we have a very active household and love spending time outdoors. The boys and I love horse riding and walking our dogs; we also love skiing as a family although I’m finding it harder these days to keep up with the boys on the slopes!
What does color mean to you at work?
I’m involved in all aspects of color every day. I’m really passionate about adding color to people’s lives and feel very fortunate that my job gives me such fantastic opportunities to do so. Although my teams have a global responsibility we have a strong local focus on color marketing because there are huge regional variations. For example, yellow is the most popular color in the world, but the shades that are favorite in China – clean and fresh – would not be right for North America, where most customers prefer grayed off, more muted tones.
I was at the London launch of the Let’s Color campaign, where we redecorated a school in Tower Hamlets. The playground was transformed into a place that was really vibrant with primary colors, while the inside walls were painted in calm blues and greens. The expressions on the children’s faces when they ran outside and saw the playground were just wonderful, and being part of making this happen is very rewarding.
As a team in Slough we try to bring our color trends to life and this year we have chosen the ‘Free Spirit’ color palette to decorate our International meeting room. I think it is really important that people get a true feel for the colors that are the heart of our business.
…and outside of work?
Ours is a very colorful home and I love to play around with colors and see the different effects they have. I like a mix of bright, strong colors and more relaxing ones: my kitchen is currently bright yellow which is fun but I’ve painted the room that leads to the garden in a lovely pale green, which gives me the feeling of bringing the outside in. My husband’s a typical man and goes along with what I want, but my boys love color and have very strong views about what they like.
What is your all-time favorite color and why?
I don’t actually have an all-time favorite – the colors I love change all the time! I never used to like green, for example, but now I love it. It’s exciting to go outside your comfort zone. Our Color of the Year 2011 is a refreshing citrus yellow that looks fab so I am thinking of using it to paint my study at home because it will have an uplifting and energizing effect.
If you could choose one color that most closely matches your personality, what would it be and why?
Again, it’s impossible for me to choose just one: we all change over time, so it makes sense that the colors that help define who we are change as well. I definitely change colors to suit my mood and what I’m doing – I might wear orange if I need cheering up but if I’m chilling at home then wearing pale blues and greens really helps me to feel relaxed.