ME52-58: Managing with Luxury in Mind

Cara Dorr's thirst for exploration has continued from the days of wanting to be an astronaut. These days, while her exploration is more terra firma, she still traversing the endless universe of public relations in the luxury brand universe. Instead of collecting specimens from different planets, Dorr culls through endless magazines and sites for clips and inspiration and takes note
of any signs of life in the realm of social media. In the marketing universe, she joins the luxe sphere in the endeavor to make themselves more accessible while still being organic--through social media, authentic communication and consistency.

Cara Dorr
Luxury Fashion Brand
Public Relations Manager
Twitter: http://twitter.com/caraann

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
As a fashion publicist, my primary resource every day is Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). I consider it to be the fashion bible. It is the true authority for the fashion industry news. Not only does it include breaking news, but also trends, intense business coverage and entertainment news.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
I am obsessed with fashion blogs! I enjoy style bloggers such as Cupcakes and Cashmere and Sea of Shoes. However, I have been quite smitten with a Brooklyn, NY based photography blog called Color Me Katie. Color Me Katie is by far one of the most imaginative blogs I have seen in awhile. Blogs are a true treat.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
For me as a publicist, customer service is paramount. I get back to ALL my emails and phone messages as soon as possible. It is invaluable to make people feel like they are important. It is also necessary be aware of what is going on in your industry. I have an “inspiration” folder at work where I stash magazine clips, print outs from websites, blogs, articles, etc. that I find interesting for later inspiration.

What’s the recent “it” Marking phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
Two words: Social media! However, I still see many companies struggle with this new communication style because it is so new; it is hard to determine how it will affect the fashion industry and other industries in years to come. Social media is much more than Twitter, Facebook or blogs. It is truly about integrating a company into its consumers' everyday life--Almost like a friendship.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
As mentioned above, social media is here to stay. However, it has been exciting to see many companies, particularly luxury brands become more approachable and accessible through this new communication tool. It will be interesting to see if social media will affect luxe brands’ prestige.


What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
No matter what anyone tells you, do not lie to your business relationships in order to get out of a project. It is much more important to be honest with your contacts. If you can’t commit to a project or if it isn’t a right for your brand--just say that. I treat everyone how I would like to be treated.

What’s an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
I hate to bring it up again, but social media has already changed the consumer industry and will continue to change the way companies market to their consumers. Companies need to figure out how it fits organically into their brand without forcing it. It will be easier for some companies to take a dive into the social media world, while other brands need to just dip their toes into it. Brands should do what feels right to them.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
It depends on the brand. For newer brands localization is much more effective at first. However, a brand still needs to have a consistent message no matter what from the get go. Consistency is everything. An inconsistent brand will not garner consumer loyalty.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?
A former boss always said, “Perception is reality,” which couldn’t be more true in the PR industry. This saying is applicable to almost every decision I make.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
Oddly, an astronaut! I always wanted to explore the endless universe.

To Tweet or not to tweet? Fad or here to stay?
It is here to stay although I do believe it will probably change and grow somehow. Twitter proves once again that in today’s society, (constant) communicating is everything.

What is a recent campaign/presentation you admire?
Although some fashion critics said it was a marketing gimmick, Givenchy using a transgender model for their fall 2010 ads was a fascinating campaign choice to me. To put someone in the limelight who is going through such a life changing moment is an interesting choice for a brand to make. Although Givenchy is a huge fashion house that can push its limits more easily than other brands-- I still commend them for being different. And in the end, their campaign got many people talking, which was (perhaps) the point.

ME52-57: Finding the Right Time and Place for Your Message

For the past year, Katy Rosati has been working as an Account Executive at Text 100 where she works on several IBM accounts. Prior to Text 100, she was a media planner working on CPG brands for several well known advertising agencies. In her opinion, people are looking for reality, not brand “reality.” Authenticity provides validation and cuts out the hype.

Katy Rosati

Account Executive

Text 100

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
PR Week, MediaPost, eMarketer, AdAge

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Mashable, Gawker, The Huffington Post and Facebook, of course.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Being able to think like your consumer is a huge benefit. Knowing where and how they consume their media gives you an edge.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
Social media is everywhere. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, iReporting on CNN, commenting on news stories, the consumer plays an increasing role in how your brand is perceived and, in some cases, whether it succeeds or flops. Just look at the fallout from the BP oil spill (or catastrophe, as I like to call it). By stonewalling the media and public, BP created the vacuum that allowed the brilliantly funny (though unofficial and disparaging) @BPGlobalPR Twitter handle to steal the spotlight and control the message.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Mobile, mobile, mobile - everything is about mobile! But the hype is justified. With the rise of smartphones, iPads and mobile applications, consumers are spending more and more time accessing mobile sites and viewing content from mobile devices. Having a mobile presence can increase not only awareness for your brand, but sales as well. In fact, the other week I woke up in the middle of the night and bought a pair on sunglasses on RueLaLa, right from my iPhone. (I've heard of sleepwalking and sleep-eating, but I think sleep-shopping may be new!)

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
In PR, you really don’t want to force your news in places where it doesn’t fit. If your story is applicable to an audience, a reporter or an outlet, then fantastic. But don’t try and push your “10 Hot Tips to Keep Your Lawn Green” on the Elle editors. There’s a time and a place for everything.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
The question of authenticity is always lingering in the background. People are often more receptive to real-life customer examples and experiences than hearing directly from a brand. The customer may be relaying the same message, but the perception is that their experience is more valid and “spin-free.”

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I certainly think Marketing ideas can travel across continents and languages, but to be effective, they must resonate locally as well. Keeping the “big idea” consistent, but tweaking the particulars for a given region can be very successful.

Best piece of advice you've ever received professionally or personally?
My dad is an eternal optimist and has, for as long as I can remember, encouraged me to smile and look at the glass as half full, not half empty. I can’t begin to tell you how many times this has come in handy. Having a positive outlook has been valuable in my professional life, but also has played a key role in maintaining my sanity in my personal life!

Growing up, what's the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I was obsessed with horses and desperate to be a jockey when I was little. Unfortunately, there’s not much of a market for 5'6" jockeys these days…or ever.

To tweet or not to tweet?
I’m all for Tweeting, although it’s not something I do regularly. I’m more of a Tweet-voyeur. You can’t beat Twitter for real-time updates – in fact, it’s where I get most of my news before it hits the major outlets. Additionally, since the people who follow you (or your brand) on Twitter are actively selecting your updates as information they want to consume, they can be some of your most powerful advocates and influencers in their own right. 140 character updates fit with our increasingly shorter attention spans, so I think Twitter is most definitely here to stay.

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?
People who can position themselves as social media experts are in high demand. Since the social media landscape will only get bigger, developing social media skills and staying on top of changes in that area make you a highly-desirable candidate.

ME52-56: Nothing is impossible and winning the hearts of young Chinese consumers

With more than a decade of advertising experience, Catherine Chen, a regional account director who manages global brands in the emerging China market, holds the mission "Nothing is impossible" - an unstoppable drive for more. In order to stay ahead of the trend, marketers always need to adapt and change, even more so to win the hearts of the "Post 80/90 in China".

Catherine Chen

Regional Account Director

Saatchi & Saatchi GuangZhou

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing new?
I don't have a regular site I visit, but there are some alerts from Campaign Asia that I subscribe to, and I have a very outstanding planner director who regularly sends us market information whenever he finds anything interesting and relevant.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, and Sina Microblog

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Sharp eyes on insights; sensitivity to market trends

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Post 80/90, in China, these people are the main forces who drive the market. How to tackle them and win their hearts become very important for marketers

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

I think the market is changing all the time, what's new and working today does not mean it can last tomorrow, so we have to stay ahead with the trend all the time.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

"Nothing is impossible", so there is nothing we should NOT do, or I would say, we should not STOP, never stop to come up with new ideas, never stopping to learn more, never stopping to explore for more...

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

The globe has many different cultures, languages, religions, etc. Things can be very different country to country. In my opinion, there is no single communication idea that can travel. It would never work. We can have the same group of target audience, same set of branding strategy, but when it comes to communication strategy and idea, localization works far more effective than globalization
Not to mention the whole world, just China alone, people in the north and south think and behave very differently. Making a piece of advertising campaign work and travel across the entire nation is a challenge in itself.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

Be yourself, just do or say what you think is right.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

A nurse! Haha! Later on when I was about 10, I wanted to be an actress, I still remember my dad brought me to an audition. I was so nervous and did not perform well.

What is a recent campaign/ presentation ( not from your own company but your field of marketing) that you admire, and why?

The Apple campaign on the iPhone, the "Facetime" one. It's very emotional and yet functional enough to let consumer understand the product...need not to say more...when I first saw it , I almost wanted to cry.
in my experience, mostly with FMCG, we often debate between the balance of emotional and functional messages in a campaign, and this iPhone campaign is a perfect example.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?

I would say marketing is more of a science. it is a numbers game. It's all about sales figures, and the industry highly depends on research data.

ME52-55: Consumer is Boss

Having worked in many major cities in Asia managing media planning for global companies, Aimee has settled in Shanghai to really be where the action is at. Her background in traditional media has given her an "outsider" view of how fast digital media is growing.

Aimee Hung

Planning Director

Maxus Global ( A GroupM company)

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing new?
A local site called Madisonboom, for information on China's freshest advertising, media and PR landscape.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, and some local SNS sites ( Social Network Service)

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Understanding consumer

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Digital is the trend, meaning everything's going digital, including all platforms, the way people interact with all sorts of media and content.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Going digital

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Traditional way of thinking. Sticking to traditional way of marketing.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Yes, marketing ideas can travel across continents, however, the idea should be applicable to the local culture

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

Always relate yourself with the consumer; think in their shoes

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

To be an actor or to be within the entertainment field

What is a recent campaign/ presentation ( not from your own company but your field of marketing) that you admire, and why?

McDonald's. I think what's most important is to really understand what your consumer needs are. A campaign should always relate and engage the consumer. Ultimately, the consumer is the boss in the end.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?

I think both. Sometimes it can be an art in a sense that you are selling a concept, whereas it can also be a science where you have lots of formulas to follow.

ME52-54: In an industry of constant evolving, marketers cannot stay complacent

With an engineering background and an artistic talent, Richard has dabbled in various areas which provides him with a rich & diverse approach to marketing. Being a Digital Strategist in an environment that is in the forefront of providing measurement solutions, Richard touches on a very hot topic that no one in ME52 has not addressed yet - attribution models. And while the digital landscape is constantly reinventing itself, it’s imperative for marketers to evolve and innovate, especially in analytics and measurements.

Richard Wong

Client Services and Digital Strategist

Performics

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtwong

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing new?
Adage, MediaPost, Search Engine Land, WSJ...

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, Gilt, Groupon, NYTimes.com, Urban Daddy, Youtube

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Identifying unmet needs of your target audience

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Attribution. As marketers are increasing their presence across different online and offline mediums, they are struggling to quantify the true return on dollars from individual mediums. We can no longer look at each channel as a separate silo, and need to come up with attribution models that can take the full picture into account.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

I think Augmented Reality (AR), while still in its infancy, it has a lot of untapped potential and its definitely here to stay. I am excited to see how it will transform the way people interact with their surroundings, and how marketers will capitalize this space.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

To be complacent and only rely on what’s considered tried and true. The digital landscape is constantly evolving and reinventing itself, so its imperative for marketers in this space to do so as well.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Being afraid to try something new ,bold, and disruptive.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Yes, I believe it’s possible for a great marketing idea to transcend all those barriers and more. But to truly be effective and efficient, it is important for multi national corporations to think glocal.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

Don’t make lateral moves just for a higher pay. In the end, you’ll be just as unhappy ( if not worse) and will also have to start all over again in a new organization.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

In kindergarten, I said I wanted to be a doctor. But that’s because I was the last person in class to speak up, being a doctor was the only option left. In truth, I really did not have a clue what I wanted to be.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
Marketing is both an art and a science. The most creative marketing message fall on deaf ears, if you don’t have the “science” to identify WHO you should be speaking to, and HOW you can measure the impact of your messaging.

To tweet of not to tweet? Fad or here to stay?

I personally had an account, but quickly abandoned it after a month of use. I do all my tweets, if you will, through my facebook status updates.

ME 52-53: Creativity was There from the Start

So ME52 realized at we neared our one year anniversary and apparently there is enough interest to try to continue through to the new year and "brave the storm." This is something ME52 seems to have in touch with our featured interviewee this week, as an agency copywriter and now a promotions editor, Hali Narins often has to "brave the storm," real or "brain"storm. With creativity, an ear for language, an eye for fashion, and a pulse on technological developments--Narins may be a "perfect" storm to take on the industry.

Hali Narins

Promotions Editor

DailyCandy, Inc.

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/halinarins

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing new?
I don't have to visit any sites, but I like to keep up with sites with daily newsletters in a similar vein to DailyCandy (Thrillist, UrbanDaddy, Vital Juice, Luckymag, Refinery29).

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, Nymag, Racked, Eater, NYTimes.com style and dining sections.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Adaptability--internet and technology is changing the field at such a rapid pace, that if you can't shift your way of thinking, you'll drown!

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

I don't really hear any marketing speak daily, but I've heard "storytelling" gain some momentum. To me, this means developing an multifaceted, evolving identity for a company so consumers have a deeper relationship with it.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Brand using Twitter, Facebook, etc. social media... It's here to stay until consumers grow savvier and wearier of these tactics.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Play it safe.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Privacy issues. And consumers losing trust in social media outlets.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Sure--the internet knows no boundaries in terms of continents and languages, so as long as marketers stay sensitive to demographics, why not? I like to believe that the bigger a company gets, the smaller it needs to think. I'm all for localization.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Take risks.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

A fashion designer.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
Marketing is an art--they say the media is the message, and I say that creativity created the media, so it's got to create the message.

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?

A recent campaign I admire is Apple, with the iPad. I skip commercials with DVR usually, but always try and watch the Apple ads--they mange to be so simple, yet so thoughtful, exciting and hip. I love the little details like how they match the color of the iPods they show to the content on the iPod screens. The great music doesn't hurt either.

ME 52-52: No Travel Perks, just Marketing Points

This is week 52 for ME52, so it's fitting that we interviewed someone who is involved in the travel industry and the ad world. We've been around the this big, wide world in 52 weeks just as Valerie Paolucci works on marketing plans for the largest travel planning audience network online across 300+ travel sites, 365 days of the year. As the Marketing Manager for Travel Ad Network (TAN), Paolucci manages TAN's marketing programs and works closely on strategic deals. (But no, there are absolutely no travel perks associated with this job whatsoever.)

Valerie Paolucci

Marketing Manager

Travel Ad Network

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriepaolucci

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?

eMarketer, which is great, as it aggregates data from over 4,000 sources which I could never afford to subscribe to! I also sign up for tons of daily newsletters, both pertaining to the travel space and digital media in general, including Hubspot, MediaPost, EyeforTravel, Tnooz, iMediaConnection, Ad Age...

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook is my guilty pleasure! I also frequent Lifebooker, Groupon, and Goldstar when I need a healthy distraction.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Creativity, not only in Marketing strategy and campaign execution, but also in career choices.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mena for the industry and the marketplace?

Mobile. It's not new, but we're just figuring out how to meausre ROI from mobile advertising. As more users are expected to surf the net on their mobile devices than on their computers within the next few years, mobile will become the center of the digital marketing mix.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Location based services are all the rage now. It will take us a bit of time to figure out how to monetize them, just like with mobile and video, but in my opinion, they're not going anywhere.

What is essential not to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Never assume you know everything. The digital advertising industry evolves so rapidly, keeping ahead of the technology is a full-time job in itself!

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

We are seeing a lot of DSP's and ad exchanges trying to disintermediate the advertising agency. The landscape is quickly evolving and I'm curious to see how it all plays out.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

With today's technology, good ideas can travel across the globe instantly. The greatest ideas have overarching themes with cross-border, cross-cultural appeal. Working in the travel industry makes this all the more apparent.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Do what you love, and the money will follow.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

I always wanted to be Angela Bower of Who's the Boss. She ran her own ad agency and got to come up with these super cool creative ideas all the time. She was this smart, driven career woman who was the breakwinner for her family. It would also be nice to have a hottie cooking and cleaning up after me!

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
The process of winning the hearts of minds of consumers will always be an art, but the pratice of measuring how well we do this is getting more scientific every day!

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?

There are so many opportunities in digital Marketing right now! As the digital advertising industry evolves and becomes more specialized, companies will be desparate to hire experts such as SEO strategiests, social media managers, product development directors, etc.