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 52-34: A little learning is dangerous

Ming-Chin Wu

Analyst, Internet Marketing
Academy Sports + Outdoors

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mingchinwu

Twitter: hikkie

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
Emarketer Daily, WSJ, Creative Wannabe, Seth Godin’s blog, How to Change the World. I love Adage, but not everyday.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, Groupon, Daily Candy, Lucullian Delights , A hungry girl’s guide to Taipei

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Analytical skills and creativity

What is 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?

Mobile Marketing. Everyone asks about it, everyone wants to get into it. However, mobile applications, mobile platforms, and mobile as a media channel are very different marketing tools and vehicles . The most common pitfall is not fulling understanding what the mobile experience is, and trying to duplicate internet marketing efforts into a mobile screen.

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

Social influence marketing. With the rise of the user revolution, in the retail world, allowing consumer ratings, comments, and elevating consumer opinions to influence other shoppers - I believe this is here to stay.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your speciality?

In retail, customer service is first but when it comes to merchandise and promotions, often times marketing folks focus on products instead of the consumer. It is so important to be consumer-centric, and plan marketing efforts with the consumer in mind.

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?

With technology changing so fast, how do businesses adapt to innovation and understand how to reach younger audiences while their media consumption and habits change so rapidly?

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I think understanding the consumer is key. Deep consumer understanding allows you to pinpoint whether or not to develop an entire new product based on a local consumer insight, or to adapt to a global concept.

Creative ideas are definitely different from culture to culture, even within different regions in the same country. If a strategy is based on a human’s unmet need, the creative strategy should be catered to the local market.

Best piece of advice you have received?

“A little learning is dangerous”, a quote from Alexander Pope. My dad used to say this to me since I was very little. People become easily confident when they have tasted a little bit knowledge, and it’s dangerous because it can cause people to think they are more than an expert than they really are.

The full quote is

“ A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Persian spring; these shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.”

Alexander Pope in An Essay on Critisism, 1709

I remember I re-learned this quote again when I got into my first car accident the 3rd month I started driving. First and second month of driving I was still very cautious, but the third month I started to feel more confident and that’s when you start to make mistakes.

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

Performing artist. I still have a tape of me singing in the bath tub when I was 6. When I was little, I also used to choreograph to Debbie Gibson’s songs, make my sister be my back-up dancer and force my mom to watch us after her long day of work.

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

Tweet if you are good at it.

ME 52-27: Refining the Future of Print One Marketer at a Time

Amy Thorkilsen is an expert publishing marketer driving the marketing, planning and promotional execution for a variety of categories and for some of the most respected print titles in the world including TIME, The New York Times, Sport Illustrated and Fortune. Her role focuses on providing the advertising sales team with the necessary marketing support to sell integrated marketing programs across platforms and across titles. Her interests in food, travel, photography and art give her a unique perspective when it comes to creating programs that extend beyond the page and impact the other senses too.

Amy Thorkilsen

Expert Traditional Media Sales Development Consultant

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/amy-thorkilsen/3/993/61

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

AdAge, NY Times, Brandweek and WSJ

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

When I am stumped/blocked on a creative idea I find it really helpful to have a good laugh; Cake Wrecks is the website that makes me laugh so hard I snort and ultimately cry…and my stomach always hurts after a fifteen minute read. I defy you to check it out and not laugh out loud (definitely close the office door first!).

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

The ability to be a bit of a chameleon (in a good way): you’ve got to wear a lot of hats and work with a lot of different personalities to achieve your goal efficiently and effectively. Working with sales to ferret out the true goal(s) of the advertiser, analyzing research to glean specific “tentpole” strategizing, brainstorming with other team members on the overall concept, coordinating with the right vendors, and producing a truly creative presentation that demonstrates your idea powerfully and succinctly to the client.

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 marketplace?

Social media. I think marketers need to be careful to choose when and where it is really right for advertisers. There’s a push now from clients to incorporate social media into everything and I think the approach needs to be carefully crafted so it doesn’t look like it was just included for the sake of saying that one is engaged in social media. It has to make sense and have a relevant and targeted reason for being part of a campaign. In other words, don’t do it just to say you did!

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

One word: iPad. Of course, I have always been an Apple girl through and through, but I do believe that as the iPad is refined in the future, being ready with iPad savvy apps is prudent. Look at what print media is doing to stay relevant as it relates to the iPad: NY Times, TIME, WSJ, etc.

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

You need to be honest. Every campaign doesn’t have to have every bell and whistle to be successful. It’s really all about the idea. When the idea is spot on, then everything flows from that. Maybe a single campaign will include print, TV, OOH, social media, events, and more…or maybe the idea is really only perfect for one or two media. If you’re honest and have integrity and sincere strategy behind your choices, your idea will stand out and truly resonate. Otherwise you’re just throwing spaghetti against the wall and hoping something will stick.

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?

Those of us who work in big cities in the U.S. and tend to be early adopters of technology sometimes forget that there are lots of regions where consumers still have dial-up internet connectivity… and cell towers are sparse…We need to remember that consumer’s needs and make sure they aren’t neglected. I also think that mobile platform needs more analysis before it can really have an impact.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages?

Does globalization work or is localization more effective? Certainly there are overall concepts which translate easily across continents and languages, but localization is the key for making an idea resonate with a specific consumer/nationality.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

I don’t know if this is the best piece of advice, but it certainly helps keep things in perspective when you’re up to your eyeballs on a project: consider the TIME, QUALITY, COST triangle – pick any two.

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

Probably a designer…I remember drawing a lot of clothes and accessories in colored pencil and totally loving trips to large fabric stores where I would wander around and touch all the bolts of fabric and imagine what I would make from each of them.

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

My personal approach to marketing is that it is an “art” I like to base on “science” as much as possible. I like to use research as a starting point and see what it tells me directionally. Then I switch to the other side of my brain and see what concepts best incorporate the strongest research underpinnings but are still fun and impactful in a targeted way.

Recent campaign you liked and why?
There are several, and all are very visually oriented: I love the American Express print and television ad campaign “Don’t Take Chances. Take Charge.” That begins with the unhappy faces comprised of everyday objects then segues into happy faces with Bach cello music playing underneath with minimal voiceover.

Another is the new Sherwin Williams animated paint chip commercial. Really puts a great spin on the colors of nature and how many subtle colors actually make up a natural object/animal etc.

A long time favorite is the AT&T “hands” campaign which I never get tired of seeing – each new version is so creative and straight to the point – a great global campaign example that certainly translates into any market.

I like all of these campaigns for essentially the same reason. As a photographer with a graphic arts background, I respond immediately to the visual appeal. The way each takes everyday objects and causes the viewer to respond to them in new and different ways…all of these really engage the consumer’s creativity and imagination which is key to establishing a strong relationship with the brand.

ME 52-9: Shifting Strands of the Film & Movie Landscape

Erin Goldsmith has inhabited the agency world, explored the new media realm and is now immersed in the fantasy "reality," entertainment industry. With her dynamic experience, Goldsmith casts a keen eye on the ever-shifting cinema landscape, pointing out the realities and imagination required to grow in this artistic arena.

Erin Goldsmith
National Feature Films, Promotions Assistant
20th Century Fox
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/eringoldsmith
Twitter: Rockchick84

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
AdAge, Techcrunch, Deadline, Variety, EMarketer

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Gizmodo, because I am a tech dork; Twitter, to keep up with the latest pop-culture and local business posts and friend details; Lala a fun social-media type of music player; Alltop, a good way to get headlines neatly categorized and at-a-glace; largehearted boy, a great blog for books and music.

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?
Adaptability. The ability to change with the shifting marketplace is a great skill can help marketers reach their measurable goals.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what dose it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
A bit more tactical, however, "augmented reality" is a phrase that is tossed around the halls quite a bit. I think marketers are trying to make sense of the technology and how it can be used in their digital plans and brand communications. The jury is out on whether this development is actually a trend or a fad.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Many people say that Twitter is a fad, however, I believe that businesses are starting to understand how this site can leverage their business and/or communication objectives. Twitter can be a powerful tool to converse and interact with consumers and even obtain interesting insights.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
Never underestimate the power of the consumer.

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 think the idea of privacy is shifting in the digital space and many consumers are wary about how much personal information they are unknowingly sharing. The questioning of Facebook's latest privacy policy is an example.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I think general over-arching concepts can be communicated across borders, however, the specific execution of concepts work best when localized.

Best piece of advice you have received?
Always ask questions. Curiosity will serve you well in your career.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanted to be?
At first, I wanted to be an artist. Later that developed to be a graphic designer.

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?
In-theater advertising is an interesting area that shows signs of growth. Movies tend to be a recession-proof business and many studios (and outside companies) are looking to advertise in-theater on networks such as National Cinema Media (NCM).

What is a recent campaign/presentation you admire?
The District-9 campaign was a very smart integrated media campaign linking both online and offline together in a seamless manner. The out of home billboard creative was simple yet attention-grabbing hosting nothing but an icon and a statement that read "For Humans Only." The only call to action was a phone number and the District-9 website. The number actually linked to an alien-sighting hotline and the District-9 website (www.d-9.com) acted as an introduction to MNU the alien-containment program. That campaign garnered a lot of attention for the small budget film.