Joan Colletta’s Post

Very excited to be a judge for The Effie's this year. Here are my 4 big takeaways after letting my experience sink in: Strategists don't network enough. It's easy to become isolated in our worlds. Get out and pick more brains! You never know where a new approach to attacking a problem could be hiding. It's a good prescription for imposter syndrome too 😉 A good idea is only as strong as the environment it lives in. A smart comms strategy is paramount to making any idea sing in our extremely fragmented digital lives. Selling a client on a crazy idea takes masterful (and simple!) storytelling. How can a simple insight drive massive results? What connective tissue is needed to get your partners to see an opportunity the same way you do? Strong client relationships matter here too. Building trust and excitement with smaller projects can go a long way in the end game. Never copy & paste your case studies. Take the time to hone, simplify, and romance for the category you're entering work in. The story of how a campaign came to be is just as important as the idea itself. Big results mean nothing without context. Simplicity is also key here. Remind yourself judges are going through piles of submissions. Best of luck to all of the entrants this year. I'm not envious of the tough decisions the final judges have to make!

According to Forbes, ‘Consumers choose to engage with brands that show a commitment to positively impacting the world, The right PR strategy that communicates and promotes those positive values are therefore more likely to positively impact your company’s brand awareness.' I couldn’t agree more! #swc #shirleywilliams #shirleywilliamscommunications #prpro #mediarelations #publicrelations #custimervalues

Earning brand attention is harder than ever. Fast-moving consumer trends and the growing complexities of our world are colliding, making the earned marketing landscape fragmented and tough to navigate. But with these challenges come numerous opportunities for brands. On Wednesday 8th November, Weber Shandwick is bringing together a select group of clients, journalists, opinion leaders, and brands to bring you bite-sized inspo and talks around the earned media landscape and how to leverage the evolving (and exciting) aspects of the industry as we head into 2024. Speakers include: Harry Wallop, Journalist, columnist and broadcaster, Helen Bennett, UK CEO, Weber Shandwick, Gen Kobayashi, EMEA Chief Strategy Officer, Weber Shandwick, Katie Hill, EVP, Earned Media, Weber Shandwick, David Levin, Editorial Creative Director, Weber Shandwick, James Robertson, EVP Digital, Weber Shandwick, Elizabeth Gladwin, Head of Analytics & Intelligence EMEA, Weber Shandwick, James Clothier, Head of UK Media Relations, Weber Shandwick Find out more/RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eqzW_95Z

Want to know the secret to winning awards? Well first, you need to do great work. But that’s no secret. The real trick is having strong PR to let the world know we did that work. With the exception of a superbowl spot or two, we probably haven’t seen a single bit of award-winning work out in the wild. We see it in our feeds, shared by the agencies and people and trade magazines and awards shows we follow. And by the way, that’s the first place most of the judges see it too. We never saw Leon the allegedly dead lizard live. We didn’t take the unfiltered history tour at the British museum (we were at the Harry Potter show). And even if we live in New York, we never saw the ubiquitous fearless girl because we work on Madison Avenue and not Wall Street. And PR doesn’t just lead to shiny objects. It attracts clients and talent. We are in the business of selling other people’s products, but the most successful agencies are the ones who also know how to sell themselves. I’m not trying to undermine the value of doing great work. To win awards, the work has to be great. And even if we take awards out of the equation, we should make our work great because we love advertising, we want to do right by our clients, and we take pride in what we do. But if we want to build more successful teams and agencies, the PR has to be just as great. #advertising #awards #leadership

Loved representing Cutwater at Ad Age's #BusinessofBrands event last week alongside Aryn McClure, MSc! 😀 Some sound bites that stood out: 1. (On marketing in a politically charged environment) "It should never be a jarring surprise when a brand enters a conversation. If I tell my friends that I'm going jet skiing tomorrow, they'll look at me like I'm crazy since they know I hate water sports. But if I tell them I'm speaking on another panel about marketing, they'd expect that. Brands should use that filter when deciding whether or not to speak out on a topic publicly -- is it something that makes sense to get involved in based on who we are?" ⭐ 2. (On pushing creative boundaries) "Think of your brand as a character. If you were in a writer's room and there's a plot twist, how does the character react? It's not a question of 'what should we do as marketers' but rather 'what would our brand do if they were a person'? 👯♀️ 3. (On finding new inspiration) "Get out there over and over again, and have your agencies do it, too. If you're a fast food chain, work the drive-thru. Observe people in-store. Look at the customer journey again. What's relevant? Where are opportunities to try something new and get out of a funk?" 🌎 4. (On punching above your weight) "Take advantage of the fact that as a challenger, you don't have to sell the whole category -- just your brand -- and get comfortable taking big risks that category leaders aren't brave enough to take." 💪 5. (On client/agency relationships) "Long-term agency relationships are undervalued. Nobody wants to get divorced and remarried over and over again. Invest in those relationships and grow the talent within them through continued education and regular, two-way feedback that helps everyone do their jobs better." 💘 Do these spark anything for you? Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below! 👇

****Danger****. *****Controversial***** *****Highly Opinionated***** This could be misread as the pot calls the kettle black; I will accept that if interpreted this way. Ahead of Cannes, I wanted to raise a question for all in the marketing ecosystem. There's a noticeable trend among highly recognized CMOs prioritizing their personal accolades and public appearances on Linkedin. This award, that ranking, and a constant banter amongst a few very senior, highly talented CMOS. The focus is often on collecting awards and acknowledging speaking spots at expensive boutique events that aren't for the masses (rhymes with Hospital) rather than diving deep into enhancing partnerships that are crucial for mutual success. Have Marketers gone too far in promoting their personal brands? Should they better balance their public roles with their fundamental duties, ensuring their teams and clients truly benefit from their expertise and not just their fame? Do we shift the conversation more openly about... - true collaboration and what it takes - the trend to diminish an agency and reduce it's ability to have a return on investment - the death of long-term relationships - the impact of procurement in managing relationships - creativity; brand vs. performance marketing - emphasis on creativity that builds brands over time vs. driving quarterly/weekly boosts in sales at the exclusion of the long-term - promoting agencies and talent vs. themselves This is meant to be a discussion. I'm open to all opinions. It's an observation not a fact. I may be overly sensitive to what I am seeing. Maybe, maybe not. I'd value your view as I form my own. #Chiefmarketingofficer #CMO Association of National Advertisers Ad Age ADWEEK #soulpurposeinc

We have just begun the start of festival season! After years of leaning into performance marketing, the landscape is once again shifting to in-person experiences. According to 2023 Forrester research, more than three-quarters of marketing executives are returning to experiential marketing to educate, engage, and build trust with consumers. Check out our Inspira Infographic below, featured on the Association of National Advertisers, that looks at how consumers feel about events and the impact that participation has on brands. 🎡 https://lnkd.in/eXJrkwfy

THOUGHT-LEADERSHIP FOR BRANDS WITH BESPOKE FORESIGHT REPORTS & BRANDED CONTENT The Future Laboratory is well known for their strategic foresight projects and their LS:N Global consumer trends platform. One of their other lines of services that I find really relevant is the creation of bespoke foresight reports for brands. In fact, some of the world’s category leaders in consumer markets rely on their editorial capabilities and insights to author thought-leading content for whitepapers, consumer reports as part of their PR and marketing efforts, or for supporting their investor-relations and finance teams by providing relevant forward-looking content about markets and trends for annual reports. Check here for more information: https://lnkd.in/eqx7XE75 Thanks for sharing, Rodrigo Tobal Pereira! #thoughtleadership #brandedcontent #reports #consumertrends #foresight #strategy #marketing #fashion #beauty #luxury #lifestyle #hospitality #thefuturelaboratory #togethergroup

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by Tara Byrnes the EU Senior Brand Manager for The Coca-Cola Company at the Technological University of the Shannon. This experience was enlightening, offering comprehensive insights into practical marketing strategy, the role of a Senior Brand Manager and lessons for professional growth. Among the many valuable lessons from Tara's presentation, these stood out as my top takeaways: 📊 The crucial role of minimizing dependence on external sources for customer insights, as a proactive approach in data collection allows for a more direct and nuanced understanding of consumer behaviour. 🕵️♀️ The importance of deeply understanding consumers - not just who they are, but also their hobbies, preferred media channels, and lifestyle preferences, coupled with the timing of their product usage. This comprehensive knowledge is key to creating more targeted and effective marketing strategies. 🥤 The necessity of offering a diverse range of products to appeal to various consumer segments, as this diversity is vital in attracting new customers and retaining existing ones. 🎯 And finally the significance of having clear business goals and brand ambitions, as this clarity guides strategic decisions and ensures that every action taken aligns with the overarching objectives of market leadership and brand resonance. Thank you, Tara, for taking the time to come to Athlone and share your wisdom with us. Your presentation was not only informative but also inspiring. I can't wait to apply these insights in my future marketing efforts. #marketing #digitalamarketing #marketingstrategy #marketinginsights #cocacola