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Showing posts from 2018

#SeeHer

Earlier in my career I was part of the team at Ogilvy that helped American Express create its first-ever campaign targeting women.  The platform was simple: show self-fulfilled women as independent and positive role models using the American Express Card to live a more interesting life.  Soon after, the number of female applicants doubled.  The campaign was even featured in a documentary that aired on PBS showing best practices in marketing to women.  (The oddest part of the documentary experience was having to recreate the creative presentation.   We all said really smart things the second time around.) Fast forward to today, a time when women make or influence around 85% of purchases, yet often do not identify at all with the women they see in advertising.  Worse than perpetuating a marketing problem, we're unconsciously perpetuating a cultural problem in the media. Studies show that unconscious bias is formed as early as five years old, as this #RedrawTheBalance video il

I am not at Cannes.

--> Nor are any of my colleagues.  Instead we are in conference rooms reviewing mobile shopping metrics to find clues for creating a better customer journey. (People had bottles water and Diet Coke, but not a single glass of rosé.) We're having daily stand-ups, going through heat maps to spark ideas to improve the online customer experience.   (Nobody was in beach sandals. Nor, thankfully, speedos.) We are brainstorming ways to use data and adtech to deliver personalization at scale. (Cool, e uro-looking sunglasses were not required.) We are working with clients, debating campaigns briefs, attending Human Centered Design s essions, collaborating on social video content, and having some laughs along the way.  I view Cannes as part of the past, and gatherings such as TED, CES, SxSW representing what's happening now. Although one day, even these events may become Cannes-like. This is not Cinderella venting about not going to the ball. Th