1) I am incredibly inspired by the rise and success of companies and brands that are cause related, mission based or just willing to put doing good into their bottom line. I am so passionately convinced in our ability as humans to creatively solve some of the world’s problems both big and small and I have seen great movement in companies not only using their profits for good, but working to improve the sustainability of their businesses, address the human toll that is involved in the making of their products and using the scale and power they have as companies to actually affect positive change.
2) The answer to both those questions is probably social media. I absolutely love the transparency that social media brings to corporations and brands, and the empowerment it brings to consumers is incredibly inspiring and challenging. And as a creative person in marketing, I love a good challenge.
The downside is that it is a landscape that changes crazy fast and what worked last year, last month or even yesterday is always morphing and evolving. This is exciting for sure, but it can lead to comprehension gaps, unrealistic expectations or a “me too” mentality that isn’t based on what is truly right for their consumer.
3) I’ve been in the business for quite some time, so the evolution from “just making a TV spot” to communicating across all channels and in all the non-traditional forms marketing takes on today has evolved my role considerably. And I love it. Like I said, I love a good challenge. I love thinking about human behavior in every facet and the massively expanded role marketing plays in people’s lives means we get to think in ways far beyond what we did 20 years ago. The downside of that of course is that every project feels so much bigger than it used to, which can lead to longer work days, expectations of availability 24/7 and all the work/life balance challenges that come with that.
4) The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years is something that was true when I started in this business, is true today, and will be true tomorrow. It seems obvious and disarmingly simple, but easy to forget in a world of technology and innovation for innovation sake. The thing is this: our job is to communicate to humans. Understanding those humans truly and deeply, in all their complicated facets, always has been and still is, at the heart of what we do. If you never lose sight of that, your work will always be relevant, regardless of what form it takes.
5) I would love to see more positive movement from companies, brands and agencies toward affecting positive change in the world with scale, influence and creativity. I would like to see more women and ethnic diversity at the top tier of creative companies and brands, not just creative directors, but executive creative directors, CCOs and CEOs. When you are in a position to make the final decision on something, then you are truly in a position to create change and affect perceptions. To evolve my career, it’s important for me to know that the company I work for truly cares about moving forward in these areas. I care about real change happening, not just hearing platitudes and talk of future goals.
6) I want to push our company to use creative as a force for good in the world way more often than we do. I want to problem solve community and world problems both big and small. I want to support women in real creative leadership positions not just in my agency, but local agencies and beyond. That’s more than one resolution isn’t it? Well, I like a challenge, so there it is.
7) As 2016 progresses, the presidential elections in November will begin to dominate the media cycles more and more. I believe this will have a profound effect on what we do, both positively and negatively. Elections bring out the best and the worst in human behavior. Both sides of that coin are insightful windows into the psyche of Americans at this place and time. It is up to us to listen, pay attention and learn from every minute of it. Where America lands in their choice of president will say so very much about where we are as Americans, global citizens and human beings.
