Currently juggling media strategy & innovation at WPP.
For over a decade I’ve been helping brands be less boring…
Lately, I also fancy myself a cultural anthropologist-
a constantly curious creative instigator, relentlessly decoding the chaos of culture and translating it into sharp, provocative insights for media…
And it is showing up in my work and approach to strategy:
🔍 Uncovering emerging trends using non traditional research methods
🧠 Untangling human behavior/interests by focusing on the why
🌏 Mapping cultural forces and turning them into media opportunities
From social media interactions, to GenAI search trends, to new political movements, using an increasingly cultural lens to make sense of modern consumer needs is shaping the outcomes I deliver for brands.
I sit at the intersection of go to market strategy, audience/cultural insights, digital platform innovation & creative uses of paid media. Using this rare combination, I deliver work for my clients that is a cut above the rest. I believe the top agencies produce the best holistic strategists and media professionals in the business; which is why I have made pit stops throughout my career at the boldest, most creative shops in the world. Add my extensive global experience, technical media knowledge and an obsession with how we push brands beyond their comfort zones… there are few folks that are better versed in how to keep brands at the top of their game using media & marketing.
Have questions or want to chat about a creative project? I am all ears…
BRAND PORTFOLIO
Building best in class media and marketing strategies, along with designing omni-channel frameworks for their execution.
Creative uses of media. My approach to big, bold media led ideation and digital innovation is unmatched.
Brand partnerships & JBPs. I have mastered the art of evaluating, designing, executing & measuring marketing partnerships at the global and local level.
Thought leadership and training on how we define and shape a human-first, ethically bound, sustainable media landscape.
Unearthing how brands can be more relevant and exciting in culture. Ask me about cultural agility. I bring a true global lens to the table and a penchant for empathy & inclusion.
Outcomes that drive long term benefits and lifetime value- thinking past the short term KPIs.
WHAT I EXCEL AT.
LGBTQ+ marketing: The audience, their needs, what they want from brands and how to reach them.
Brand audits to find gaps in knowledge, talent, readiness & efficiency and driving brand transformation projects to solve for findings.
Unifying teams, nurturing talent, harmonizing media & creative and leading a full funnel strategic operation to drive brand growth.
In the weeds, technical ,digital platform skills. I cut my teeth for years as a media buyer & investment whiz, acting like a performance trader across search, social and programmatic channels.
My 3 pronged approach to all things marketing:
THE HUMAN LENS
Everything from the brief, to the strategy, to the execution should be grounded in human understanding. Unfortunately, most brands still want to reach versus understand their audiences. The industry is rife with soulless demographic, behavioral and interest data because of efficiency & scale being a priority. Data, insights and tech alone do not solve for true audience understanding. Innovation and critical thinking does. Shiny, happy segments also do not reflect what society is currently experiencing or what people need from brands in today’s world. This is crucial for us to understand and layer in as we think about customers, their ‘journey’, rollbacks on DEI and how to stay relevant in today’s world.
PAID MEDIA POTENTIAL IS UNDER UTILIZED
Future proofing a brand means realizing the value and potential of a well executed paid strategy. The key is to expand our definition of ‘media & marketing’ and how it works alongside insights, creative, PR, & omni-channel consumer touch points. By stretching the potential of paid, we open up paths to innovation and growth that transcend traditional marketing silos and unleashing a living, breathing brand ecosystem. Paid efforts are also the key to experimentation, learning quickly, failing fast and optimizing this ecosystem. It is a long term competitive advantage that is largely under utilized by advertisers in their overall marketing strategies.
ciaraasmith1@gmail.com
〰️
ciaraasmith1@gmail.com 〰️
CREATIVITY AS RESISTANCE
In our current landscape, technology rules, the onslaught on AI has begun and we are seeing machines replace people at an increasingly fast pace. The debates around the pros, the cons, the ethics and the opportunities for human advancement are in every trade newsletter we read. And yet, people are more impacted by inequality, political issues, human rights attacks and many other societal issues than ever. My take is that we need to infuse this into what we do everyday as marketers. To understand and radically accept the state of the world is a key component in our role as strategists and consumer advocates. We must resist complacency and the ‘it is what it is’ narrative. I have thought long and hard about how we can do this by rebelling against standard marketing organization, strategy & processes i.e using our own creativity as a form of resistance & competitive edge. Ask me about the way forward for brands with this attitude at the helm…