The Motorist’s Post

In-house media productions for a product marketing manager can indeed be a mix of excitement and challenge. Having a great idea is just the starting point; the real test comes in execution. When the responsibility falls on you and your content and media team, the process can be demanding. It requires aligning creative vision with practical implementation, managing resources, and ensuring everyone works seamlessly to bring the concept to life. For those of us working fully in-house, where do you draw your inspiration? How do you consistently keep your ideas fresh and your team motivated? Let’s share tips and experiences to inspire each other.

Having done product review PR most of my career, this is a really good look under the hood with Walt Mossberg, who pretty much created the category in consumer media at the WSJ (the trades/tech outlets had very very techy reviews, but he brought it to the every person ... well, who read the WSJ) and Marques Brownlee, who has set the standard on YouTube. I've pitched both (success with Walt as it's a higher batting average, less than a handful of pitches to Marques). With all product review programs, there's been an aspect of influencer relations - I was pitching enthusiast sites and groups - as well as industry analysts that focused on the space. Now, that's more amped up but that also brings in more pay-for-play attempts (those aren't reviews, that's just paid placement) and as noted in the article, it's hard to know what is what nowadays. I'm fine, though, with affiliate links because I do think media needs multiple revenue streams. A side story from my time in online photography that relates to the article. I was at a CES event with a bunch of the photo and camera reviewers, and they asked about my favorite digital camera. I mentioned the HP 315 digital camera (yes, I remember the model) and the camera guys mocked me because it wasn't the best chip or optics. I pushed back and said that with digital photography, I want a camera the I could give to my mom to use, one that embodied the old Kodak ethos of push the button, we do the rest. The HP was that simple-easy and could get more people into digital photography. One of the reviewers spoke up and noted I was right, it was the mainstream easy-to-use camera. Then we all got iPhones and smartphones with good cameras, so it was as moot point. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As a brand manager, I'm responsible for crafting creative communications for ATL marketing channels like TV commercials, billboards, radio, and press. It's something I've always dreamed of, and I'm thrilled to be doing it. ⏫ However, there are a few important considerations for anyone interested in this kind of position: 📗 Feedback is a crucial aspect of the job. How do you handle feedback, and how do you provide it? Managing creative teams involves navigating through various opinions and suggestions. 🎥 Production entails more than just the time spent on set. It's a multi-step process involving pre-production, production, and post-production. Be prepared for late extra hours and unexpected events. 🔋 Attention to detail is paramount. Overlooking even small details can have significant consequences. Do you enjoy tackling challenging creative projects, or do you prefer simpler ones? Share your thoughts in the comments below! #brandmanagement #brandmanager #marketingcommunications #worksecrets

Timing is critical for hiring a head of marketing. If your company is brand new, you may be small enough to delegate an internal role. If you've already found your footing, it may be time to expand towards a #MarketingHead. Here's what you need to know: https://lnkd.in/gpdNpey3

When someone asks me what I do, I say "communications". Their eyebrows scrunch with confusion. So I clarify and say it’s like marketing. I have been studying Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Seneca Polytechnic for 2 months, and I learned that I have misunderstood the communications field. Communications is not marketing. One reason is communications is concerned with publics, not target audience. Egg Farmers of Ontario don’t sell products to consumers. They lead the egg sector through promotion, education, and ensure egg farmers follow regulations. Yet, I see their ads all the time in the Toronto subway through their “Get Cracking” awareness campaign. To Egg Farmers of Ontario, I am considered a public. I am not someone who will hand over my money to them directly. Instead, I may purchase eggs produced by one of their affiliated egg farmers. If one of the egg farmers runs ads encouraging me to buy their eggs, then I become a target audience. Of course, an audience can be a public. But a public is not necessarily an audience. Publics broaden the people who interface with a brand beyond customers and this matters because brand reputation is very fragile. With all the layoffs happening in tech over the last two years, internal emails of the news always finds a way to external audiences. Yet, they’re not the intended audience. Understanding publics gives us a bigger picture of the brand is perceived. And this is where marketing has been limited. Don't get me wrong, the strength of marketing lies in its laser focus. They run campaigns that lead could lead to extraordinary results. The concerns of marketing differ from communications and so it's important to cross-collaborate to get the best of both fields.

In-house vs. agency 🤔 It’s been a fascinating three months on secondment as Acting Head of Communications at Shamal Holding. In PR, we often talk about in-house vs. agency but I’d forgotten just how different the two worlds can be. Specifically: - Looking at comms and content across the entire spectrum, not just isolated to PR. You don’t really get this in agency life and I’ve really enjoyed working with teams around the business to consider different audiences and messages, with everything from internal comms to web copy. - In a similar vein, the opportunity to work in a truly integrated way, across disciplines can be so much cleaner in-house. Not all marketing/comms departments work like this (so credit to Shamal), but a genuine career highlight was launching an integrated campaign across multiple touch-points including seeing our huge OOH as I drove to the office on launch day. - In agencies, the most important stakeholder is often our senior client (usually they hold the purse strings) but in-house there are lots of important stakeholders and managing up/down/across to people who have varying levels of comms understanding is a totally different skillset. - Seeing the client-agency relationship from “the other side” reminded me of the value in developing a solid brief, and that managing an agency is a unique skill that isn’t necessarily a given. It’s been great to flex the old in-house muscles and also learn some new skills along the way. A big, heartfelt thank you to Dina Jreissati for the opportunity. A brilliant marketer, leader, mentor and now a friend. And shoutout to the whole team for being so welcoming and collaborative. Has anyone else made the switch? Would love to know how you’ve found it.

Here’s four reasons why social media content is important for sporting brands: 1. It’s the face of your entire club/league. 2. It’s the first point of contact and easiest way to communicate with your fans. 3. It’s your greatest opportunity for connection with players/staff. 4. It’s the easiest way to grow your audience. If I were creating a new professional sporting team, I might be hiring a digital manager before the head coach. But actually, I'm kind of serious.

I thought I would share this eye-catching marketing from easyJet but also the deeper message behind this. Firstly, the marketing is brilliant. I have seen so many fresh marketing techniques this week and I applaud them all. 👏 Secondly, the campaign highlights the percentage split between male and female pilots in the aviation industry. "EasyJet say that more than 90% of airline pilots are men, with the campaign targeting female audiences to encourage more to join."👍 As aviation professionals, let me know your thoughts if you think marketing like this would actually make you more inclined to apply to a role, and whether you think the percentages are changing in regards to the amount of females in the industry.❓

As aviation professionals, what are your thoughts on the below marketing campaign by easyJet! ✈ Is this likely to make you more inclined to apply for a role? 💬 Do you think the percentages are changing in regards to the amount of females in the industry? 👩✈️ #marketingcampaign #easyjet #pilots #aviation #aerospace #diversity