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August 8, 2024 / News

Strategy: Connelly Partners West Adds New Clients

Since opening our doors in late 2023, Connelly Partners West has been on a new business growth spurt, resulting in five new client wins. This growth streak has been championed by newly appointed, Co-Managing Director, Nick Cronk.

“We’ve focused on growing our presence in the market with a unique offering: one that blends global perspective and resources with local expertise, and puts human behavior at the center of our work to meaningfully connect brands with their audience,” says Nadine Cole, co-managing director of Connelly Partners West. “[Cronk’s] depth of experience in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, together with Connelly Partners’ has been resonating with clients.”

Check out the full story here.

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August 2, 2024 / Thought Leadership

Women’s Networking: What’s Your Personal Brand?

Katie Coccia, Senior Manager of Human Resources and Facilities

women listening to speakerWe just hosted another Connelly Partners Empowering Women’s Networking Event, which offered both CP and non-CP women the chance to meet someone new, make meaningful connections, and learn about personal brands. 

But what is a personal brand? And how is it different from a reputation? 

Simply put, a reputation is built on trust and is influenced by how others view your actions and conduct. A personal brand, however, is the image that you want others to have of you [1]. It is intentionally and strategically designed to convey your unique value and it sets you apart from others in your field [2]. It gives you the tools needed to fight imposter syndrome, all while helping you gain support from people who will elevate and speak up for you [3][4]. 

At the event, attendees wrote down one word to describe their personal brand and shared it with their peers. We saw many powerful words like evolve, curious, brave, and more. I left the event feeling energized and inspired, and I caught up with a few colleagues to hear their thoughts.

The personal brand word exercise was fun and uplifting. I liked how it painted a picture of everyone’s personalities and key strengths—highlighting how powerful we can be when we join forces and are eager to learn from one another. My word was “enthusiasm” as I take pride in approaching my work with positive energy and optimism—to encourage my teammates and create a more collaborative environment, even when facing challenges. – Courtney Marlow, Senior PR & Social Media Manager

This was my first women’s event. I got to talk to and connect with ladies at CP from other departments that I otherwise never get a chance to talk to. I feel like I learned more about them, and people learned more about me. My personal brand word was “trust!” I find when there is trust in the workplace, it builds the comfort to work and speak up especially when you have a new idea. – Chandani Patel, Staff Accountant

I loved meeting people in other roles and hearing about their work experience. My word was “authenticity.” I feel like with advertising authenticity is important. Telling stories in a way that resonates is important to me in my work, and it was cool to talk with folks in other disciplines who also shared that same value! – Alexa Caruso, Junior Art Director

Now that you know a little more about personal branding and why it is important, it’s your turn! What word describes your personal brand?

Watch for details on our next Women’s Networking evening. If you aren’t on the invite list please reach out to Ashley Campbell. 

Sources:

1. What’s the Point of a Personal Brand? – Harvard Business Review
2. A New Approach to Building Your Personal Brand – Harvard Business Review
3. Find Your Voice, Communicate Your Value: How to Build a Personal Brand as a Woman – LinkedIn
4. How Women Can Develop and Promote Their Personal Brand – Harvard Business Review 

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August 2, 2024 / Thought Leadership

Exploring the Fans of the Paris Olympics

Sports tourism is booming! More and more people are embarking on once-in-a-lifetime trips to attend major sporting events. From the F1 race to Wimbledon, The Masters, the COPA, or the Paris Olympics—take your pick! With the Paris Olympics in full swing, we’re diving into the profiles of those flocking to this grand and historic event. 

From die-hard sports fans, who are invested in every second of the action, to casual fans hoping to spot a celebrity or two, learn more about attendees of the Olympics!

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August 1, 2024 / CPOVs

CP Abroad With Neal Malone

Neal Malone, PR & Social Media Management Supervisor

man sitting at dinner table in portugal “Guinness tastes so much different in Ireland—it’s way better than what we get in the U.S.” 

To everyone who said that to me ahead of my first visit to the Emerald Isle…can I be honest? As hard as I tried, I couldn’t really tell the difference—and I say that with the utmost respect. To me, it tasted as fantastic as it always does. 

But after several weeks—and plenty of thirst-quenching field research—a lightbulb went off. I realized exactly why people are so partial to an Irish pour of Guinness. It’s because of the place. The people. The positivity that you’re surrounded with. That’s why Guinness “tastes” better in Ireland.

So as I look back on my month abroad, I’ll say this…Ireland is a truly remarkable place that is home to the nicest, most welcoming people I’ve ever encountered. Here’s what else I’ll remember from my experience:

couple standing in front of a guinness wallTrue Cultural Immersion

When you live somewhere for a whole month, you’re gifted with a cultural experience that goes way beyond that of a typical vacation. Our Irish immersion of course included the greatest hits—parks, museums, landmarks, and pubs—but it was the everyday stuff that I appreciated the most. The coffee shop conversations with locals, the casual neighborhood strolls, the education on Gaelic football and hurling, and the opportunity to work out of our Dublin office. 

Rain or shine, I couldn’t get enough of my walks to and from the office. It was my moment to take it all in—from beautiful architecture all the way down to little cultural observations like “I still can’t tell which side of the sidewalk people want me to walk on.” 

At the office, I learned a lot from our ever-so-welcoming counterparts in Dublin. There’s a feeling of warmth and balance when you walk into the office—everybody is sharp, creative, and highly dedicated, yet at the same time (seemingly) unafflicted by the common stressors of the American work environment. I mean, on most days, the majority of the office gathers around the kitchen table to catch up and eat lunch together—when’s the last time you’ve seen that in the U.S?

The Many Sides of Ireland

European adventures always come with the temptation to pack a bag and jet off to a different country every weekend. I get it—it’s easy to get swept up by Ireland’s close proximity to places like England, France, and Spain. But this time around, we kept things simple. After kicking things off with a family beach vacation in Portugal’s Algarve region, we really focused our attention on Ireland—and I’m glad we did. 

As city people turned suburban dwellers, we enjoyed living in the thick of things again. Dublin is a bustling, walkable city with amazing parks, accessible public transit, big sporting events/concerts, and an excellent restaurant scene that is packed with flavors from around the globe. 

We rented a car on a few different occasions, creating opportunities to venture outside of Dublin to places like the Wicklow Mountains, Malahide Castle, Bray, Howth, and Maynooth. There are so many cool things to do within a 30-45 minute drive—from beaches and hiking trails to historical landmarks and family-friendly farms. 

The real highlight of our stay, though, was our trip to Dingle. Located in Kerry on Ireland’s west coast, Dingle is a solid 4-5 hour drive from Dublin. Getting out there takes you through the lush countryside that you picture when you think of Ireland—green field after green field, filled with cows and sheep. As for Dingle, it’s a little seaside town that delivers on every imaginable level. Slea Head Drive takes you along the cliffs of the Dingle Peninsula and offers the most amazing ocean views. The harbor is home to several companies that offer boat tours—we were even blessed with a sunny day for ours! In town, there’s a staggeringly high concentration of fun pubs (all of which offer excellent live music on most nights) and some really amazing seafood spots. 

If Not Now, When?

Like with any big decision or opportunity, the longer you think about it, the more likely you are to talk yourself out of it. We could have found plenty of reasons to push this type of a trip further down the road, but we didn’t. We recognized the uniqueness of the opportunity and dove in head first. I couldn’t be happier with our decision and I know that this experience will be something I’ll look back on—personally and professionally—for a long, long time.

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July 31, 2024 / Thought Leadership

Google’s Cookie Deprecation U-Turn: What It Means for Privacy and Advertising

Chris Watts, Media Technology Specialist

This past week’s news that Google will be keeping third-party cookies around might have broken the internet, but don’t worry— that’s about all it did to the web. After years of preparation and significant investment in cookie alternatives, the decision to keep third-party cookies alive has raised many questions about the future and renewed some ongoing concerns. 

While the immediate impact of this decision may seem minimal, let’s take a closer look at what this means for the future of privacy, advertising, and the digital marketing industry.

The Cookie Conundrum and Google’s Privacy Sandbox: A Closer Look at Third-Party Cookies

Lest we forget the original plan to deprecate cookies was driven by a desire to address privacy concerns. However, that sentiment was quickly lost as the industry came up with potential workarounds. Enter unique alternative IDs, identity graphs, and Google’s own Privacy Sandbox. Exactly as it sounds, the Sandbox is a fenced-in area with kids, or the marketing industry, playing with Google coined sandbox tools. These tools or “proposals” are aimed to replace the separate functions of the cookie and offer privacy-focused solutions for personalized advertising while minimizing data collection.

While the Sandbox and other alternatives do aim to give consumers more control over their privacy, the reality is that we are simply shifting our trust from one entity to another. Instead of rethinking data collection, we are merely transferring it to a corporation, which may end up holding as much, if not more, information as entities do now. Furthermore, by using tools that link online identifiers with personal information, we are, in fact, reducing privacy rather than enhancing it.

Shifting away from third-party cookies or adopting alternative technologies may appear to be a step forward, but it doesn’t address the fundamental issue. The real challenge lies in improving consumer choice alongside the handling of data. We need to find a way to give consumers genuine preference control over their privacy while still meeting the demands of effective and efficient marketing.

Navigating Industry Whiplash & The Road Ahead

I feel a mix of empathy and pragmatism about this situation. On one hand, companies have invested significant time, money, and resources into new processes that may now be adjusted or ultimately abandoned. However, it seems that few advertisers had fully embraced these new methods, partly due to skepticism about the deprecation actually happening. This period has been a valuable testing ground, forcing the industry to look within itself and explore alternative solutions, while bolstering the focus on consumer privacy. With enhanced understanding of our own internal processes, we as brands have a real opportunity to improve transparency and build trust with our consumers.

Food for thought – With consumer privacy in mind, we need to remind ourselves that brand awareness is not always positive. As a consumer there have been plenty of times that the same ads have popped up everywhere I go, and it’s actually turned me away from a brand or product. When a consumer is doing their everyday browsing, we need to think of both new and current places that they’re being presented with the choice. This is apparent in consent banners, which allow consumers to opt in/reject all third-party cookies. But even so, the choice is incomprehensible to the average consumer.

I ask the question – How do we include the consent banner as part of the consumer journey? Not only with the intention of more consumers hopefully “accepting all”, but for that split second when someone appreciates being clearly presented with the choice and told what accepting cookies will mean for their future browsing experience and relationship with the brand. This is a very powerful first step towards brand trust.

Conclusion: The Evolving Landscape of Third-Party Cookies and Privacy

The industry will continue to evolve and adapt, regardless of what Google does next. But like in any fable, the lessons learned along the way were not in vain. We’re back to tackling privacy concerns head on, with consumers. Which seems a lot more straightforward. And when we look at that – it should never have been just about third-party cookies, but any 1:1 identifier. And that discussion still needs to be had.

But for the few early adopters that created truly privacy-first approaches (as opposed to the slew of cookie workarounds we saw) – congrats. You saw the forest through the trees and have something that’s actually future proof. And for agencies and advertisers, remember that no policy or software update can take away research and understanding of your customers, your media investments, and your business results.

By focusing on assessing performance against real business results – be it correlating results over a long period of time, test and learns, or more sophisticated data science models, you will be able to continue to evolve and stay successful amidst the ever-changing industry.

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July 29, 2024 / CPOVs

CP Abroad With David Onessimo

David Onessimo, Creative Director

The Result of Living Far Away? Getting Closer.

two children walking down a european street

Why do we travel? Surely, not to snap instagram photos. We travel to grow as humans. Exposing ourselves to new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and routines jumpstarts our hearts and minds. Travel isn’t an experience that exists solely within departure and return. It leaves lasting impressions. Endless conversations, memories, and sometimes has a direct impact on our daily lives. The best travels define us in more unexpected ways forever. Living in Dublin as part of the CP Abroad program was one of those times. 

My wife and I have traveled any chance we’ve had since the day we met, and we’ve carried this passion through to our family. So, when the opportunity came to relocate for one month to Ireland, we knew exactly what to expect. We’ve taken loads of trips together, both domestically and internationally. Our kids (now 7 and 8) love to travel. They will see new places, eat new food, and try a new routine. Then, we’ll cherry pick bits and pieces of those experiences to bring home, and so will they. Treating travel like a mental souvenir shop. 

two kids at sunset, a wall that says guinness and a green grassy fieldAs a creative director, I love to collaborate with my peers, getting to know them as people. Nothing beats sitting in a room together and coming up with ideas to solve business challenges for our clients. I have been lucky enough to work with both our Boston and Dublin creative teams, but virtual meetings only go so far. To dream and laugh in the same room, to feel the energy firsthand with the team in person in Dublin, has changed our working relationship. 

Over the course of 4 weeks abroad, we racked up memories. We played cards in pubs for hours, pet cows in Ireland, ate chocolate in Belgium, and attended concerts in London. Photographing and journaling the whole journey like some evening news reporter for my future self. 

boy playing cards in a pub, cows in a field, girl making chocolateBut after 3 weeks of being 3,000 miles away from our home, friends, and family, something unexpected happened. Something that had nothing to do with beautiful architecture and European lifestyle. We became closer to each other. My wife and I became better parents. My son became a kinder brother. My daughter became a more patient sister.

Beyond touring a 1,000 year old castle, eating fresh fish and chips off the boat, playing rugby with kids in the park, what we brought home from our CP Abroad was not a memory at all. We experienced a lot together. Experiences you’ll find listed on TripAdvisor. But the unexpected growth we saw as a family was far more satisfying than sipping a Guinness at dusk overlooking the Gap of Dunloe with an Irish fiddle in the background. That was, however, a close second.

kids at a table, concert, kids in a grocery store

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July 24, 2024 / News

Barry Frechette’s Film Presented at United Nations

Barry Frechette’s documentary, Paper Lanterns, was recently screened at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The film centers around Shigeaki Mori, a man who survived the Hiroshima bombing and has spent his life connecting with families of American POWs who lost their lives as a result of the bombing. 

Barry, CP’s Director of Production and Creative Services, shared his thoughts on this viewing of his film. 

The fact that this film is still being discussed and shown is a real testament to the Mori’s and all the American families who were willing to share their stories with us. And of the people that helped tell it. It took five years to make and it’s not lost on us how many people willed this to be.  Paper Lanterns is always my constant reminder that no matter how “unprecedented” the times are, you can make a difference.   

This marks the sixth time that Paper Lanterns has been shown by the UN. 

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July 17, 2024 / Thought Leadership

What’s the Word (WTW) With Our Favorite Paid Social Platforms?

Grace Alimo, Paid Social Media Assistant

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen some drastic changes in X, Instagram, and LinkedIn that will not only change the way we consume social media, but also change the way we advertise on the platform. It’s important to stay informed about these rapid changes on platforms to make sure your social media strategy is modern, adaptable, and high-performing. Here are the top three social media updates you need to know. 

X Is Now Allowing Explicit Sexual Content… WHAT!?

As of June 2024, X allowed “not safe for work” content, putting advertiser and client brand safety at risk. A recent Variety feature shares a statement from X in its updated usage policies: “You may share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior, provided it’s properly labeled and not prominently displayed.” This raised alarms for both consumers and advertisers who don’t want their ads next to sexually explicit content. As advertisers, brand safety is a table-stake and thus an important consideration. X has released that they will support advertisements near these types of explicit posts. However, the platform also offers controls to avoid appearing next to this type of content if you are worried about brand safety. So, check your campaigns to ensure these controls are applied!

Instagram Is Rolling out Unskippable Ads… 

Instagram is now testing ad breaks, which force users to stop and watch an ad for 3-5 seconds, which will be disruptive for users. PRWeek recently polled 525 people on LinkedIn to see how consumers would react to these unskippable ads. 51% of users said they would delete the app, 7% said they would pay to have the ads go away, and 41% said they would just live with the unskippable ads. While only time will tell if these poll results hold true, we do expect this to be an unfavorable update that’s bound to frustrate some users. On the contrary, if adapted, this could be great for advertisers to leverage, as the average watch time per video on social media is :01 second. Unskippable ads could allow for better attention by utilizing the longer time for more messaging.

LinkedIn Adds New Premium Video Ad Placements and AI

LinkedIn is launching a new program called “The Wire,” which allows advertisers to purchase 3 to 15-second-long pre-roll ads on trusted publisher content on the LinkedIn platform itself. When users watch a video on LinkedIn from one of the trusted publishers, they will be forced to watch an ad first. LinkedIn has connected with the following companies: Barron’s, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Forbes, MarketWatch, NBCUniversal, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, and more. This is exciting because advertisers are now able to place advertisements on reliable, brand-safe company videos from publishers that have a large audience.

LinkedIn is also rolling out AI integrations. These Automated “Accelerate” Ad Campaigns will enable marketers to use generative AI for their campaign creative. This is comparable to the Meta Advantage Plus campaign which allows Meta to automatically generate AI campaigns rather than manually building them. These AI features enable your entire campaign creation process to be automatic, saving valuable time for advertisers. This will allow LinkedIn’s algorithm to find users to connect with your brand and drive better performance with your campaign. However, when using AI campaigns, advertisers lose some control of specific targeting. This can be alarming for advertisers as we always want to be more intentional about what ads are being served to specific users at the correct moment. We use AI sparingly, in controlled instances throughout campaigns to improve performance without changing our targeting or brand message. 

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July 15, 2024 / CPOVs

CP Abroad With Megan Dooge McConnell

Megan Dooge McConnell, Junior Account Manager

woman standing on dock by the waterA Big Bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms 

The CP Dublin office is no stranger to having a cheerful American colleague temporarily joining our office on a monthly basis. Since I joined CP over a year and a half ago, it’s been a regular occurrence. We love the energy that our colleagues bring with them, and the kilo bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms that get plonked on the kitchen table helps too. Not only do we learn from them and connect over similarities and differences in AdLand, but it’s especially good when we say a common Irish phrase and watch as their face upturns in delight as they blurt out “what did you just say?!” I knew since joining CP and witnessing the program work on the Dublin side, that this was something I just HAD to apply for.

man and woman sitting in stadium with baseball hatsWow, These People on My Screen Are Real?!

I had visited Boston once, straight out of college at 22, and had always wanted to return. The opportunity to bring my partner along, made it even better. We found being in a different country for longer than a standard holiday rejuvenates a person. Everything is new and exciting, which is exactly how I felt walking into the CP Boston office for the first time, greeted by faces I’d met in Dublin, faces I’d met only on calls, and new faces entirely. Having global colleagues was something I had always thought was a buzz phrase until I joined the CP Brand Team. Working from Dublin, we have had the opportunity to actually connect with the Boston team and sometimes work across campaigns together, so to meet them in person and join in on internal meetings, catch up on what campaigns they were working on was great. Although on different continents, we all have the same experiences day to day, the same stories from campaigns and the same passion across the board. It’s now very nice to know the face behind the Slack icon of an early 2000’s cult coming of age movie character.  

boston celtics flag flying in beautiful buildingCape Cod Is for Lovers, New York Is for Margaritas

Now, it’s not all office fun and games, there was some serious holidaying to be done also. I went to 2 (two!) Boston Red Sox games during my month (Go Sox!), watched the Celtic’s (from a bar) win the Championship (Go C’s!) and wandered around every inch of the city. To my delight, when I would mention to someone that we were spending the weekend on Cape Cod, they would immediately throw up their arm, as if they were flexing a bicep (💪) and point to it while saying “Where are you staying?” Recommendations from colleagues rolled in for “theeee best *insert food group here* in New York!” all of which we tried to accomplish in the space of 3 days and rolled back to Boston, with the NYC glow, buzzing from the energy the city leaves you with.  

statue of liberty‘Cause I’ve Got Friends in Warm Places

The CP Abroad program offered me the opportunity to not only connect with colleagues, but to reconnect with Irish friends who have left the green Isle for the sunnier pasture of Boston. Starting my work day at 7am, allowed me to work closer with my Irish team, and to spend late afternoons to evenings not only exploring the city and eating bowls of pasta the size of my head, but also spending time with childhood and college friends who have set up shop in Boston, and are living life to the fullest state-side. The month I spent in Boston was something I will always cherish. As the kids say – core memory unlocked!  

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July 11, 2024 / News

AdAge: How These Agencies Are Helping Their Employees Recharge This Summer

The Connelly Partners Abroad Program was recently featured by AdAge, in a piece covering the unique perks that agencies are offering their employees. The program, which made the list of 9, has been modified for the summer months, allowing more travelers and their families to participate at once.

Steve Connelly shares, “It’s been a great way for our people to connect with different cultures, employees in other offices and reconnect with their families.”

Read more here.