Lee Junkin, Platform Media Supervisor
Katie Coughlin, Media Supervisor  

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and an ever-evolving landscape, the importance of conferences in fostering innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange cannot be overstated. 

Recently we had the opportunity to attend the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana, where marketing leaders dove into the pain points and solutions facing the market. 

In this blog, we’ll shed light on some collaborative discussions that addressed the complexities within the programmatic landscape, from removing the bias in programmatic, to invalid traffic, and how new technologies are helping to solve old problems. 

Removing the Bias in Programmatic

Bias may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of programmatic media, but Kerel Cooper, President of Advertising at Group Black, made it clear that it’s been a lingering issue in the space.

Programmatic media platforms are automated to push spend to buy ad space on websites, podcasts, CTV channels, etc., but only the developers know exactly how these systems optimize. Cooper explained how certain minority-owned sites and publishers face “legacy barriers” that prevent ads from being shown on crucial ad space and, in turn, limit the profits of said publishers. These sites may have been mischaracterized as gossip or political sites when they should have been characterized as entertainment, which affects the formulas that drive potential ad revenue. 

AI, a hot topic from the conference, is one potential solution to explore. Rather than relying on traditional keywords to determine the site relevance, AI is able to scan and determine what the content on the page actually is. 

This discussion allowed us to reflect on where our media dollars are going during a programmatic buy. We pride ourselves on getting our client’s media onto the most premium and relevant content in the programmatic space, but we must also make sure we are not missing out on prime inventory that has been excluded through historical bias.  

Safeguarding Programmatic Against “Made for Advertising” (MFA) Sites 

Throughout the conference, MFA sites were another hot topic of conversation. MFA’s are websites specifically created for the purpose of generating revenue through advertising, often using fraudulent methods. While we are integrated with multiple ad quality partners, we heard from many speakers who have turned to AI technologies to crawl inventory reports to find, and block, MFA sites. These discussions served as a reminder to always be looking into new technologies and strategies to ensure we are maximizing the efficiencies of programmatic buys.

In conclusion, the discussions we were a part of during last week’s summit have heightened our awareness and further fueled our commitment to leveraging innovative solutions to navigate this ever-evolving landscape. It’s clear that ongoing collaboration and exploration of cutting-edge technologies are essential to safeguarding programmatic investments and ensuring they align with our commitment to delivering premium, relevant content to our clients.

In a recent AdAge feature, Alyssa Stevens, Director of PR, Social Media and Influencer Marketing, shared her thoughts on the top advertising trends to watch in the new year. She predicts that marketers will continue the shift away from over-branded influencer content, driving better engagement and audience reception. Instead, we’ll see influencers sharing more stripped-back, authentic content. 

Check out other predictions from industry experts here.

Colin Hetherington, Managing Director of ZOO Digital, spoke with Silicon Republic about the changing world of digital advertising, his company’s expansion to the US and the changes AI will bring to the sector. With two decades of experience in the space, Colin has watched the industry grow from its humble beginnings of banner advertisements to the powerful entity it is today. He shares that AI and machine learning will play a more significant role in the future of digital advertising, as companies and consumers alike have taken a greater interest in this technology over the past year. 

Read more

The Out of Home Advertising Association of America has announced the winners of this year’s OOH Media Plan Awards, which recognize the essential role media planning plays in the development of successful OOH campaigns. Recipients of the award demonstrate how the elements of creative design, thoughtful placement of messages, and proper allocation of budgets unite to produce outstanding communications strategies. Winners tap into the emotional fabric of society and promote inspiring messages that elevate the industry. 

The Williamsburg Tourism Council’s “Life. At Your Pace” OOH activation, which launched in early 2023, has won a Gold Award for OOH Media Plan of the Year. We are honored to be among this year’s recipients. 

Learn more about this year’s awards here.

Brandy Shabowich, Marketing Manager

I vividly remember the day when Connelly Partners unveiled the CP Abroad Program. It seemed unreal that I could have the opportunity to live and work abroad for an extended period of time with colleagues from another CP office. Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it was also a little anxiety-inducing, especially as someone who had never lived, traveled, or even been on a plane alone before. 

I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and with this in mind, I submitted my application. I told myself that no matter how “scary” it might seem, personal growth only comes when you step out of your comfort zone and push those intrusive thoughts away. So, on September 29, I stood in Logan Airport by myself, passport in hand, and boarded the bright green plane to Dublin. Seven hours later I had my first European stamp in my passport. One thing that stood out to me on my trip so far was the kindness and friendliness shown to me by everyone I encountered. It didn’t take long for Dublin to feel like home. 

I was completely on my own which was the most freeing experience I’d ever felt in my life. I had to do things for myself, speak for myself and just figure it out. I finally realized that I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, at the pace I wanted. I traveled all around Ireland, alone. I went horseback riding, on a trail that was definitely not suited for a beginner like me. I was swept away by the beauty of Ireland. I am not kidding when I say that my jaw literally dropped on numerous occasions. Most importantly though, I met and connected with new people, from around the world. And I can’t forget to mention all the animals I saw. Especially the sheep. There were lots of sheep. 

In the CP Dublin office, I was blessed to work alongside a stellar group of individuals. There was such a close-knit feeling among them and by the end of my first day, I felt like I had been working there for years. Each CP office has its own unique benefits and what I learned in Dublin is how seamlessly collaboration flows. Everyone sits together, which makes it so easy to approach one another. You don’t need to walk across the building to get to them. 

My personal favorite observation came around lunchtime. Everyone left their desks to eat lunch together. No computers, no work. Just an actual break for lunch. In America, it’s common to eat lunch at your desk while working. I am guilty of this. But, while I was away, I embraced this practice. I got to know my colleagues on a more personal level and shared in so many laughs. Regardless of department, age, or position, folks just spent time with each other. It taught me the importance of remembering to prioritize yourself and your mental health. 

From working with my fellow CPers in Dublin to embracing a new culture, and exploring on my own, I know now that I am capable of accomplishing whatever I set my mind to. If I could tell a past version of myself anything, it would be a reminder to be open to learning and connecting with others. Throughout my journey, I met so many amazing people from all different walks of life. Living and traveling solo might seem daunting at first, but you need to take that first step to see how empowering it actually is. Just use your head, be smart, and most importantly, believe in yourself.

This blog wouldn’t be complete without travel details, so here are a few: 

• My favorite memories include horseback riding in Enniskerry, seeing the Wicklow Mountains, and watching a sheepdog demonstration near Glendalough.
• Farthest solo adventure: train trip to Cork, Cobh and Blarney Castle (yes, I kissed the Blarney Stone).
• Most spontaneous trip: visiting ancient ruins and burial grounds of the Boyne Valley, and contemplating what life was like thousands of years ago.
• After my time in Ireland, my mom joined me in London and Paris. The Changing of the Guard, Churchill War rooms, and lunch in the Eiffel Tower are all highlights.

Gene Begin, Managing Director, CP Education

I recently attended the 2023 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education. It is one of my favorite higher education conferences and one that I have found is a must-attend for college and university marketing leaders. This year’s conference was its largest, with more than 1,500 attendees. While I unfortunately missed Day 1 sessions due to travel issues that I will not burden you with, there was still so much connection and content to take away from the last two days of the conference. From change management to Generations Z and Alpha to the importance of relationships, here are some insights that I gleaned from the sessions and conversations that I was a part of. 

Managing Change

It is no secret that higher education has been seeing a lot of transformation lately and change management was certainly a prevalent topic at the conference. First and foremost, it needs to be acknowledged that in addition to the industry, we as individuals have also gone through change. Secondly, many marketing teams have experienced turnover, whether from employees within the team or in connection with leadership at the institution. Presidential, executive and departmental leadership turnover has been more frequent than ever before.

To help navigate this change, two concepts really resonated with me on this topic: rugged flexibility and intentional redundancy.

Rugged flexibility was a framework discussed in Brad Stulberg’s keynote, “How to Excel when Everything is Changing.” He defines it as a gritty endurance, an anti-fragility that not only withstands change but thrives in its midst. To thrive, you need to understand the “inescapability trigger.” This thought is that once we come to the realization change is inevitable, cognitive and creative capability increases. 

While in a room of marketers, Brad shared a different set of 4 P’s to manage change: pause, process, plan, proceed. If you think about change as a conversation you are involved in, rather than something that is happening to you, you naturally become more active rather than reactive. And when practiced over time, you actually start to become proactive.

Another session that helped prepare leaders for change was “Lessons for Leadership” with two marketing leaders from Skidmore College, Julia Marco and Sara Miga. Any partners who have worked with me recently know how much I adore Skidmore College, with their institutional brand statement and shared belief that Creative Thought Matters. They communicated that belief for decades and have stuck with it. That is a brand.

While a shared belief is important for any team to rally around, this session walked through a very relatable story of MarComms departmental change, starting with multiple instances of leadership turnover over a short period of time. These two leaders grew within the organization and multiple times experienced taking on responsibilities they weren’t prepared for and weren’t originally expected to do. 

Two pieces of advice they shared that need to be amplified:

1. If you’re taking on more work, document it. You deserve more. Capability does not equal responsibility.
2. Intentional redundancy is crucial for succession planning.

The latter is crucially necessary not only for departures, which can sometimes be exacerbated by crises like a pandemic in their case but also for coverage when people are out of the office for any reason. Work/life balance has become life/work balance. Be intentionally redundant to accommodate for your team’s needed time away from work.

Talkin’ ‘Bout New Generations

There were multiple sessions on generations, in particular Gen Z and Generation Alpha. To level set what ages we are referring to, Gen Z is typically defined as individuals born between 1997 and 2010 (ages 13-26) and Gen Alpha being born after 2010 (i.e. 12 and younger).

In the session about Gen Z, Morning Consult shared some insights from their most recent “Most Trusted Universities survey.” As is typically the case, recommendations from family and friends were most influential in the college search process for prospective students and their families. In terms of trust, students trusted online/social influencers twice as much as their parents, who trusted guidance counselors twice as much. For both audiences, student and alumni perspectives were more important than those of academic influencers and faculty.

For both Generation Z and Generation Alpha, authenticity matters. They want to hear from students first and foremost. In the keynote panel on Generation Alpha, it was discussed how social content managers have essentially become social influencer managers. This could not be more true. When I was most recently at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, our social media lead’s management of our paid student ambassadors and organic student-first stories really WAS the content strategy. While some intentional feature and benefit promotion was always mixed in gently, shining a light on student stories and experiences was the authentic content prospective audiences engaged with.

While there are differences between both generations as well, it’s important to market these similarities, as they can shape your content strategy to appeal to a wider audience. I personally think it’s still too early to tell exactly how Gen Alpha’s beliefs, interests, and purpose are going to be defined. Yet, we can likely predict how their decision-making as consumers is going to be shaped. As has been the case for most generations, word-of-mouth will build trust, and in today’s environment, that advocacy is shaped by influencer marketing. 

Relationships Matter

Whether an individual session, a takeaway from an entire day, or a theme from the conference as a whole, one thing stood out above all: relationships matter. Relationships matter personally, they matter professionally, and they matter in marketing. 

Building a relationship with your consumer – no matter the industry – is the thread that links you together. It could be an emotional connection. It could be an impactful experience. It could be a referral from a trusted contact. This post’s previous section about influencer marketing and advocacy within Generations Z and Alpha certainly speaks to relationships with brands beginning with a recommendation. There is an unspoken trust living within that referral and trust is the foundation of any relationship.

This was my first AMA in five years and my first in-person conference since pre-COVID times. It had been a long time coming and despite my delayed travel in getting there, it was well worth the wait. I was able to connect with so many past colleagues, current partners and friends, while also meeting future ones. As a lifelong learner, there is an energy and momentum that comes with learning from and with colleagues.

But what matters most from a conference such as this are the relationships that are formed and furthered. The relationships I have made in higher education have been long-lasting and invaluable. They have led to personal friendships, professional partnerships, and the sharing of memorable life moments. Relationships matter.

Steve Connelly, President & Copywriter

Connelly Partners is about to embark on a big anniversary – 25 years in this business. Not many make it this long. And while one can never discount the roles both luck and hard work have played in our success and longevity, I am convinced that our mission and mandate from day one to stay moving, to keep reinventing/reinvesting, to never be a sitting duck, have been a major factor in our success. While we’re not reckless, we do embrace calculated risks and move with purpose. 

As we set our sights on our 25th year, we find ourselves competing in a different world, working in different ways, and standing on a different platform. A global platform. Today, Connelly Partners is an independent global agency with 150 employees across three locations in Boston, Dublin & Vancouver. That’s certainly impressive and allows us to compete for opportunities we might not have been able to in earlier years, but what makes us stand apart is not just that we have 150 people. It’s how we are actively investing in bringing those 150 people together. While we are not perfect, and we have much left to do, our intent is to create something that our business has never seen – a truly integrated group of people who live all over the globe, but know each other, respect each other, listen and learn from each other and can come together in ways that benefit both client and employee. Simply put, we believe our clients get bigger ideas when we shrink the world.

I just used a derivative of a word you’ve probably heard tossed about quite a bit in the last few years – integration. I’m going to ruffle some feathers here – but it’s total B.S. Simply having different skill sets available does not guarantee an agency will not still work in silos. Sounds really cool when an agency says they have an integrated offering, but I’m willing to bet they do little to nothing to create a culture and atmosphere that encourages people globally to actually work together. To build one culture together. To worry not about whose P&L client revenue goes to, but rather worry about the client challenge and inviting a wide range of people to the table to sit and solve that challenge.

Let the other agencies talk about integration. It’s a cold, mechanical word anyway. Let’s talk about how we at CP are devotees of convergence. Integration might be people sitting together. Convergence is ideas coming together. Actively, aggressively, relentlessly.

Now creating convergence requires two things holding companies don’t want to spend – time and money. Convergence does not come cheaply or quickly.

At CP, we’re committed to investing our time and money in ways that bring our people closer, to create the familiarity, honesty and respect needed to create bigger ideas. We’ve made strategic acquisitions, invested in new verticals and leadership, filled gaps within our offering, reinvented employee experience and converged skillsets & mindsets for a stronger CP. 

Again, we are not perfect. But we are not standing still either. Never have, never will.

To that end, we have a whole lot going on right now that we are going to start shouting from the rooftops. We’re launching CP West, our new West Coast office, born from CP’s acquisition of VRX Studios. We’re strengthening CP’s position as a global digital leader. ZOO Digital – a Dublin-based, digitally-driven creative agency that joined the CP family a few years back – will be expanding into North America – and will serve as CP’s Digital offering globally. We’re bringing CP Education, a new dedicated education practice to market as part of our integrated offering. And this follows our launch of CP Health in 2021. 

Lots of news converging at once. See what I did there?

CP never sits still. And we hope that 25 years from now we’re still the restless industry agitators we are today.

Rock on.

Additional coverage:
AdAge: Connelly Partners Launches West Coast Office, Expands Digital Expertise and Education Offering
Adworld: ZOO Digital to Lead Global Digital Offering for Connelly Partners
Business Plus: ZOO Digital Extends Reach Into North America
IAPI: CP Strengthens Digital Offering With ZOO Digital Expansion
MediaPost: Connelly Partners Launches Major Expansion Plan
Strategy: Connelly Partners Expands Into Canada With Vancouver Office

Education marketing veteran Gene Begin leads new practice as Managing Director

Connelly Partners, an independent global agency with 150 employees across Boston, Dublin and Vancouver, has launched Connelly Partners Education (CP Education), a new dedicated education practice as part of the agency’s integrated offering. Gene Begin, former chief marketing executive of Wheaton College (Massachusetts), is at the helm as Managing Director of CP Education, venturing outside higher ed for the first time in 25 years. 

Building from the agency’s work in the vertical over the past two decades, CP Education specializes in working with colleges and universities, educational organizations and nonprofits, and education technology companies. 

The specialty practice is integrated within CP’s full-service offering across Strategy, Creative, Social, Media, Influencer, Digital and Analytics. It allows clients to get the benefits of deep industry knowledge and breadth of marketing experience across multiple target audiences. 

The agency works with clients including Northeastern University, the Center for Collaborative Education, City Year, Year Up, and University of Limerick. 

“It’s widely known that competition to attract prospective students has intensified within higher education, but brands and institutions are no longer just competing for their attention with those in their category,” said Begin. “Colleges and universities need to differentiate from their competitors, but they also need to stand out from other advertisers to grab attention. Our partners are choosing Connelly Partners Education for our experience doing both inside and outside of higher education, and backed by one integrated, full-service agency.”

Gene has a track record of creating innovative solutions and integrated marketing successes within educational organizations. He was most recently the first-ever Vice President for Marketing & Communications at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and was previously at Babson College for 15 years in a variety of marketing roles across the institution. He has appeared onstage as a speaker at conferences including AMA Higher Ed, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Confab Higher Ed, eduWeb, FutureM, HighEdWeb, and University Business Tech, among others. Gene was an eduWeb Summit Award winner in 2018, which seeks to recognize leaders and innovators within the field of higher education marketing, and was a senior leader on the AMA’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year Team Honor in 2013.

Gene joining CP closes the loop on a relationship he started with the agency more than a decade ago when his team selected CP in a search for a new agency for his then-employer, Babson College. He joins Michele Hart-Henry, another previous CP client, who leads the Connelly Partners Health (CP Health) practice. 

As CP enters its 25th year in business, it’s positioned as an independent global agency with 150 employees across three locations in Boston, Dublin & Vancouver. Clients get a global perspective, local market expertise, vertical depth and category know-how. And they get it from teams and resources across the network, no matter what “door” they come in.

Connelly Partners, an independent global agency with 150 employees across Boston, Dublin and Vancouver, is launching Connelly Partners West (CP West), its new West Coast office with a startup mentality.

The new office is led by Nadine Cole, Managing Director of CP West & President of VRX Studios, who has deep experience in the Canadian marketing landscape. Prior to this, she spent over 15 years at Cosette, well-known for its award-winning work with the likes of McDonald’s, Curling Canada, and Jetlines. Nadine served as the SVP and General Manager of Cossette for Western Canada and the USA for nearly 13 years and had stints at DDB Canada and Rethink Canada.

CP West kicks off with clients CloudCare, Chiwis, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts EMEA and more. It recently launched new and emotional work for CloudCare, showcasing the power of AI for the over 55 million people who suffer from dementia. Watch the powerful spot here.

Nadine took the helm of VRX Studios, a Connelly Partners company, in 2022 and has helped transform the business, evolving from a hotel-focussed content agency to one that now creates content for tourism, sports, golf resorts, architects, art installations and much more.

ZOO Digital, a Dublin-based, digitally-driven creative agency is expanding into North America. The company which was acquired by Connelly Partners in 2022 will now serve as their digital offering globally. 

Connelly Partners is an independent global agency with 150 employees across Boston, Dublin and Vancouver. The objective of the expansion is to drive the agency’s digital growth in North America –  fostering integration, and ensuring clients can leverage ZOO’s centre of digital excellence and team of digital creatives, marketing strategists and creative technologists, advancing Connelly Partners’ sustained growth. This news is a departure from the usual trend of US brands entering the Irish market – and sees an Irish digital agency heading over the Atlantic with their expertise. 

The two companies have been working together over the past two years to solidify their collective digital offering within the agency and bring clients enhanced digital expertise. Together, they have successfully landed new business, launched work and campaigns for clients including The V Foundation for Cancer Research, the iconic U.S. brand of Gorton’s Seafood; and science of reading-based tutoring Ignite Reading.

North American businesses will benefit from ZOO Digital’s extensive experience working with global brands including Burger King and Hansard Global and key Irish brands including Electric Ireland, Tirlán’s MyMilkMan.ie, the National Lottery and The Abbey Theatre. In addition, the agency is already working with some key brands looking to the US market such as the O’Callaghan Collection.

ZOO Digital will maintain its name and work as an integrated part of the Connelly Partners ecosystem. Its founders, Managing Director, Colin Hetherington, Creative Director, Chris Preston, and Technical Director, Martin Byrne, will provide clients with digital strategic direction and drive integration while leading the team in Dublin. 

Colin Hetherington, Managing Director, ZOO Digital added: “With a decade and a half of experience shaping the digital marketing landscape in Ireland, we’re excited to introduce ZOO Digital to North America. Our human-centered approach to digital has set us apart and it is now available to clients in this dynamic market. We are already gaining momentum with a number of new contract wins and we’re looking forward to making a significant impact on the digital landscape in North America.”

Chief Digital Officer of Connelly Partners, Scott Savitt, based in Boston, said, “Building from the success of Connelly Partners and ZOO Digital’s partnership over the past two years, we’re focusing on growth in North America. The complexity of marketing in today’s world requires agencies to provide end-to-end solutions. That’s what the convergence of ZOO Digital and Connelly Partners is about. We excel in data-driven digital marketing across all channels, using sophisticated customer research and analytics to inform all our strategies.” 

Managing Director of Connelly Partners Dublin, Vaunnie McDermott added, “Connelly Partners have made strategic acquisitions, invested in new verticals and leadership, filled gaps within our offering, reinvented employee experience and converged skill sets for a stronger Connelly Partners. It’s exciting to see our ZOO Digital colleagues adding to this suite of services that our agency provides.” 

As CP enters its 25th year in business, it’s positioned as an independent global agency with 150 employees across three locations in Boston, Dublin & Vancouver. The agency has built a culture where employees globally, from all offices, come together to create best-in-class work. Clients get a global perspective, local market expertise, vertical depth and category know-how. And they get it from teams and resources across the network, no matter what ‘door’ they come in.