Strands of Genius: Hannah Orlin + Owned Channels: The Next Frontier for Marketing Effectiveness Measurement
featuring: an interview with our guest editor and a research report
Welcome to the Bonus edition of Strands of Genius! On Fridays, we’ll be publishing interviews from our guest editors, and sharing a research report. Thanks for being along for the ride. Oh and by the way, you look great today :)
:: STEAL THIS THINKING | RESEARCH REPORT ::
MESH Experience was commissioned by The IPA to write a report to help brand owners and their agency partners to consider, or re-consider, the position and value of Owned Channels and their contribution to the marketing mix. The report, which draws on in-depth interviews with a range of brand and agency owners, challenges perceptions and validates hunches relating to the definition, role and measurement of Owned Channels. It also provides insightful lessons from real-life brands following bespoke analysis of MESH Experience’s own data and case studies.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
HANNAH ORLIN, PR, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL
>> Hannah Orlin guest curated Strands on April 11th, 2024. Read it here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what keeps you busy. How did you end up doing what you’re doing today?
I am a person who enjoys staying busy. I love new, different experiences including travel, food, people, cultures, and so on. I would say that I’m an extroverted introvert as I thrive on being around people and having plans but appreciate the balance of a night in watching The Bachelor with a glass of wine and my dog curled up (usually on my lap). All that said, I have a real curiosity about people and things – and I think that is what ultimately led me to what I do which is publicity/marketing/communications.
What excites you most about what you do?
I love to talk to people and learn things, so having worked in Entertainment and in a communications/marketing capacity has always been a great fit for me. One important part of PR is asking questions in order to gather all the right information. So getting to ask questions, talk to people and gain a good understanding of the task at hand really motivates me.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
While it may sound naïve, I think that being kind is so underrated. It’s easy to do and it typically makes everything better. It makes you feel good and it makes the people around you feel good, which I find yields better results. And the reason it feels silly to say this is because it seems so simple, but it isn’t always how people treat others in competitive professional environments. I have been lucky to work with leaders and teammates who do treat me with kindness, patience and honesty and I have so much respect for them, as well as effective working relationships.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
This is very specific, but working on the theatrical release and awards campaign for Get Out while I was at Universal was very rewarding. I learned so much from this experience as it was my first major awards campaign, and also the start of Jordan Peele’s impressive film career. To have any part in that moment, and that story is something I’ll always be very proud of and excited by.
Also while working at Universal, on certain films we’d have the opportunity to partner with organizations like children’s hospitals where we could coordinate screenings for the kids, or have actors tape greetings or even go in person for meet and greets. For us to do something so simple that could make people feel special and hopefully brighten their day was really impactful and rewarding.
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. How do you frame these kinds of conversations, both internally and with clients? Is there an emphasis on action, or are the conversations really more about communication?
I have always found that I learn the most when I’m interacting with people who have different backgrounds, points of view, experiences. To understand the full picture of what others are bringing to the table, it better informs next steps in any decisions - those for business and those in your personal life.
Switching gears a bit, how do you find time to balance personal interests with your career? Do you believe work/life balance is possible? Anything you’ve implemented that you recommend that others try?
I do believe work/life balance is possible, but one factor is willingness to say no to things. I’m NOT a good example of this yet, but I’m actively trying to put it into practice to eventually allow myself more balance between work and life and between life and rest.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
My media diet mostly consists of news I get skimming social media, podcasts like Armchair Expert with Dax Shephard, Smartless and The Daily as well as email newsletters like The Skimm and Strands of Genius – along with conversations with people who may have more robust media diets than myself!
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
I had a boss once who I went to for advice on a challenging conversation and one of the things she told me to “kill them with kindness”. It can be hard to remember that some situations, but it really resonated with me and I try to practice it whenever needed.
You can keep in touch with Hannah on LinkedIn.
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
rockON,
faris & rosie | your friends over at geniussteals.co
(still want more? @faris is still “tweeting” while @rosieyakob prefers instagram stories)