Strands of Genius: Lisa Prince + Retail Data is Changing the Game for U.S. Advertisers
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 ::
E-commerce giant Amazon launched the first modern retail media network in 2012. In recent years, dozens more networks have popped up from virtually every major U.S. retailer, offering advertisers countless options to tap in to retailers’ first-party data to better inform their digital media buys. This phenomenon was only reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had the knock-on effect of boosting e-commerce and, in turn, making e-commerce sites some of the most valuable online real estate. But retailers quickly ran out of online monetization opportunities on the properties they owned and operated and began to look for revenue elsewhere.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
LISA PRINCE, FOUNDER OF SCHOOL OF IDEAS
>> Lisa Prince guest curated Strands on October 19th 2023. 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'm a 44 year old woman with a strong case of the fuck-its. Oh wait, I'm 45! See? The great thing about becoming wiser is that you become braver. I've given up chasing perfection, I've given up trying to keep everyone happy (impossible), but I'll never give up on trying to be kind and decent. Why am I telling you all this? Well, I feel like a woman who's collected many thoughts over the years: on creativity, ideas, creative baggage, tall tales and overlooked advice. I've been carrying them around in a giant suitcase that is now overspilling. It's time to put it down, unpack and stay a little while. I'm ready to share. Your timing is perfect.
But how does this woman and her big suitcase (now on the floor) actually spend her day? I'm founder of School of Ideas, as the name implies we teach people how to have better ideas in better ways. Before that I was a creative strategist for about 20 years, mostly at Wieden+Kennedy. At this stage, I've worked on every category you could possibly imagine. I split my time between teaching and consulting because I don't believe you can teach creativity without also living it daily. So, I spend most of my days either writing, researching or presenting. I have a husband, two daughters and more animals than I'd ever advise, so if I'm not writing, researching or presenting I'm most likely making something cute and furry feel "seen".
What excites you most about what you do?
The most exciting part of my job is seeing the expression on someone's face when something they used to find complex suddenly becomes simple. When they "get it". We're horribly confused about creativity in our Western culture and even within the marketing industry which means people are often working way harder than the need to. Nothing gives me greater joy than to lift some of the weight off people's shoulders.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
The strongest influence on my work is that creative problem solving is more of a skill than a trait and we need to teach it. Creative problem solving is actually a superpower of Homo Sapiens but our ancient ancestors did a much better job of teaching and sharing these techniques than we do. I'm sure there's more people teaching AI how to creatively problem solve right now than there are teaching humans. I believe in being incredibly generous with all of our tools and skills.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
It has to be the whole experience of founding School of Ideas. The old adage that a teacher learns more than they teach is so true. I've spent the last seven years exploring culture's deepest joys and fears around creativity, I've spoken to hundreds of people about what they wish they were taught. I see so much opportunity for positive change in areas there's surprising little conversation around. There's no greater joy than knowing there's a problem you may be able to help fix.
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'm a middle aged white woman who grew up in Ireland and England in the 80s and 90s. As a result of that experience I'm on my own individual anti-racism journey to unpack the system of oppressions I grew up in. The work has to start there first. And we all have our work to do. It's also very important to me to unpack the silent, insidious ways we have made creativity (and creative professions) exclusive and difficult. Unpacking the lies that created this situation is a crucial step in passing the mic to new voices.
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?
Hanna (my business partner) and I purposely built a business that prioritizes rest and reflection as an essential part of the creative (and let's face it, human) process. We pause every Summer to rest, reflect, write, read and generally become more interesting. I'll be honest, at first it was about catching my breath from raising young children, but I've come to believe that purposeful downtime is one of the most crucial tools you have as a business owner/ founder/ ideas person. Sell your time back to yourself. It doesn't have to be a Summer, it can just be about a digital sabbatical on a Saturday. We need time to digest the big meal that is life!
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
Inspiration is everywhere. I'm like a magpie. The Costco Magazine. The LGBTQ zine from my kid's club at school. The Sunnyside Neighborhood newsletter. The little fancy brand book that comes with my new sweater. The poster in the loo of my favorite restaurant. The graffiti in the loo of my favorite restaurant (I'm a classy girl). "The Week", a news magazine/ world's best invention. (The kid's version is awesome too.) And finally my real love: books, books, books. I'm a big reader. I have a library bookcase on wheels so it can follow me around. I'm a very serious note-taker when I read. When we get to know each other a little better, I'll share my index card collection. I'm also a big believer in the good old fashioned media diet of having lots of interesting friends that challenge you.
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
I stole this one from Plato. "Uncertainty is the price you pay for freedom." It took a lot of courage to leave my Wieden+Kennedy career and start my own company. All adult decisions tend to come with some sort of price. The price I paid for my freedom was more uncertainty. This quote made me realize that if I wanted the former, I just had to suck up the later.
You can keep in touch with Lisa on LinkedIn.
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rockON,
faris & rosie & ashley | your friends over at geniussteals.co
@faris is always tweeting
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