Strands of Genius: Ozlem Halibryam+ Social Trends 2024
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 ::
The good old days of jumping on bandwagons and desperately trying to outrun trends on social media are numbered. Social marketers have come of age—and with their hard-won wisdom comes a renewed focus on performance and less patience for folly. As platforms continue raining new tools, features, and algorithm updates on us all, social marketers are learning to take a deep breath and ignore the noise. In 2024, ROI will take center stage on social as smart organizations finally close in on their top-performing tactics. From singling out hero platforms and perfecting their content mix to boosting their team’s capabilities with AI, the marketers and brands who set the pace this year will do so with a new level of precision and efficiency. From here on, it’s full speed ahead—and that’s why we may be looking at social media’s most pivotal year yet.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
OZLEM HALIBRYAM, MA ADVERTISING GRADUATE (UAL)
>> Ozlem Halibryam guest curated Strands on November 16, 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 think like many young creatives, I was apart of the students who didn’t get to have the “full university experience” so to say. I studied Marketing at undergrad and had it cut short and pushed online due to the pandemic. I had finished university on a random day, online, at home and felt like I needed more. I always knew I liked the balance of the business and creative elements but felt as though I didn’t experience as much creativity as I had wanted during my undergrad; a few months later I found myself back at university studying my masters in Advertising at UAL, LCC. I had found the course that had a balance of strategy and creativity, whilst working towards briefs with big name companies. Despite my need and want for creativity, as the course approached to an end and although I love the idea of cultivating and creating ads, it wasn’t something I wanted to pursue just yet with my brain itching to go back to a more marketing based route. I now work as a marketing and communications lead where I get to have the balance of strategy and creativity, in addition to being based in an environment which breeds imagination and new ideas.
What excites you most about what you do?
I think your first job out of university will always be daunting but it has been exciting along the way. Being able to implement what you spend years studying and working towards is always interesting to see, especially when the ideas you develop come into fruition successfully. For the most part, it has been exciting to see how I’ve personally grown and developed in the time period and meeting new people, whilst also thinking about what more I can add and contribute towards.
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 think as with any industry, many understand the importance and need for diversity, but may often fail to address it and meet the needs for equality within the workplace, in addition to understanding as to why the problem is arising in the first place. Diversity within any given environment often has a multitude of layers to it and stretches beyond one factor, whether it be race, class, gender or culture. As part of my Final Major Project during my MA Advertising studies, I explored cultural barriers that current young, working class creatives in London are facing getting into the advertising industry through interviews and research. It has been one of the most rewarding projects I have worked on due to the importance of the subject for both myself and many of my peers I know.
Built up from Pierre Bourdie’s cultural capital theory where he stated that cultural capital can exist within three forms; it has since become a pivotal lens and piece of academic framework to view social inequalities and how it grows into patterns of privilege.
Cultural capital varies between individuals, which is why many cultural barriers arise. The young creatives I interviewed experienced limited cultural capital exposure at home, thus, education became where many started to realise and cultivate their talents, despite not always being supported. However, the lack of support visualised its impact later in life, with interview participants stating they received “no significant help” during education for their creative-based passions.
Despite some agencies offering diversity schemes and placements, barriers to entry will continue to remain unless agencies wish to cultivate a range of talent and that means starting at the very beginning - from when young creatives are still developing within educational institutions. To acknowledge that talent arises from a variety of places and not all talent is nurtured in similar environments would be the first big step of the industry and then, inputting their cultural and diversity efforts to those currently studying. It is not an idea that can be implemented overnight, but if focus slowly started to be directed to those currently studying and wishing to pursue a creative career it may start to build the foundations of decreasing the gap of cultural capital between working class and other class creatives.
Full dissertation can be read here.
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?
Whilst definitely possible, it is challenging to maintain and set up initially. I only started working my first full time job in October and I would be lying if I said I didn’t initially struggle in balancing it all. Like any routine, it takes a while to set up and adjust, but once you start to get in the flow of things, everything tends to fall back into place as you adjust to the new routines you have in life.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
I think for a social media platform that is considerably new in comparison to its competitors, when you curate you algorithm correctly, TikTok is a great place for both inspiration and learning. In snippets shorter than what you would normally find on YouTube, TikTok videos are able to give quick bursts of tutorials in addition to feeding and tending to inspiration and idea generation. I think creativity flows all over the app, whether you watch a video on learning new design skills or watch a video someone created to document their travels. It’s interesting to see.
You can keep in touch with Ozlem on LinkedIn.
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