Suzana Apelbaum

Not every brand needs to be universally adored—sometimes leaning into the discomfort is the key to real growth. In my latest article, I explore how understanding why people dislike your brand can unlock powerful strategic shifts. It’s not about chasing approval; it’s about embracing feedback, addressing misconceptions, and positioning yourself authentically. #iWroteAnotherThing https://lnkd.in/g8CrgXud

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As 2024 draws to a close, we’re entering a season that’s both celebratory and challenging. The shorter days bring up emotions and pressures (work-related and otherwise), reminding us of the need for a real sense of purpose and belonging — especially in the creative industry. I believe that bringing your full self to work is essential for creativity to thrive. The most creative workspaces let people bring their full selves, and help them avoid the dragging weight of comparison or risk-aversion. This openness is where big ideas and great work happen. And let’s be real: it’s also where people feel safe to keep growing, trying new things, and making mistakes. At Betty, we don’t just come to work for our projects, but for our people and their passions — and we know that passion is the heartbeat of creativity. We understand that end-of-year feelings are complicated. Expectations, loneliness, and other outside factors often heighten at this time, making it a peak season for mental health struggles. These challenges affect every part of life, not just work, and they remind us why creating a supportive, fun environment is so important. So as we get closer to year end, let's keep cultivating environments that build people up, where it’s encouraged to be vulnerable and take risks. Let's prioritize connection and remember that beyond the deliverables and the deadlines, we’re people first.

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As an icebreaker in a recent dance class, we were asked to say our names in melody or rhythm. The result? Momentary embarrassment followed quickly by the freedom of play (shoutout to my freestyle+ play maestros) - but more than anything, an instantaneous and lasting memory of all 20 classmates' names. Is this not the power of sonic branding? Veritonic's recent study revealed that "64% of podcast listeners report feeling more connected to a brand when it has a sound identity as opposed to brands that only have a visual identity." The neuroscience holds up as our brains are wired to connect melody to memory, but brands are slow to prioritize "sound and feel" in their identity and awareness strategies. Now, this study started with listening behavior to begin with - polling podcast listeners about, well, listening. But the direction is still (ugh pun intended) sound... Podcast hosts are even taking sonic branding into their own improvised hands - Dax Shepherd's greatest gift to ZipRecruiter was creating that "get recruitin'" melody in each podcast ad, Busy Phillips did the same for Foria (with an homage to "Gloria") - perhaps creating more actual brand recognition and value than any testimonial could. SO. Brands, like my fellow awkward dancers, may follow the same trajectory: momentary embarrassment (I need a jingle in 2024?!), the freedom of play (yes, yes I do), and invaluable lasting memory. I mean, does Gen Z even know how to spell b-o-l-o-g-n-a?! https://lnkd.in/gd2seDCG

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While many creators are struggling to score brand deals, others are building sustainable businesses on six-figure incomes. That's just one sign that the creator economy is now at an inflection point. What better place to talk about it than at #SXSW2025? But I need your help to get there! Click on the links below to vote for my two sessions. It only takes a minute. Voting ends August 18. “How Ambitious Creators Are Becoming 6-Figure+ CEOs.” https://lnkd.in/dANYwcPw Featuring: Ahad Khan, CEO of Kajabi Jim Louderback, Editor and CEO of "Inside the Creator Economy" Newsletter Natalie Elizabeth Ellis, CEO of bossbabe "Brand Deals in 2025: The Era of Influencer Efficiency." https://lnkd.in/dRxfeqvu Featuring: New and exclusive EMARKETER data and analysis on influencer marketing spending and the creator economy

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"Chaos asks questions of you order never will" The wonderful Colleen DeCourcy retells her experience working with Dan Wieden when she took over as Chief Creative Officer at Wieden+Kennedy Her immediate response to me asking about working with Dan was this quote about chaos. We have a natural reaction against chaos because it can be destructive and unsettling but what if we reframed it as a necessary condition for achieving something truly breakthrough 🌪 Chaos propels you forward while order maintains the status quo 🌪 Chaos creates leaders while order creates managers 🌪 Chaos demands a response while order delays it 🌪 Chaos reveals the cracks while order papers them up 🌪 Chaos forces ownership while order delegates it 🌪 Chaos fosters creativity while order fosters compliance 🌪 Chaos requires trust while order replaces it It got me thinking whether there is an optimal mix of Chaos and order required to achieve breakthrough ideas and momentum? We spend most of our time creating order but what if what we actually needed was an injection of chaos? To hear more from this episode check out the links in the comments John Kearon Kerry Collinge Orlando Wood

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Ellis Verdi brilliantly captures the creative heartbeat of advertising, reminding us that data alone can’t replace the magic of great ideas. His insights on the industry’s shift from genuine creativity to data-driven conformity resonate deeply. As Verdi notes, when creativity is sidelined, brands pay the price. It’s a call to reintegrate imagination into our strategies for lasting impact. Kudos to Ellis for championing creativity’s role in making brands not just seen, but unforgettable. https://lnkd.in/eeK-ASFJ

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Moving forward.

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As one of the longest serving member of the Media Rating Council's OOH Working Group on this ultimately bizarre, confusing, and out-dated OOH Measurement "Standard" [sic], that completely ignored the World Out of Home Organization "Global Guidelines on OOH Measurement", May 2022, I wrote an Op Ed "In Dissent" in MediaPost April 29. This was as a consequence of the Media Rating Council 's refusal to formally identify Olympic Media Consultancy or any other member of the Working Group under the heading, "In Dissent", in the final released document despite explicit requests. Euan Mackay, Chief Strategy Officer for Route Research Ltd., probably the leaders in OOH measurement & metrics globally, addressed some of the the extensive issues with this anachronism with his red pen! So, please take "another" 5 minutes and read Euan's critique. Then consider renewing your full support of Geopath that provides a single OOH audience currency based on Eyes-On audience measurement which is right in-line with today's Global OOH Guidelines and media "Attention" metrics - the "new universal metric for today's media trading" for most leading media agencies. https://lnkd.in/eX4N4QZb

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Check out the latest piece I wrote for OOH TODAY. I am a firm believer in the use of Street Furniture and Programmatic as a Storytelling Medium. In the fast-paced realm of Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) marketing, innovation is the name of the game. As advertisers, we are constantly on the lookout for novel and meaningful ways to captivate our audience amidst the urban landscape. Yet, amidst the ever-evolving technology landscape, two key areas have seen surprisingly little innovation: street furniture and high-frequency formats, coupled with programmatic advertising. Link: https://lnkd.in/g2itWMPH #BCNVisuals #DOOH #storytelling #advetising #innovation

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Talked to Ad Age about why CMOs unrealistic expectations about AI cause them to abandon projects. An important read. As CMOs address change management, level-setting expectations may also require them to reassess the fundamental purpose for why they are adopting AI… Thanks for the chat Asa Hiken https://lnkd.in/erYhQVvr

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The proof is in the testing or something like that! DAIVID self-serve is now out of Beta. Capabilities include: A prediction of the percentage of people likely to feel a deep emotional connection to the content, based on 39 distinct emotions; A second-by-second breakdown of the emotions an ad will generate among target audiences; Predicted percentage of people likely to recall the correct brand, share the content, recommend the brand and buy the product, and the key moments driving each; A breakdown of the attention captured by ads during the critical first and last seconds; An overall effectiveness score (out of 10) based on predicted attention levels, intensity of positive emotions and brand recall. Got an ad you want testing?

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I'm nervous about tomorrow, but it gave me a little extra comfort to weigh in on this year's election. CBS Sunday Morning News was a chance to go mainstream with the perspective I can bring. I got the "walk and talk" shot with David Pogue and I got emails from my family and friends who watch the show. In this business I'm in, we're responsible for help shaping messages and experiences that define what people think about brands. Hopefully based on a truth. Can't say the truth piece feels quite as true anymore for political ads. Although that was probably debatable about marketing as a whole, unfortunately. And It's harder than ever to unify people around a message-- we've moved beyond the broad message to much more niche. In many ways good because there was an assumed bigger perspective that left many out. But we're also losing a shared narrative, which makes truth impossible. And in media today we must navigate the complexity of platforms and subculture to try to align people around a set of values and beliefs, if not a message. We must try and break through peoples' bubbles-- that they aren't even aware they are a part of. Or maybe they are and don't care. Luckily with brands we still have to play the long game. So we haven't gone all negative. We need to build the brand over time. In politics, fear of what could happen can be more unifying than the hope and belief of real change. It's an all or nothing for candidates, so they have to go all in. They don't just have a low sales quarter. The winner of the election controls the next 4 years. The loser gets nothing. However while fear can serve as a unifier or at least a barrier to voting for your opponent, it doesn’t work as well as a motivator for most. I just hope we've given people enough to show up for: pride, hope, optimism, joy--belief that moving forward is a good thing.

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How can brands connect with their audiences interests across #CTV screens? 🔒 ‘Get to Know’ Contextual TV. This series breaks down the next-level technologies and unique capabilities that have helped position Seedtag as the leading global #contextual partner. 🚀 First up, in part one of a two-part episode, Mike Villalobos, VP of Strategy & Planning at Seedtag, will take us through the basics of Contextual TV and how it can help address advertisers’ challenges in the CTV landscape. Press play for Contextual TV: https://lnkd.in/ezC4ryc8 #GetToKnow #ContextualTV #Seedtag #ContextualAdvertising

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With climate change, generational shifts, and overconsumption, what will be the role of advertising going forward? Toast's series covering these questions launches this week with industry thought leaders weighing in on those topics and more. It was super interesting to be part of this series and looking forward to the discussions that this will spark. #advertising #dobetter #change #thoughtleaders #insights #production

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Shareworthy is more than a must-read for anyone looking to help brands navigate and thrive in our rapidly evolving media environment. You’ll want to own this book. Because you’ll want to refer to it. A lot. It’s timeless in the principles it explores. Concomitantly, the content shared within its pages is both of the moment and the foreseeable future. Especially considering the increasingly high standards by which creative ideas are judged. Creative ideas have always needed to grab attention and be remembered. But more than ever, they’re only considered to be successful when they shared. And what better way to discover how the best shareable ideas are created than through shared stories? Authors Robin Landa and Greg Braun do a masterful job of interviewing creative industry titans. The stories and insights uncovered in Shareworthy inform us lucky readers where brilliant ideas can come from. And, what makes people want to share them. Shareworthy is impressively well-researched. It’s practically a masterclass education packed into one collection of stories, idea generation techniques and case-study examples. That alone makes it worthy of a few hours of your time. That said, there are many passages you’ll want to read more than once. Readers will find the tone refreshing and inviting. As educators, the authors deftly strike the balance of informing you while simultaneously respecting your intelligence. Shareworthy endeavors to be genuinely helpful. And it is. Whether you’re just starting your creative career or are looking to make a bigger impact as a brand marketer, I highly recommend it. It will change the way you think. After all, different kinds of thinking most often lead to novel ideas that people want to share. Pick up your copy here: https://lnkd.in/gyAzUEC6 #columbiabusinessschool #columbiauniversitypress #advertising

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Let’s bring some nutrition into cards. That’s something OPC (Organic Playing Cards) probably thought of themselves when they started to create playing cards with various fruit and vegetable themes. Together their team and I refined OPC’s positioning allowing the brand to double down on the things it is already known for. In a collaborative effort, we discussed ways to redefine OPC during multiple strategy sessions. The goal was to clarify OPC’s voice and approach to ideate, produce, and sell products as a community-first brand. Eager to grow and expand awareness the following are some learnings we discovered. Complete Case Study: https://lnkd.in/ewCPvx3T —- Client: Organic Playing Cards Strategy: Max Jung

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“…So, consider this my plea. To agency leaders, creatives and everyone who still believes in the power of a big idea: It’s time to be bold. It’s time to take risks. It’s time to burn the old playbooks and write a new one. Because the creative people that figure this out? The ones that aren’t afraid to put creativity first, be true partners to their clients and adapt to the way brands operate today? Those will be the creatives that don’t just survive this shift, but thrive in it.” STRAIGHT FROM AN EXPERIENCED CLIENT. UNFILTERED. #creativitymatters

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Today's report from Madison and Wall on IPG's results contains an interesting comment. Noting that IPG is behind Omnicom and Publicis in principal-based trading (aka Inventory or Proprietary Media), M&W states the following: "...because essentially all large clients by now accept that their agencies participate in these activities, additional growth opportunities will surely follow". Brian Wieser, CFA and his team are nearly always on the money but this time I'm not sure they are right. It is possible that all large clients know that their agency groups do this, but this is not the same as agreeing to do it. There are big advertisers who don't agree with the principle and practice of principal -based trading and do not allow it. The recent study by Association of National Advertisers showed that understanding of it is far from universal (although this wasn't only 'large' advertisers). Principal-based trading delivers very little advantage to advertisers compared to the benefits to the agency groups, and advertisers need to jump through many hoops if they agree to it but with limited upside. It is interesting that Publicis and WPP have engaged in trading blows over their reliance on this. It is far from certain that Principal-based media is the panacea it appears to be for the big groups. Steve Boehler

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Not every creative can do every kind of creative. And that's a good thing. As a young writer, I saw the campaigns that would come out of Wieden + Kennedy and think, "Dang, that's great writing." Imported from Detroit. It's amazing what you're capable of. Find Your Greatness. Strike. (Even their new Winning Isn't For Everyone.) All of them extremely well written and inspiring and envy inducing in the best kinds of way. And while working on brands like Ram or Coke or Samsung or Target, I would try so hard to write like that but I always felt like it was a cheap knock you find on Temu. Even when my scripts sold and the clients LOVED them, I was always meh about the finished product. It took me years of failing to do this kind of writing and be this kind of writer to accept that that's not my style. I don't enjoy writing big poetic emotional manifesto anthem spots. (Which is good because clients don't ask for them much any more.) Sure, I can think of those kinds of big ideas, but when it comes to writing dialogue, it takes me an excruciatingly long time to land a VO I think could compete at that level. And it's not fun for me at all. I think I've done one or two I can say I'm proud of. (Look at the LeBron Samsung or Jeep SB spot I worked on.) Then one day, it hit me. I get comedy. Like many writers on LinkedIn, I did stand up in NY. I taught and performed improv comedy in NY, VA and UT. I still perform improv comedy regularly at ComedySportz Theatre. I get funny story telling and scene work. I like, no I LOVE to write funny ads. Not those slapstick infomercial spots you see coming out of Utah, but insightful and smart humor that connects people to products. So that's what I do. And that's what I get called to do. It's humbling to say this out loud. And even now as I write this I'm like, "You could do totally do that kind of writing. You're good enough to be a writer at WK." But that's my pride talking. To which I say, "Shhhh. It's okay. You're not gonna get asked by WK to write a Nike Manifesto. You'll be okay....shhhhhhhh...." The reason I'm sharing this is maybe you're struggling to figure out what kind of creative you are. Maybe you're trying to do something you're not good at and don't enjoy doing. Maybe you need to find peace in the truth that that's not you and that's okay. So if you're stuck on this excruciating wheel of creative self discovery, don't get off. Change the direction. Work to find out what kind of creative you are. Work to find out what kind of ads you ENJOY making. Then go forth and slay. You many need to make less money. Or have a lower title. But you'll be happier, I promise. And eventually, you'll get hired to do more of what you love. Or you'll get booked when agencies or brands need something you can deliver. It might not be every gig, but the ones you get, you'll love doing. In the mean time, let's watch this ad together and go, "Dang, that's great writing." #stayhungrymyfriends

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