8th November 2021
Provocation in the News
This week, we share our latest employee spotlight, new industry-first research on Black podcast listeners, and more.
5 Minutes With...
In the most recent edition of our 5 Minutes With series, we hear from Mindshare’s Natasha Stockton, Director, Communications Planning. She shares career advice, how to stay inspired, and more.
Excerpt: “What is the biggest learning from your career? Realizing you have an impact no matter where you sit. Something one of my mentors said to me that has stuck with me throughout my career is “That you always have a seat at the table and don’t let anyone make you feel differently. Having a title doesn’t give you a seat at the table but providing your input and perspective does. No one can wipe away your fingerprints from the work you do."
Matrix Awards Journal
The Matrix Awards Journal interviewed Amanda Richman, Mindshare’s North America CEO, following her recent recognition as a 2021 Matrix Award honoree. The piece explores her perspective on the industry, her leadership style, and what winning the award means to her.
Excerpt: “What are the qualities you believe make a good leader? Leaders at every level need to possess three things: optimism, empathy, and bravery. We need to be able to set forth a vision that is positive. There is the empathy element, which I think this last year has really brought to light––the need to understand from another view of the world through another person’s perspective. And that helps us understand the impact of our decisions. Having that empathy and understanding is critical. There’s also a time to lead and make hard decisions and have the bravery to go where no woman has gone before.”
Read the full interview, page 40-42.
New research: Black podcast listeners
Mindshare, SXM Media, and Edison Research partnered together to conduct the industry’s first study on Black podcast listeners, looking at listening habits, thoughts on brand involvement, and more. The survey findings are highlighted in Campaign and PR Week.
Excerpt: “Marketers have an immense opportunity to support and elevate Black podcasters today. In doing so, not only will they better connect with Black audiences, but their support can help Black creators breathe and thrive in a space where their voices are often underrepresented,” Natasha Stockton, director, communications planning at Mindshare said. “It shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear about the importance of Black creators and stories in culture, but this research goes another key step in better understanding the growth of Black listeners as well."
This Week's POVs
-- Zoom is testing ads for free users on the Basic version of its service. This is the first time the platform has had any form of advertising available.
-- Facebook rebranded to Meta - read more about what this means for the company’s future.
Something else you should know
Mindshare, in partnership with Yahoo and XBOX, has launched the #CHANGETHEGAME idea challenge for our global network. For more info and to register, visit the dedicated SharePoint site.
Ad Age reported on WPP being named The Coca-Cola Company’s Global Marketing Network Partner.
In an interview with Campaign, WPP’s CEO, Mark Read, spoke about the company’s Q3 results.