The pandemic has turned life and business upside down, challenged plans, and tested processes. In this context, companies need to seriously raise their game to be effective and succeed. The MENA Effie Thought-Leadership Program is your chance to Rise and Shine. Two mornings of sessions that will show you how to improve your performance and impress the Effie jury.

Leading up to the event organized by Mediaquest on May 18-19, Communicate presents a series of interviews with the speakers on what effectiveness in marketing means in 2021. 

Today, meet Maria Ravina, AMET Sr. Media Manager at J&J Consumer. Maria will lead a dual keynote address around "Why collaboration is a key survival skill today.

What has the pandemic changed in terms of marketing effectiveness?

In my opinion, it has made us more agile; there’s no other option but to act on time. More than ever, “you snooze, you lose.”

What has been a salient case of creativity and effectiveness in the last year?

We had to adapt all our plans and creatives to the new situation and, for that, had to rely more than ever on consumer insights. Being able to look at the data, find insights, and implement those in our communication in an agile way has been the key of success in our case.

In a crisis, who reaps the biggest rewards and why: the brave or the cautious?

Definitely the brave! You have to act fast in order to survive.

What does the new normal mean to you?

Becoming a more flexible planner, at work and in life in general.

How prepared were you for the unexpected and how have you adapted to uncertainty?

At J&J, we were thankfully quite prepared with a successful digital model and with e-commerce homework done. Personally, I wasn’t prepared at all for what we had to face (working from home with three young children doing homeschooling).

Some argue that limited budgets enhance creativity. What do you think 2021’s creative output will be like?

Definitely, it will be more focused and, finally, very consumer-centric. The years of having a blanket approach with one-message-fits-all are long gone.

What are the top three skills the marketer of the future will need?

Being totally consumer-centric, digital-savvy, and analytic.

To attend the MENA Effie Thought-Leadership Program, book your tailored experience now.