The vice president of Media & Marketing Services for MillerCoors talks about sports partnerships, social media trends, and being named 2012 Advertising Woman of the Year
Editor's Note: Whether it's social, retail or radio, every marketing initiative begins with a focus on brand positioning, says Jackie Woodward, vice president of Media & Marketing Services for MillerCoors. The Ad Blog asked Jackie about her company's recent increase in digital marketing spends, using social to drive positive brand conversations, and her advice to young women who want to make an impact in advertising.
Yahoo! Ad Blog: Congratulations on being named the Chicago Advertising Federation's 2012 Advertising Woman of the Year. What does it mean to you to be an industry icon, and what advice do you have for young women who want to make an impact?
Jackie Woodward: It's humbling to be considered by my peers as a leader in line with many women whom I've admired for a long time. As for advice: Acumen, approach, and attitude are the building blocks for great marketers today, both men and women.
YAB: Over the past few years, MillerCoors has significantly increased its digital marketing spend. What digital media initiatives have been most successful for your brands and why?
JW: There are many, from Fantasy Football to new product launches. At the top of the list is Coors Light's Fanaticos del Frio, a completely integrated digital, social, and broadcast platform for Mexican soccer fans to engage with the sport. Today, it's the # 1 site where Spanish-language consumers go for their Mexican soccer information.
YAB: What social media trends are you watching, and how do they help MillerCoors drive successful conversations about the brand among the young male audience?
JW: First of all, we're cautious in the social space to make sure that we're only engaging with legal drinking age consumers. We piloted age verification earlier this year with Twitter and have driven pilots in the past with Facebook, Yahoo! and Myspace, too. With that in mind, we're watching engagement — sharing, retweeting, etc., so that we can determine how engagement levels affect brand affinity.
YAB: What do you believe is MillerCoors' most successful sports partnership and why?
JW: The most successful sports sponsorship is the one that drives great retail activation. Depending on what part of the country you live in, that might be Coors Light's Liga MX sponsorship, Miller Lite's Dallas Cowboys sponsorship, or Coors Banquet's Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sponsorship. Beer is local, and sports is local.
YAB: In a successful content strategy targeting young male demos, what comes first: the idea, the talent, or the brand dollars? Or better asked, what should come first?
JW: Every element of our marketing begins with brand positioning. Whether it's video, social, retail, radio, it all begins with brand positioning.
