OMC Hive's The Buzz: Recent Episodes
OMC Hive
OMC Hive’s The Buzz Podcast is designed to bring you closer to the brilliant people, thinking, and events within the Omnicom network.
Hosted by Ro Kalonaros featuring guests from across the global network
You’ve most likely heard a lot about Omni. You definitely have if you’ve listened to previous episodes of this podcast. Which is why we finally dig into all things Omni with Clarissa Season, Chief Experience Officer at Annalect, in this episode of The Buzz. What if I told you that you had access to an immense amount of data that tells us what real people are actually doing...and that it’s privacy compliant? That’s just one of the benefits of Omni. Whether you’re in media or creative, at Annalect or at BBDO, you (yes, you!) can use Omni to make your job easier and your work stronger. Clarissa talks about Omni’s inception and their quick sprint to onboard clients (it’s wildly impressive), the way it’s evolved over the years to meet the needs of different types of disciplines and client categories, and what’s next.
In this episode, I speak with Jonathan Nelson, CEO of Omnicom Digital, about the Forrester Wave Reports that Omnicom and our competitors participated in earlier this year, how we fared, and what the results signal for the trajectory of the industry.
Access the transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/tdbm5jea
In this episode, I speak with Paolo Yuvienco, one of Omnicom’s most important technology leaders across the network, about the new definition of integration. We discuss what integration means, what our clients are asking for, and the way it impacts all of our capabilities across Omnicom, from media to creative.
In this episode, I speak to Sophie Daranyi about throwing the traditional marketing funnel out the window, the blending of physical and digital, and the most important skill to master if you want to become a CEO.
In this episode, I speak to Michele Markus, Head of Global Health Accounts at Omnicom Group, about the changing definition of health and wellness, the incredible opportunities this presents for talent to do meaningful work, and what it’s really like to be an exec at OMC.
In this episode, I speak to Erin Lanuti, Chief Innovation Officer at Omnicom PR Group, about how her team achieved true innovation in such a short period of time, equipping us with first-of-their-kind insights that put us leagues ahead of our competitors.
She talks about what omniearnedID means for our clients, how agencies in other networks and practice areas are tapping into the platform, and the unique skills she looks for in the talent of tomorrow.
In this episode, I talk to Tom Edwards, Chief Digital Officer of Omnicom Health group, about his incredible gaming background, the launch of Omni Health and what it means for our people and clients, and what exactly brought him back to Omnicom.
You’d be hard-pressed to put Tom into a box. From launching some of the first in-game content tied to the web to jumping out of planes in the Army, he’s finally landed at Omnicom Health Group (with no healthcare background to speak of).
But his diverse career trajectory is serving him well, as his background across industries and from his first stint at Omnicom at The Marketing Arm allow him to weave together data, creative, and a little bit of fun.
Plus, hear the stories behind these awesome photos and learn what to look out for when you’re predicting the next big thing in tech.
So you’ve either gone through the tenant migration or you’re in the middle of it and you’re thinking why Microsoft Teams? Omnicom Digital CEO Jonathan Nelson joins me to talk about this process, one that began well before COVID-19 hit, and how you can use Teams to streamline the tedious work so you can focus on the fun stuff.
Microsoft Teams is more than just chats and video calls. Omnicom’s use of Microsoft Teams puts us in a position to be truly global, to be as agile and collaborative as possible for our equally global clients.
Listen in for a sneak peak into the frameworks and templates Jonathan’s team is building for professionals in every discipline that will allow you to get straight to the strategy and creative rather than starting at square one with every project.
This episode, my guest Bonnie Wan, Partner & Head of Brand Strategy at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, inspired us to do this a little differently…
After learning more about OMC Hive and The Buzz, and sharing both of our experiences at Omnicom, Bonnie had the idea to turn this episode on it’s head and interview me to get into what I see from my bird’s eye view of Omnicom.
We talk about some of the people in the network who stand out to me, the lessons I’ve learned along the way, and why I care so much about telling all of your stories.
Plus, we talk about the maker culture at GS&P, some of their standout talent, and Bonnie’s side hustle, The Life Brief, the tool she created for creative living and a practice of aligning who you are and what you believe with what you do.
The Life Brief: https://www.thelifebrief.com/
In honor of Pride month, I speak with David Azulay from OPMG and Devin O’Loughlin from RAPP about how despite having no background in talent or diversity, they kick-started OPEN Pride and grew Omnicom’s LGBTQIA+ employee resource group across the global network. While Pride month may technically be over, the fight for accurate representation and equity never ends, and our OPEN Pride community never stops collaborating and celebrating!
Devin and David shared the challenges of structuring and connecting all of the different OPEN Pride chapters so that they feel like one big OPEN Pride community, how they’ve been able to move forward in countries where being LGBTQIA+ is a crime, and the focus on not just community, but on impact.
Justin Reyes, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Omnicom Media Group, shares how OMG championed their Black employees before these current crises, what they’re doing to support them now, and how they plan to sustain these efforts.
“I don’t know how we could have survived the two current crises without our BRGs,” says Justin Reyes of these hyper-connected communities that are driving real business results. "We have to earn our employees every single day."
In this episode, I speak with Angela Rodriguez, Vice President, Strategic Insights at Alma, about how this crisis has impacted multicultural communities and how brands can connect with and take on an active role in supporting them.
I speak with Bob Munier, Vice President, Director of Business Development at Omnicom Health Group, about how they’re making their RFPs stand out, the new ways they’re preparing for virtual pitches, and creating chemistry with clients across the screen.
You thought ‘Cribs’ was just for MTV – OHG is bringing back the show to inspire their pitches in the age of COVID-19. From reinventing the traditional static RFP to using interactive technologies to keep clients engaged, we talk through the inventive solves OHG is using to leave their mark and win business.
But it’s not all fun and games: Bob also reveals simple practices pitch teams can adopt to impress clients and save their skin when technology fails.
I speak with Michelle Tenzyk, Founder & CEO, East Tenth Group and The Truth Behind Our Titles, about how we can open conversation around mental health and support the mental wellbeing of our teams, our loved ones, and ourselves during this time and beyond.
Last August, Michelle, a former Omnicom Chief of HR at Healthcare Consultancy Group, shared the story of how she’s dealt with her mental health condition throughout her career on LinkedIn. The story garnered over 50,000 views and countless comments of understanding and support. It opened up the conversation around mental health in business for even the most high-achieving individuals.
In light of Mental Health Awareness Month and the crisis we currently face, Michelle and I talk through some of the simple things leadership can do to create an environment that supports people who are dealing with a mental health condition, with emphasis on how to gauge your team’s emotional states in a virtual setting.
We also addressed what individuals can do to help their colleagues and friends – and most importantly, what we can do for ourselves. Asking for help is difficult for a lot of people, now even more so because we have a layer of technology between us, and Michelle provides tips on how to reach out.
Read and share Michelle’s story here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/truth-behind-my-title-high-achieving-ceos-candid-story-tenzyk/
If you're thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can find help from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
I speak with Whitney Dailey, Vice President, Marketing/Research & Insights at Porter Novelli about their research into Americans' expectations of companies and what this means for how they should act during this time and beyond.
This month’s focus is around Women’s History Month and I sit down with Kathryn Brown, Managing Director at BBDO Worldwide, to talk about how she’s working across agencies on the AT&T business, what she’s learned from being on the board of MAKERS, and what her kids think she does at work.
With years of experience at working BBDO with top clients and Omnicom agencies of all disciplines, Kathryn shares how she "grew up" at BBDO and the ways she's been able to build deep and meaningful partnerships. On the heels of the MAKERS Conference, where as a board member she got up on stage to make a pledge for how BBDO will accelerate women's equality this year, Kathryn digs into what she and BBDO have done thus far and how they plan to continue to move the needle forward.
She also talks about how she's bringing this spirit home to her two daughters, in balancing educating them on the struggles of the women who have come before them without implying they have limited possibilities themselves, and letting them lead with their passions to find their own voices.
I chat, via home offices of course, with The Marketing Arm’s Trina Roffino, President of Consumer Engagement and Will Clarke, Chief Creative Officer, about commerce in the time of COVID-19. We break down how brand experience and ecommerce will happen differently, the opportunities that new consumer habits and work from home present, and how businesses can get customers back into brick-and mortar stores.
I speak with Bryan Gildenberg, SVP, Commerce, Omnicom Retail Group about his new report about the Known Unknowns during this unprecedented time. We dive into the shifts he’s seeing as the acceleration of online shopping becomes a way of life for people, strategies for brands who are doing well right now, and how brands can reposition and reconnect with consumers.
I speak with Walter T. Geer III, SVP, Group Creative Director, Director of Digital Experience and Innovation at TBWA\WorldHealth who talks about the new rules for engagement in this time. After a wildly successful Instagram live session that garnered over 19k viewers, Walt breaks down how businesses and brands can find their way into people’s homes and pivot to digital.
I speak with Ben Grinspan, Director, Cultural Strategy, sparks & honey about how they’ve pivoted their live cultural briefings to virtual, the cultural tensions they’re seeing emerge from this pandemic, and how we can strategize around these uncertain timelines.
I speak with Andy Hayman, SVP of Content & Production at GMR about producing major events via livestream, how they’re advising their Olympic sponsor clients, and the opportunities around eSports.