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Karen Graham is CMO at Evite. Previously, she was VP of marketing at Nordstrom Rack and Hautelook.
Favorite project you’ve worked on? Last year I spearheaded Evite’s rebrand, where we set out to reposition and relaunch a beloved 25-year-old legacy brand following a global pandemic. I love a good challenge, and this one was a complete rehaul, touching everything from the visual style guide, the site and app, the tone of voice and strategy and messaging across ads and marketing channels, as well as the invitation designs themselves. I’m so proud of how we accomplished this modernization to set the brand up for the next phase of Evite and its role in helping to set a new direction for the company.
What’s your favorite ad campaign? Airbnb’s TV ads do such a great job of highlighting real experiences and the wonderful memories that are made from taking trips. They’re able to seamlessly marry the digital nature of the platform with real vacations and time spent together in a natural and inspiring way. They also do a great job of highlighting the unique and memorable properties that are tied back to its platform and categories, which is a differentiator for the brand.
What marketing trend are you most optimistic about? Least? Most: The continued growth of short-form video to market and educate. Social media has supercharged this trend, as anyone can now be a content creator, and those who are passionate, have talent, and resonate with consumers will rise to the top. Video is especially exciting as it allows for more authenticity and rich storytelling. I’m also optimistic about VR and how it will impact how we sell and educate consumers about products, and how it will democratize experiences for people and hopefully give them a sense of places or events that they might otherwise not have had the opportunity to experience in real life.
Least: I’m curious about how chatbots will evolve through machine learning and AI to serve as informational and customer service/education tools. The possibilities are amazing, and will likely change human-to-human interactions.
What’s one marketing-related podcast, social account, or series you’d recommend? Social Media Marketing Podcast with Michael Stelzner, which has informative interviews with experts that cover topics like building your YouTube community and the best TikTok ad strategies, but also covers more timely topics like the best AI tools for marketing copy and design.