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Tanya Hersh is CMO of Birdy Grey, an apparel brand that specializes in affordable bridesmaid dresses. She’s also worked at brands including American Express, Mattel, and The Honest Company.
Favorite project you’ve worked on? A project that stands out is a Hot Wheels 2011 live activation that we pulled off when I was at Mattel. We brought imaginative play to life at the Indianapolis 500 with a life-sized Hot Wheels truck racing down this iconic orange track and landing a perfect stunt. It was amazing to be a part of the team that brought a crazy idea to fruition. It’s even more exciting in retrospect, because now I have my own little boy who is an avid fan of the brand.
What’s your favorite ad campaign? A favorite of mine is Apple’s iPod campaign from the early 2000s with the dancing silhouettes against a bright colored background. Oh, how I loved those ads. They were visually arresting and permeated the cultural noise at the time. I remember seeing walking personifications of those ads as Halloween costumes—talk about effective. I also really enjoyed HBO’s campaign to promote House of the Dragon Season 2. The green and black banners all over iconic NYC landmarks are amazing! Seeing the banners on social media made me wish I was in NYC to experience it in person.
One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: I’ve been into making homemade, low-budget costumes over the past decade or so. It’s crazy, because I don’t consider myself particularly crafty or into Halloween. But I’ve gotten a good amount of gratification from crafting up costumes for my family—from food emoji to Barbie and peacock costumes, I’ve tried a range of them. I start with Pinterest for inspo, and then it’s just some household objects, cardboard, and spray paint. Then, voilà! It’s fun, and I get a kick out of transforming something out of essentially nothing.
What marketing trend are you most optimistic about? I’m really into the convergence of influencer and affiliate marketing. I’ve long predicted the synergies of these channels and significant overlap. I can’t wait to see the channels continue to evolve.
What’s one marketing-related podcast/social account/series you’d recommend? I’ve been really into podcasts lately, but I’m mostly listening to shows that delve into how people think, relationships, and learning. While the podcasts aren’t marketing per se, I’ve always been interested in behavioral psychology (that was one course that really stuck post-MBA) and how it influences decision-making.