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Kirsten Saleh is VP of digital marketing solutions and delivery, enterprise marketing platforms and solutions at American Express.
Favorite project you’ve worked on? I had an amazing opportunity to lead Amex’s marketing activation with Universal Studios at their Orlando and LA theme parks a few years back. At the time, we were the exclusive card partner for the park, and we developed an in-person activation to distribute cards onsite. It was such a cool, multifaceted project—from creating a unique augmented reality experience that allowed people to see themselves interacting with characters from the Jurassic Park franchise, to embossing our cards onsite (something that typically takes time to do and requires various steps to ensure compliance)—collaborating with a leading entertainment partner whose brand and business were so different from ours at Amex made it so fulfilling to achieve our shared goal of creating amazing customer experiences from start to finish.
What’s your favorite ad campaign? I loved the Starbucks holiday campaign featuring the song “Hold On, I’m Comin’” by Sam & Dave. It captures the perfect sentiment of connecting with loved ones over the holidays and is relatable across demographics. I also loved the Google Gemini campaign that ran during the Olympics over the summer—it struck the perfect balance showcasing the new technology while highlighting the human experience in using it.
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One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: I’m a passionate advocate for inclusion and acceptance of those who are neurodiverse—whether in the workplace, in social settings, or in educational environments. This commitment is deeply personal, inspired by my friends and loved ones in my life who have shown me the importance of acceptance and understanding.
What marketing trend are you most optimistic about? Least? Personalization is the answer to both of those questions. Hyper-personalization is a double-edged sword in marketing—when done well, it can bring fantastic value to customers and help build trust. However, when done poorly, it can have the opposite effect. No one wants their credit card to know everything about them, and too much personalization can become alienating.
That being said, when you strike the right balance, it makes for a great tactic that anticipates customer needs—and one I think we’ll continue to see more of as companies prioritize data-driven campaigns.
What’s one marketing-related podcast/social account/series you’d recommend? I really enjoy Martech.org content—whether it’s newsletters or webinars. They do a great job curating a ton of helpful content from several angles ranging from marketing, data science, marketing operations, and technology.