October 21, 2022
Jim Farrell, VP of Business Development, Talent Solutions
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We are excited to announce our attendance at the ANA Masters of Marketing 2022. The conference has much to offer but what is most exciting about attending such an event is the opportunity to learn from and connect with innovative minds across the marketing industry.
While this is Blend360’s first time attending the conference, Jim Farrell, VP of Business Development for Blend360 Talent Solutions, has a long history with the conference, going back over 20 years.
We wanted to hear from Jim himself on what he’s looking forward to this year. These key questions lay out his expectations, what he’s seeing in the industry, and what Blend is doing in the space.
1. What is your history with the ANA Conference?
I have been attending the ANA Masters of Marketing conference since 1998. I have seen the conference grow from a conference that only included advertisers to one that today includes Fortune 500 agencies and media. ANA Masters is the only conference that brings together Marketing executives at national brands across all media categories. Attendees have the opportunity to hear from senior marketing professionals about what has worked and how they will in the months ahead market their brands to consumers. Prior to joining Blend360, I was running sales organizations for various media companies, and I’m excited to attend the conference in a different light.
2. What excites you most about attending ANA this year?
I’m looking forward to reconnecting in person with many of my industry friends. In my previous years, I attended Masters as an advertising sales/marketing executive bringing clients solutions for targeting unique audiences when marketing their brands. This year, in my role with Blend, I am bringing solutions for my clients 'digital marketing needs by finding experts for marketing, product and digital roles that have been hard to fill.
3. What are the key themes you are seeing in the marketing industry?
Identity-based marketing, or marketing that centers on individual preferences, has become more important as consumers accelerate their transitions to digital for everyday convenience. At the same time, Omnichannel experiences will continue to grow, and marketers will be gathering more critical data on consumer behavior. Marketers will need to strengthen their content and strategy as we move into the new year.
4. How do these industry trends connect to what you are seeing in the talent marketplace?
Consumer data and measurement have never been more important but with this uncertain economy, many companies have had to pull back from hiring for these critical positions. We have found that more companies are hiring consultants that can come on board now, blend into the company’s culture and then have the option to hire them as FTEs when the market rebounds or budgets are allocated in the new year.
5. How does Blend360 fit into the marketing and media landscape?
Blend360 was founded by two agency executives who saw the need to provide both national brands and agencies with specialized talent as they build out their digital operations. Many of Blend’s senior management team are former media marketing executives who really understand this business and understand the level of talent needed. Most of our clients engage us to provide short or long-term support when they have a specific skills gap or bandwidth issue in those areas. We have a deep network of both junior and senior-level consultants and can also bring in specialized talent as needed.
