Beyond the Desk Featuring Shannon O'Meara
We're back with another 'Beyond the Desk by dentsu X,' where we dive into the lives, passions, and talents that make our agency so special.
In this interview, we had the opportunity to sit down with Shannon O'Meara, senior associate in client solutions and planning at dentsu X US, as she shared her insights on the importance of experiential marketing in 2023, the invaluable lessons acquired from her first job, and a notable achievement during her time at dentsu X.
Q> What is one media trend that you think will have a huge impact on 2023?
Shannon> I think it is experiential. As planners, we're always looking to break through the clutter of advertising that's around us at all times. We're asking ourselves, can we do things differently? How can we make a lasting impression? That's where I think experiential comes into play. Consumers need to truly engage with brands and as technology evolves, experiential can be taken to the next level - think augmented reality, virtual reality, or really cool custom event executions. These types of activations allow brands to take advantage of opportunities for people to experience who the brand is and it takes storytelling to the next level.
Q> What was your first job, and what was the most important skill or lesson you learned?
Shannon> My first job was at a small boutique while I was in high school. The most important lesson I learned was about the importance of relationship building, especially when it came to customer retention and loyalty. During my time at this job, I quickly began to realise that every single customer interaction counts, and it can contribute to how likely that customer is to return to the boutique. One of my main functions was being a gift wrapper. I saw this as a keyway to connect with customers. I tried to actively engage them in the wrapping process, asking them what ribbon/wrapping paper they'd like, or other stylistic choices. This often led to more personal conversations where I'd get to know the person better. This was instrumental in building long-lasting relationships and fostering loyalty.
Q> Tell us about an accomplishment you're most proud of during your time at dentsu X.
Shannon> I had the opportunity to execute a custom content campaign on a retail client. I was really proud of the outcome, especially because the execution hit a ton of bumps along the way. These challenges included product delivery issues, fitting problems with models, and last-minute format discrepancies in partner mock-ups for client review, so there were an extra amount of hiccups that I really wasn't expecting to have to work through. In the end, I was able to be nimble and quickly problem solve, and clients were pleased with the execution.
Q> What is something unique about you, your background, or your role that you bring to the dentsu X community?
Shannon> My best work is a blend of passion and persistence. I love to immerse myself in a project and do a thorough job that pushes boundaries and takes things a step further. I think that's something that dentsu X as an agency does well. I enjoy doing extensive research, I'll poke around in tools within dentsu, I'll talk to other people for their POV. Ultimately, I aim to deliver work that's both innovative and meaningful.
Q> The dentsu X experiences powered is powered by ______
Shannon> The dentsu X experience is powered by exploration. We're curious individuals, continuously seeking to explore what lies ahead for our brands, clients, internal teams, and our personal career growth. Dentsu X supports us in pursuit of what we’re interested in, identifying opportunities to delve into passion points or creating them if they're not already present. For me, this has entailed the exploration of various accounts across different agency verticals, spanning from media planning to custom content, client services, and new business.
