“Excited About All of It”: Cher Campbell Discusses Her Move to Edelman
A big announcement came out of Edelman earlier this month, as the PR giant announced the arrival of its new global executive creative director, Cher Campbell.
Joining from john st., where she previously held the role of chief creative officer, the arrival of this award-winning art director represents Edelman’s continued desire to bring Canadian talent to the global stage. Specifically working out of the Toronto office, Cher intends to bring her love of data, magnetic ideas, and passion for work that connects people to the fore. And in doing so, she’ll be representing the country’s penchant for creative leadership and thinking while working on some of the world’s biggest brands alongside fellow global ECD Andrew Simon and global CCO Judy John.
So, to discuss what drove this move, how the early days have been, and what the shift from traditional advertising to PR has been like, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Cher for a chat.
LBB> Obviously, the big news is that you just joined Edelman as global ECD. Congratulations! What inspired the decision, and how did this come to pass?
Cher> I’d spent a few years trying to get the back of the creative deck ideas moved to the front of the deck for client presentations. Those ideas were often more resonant with consumers and magnetic in culture. When we were successful in selling them, they had a real impact on a client’s brand and, ultimately, their business. I wanted to spend more time making those kinds of ideas, and I had been thinking of making the jump to PR for a while. Edelman is a natural goal, and after speaking with global CCO Judy John (they say never meet your hero, but I did and it was great!) about her vision, how could I not?
LBB> And what made now the right time to do this?
Cher> The overlap between what agencies do and what PR does is greater now than ever before. It’s hard to know sometimes which is which, but the things I love making, the work that makes me jealous, and the actions that affect me as a consumer most, are centred in two-way communication and experiences. I believe that Edelman is a giant in this space and has the knowledge and expertise to bring magnetic experiences, both social and real, to life. Further, I love knowing that we don’t know what we’re going to make when a brief comes in.
LBB> With that in mind, thus far, has your experience been what you’ve expected it to be since making the swap?
Cher> It’s only been two weeks, so my experience is limited. However, I can say that aside from everyone being whip smart and very kind, my first briefs were all the things I had hoped they would be - all possibilities and no pre-set outputs.
LBB> How have your past experiences as CCO geared you up for this position? Are there lessons you’re carrying over and applying one to one, or have there been big adjustments necessary?
Cher> I have things to learn, as it’s not a one-for-one swap from a traditional agency to PR. While my approach to creative remains largely the same, the outputs and the approaches are different. There are subject-matter experts here from whom I have a lot to learn. They iterate on ideas in ways I’m unaccustomed to, but am grateful for that.
All in all, I’m excited and at times a little terrified, but that’s why I wanted to do this; to be better at making work that connects with people.
LBB> And what are you hoping to accomplish going into 2024 with Edelman? What are your main aims and ambitions, both personally and as part of the team?
Cher> I’m hoping to acquire new skills. As I mentioned, I have a lot of people I can learn from here in order to continue doing what I love, which is making work that connects with people and using creativity to affect change and build brands. I’d love to look back at 2024 and be able to point to things I was a part of which had a positive impact on both a brand’s business and culture.
LBB> You’re still going to be working out of Toronto, but now you’ll be overseeing an international body of work. What’s the most exciting part of this prospect?
Cher> I spent much of my early career in Singapore, working on global brands across multiple markets, often working out of Australia, Hong Kong or Brazil. I loved it, and probably would have remained in a role like that if I hadn’t decided to start adulting and have a family. It’s been a goal of mine to get back to a role that allowed for working across borders and cultures.
LBB> Building on this, where is Canada’s place in the world of advertising and PR?
Cher> I don’t know if it’s just our nature as Canadians to be self-effacing, but I’m continually surprised by the work we do collectively as a country… and I shouldn’t be. We’re spoiled for talent. Our work stands out internationally and I should stop being surprised and settle into expecting it. Edelman has clearly recognised the wealth of talent in Canada and the team is impressive!
LBB> Notably, being in Toronto means you’re working with Judy John - a point you mentioned earlier. How will the two of you collaborate to bring out the best of Edelman, both in Canada and beyond?
Cher> I feel very lucky to be in the same office as Judy. She’s involved. She makes the work better, and I feel like I have that person who will give me the straight goods on ideas. I respond to that; I like having that person who will give me an uncomplicated thumbs up or thumbs down, but who will also follow it up with a different way of seeing the problem.
LBB> Are there any clients you’re especially excited to work with? Tell us about these!
Cher> The client list at Edelman is exponentially greater than anything I’ve experienced in the past, and the kinds of projects are different. Edelman just launched ‘Join the move to -15’ for DP World, a logistics company. It’s an amazing initiative that will have a real effect on the world. I don’t think intuitively, we’d normally consider brands in this sector as great opportunities for creativity to impact business or culture, but here at Edelman, it is. That’s exciting!
The work for more traditionally creative brands like Heineken’s ‘Social Swap’ is inspiring as well. It all leaves me excited by the nature of the projects, rather than any specific client.
LBB> And how’re you finding Edelman’s network, after working within WPP? What are the main advantages you’ve experienced thus far?
Cher> I think it’s apples and oranges. WPP is a holding company, Edelman is independent. So, thus far, it feels it more like one connected organism rather than individual P&Ls. The advantage so far seems to be the ability to reach out to anyone in the organisation for advice or expertise without going through an elaborate process. This ease of access has already resulted in making the work better, for me.
LBB> Moving back to you, what sort of leadership style will you be bringing? And, as a strong believer that data is creativity’s best friend, how will you be integrating this into the work you do?
Cher> I’m a strong believer in co-ownership. Everyone on the team needs to see themselves in the work and be heard. It makes the work stronger, and makes the team stronger. Everything else comes second to this, in my opinion. I think you have to fight to get great work out in the world, and you need a strong team to push in the same direction to get it done.
As for the second question, I’m a nerd who often hankers for data during the creative and strategic process. So, I think it’s the best way to overcome any implicit bias you may have, and a persuasive way to sell impactful ideas. Data can sometimes be hard to come by in traditional agencies, as it’s not their area of expertise. However, Edelman has its own DXI team, and having that kind of access to data was definitely part of the draw.
LBB> Finally, with 2023 coming to a close, is there anything you’re excited for going into 2024?
Cher> I’m working on a global team, and I get to live in Toronto. I get to work on the briefs I’ve been jealous of for years. I get to learn from people all over the world. I get to work in an office from which I stare directly into my 23-year-old self’s actual first office, which tickles me. I get to work with Judy. I get to work on projects with scale. I’m excited about all of it!
