Vivien Marafko moved to Chicago from the U.K. to take a position in the marketing department of Waukegan, IL-based Top 40 distributor Overture Promotions (asi/288473). Previously, she worked in advertising at McCann. She shares insights on how the promotional products and advertising agency realms intersect, what it’s like to move across the pond for her career and her best advice for her peers in the industry.

Vivien Marafko, Overture Promotions

Q: What’s your current role in the promotional products industry?
A: My role varies a lot, but my current main focus is on managing Overture’s website, social media platforms and presence. I also help run internal company cultural initiatives, which vary from organizing fun events to getting the perfect swag chosen for our teams in company giveaways. As a response to the pandemic, we had the opportunity to help with marketing PPE like face masks and gowns across the U.S., concentrating on a completely different and much wider target group. I’m proud that we’ve been able to help people in need in this time of crisis. Anything can happen in advertising.

Q: Prior to joining the promo world, you worked in advertising at McCann. Can you tell us a little about what role you played there?
A: I’m really proud of my work with McCann. It’s perhaps one of the best-known advertising agencies in the world (it even played a central role in the AMC hit show Mad Men) and I loved my time there. I worked on the Aldi account, a major national and international grocery retail chain. My team helped Aldi far outpace the growth of other mass retailers, even Walmart. I managed various aspects of its digital presence, which is of extreme importance in a space where social recommendations and awareness build are crucial. Our work was outstanding, internationally recognized and award-winning every year. I was first brought on board to launch its e-commerce website. I then branched out into managing its email marketing and then eventually owned all of its digital media activity. Nothing compares to the pace of working in advertising. It’s relentless, and the stakes are high. It was definitely a lot of pressure, but that made excelling feel even better.

Q: What made you decide to make the switch from advertising to promotional products?
A: I’ve always championed trying different areas of marketing to experience the full spectrum of our industry. Whilst I loved advertising, I wanted to see how the promotional world compares and to experience first-hand how beneficial it is to companies who use it well. For clients it’s important to be able to work with a professional who can direct them to the most effective deployment of their marketing dollars.

Q: What are the biggest differences between advertising and promotional products? Where do the two industries intersect?
A: The biggest difference for me was that in advertising, I saw the full picture of a campaign from the idea stage to execution and then performance analysis, whereas now in the promo field, it’s about executing one aspect of a larger campaign (which is where the ad and promo worlds intersect) to the best standard possible. But advertising doesn’t normally work without some sort of promotion. It’s important to be able to think about a more comprehensive view of the marketing mix.

Q: As a Brit living in Chicago, what’s been the hardest thing to get used to? What do you miss from home? What do you like best about your new home?
A: In all honesty, I haven't found any aspect hard to get used to. I’ve visited over 40 states as a tourist, so I was familiar with the U.S. However, I definitely miss some things about home like my friends and even some of my favorite restaurants and idyllic ancient Roman towns. The best thing about Chicago is still the feeling I get every time I see the skyline – it’s definitely my favorite city in the U.S. And the advertising and promotion industries here are the most dynamic anywhere in the world, so it’s the place to be. I love making a difference to our clients and my company.

Q: What’s your best advice for your promo industry peers?
A: Keep innovating. I’ve loved seeing how some of the promo giants have adapted and grown during the pandemic. This is a textbook example of how the level of creativity in a normally creative industry sorts the winners from the losers. Winning is not guaranteed by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s rewarding to see how you can make a difference to clients and the broader world around us.

Q: If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
A: I’d change the entire industry to be gradually more environmentally conscious. In Europe (especially in the North) for many years there’s been a lot of focus on making things more sustainable. It doesn’t mean that you can’t use promo techniques; instead, it’s more a conscious choice of environmentally friendly materials and inks (e.g., recycled paper, instead of plastics), as well as the use of digital methods instead of physical promo pieces.

Q: Did you develop any new hobbies during the pandemic?
A: I actually got a puppy during the pandemic. She’s a cockapoo and of course has a very Chicago-themed name: Wrigley. She’s completely changed my life, and I’m really enjoying exploring with her. But staying home during the pandemic has also given me time to do a lot of research on the latest advertising and promotional trends. This is likely (and hopefully) a once-in-a-century event that we’re witnessing. Customer behavior has drastically changed in both the B2B and B2C audiences. Some of these changes are no doubt here to stay, once again outlining the importance of adaptability.