Global Experience
Jamaica
| Ad Council Jamaica | The Ad Council is a uniquely American institution that thrives on a model of volunteerism and pro-bono support. A few countries have developed similar organizations but none so small as Jamaica, which unsuccessfully launched a similar organization in 2009. I’m working with a new Board of Directors to rethink the current organizational model. Through a series of stakeholder interviews, benchmarking best practices from around the world and board advising, I’m helping Ad Council Jamaica develop a strategy to become a viable, sustainable organization. |
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan
| Social marketing and communications consultant | The former Soviet countries continue to be in a state of flux. With the growth of privatization and entrepreneurism, there is also an interest in issues like volunteerism and market-based behavior change campaigns. Recruited by USAID-funded agencies, I developed a two-day program for a George Mason University-certified training on social marketing and communications. As part of the training, the local government, NGO and private sector participants created hands-on campaign planning projects addressing their countries’ most critical social issues. |
Moscow
| Laboratory for Social Advertising | In an effort to share knowledge and learning, I maintain a working network of practitioners of social issue advertising around the globe. In 2009, I was invited to deliver a keynote address at the first ever Russian Conference on Social Advertising entitled “New Ways of Thinking in Social Marketing and Advertising” to over a hundred organizations dedicated to improving the quality and impact of social marketing and communications campaigns in Russia. |
Toyooka, Japan
| Mombusho English Fellow | While the Japanese are talented at learning complex written English, their conversation capabilities tend to be limited. I developed curricula, supervised English Language clubs, assisted classroom teachers and taught basic conversation skills to junior and senior high school students. |
Chishinau, Moldova
| Hepatitis Prevention Campaign | Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, faces a horrific epidemic of hepatitis spurred by a migrant male population engaging in unsafe sex and intravenous drug use as well as a public unaware of health risks and means of transmission. Recruited by one of the public health participants from my social marketing trainings the previous year, I served as an on-site consultant to a USAID contractor working with the local health ministry. I analyzed consumer Knowledge, Attitude, Practice (KAP) survey data and interviewed local health officials to create an advertising strategy and communications plan to help reduce transmission of hepatitis B and C strains. I also briefed ad agencies that were participating in the RFP process on the campaign strategy. |
Tokyo, Japan
| Toppan Printing Company | Toppan, the second-largest commercial printer in Japan, created the 500-person Toppan Idea Center for corporate clients who wanted everything from creative concept through to finished printed materials. As their base of clients needing English-language reports and brochures increased in the mid-‘80’s, I was hired to coordinate translations, edit copy and manage production. I developed a broad range of corporate communications and sales promotion materials for blue chip clients like Japan Air Lines, Nissan Motors, Mitsui and others. |
Rome, Italy
| Club of Venice | As part of my efforts to help the Ad Council become more widely known in international circles, I secured an invitation from the Club of Venice, an unofficial association of EU government communications officers that meets semi-annually, and was the first-ever American invited guest to address this group. I presented and explained the effectiveness of the Ad Council model to communications officials from “old” and “new” Europe. |