Adweek - 06.04.2020

(Jacob Rumans) #1
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HP

10 APRIL 6, 2020 |^ ADWEEK


®

How did you get to where you
are today?
In college, I was an ad junkie. Read
every Adweek magazine cover to
cover. I would read up on all the
people and all the latest campaigns
from agencies like Saatchi &
Saatchi, Goodby, FCB, Wieden,
Kirshenbaum Bond, WongDoody,
Ogilvy, Cliff Freeman.
When I got into the scene,
websites were becoming popular for
brands and the online advertising
space started to explode. My mom
was an artist and my dad was
an engineer, so seeing creativity
intersect with technology was so
fascinating to me. And this was just
the beginning of it all (pre-Y2K), back
when flash banners and animated
GIFs were a thing of genius. I knew
this was the space I wanted to play.

Any noteworthy aha moments
along the way?
The advertising industry is two
degrees of separation. It became
apparent that your reputation is

an important part of your growth
and success in the industry. This
means that it’s not about what you
do or why you do it, but how you
do it that’s important. Be a good
human. Doors will open if you have
a reputation for being smart and a
positive human being.

What innovations are you currently
focused on?
There are two things: The first is
this unprecedented moment of
COVID-19. Like many companies
across the world, we are trying to find
ways to help in this pandemic and
looking at innovative ways to use our
products and technologies to help
combat COVID-19, like deploying
HP BioPrinters to accelerate drug
and vaccine research and initiatives
to donate PCs to support students,
families and communities that are
learning and working from home.
The second is innovating the
digital customer experience for HP.
We just launched the first phase
of this with our new OMEN gaming
experience (U.S. users only for
now). Because we don’t have OMEN
products available at every retail
outlet, it’s very important for us to
deliver an experience-based website
that lets users interact and “feel” the
product. It’s only the first phase of a
new digital customer experience, but
I’m excited to see it come to life.

What’s happening in marketing
right now that you’re most
excited about?
It’s exciting to see how content
changes and how quickly the
advertising industry adapts. ... All
in all, the formula for great content
is concept and execution. But the
evolution of formats is changing the
way we create content today: going
from letterbox video to vertical video,
30 seconds to six seconds, sound on
to sound off and now back to sound
on. These shifting formats have
even changed the storytelling arc.
The big idea isn’t enough anymore.
The edit plays just as important of a
role. And it’s only getting better with
the “Creator Generation” exercising
their creativity every day on YouTube,
Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Toudou.

What do you look for in talent
and building your team?
It’s important to have diversity to
avoid building a homogeneous team.
... You need people that have different
backgrounds, cultures, skill sets and
talents that can work together to
accomplish a common goal. Especially
if you’re leading a global marketing
team. The “We need a Boesky” line
from Ocean’s Eleven is one of my
favorite movie quotes and illustrates
how you need a diverse team to
accomplish the impossible.

‘Be a good human.


Doors will open if you


have a reputation for


being smart and a


positive human being.’


GENE PAEK


GLOBAL HEAD OF DIGITAL


EXPERIENCE AND INNOVATION, HP
By Heide Palmero

INNOVATORS


INSIDE
T H E
BRAND

INSIDE THE BRAND SERIES


CMO MOVES


INNOVATORS


WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS


GEN ZEOS


CHALLENGERS
SEE THE LATEST FROM
INSIDE THE BRAND
ON ADWEEK.COM.

Top: In light of the pandemic,
HP bioprinters were deployed
to hospitals. Bottom: HP also
launched the first phase of a new
interactive website to promote
OMEN online gaming products.
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