Ryan Partnership's Pena-Bickley Talks Brand Champions [Video]

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Joanna Peña-Bickley would rather not have to compete with other agencies in her own network. The new SVP, executive creative director of integrated agency Ryan Partnership, spoke with ClickZ yesterday at the downtown New York offices of online performance marketing firm MediaWhiz. Ryan and MediaWhiz are part of the independent Hyper Marketing agency network.

Ryan - which works with brands like Bacardi USA and Unilever's Dove - and its agency partners take a collaborative approach to client projects, bringing together team members as needed - rather than relying on a strict digital group or agency. For Dove Men Care, Ryan pooled creative directors, data, and insights execs to create a campaign that included web videos featuring Shaquille O'Neal as a "key influencer" whose stories inspire consumers to share them. The campaign launched during the NCAA Final Four games.

"We are not about owning a channel; we're about owning the customer," stressed Peña-Bickley.

Celebrities aren't the only ones who can inspire high-volume content sharing and influencing, though. When it comes to CPG brands, for instance, Peña-Bickley has seen cases in which online moms have more impact than a TV ad. She discusses these brand "champions" in the video interview with ClickZ below.