From Media Strategy to Product Marketing: Q&A with Vienna Giacchè, Senior Strategist at Jun Group

Hi Vienna, thanks for your time! Many people don’t initially plan on working in ad tech. Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to this industry?

I’ve always been really interested in advertising. I remember being little, and my siblings always wanted to mute the TV during commercial breaks, and I would get upset. I wanted to watch the commercials. I just found it really interesting. Living in Italy, I remember coming to New York, and always wanting to go to Times Square and look at the different billboards. It was fascinating.

Then at NYU, I studied Media, Culture, and Communications, and took a variety of different marketing courses. One advertising-specific course really stood out to me because I loved the professor. That was my senior year, so that inspired me to apply to different advertising roles. I had applied to a lot of agencies, as well as Jun Group. I think, with the agencies, I felt like I was going to be a small fish in a big pond. Jun Group stood out because of the breadth of work. Coming in as an account coordinator, I knew that I would get both the strategy side of it as well as the client service, which was interesting to me, and I just got a great vibe from the people as well.

I remember my interview with Catie McCune (Jun Group’s SVP of Media Strategy). She asked me what my favorite ad campaign was, and I spoke about Everlane’s Radical Transparency campaign. We had a huge conversation about how we both love Everlane. So, I think ultimately, it was a mix of the role itself and the people.

You’re currently a Senior Strategist and Designer. What does your typical day look like?

I’m primarily developing pre-sales materials. Our team has seller assignments, and based on the proposals they receive, we work to design proposals and creative mocks — the visual content and media plans that are presented to agencies. Obviously, there’s a lot of nuance based on the clients needs and vertical. Our goal is to build the strongest possible media strategies that both address the RFP and bring exciting new ideas to the table.

You’re in the process of transitioning to the product marketing team. What are you most excited to learn in your new role?

What stands out to me about product marketing is the problem-solving aspect. I’m a curious person and interested in big picture thinking and strategic decisions. I became really interested in shopper marketing and got exposure to the vendors we work with, which prompted me to ask questions and get involved in those conversations. Ultimately, it felt like the natural next step in my career. 

Do you have any departing words of wisdom for future strategists?

I would say the most important thing is to simply raise your hand. If there’s a particular vertical you’re interested in, or a team, if there’s a project you want to work on, if there’s a process that you think could be improved, something that is working or isn’t working — verbalize that, make it known, and get involved in as many ways as you want.

Shifting gears a bit… As you mentioned, your work has been focused on shopper marketing and CPG. What shifts and trends have you noticed in that vertical lately?

The first is the importance of influencer marketing. There’s been a major uptick in requests for shopper-focused influencer programs. Another thing is efficiency being key when it comes to media planning. Lastly, measurement is probably the most important. Hitting media benchmarks, like click through rates, is no longer sufficient. Brands and agencies need real-world sales reporting and measurement to truly prove success for their campaigns.

Wrapping things up, one of our goals with these conversations is to humanize the ad industry. So, what do you like to do for fun? How do you spend your free time?

I have a dog named Falco, so being a dog mom is 99% of my personality. I love taking him on long walks to the West Side Highway, and particularly taking him to new dog parks in the city. I also love to travel. I go home to Italy quite often and plan trips with my friends over there, too. When I’m not in the office, I try to travel as much as possible.

Learn more about Jun Group’s shopper marketing solutions, and follow Vienna Giacchè on LinkedIn.