Marketing Re-Imagined: Adrienne Arieff Of 1SAVES20 On How We Can Re-Imagine The Marketing Industry To Make It More Authentic, Sustainable, And Promote More Satisfaction

An Interview With Drew Gerber

Don’t over promise with out-of-date metrics; so many platforms promise too much. As with anything worthwhile, it takes patience to build and market a brand, Getting a marketing message out into the universe takes time. Keep an eye on data and research on a regular basis, so you can really get a sense of how your brand is growing and what the customer is thinking.

From an objective standpoint, we are living in an unprecedented era of abundance. Yet so many of us are feeling unsatisfied. Why are we seemingly so insatiable? Do you feel that marketing has led to people feeling unsatisfied and not having enough in life? If so, what actions can marketers take to create a world where people feel that they have enough, and they are enough? Can we re-imagine what marketing looks like and how it makes people feel? In this interview series, we are talking to experts in marketing and branding to discuss how we might re-imagine marketing to make it more authentic, sustainable, and promote more satisfaction. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Adrienne Arieff.

Adrienne Arieff is co-founder of recently launched beauty brand 1SAVES20, CMO of Planet Based Foods, Inc. and managing director of BECK Media & Marketing. Her interests lie at the intersection of emerging technology and ways that technology can be used to create meaningful experiences between people and brands.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to know how you got from “there to here.” Inspire us with your backstory!

My career started in New York City where I worked as a special events manager at UNICEF. Then I moved to London to do fashion PR before moving back to the US to launch my own marketing and PR agency. I’m currently working on a few projects at the same time.

Qualities that have served me well from “there to here” include being the best role model I can be — for others and also for myself. Lonny Magazine once wrote I was “more fashion-forward than Sheryl Sandberg, more inviting than Sophia Amoruso, and a worthy new addition to the welcome trend of female role models,” so I’m a woman of my word, I believe in the power of collaboration, I have a strong work ethic, and I’m always game to help anyone with career advice. I lead with empathy, not ego.

Can you please tell us about your typical day? What day-to-day structures do you have in place for you to experience a fulfilled life?

I begin each day with a glass of lemon water because it’s so good for you! Then I take my daughters to school before going on an hour hike with my dog — either solo or with a friend. That’s the beauty of living in Southern California. The rest of the day is a combination of team meetings via Zoom, writing, editing, in-person meetings and connecting with peers before school pickup at 3:00pm. Then it’s back to the office to plan the next day. No two days are alike, which is one reason why I like working on multiple projects at the same time.

Making to-do lists helps me structure my day. I’m a big fan of old-school calendars where I can write everything down. Post-Covid, you need to be especially self-motivated. I work at home in a small studio in the backyard, so I’m very appreciative of my creative space. It helps me get in the right mindset to be productive.

Key pillars that support a fulfilled life fall into four main categories.

1. Business — always creating, reflecting and sharing with others.

2. Family / fun / culture / travel — even if it’s just cooking dinner for my family.

3. My well-being — hiking, exercising and eating healthy.

4. My mental health — meditation and relaxing for at least one hour every day

What lessons would you share with yourself if you had the opportunity to meet your younger self?

Take action and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Be kinder to yourself. Always know your value. Don’t say, ‘sorry!’

Tomorrow is a new day, which my mom used to always say to me as a child.

Ok, thank you for sharing that. Now let’s discuss marketing. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority on marketing?

Age. I’ve worked on marketing campaigns with more than 50 brands over the years — from Coca Cola to Burberry and Facebook. At the core of each campaign is: know your target market. Be authentic. Don’t you dare do what everyone else is doing. Care about the campaign so much it becomes a part of your life. Stay curious. Stay creative. Keep momentum going and always re-evaluate.

Throughout history, marketing has driven trade for humans. What role do you see that marketing has played in creating the human experience?

A customer-centric mentality guides the human experience. Everything in life should be human-centric and not just about data and metrics, clicks, links and likes. At the end of the day, people are the heart and soul of marketing.

Many 21st-century marketing professionals in a capitalistic society will discuss solving human “pain points” as a way to sell products, services, and other wares successfully. In your opinion or experience, has aggravating pain points led to more pain? Can you explain what you mean?

Pain points are a good thing to identify as they can bring about greater operational efficiency along the customer journey. It’s also important to note that pain points affect your customers as well as your team. Identifying pain points allows companies to identify solutions, which is a way to improve all touch points.

Different cultures view trade/marketing differently. While some may focus on “pain-points” others may focus on “purpose-points”. How do other cultures differ in how they approach marketing? Please give examples or studies you may know about.

I find Israel’s approach to marketing really interesting. Being Jewish myself, I felt especially connected after living in the country for a summer, and here’s one thing I noticed. When they market food to consumers, they’re really pitching family time — sitting down to a meal together. It plays to a cultural mindset. So, culture and religion play a role in how something is marketed. Of course, it depends on what you’re marketing and what the cultural zeitgeist is.

Okay, fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview: It seems as if we have never stopped to question marketing. In your opinion, how can marketing professionals be more responsible for how their advertising shapes our human experience? Based on your experience and your area of expertise can you please share “Five Ways We Can Re-Imagine The Marketing Industry To Make It More Authentic, Sustainable, And Promote More Satisfaction”? Please share a story or an example for each if you can.

1. Start with: What problem are you solving? Why does it matter? Why does it matter to your brand? Answering those questions inspired me and my co-founders to create 1SAVES20. We wanted to raise awareness about water conservation, so we created rinse-free products for hair, body and skin. Skip the shower, conserve water. It’s hygiene that helps solve a problem: wasting water in the bathroom.

2. Don’t over promise with out-of-date metrics; so many platforms promise too much. As with anything worthwhile, it takes patience to build and market a brand, Getting a marketing message out into the universe takes time. Keep an eye on data and research on a regular basis, so you can really get a sense of how your brand is growing and what the customer is thinking.

3. Marketing has the ability to shape our aspirations. With that, I only collaborate with companies doing something very special or very positive because what’s the point otherwise? I have a lot of “cheerleader” in me — to lift up others. With 1SAVES20, we’re encouraging people to create big changes through small everyday choices — making it easy to start new habits to help save the planet. The consumer feels empowered to purchase for themselves while doing something positive for the planet.

4. Community is key. Even if your engagement is small, never lose site of the community you do have. Always engage with your fans, followers and subscribers in some shape or form so they know they are being heard. Listening is so, so important. Our 1SAVES20 community is small right now because it’s new, but it’s growing. Customer feedback — whether a review on Amazon or a comment on social media — gives us invaluable information so we can continue to evolve and improve.

5. Integrated marketing plans are essential — from public relations to SEO to social advertising — and it’s okay to start small. Look at what tools are available and experiment with different combinations to figure out what clicks and what doesn’t. I’m often surprised by what works and what doesn’t.

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that have inspired you about marketing differently?

I like to bounce around between Ten Percent Happier, Ethics in Marketing and the Hidden Brain

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement to reimagine marketing, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could start a movement to reimagine marketing, I’d return to tradition and nostalgia with a modern twist. Yes, look to the digital future, but a digital future rooted in tradition. To remain relevant in hyper-localized markets, brands must always keep the human connection top of min

What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?

Follow me on Linkedin — https://www.linkedin.com/in/arieff/

And, follow the latest 1SAVES20 news at 1SAVES20.com

Instagram — @1SAVES20

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: For 30 years, Drew Gerber has been inspiring those who want to change the world. Drew is the CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., a full-service PR agency lauded by PR Week and Good Morning America. Wasabi Publicity, Inc. is a global marketing company that supports industry leaders, change agents, unconventional thinkers, companies and organizations that strive to make a difference. Whether it’s branding, traditional PR or social media marketing, every campaign is instilled with passion, creativity and brilliance to powerfully tell their clients’ story and amplify their intentions in the world.