Susan Jurevics admits that “throughout my career, I have been privileged to work on large, global brands with which I have a deep emotional connection (Nickelodeon, Barbie and Sony). The values that these brands stand for are aligned with my own, resulting in sincere synchronicity between brand and personal values. I believe that consumers interact with brands in a variety of ways but express loyalty only to those that they love, either from a genuine emotional connection or tremendous utility.”
With more than 20 years of experience in global brand marketing and business for leading entertainment, technology and consumer products companies, she has spent the past decade at Sony Corporation. As Senior Vice President of Global Retail CRM and Brand Marketing, she is responsible for marketing the Sony brand in North America, including brand, social and digital strategies. She is also a key leader of the team that is shaping the consumer experience in Sony’s retail stores worldwide.
When asked about the international risks she’s taking with current campaigns, Susan replies with candor and a keen attention to how the traditional language of marketing is changing:
“The rapid rise of digital from the perspectives of access and consumer behavior is redefining a term like ‘campaign.’ We’re seeing that the traditional distinctions between ‘ATL’ (above the line) and ‘BTL’ (below the line) are now much more blurred. We’re seeing that the definition of marketing is encompassing functions that have been traditionally outside of the consumer marketing function but are critical in delivering brand values and experiences. At Sony, we’re working to move from simply ‘campaigns’ for products and services to ‘conversations’ with consumers about themselves, ourselves, our products and services.”
Susan Jurevics is a key member of a cross-functional team that is currently re-architecting Sony’s global digital presence. She has run Sony.com for several years, winning a 2007 Webby Award. Having led the North American consolidation of media planning and buying across multiple Sony companies, she oversees Sony’s Agency of Record agreement with media services agency Universal McCann in the region. Ms. Jurevics established and leads the product placement program at Sony, integrating Sony electronics products into Sony-produced music, television and theatrical content, including the “Spider-Man” franchise and the “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace” James Bond films, as well as music videos from artists such as Alicia Keys and Wyclef Jean. Ms. Jurevics coordinated unprecedented global, through-the-line television, digital and outdoor campaigns for both “Quantum of Solace” and “Casino Royale,” promoting electronics and mobile products featured in the film. She leads the Sony Marketing Council, a bi-annual, cross-company forum of 100 Sony business executives that has expanded to Tokyo and, this year, also will be held in Europe.
Her extraordinary accomplishments do not stop her from recognizing some of today’s multi-national marketing challenges. She says, “Cultural nuances and local mores remain critically important. Brands have to understand and respect them while being relevant to consumers. The rapid rise of digital and one-to-one/peer-to-peer marketing has sacrificed scale for intimacy and superior relevancy of messaging, so it remains a challenge to maintain efficiencies while delivering targeted marketing.”
