Welcome to AME's exclusive interview series, where we shine a spotlight on the globally respected members of the AME Awards Grand Jury. Strategic, innovative, analytical, critical thinkers, and creative storytellers dedicated to ensuring brand awareness and equity – these qualities embody AME's Grand Jury. Serving as emissaries of effectiveness, AME's Jury members, recognized globally as industry leaders and award-winning marketers, ensure that every entry submitted to the AME Awards is evaluated with the utmost care and consideration.

2024 AME Grand Jury member Megan Nethercote understanding of the importance of identity and brand originated at Apple in marketing and communications. As the F/NE's Strategy Director and conceptual storyteller, Meg has a strong grasp of the ‘power of the human story’ in accessing people’s hearts and minds to effect behaviour change and create alignment around common purpose and values. Her effusive energy and disruptive thinking style enables her to galvanise people to successfully deliver large-scale, global change programmes. She makes large companies feel like connected communities through the power of hope and imagination.

In the interview below Meg shares her insights and perspective on data analytics and AI, how brands are embracing social responsibility, what the attributes are of stand out work, and why effectiveness competitions are important.

AME Awards: Why are effectiveness competitions like the AME Awards important?

Megan Nethercote: In a world where creativity is revered and celebrated, it’s effectiveness that should reign supreme as the highest standard we adhere to as communication professionals. Whether we are working with big budgets, serving the world’s greatest brands, or offering pro-bono work to those organisations doing good in our world, we exist to grow their brands/cause. Without measuring effectiveness we are purely indulging in our own creative explorations which may feel great, but does little to amplify the voice of the brands and causes we serve.

AME Awards: As a creative strategist, what stand-out attributes do you recognize in award-winning creative effective advertising?

Megan Nethercote: A single-minded, clear concept that transcends specific channels or tactics. Clarity in what the communication is asking the audience to think, do, feel and the magic combination of disruption and memorability that we all strive to achieve in our own work.

AME Awards: How has the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence impacted the effectiveness of advertising campaigns?

Megan Nethercote: The industry has become more and more sophisticated over the years at tracking and analysing effectiveness, specifically in the testing and implementation phases of campaigns. We can now measure so much more to help tweak and optimize the work and to tell if it really hit the spot with the audience.

This constant iteration only serves to make the work more relevant and effective and helps us spend our clients’ budgets in the most effective way possible. The proverbial ‘bang for buck’ that we all seek in each campaign.

The real test in my mind, when we talk about AI, is can it start to help us CREATE not just analyse and measure campaigns and collateral? That’s where the real disruption lies and I believe that is the next frontier we are already grappling with as an industry.
 

AME Awards: With an increasing emphasis on corporate social responsibility, how do brands effectively communicate their values and societal contributions in their marketing strategies?

Megan Nethercote: Purpose driven brands have been a buzzword for ages and we know consumers have high expectations of the brands they love. The key to success is to choose a cause that is a natural fit to the brand and speaks to its core values. It shouldn’t feel forced in any way. This cause will then resonate with the audience and will be easier to integrate into marketing campaigns. For example, a private hospital group offering Oncology care should be investing in free screening for those with limited access or entering into partnership with not-for-profit entities to extend access to care (as opposed to, for example, sponsoring a Library at a Kindergarten or planting food gardens, this feels like a stretch for such a brand). Consumers are smart and they will immediately pick-up on the fact that the “do good” component is a forced add on, as opposed to part of the ethos of the brand.