Shari Walczak (The Garden)
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On this episode of Marketing News Canada, Shelley McArthur Everett interviews Shari Walczak, the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at The Garden. Thanks to our sponsor, Smartmail Marketing from Canada Post. Connect with audiences who matter the most. Tap into the country’s largest geolocation database to reach customers like never before. Visit canadapost.ca/smmpodcast1
In 2015, Shari co-founded The Garden, one of Canada’s top independent creative agencies. Over the years, her guidance and leadership have helped some of North America's top brands unlock fresh opportunities by rethinking and reframing their overall purpose and brand strategy. Shari is a contributor to the recently published bestseller: The Collective Wisdom of High-Performing Women, Leadership Lessons from The Judy Project.
At the beginning of February, The Garden was planning its five-year anniversary party, as not many businesses make it past this milestone. The Pandemic ended up running this plan, however not everything during this time period was negative. With the shift to online work, the brand was able to pick up more clients that they may not have otherwise, their furthest client being in Chicago. What can be learned from these unprecedented times is that “you do not need to work with people only in your area,” states Sheri.
“Brand love needs to start within an organization and radiate outwards,” says Sheri. It is hard to help a brand gain popularity and have consumers love it if the brand is not passionate about itself. "A starting point when helping a brand grow is defining a clear mission statement that is consistent throughout the organization," explains Sheri.
Advertising is so much more than Ads that people see. It is timing and having the right ideas and intentions behind an ad so people are captivated by it. When launching The Garden, Sheri realized not every solution is an ad. If an ad does not connect with its audience, that is just money wasted.
Brands can get the most from working with an agency by being really involved with the process. If they have a say and do what is going on they can ensure the work being produced stays true to their brand image and captures their creative vision. Brands need to be willing to share the good, the bad and the ugly with the agency that they are working with. This is part of trusting the agency that you are working with.
Sheri’s favourite part of developing creative for a brand is the research process. She believes that the first one-third of ideas are the unoriginal ones that many people think of. After that, the ideas become more fun and original. She loves uncovering what the brand's target audience is looking for and desires. She said this is the part of marketing that is always changing and keeps her passionate about it.
Shari’s commitment to brand strategy for over the past 20 years has given her experience and information to help some of North America's largest brands. With this knowledge, she was able to create her own creative agency, The Garden, which is now named one of Canada’s top independent creative agencies.
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