As the Head of WP Brand Studio at The Washington Post, Denise Burrell-Stinson helps lead creative output, brand messaging, multimedia projects and more at one of the most well known news organizations in the world.
When 2020 turned upside down due to the COVID-19 crisis, the team at WP Brand Studio worked to stay tuned in to the needs of their audience. As people were looking to the news for updates, Denise and her team knew they had a unique opportunity to engage with their community.
Denise asked her team:
“What does it mean to be a responsible marketer?”
In a keynote conversation at The PhotoShelter Summit for Brands, Denise broke down the ways her team stayed committed to being responsible marketers. She also answers questions from PhotoShelter VP of Sales Kimberly Morgan about how WP Brands Studio consistently creates content that resonates with their audience.
“The first thing we did is say, ‘you know what? Let’s lean into trust rather than transaction,’” explains Denise. What does this look like?
For starters, they built a global pro-bono directory of their partners who are committed to supporting those who are struggling in the fight against COVID-19. They also created a regional directory to encourage their audience to support struggling small businesses in the Washington area.
The Takeaway
It’s important for us to ask questions about how our actions and power as creatives can be used to benefit our community as a whole. Being responsible marketers “comes down to how we help,” says Denise.
If you want access to more of these incredible conversations, networking opportunities with hundreds of creative professionals, and early updates about 20/21 Vision: The Workflow Summit by PhotoShelter, join our creative community on Slack.
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