Life at AUDIENCEX looks a lot different these days. With everyone working from home, and our ever growing team, it’s been quite the adjustment learning to work together on an entirely digital basis. Such is the case for Michel Benjamin, our Senior Marketing Director, who leads aX’s marketing team. She shared her experience with working from home, as well as what’s been keeping her busy during the pandemic. Read on to learn more about Michel!
Michel at Work
What does a day in the life of a Senior Marketing Director at AUDIENCEX look like?
As is probably the case with most roles at aX, no two days are the same. Our marketing team is lean and mean, and we are tasked with the awesome job of building the aX brand and driving growth through all paid, earned and owned channels, so we are busy. I spend a lot of time creating new content, prepping for webinars, and collaborating with other folks in sales, strategy, ad ops, creative, SEO, and PR to achieve our goals.
How have you adjusted to working from home?
As the mother of a kindergartener and 2nd grader who have been going to school virtually for almost a year, working from home has been exciting to say the least. Thankfully the team at aX is understanding of the situation, and they are no longer surprised if a little face pops up in our meetings. I am thankful to work somewhere that values flexibility, which has really helped this year.
Tell us a little about your professional experience prior to joining AUDIENCEX & how it has prepared you for your role here.
I started out as a media planner at a small agency in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and have held a variety of marketing positions since then. Most recently, I was the Director of Corporate Marketing at Lotame, a data management platform, where I handled many aspects of marketing, including content creation, PR, SEO, and advertising.
Michel Outside the Office
What are your hobbies or activities that you look forward to doing on the weekends or after work?
I’m a huge fan of Yoga with Adriene on YouTube – and this January I completed her 30 days of yoga challenge. Otherwise, my family & I spend as much time outside as possible – either hanging out on the beach or hiking around LA.
What’s the last show you marathoned, and what about it has you hooked?
I am weirdly attracted to Australian sitcoms, and the last show that I really binged was Kath & Kim which is too strange to explain, but it makes me laugh quite a bit. I also love Holy Moley – which is kind of like a mini golf tournament meets American Ninja Warrior – hosted by Rob Riggle. It sounds weird, but it is HILARIOUS.
What are you listening to lately?
I’m really into the Black Pumas, who I just heard for the first time during the Inauguration concert earlier this year.
Tell us one or two fun facts about you.
I was on Good Morning America as a child, along with 100 other winners of a book report contest in Richmond, VA. We all stood on the steps of the capitol building with the governor’s wife and said, “Good Morning America!” And because this was before DVRs, my family & I all woke up and gathered around the TV for a week to make sure we caught it.
What is your favorite moment you’ve had with the AUDIENCEX team so far?
Visiting the Getty Villa last year with the marketing & creative teams as an offsite team building activity. I hope we can all hang out together again one day….
Hypothetically Speaking
What is something you think is going to change in the advertising industry in the next 3 years? Why?
The deprecation of third-party cookies from Chrome is definitely the biggest topic of discussion at the moment and is going to have a huge impact on digital advertising.
What type of ad do you think you’ll be targeted with next? Why?
I am constantly getting ads on Instagram for companies that sell non-plastic household products – like toothpaste tabs, shampoo bars, etc. And I LOVE them! I’m obsessed with the idea of not using any more plastic in my house – so their audience targeting is spot on.
What are you looking forward to most in the next 5 years?
I’m sure this answer is the same for everyone right now, but I’d love to hang out with other humans again. I’d love to go to a party, go dancing, talk to strangers, and travel again one day.