Hi Josh
How are you? Welcome onboard to Ambergreen. You’ve been brought on board as Head of Strategy and Planning. As the latest recruit, could you tell me a little about yourself?
JE: I was born in Los Angeles, grew gills on the beaches of Southern California, studied journalism at university, wrote copy at advertising agencies in the late 90s, founded an online architecture magazine in the early 21st century and learned a lot about user experience and e commerce, developed marketing strategies for companies in the energy-efficiency/sustainable products sector, moved with my wife and two daughters to Edinburgh in 2011, now contentedly stationed at Ambergreen.
What do you think you can bring to the party?
JE: A ridiculously, gloriously long-scope perspective about what works and what doesn’t in marketing & communication strategies and building relationships with clients.
What do you think are going to be the biggest challenges and opportunities for our clients in 2014?
JE: Staying focused on primary objectives, whatever they may be. At any given time a company might be told that the ONE THING in which they should be heavily investing is social media, native advertising, inbound marketing, video production, programmatic buying, content marketing, user experience, mobile optimisation — as if any one of these things is an entity separate from the whole. Guess what – it’s not.
How can you help the clients reach their goals this year?
JE: I can help identify and stay focused on the bigger picture and the goals therein. At the heart of all this noise is a steady heartbeat – and that beat is simply about effectively communicating messages to people through the channels that are available to us.
How does Edinburgh compare to the West Coast of California
JE: Scots, and people who have chosen to live in this part of the world, seem pretty stoic and to appreciate a beautiful city like Edinburgh even on the coldest, darkest days. Californians, who are constantly reminding everyone how lucky they are to be basking in sunshine, start to panic when the temperature dips below 15 degrees Celsius, and consequently, I think they’ve become a bit soft and unrealistic with their expectations about what they deserve. You have to be tough in this life and appreciate beauty at the same time.
Any words of wisdom?
JE: Be tough, appreciate beauty.
