AME's powerhouse Grand Jury are known for their reputation as innovators and their ability to deliver distinctive and effective results for prominent brands ensure that the entries they judge are reviewed with attention and with a perspective of industry standards and trends. They understand what it takes to deliver creative and strategic campaigns that move the needle for brands and bring years of bring years of industry expertise to the judging panel.

2023 AME Grand Jury member Nina Bailey is VP, Strategy for Bioluma. She is a curious and adventurous strategist with over a decade of global retail, CPG, and healthcare experience to the jury panel.  At Biolumina, she is focused on building meaningful brand experiences and uncovering truths in the oncology space.

Prior to Biolumina, Nina worked at natrel health, Integer, GSW and Landor. She has hands-on experience supporting Fortune 500 companies such as Eli Lilly, AT&T, Procter & Gamble, FedEx and Kraft, as well as startups and non-profit organizations. An active strategy mentor, Nina founded several professional development initiatives, and was recognized by Ad2Dallas in 2018 as a 32 Under 32 honoree for her extraordinary accomplishments in the Dallas advertising community.

Keep reading to find our more about Nina including her perspective on how influencer marketing is evolving, future forward trends, the attributes of standout award-winning creative effective advertising, and more.

AME Awards: What future forward trends and innovations are brands embracing for 2023?

Brands involving the community and taking a stand on societal inequalities are key in 2023. While customers have been asked to contribute to product development and advertising efforts, corporations are now inviting customer perspectives into initiatives that benefit society at large. This may include asking customers to return and recycle gently used products, donate their time, and advocate to help create a more equitable store experience.

Target has committed to doing such that, with its Target Forward strategy, which involves their partners and customer communities in elevating sustainable brands and creating a more inclusive store experience. While some of these are still plans, Target’s website lays out the specific actions and KPIs that are tied to the company’s bottom line – which I believe is key to creating change.

Other examples include brands supporting Ukraine, such as Airbnb inviting hosts to offer stays for free and giving people the option to book rooms in Ukraine that they won’t use, to support locals.

Brand leaders that involve their communities in developing sustainable initiatives will see greater success in taking steps to a better future.

AME Awards: How is influencer marketing evolving? What avenues are most successful?

We continue to see influencer marketing shift toward greater transparency and relatability to have an impact. Consumers are seeking out honest reviews to make more mindful choices when considering products and services. As a result, the term de-influencing has been trending to describe the act of influencers posting about what products they do not recommend.

In the healthcare world, you can see this desire for transparency across social media as well. You can get healthcare advice and information online from a variety of medical and non-medical sources, and sometimes it’s difficult to decide which posts are trustworthy. If content is not consistent with the primary expertise of the influencer and too frequently accompanied by a “paid partnership” disclaimer, it’s more likely to be perceived as questionable.

I think the influencers that are going to succeed in promoting offerings are those that engage with their following more intentionally within their area of expertise, while remaining mindful about the quantity and relevancy of paid posts.

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

For advertising to be effective, it needs to be relevant and simple. Effective advertising will grab attention if it’s visually interesting and retain attention if the content resonates with the audience and is easy to understand. You don’t want to overcomplicate it.

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

It’s important to celebrate creative thinking to not only give credit to hard work, but also to motivate teams to continue to push boundaries for new ideas in the future. I am especially excited to see and learn from new creative solves and gain inspiration from various industries. It is such an honor to be invited back to participate on the AME Grand Jury this year – thank you!