Jamie Whalen, the Director of Social Strategy at Ivanti, is a seasoned social media content strategist and marketer with over a decade of experience in successfully engaging, motivating, and influencing audiences to drive brand demand. Based in Massachusetts, Jamie has garnered experience across a diverse range of industry verticals, including small business, cybersecurity, localization, children’s media, brewing and distilling, video gaming, tech (hardware and software), and business services. Her multi-faceted marketing approach is renowned for creating persona-driven, distinctive, and empathetic content with a strong focus on storytelling. Her accomplishments have earned her several awards, including a CMI (Content Marketing Institute) Silver Award for the best Editorial Calendar.
Upon assuming the role of Director of Social Strategy at Ivanti, Jamie immediately identified the potential for a more effective social media strategy. She introduced a humanistic approach that expanded the company’s audience and reach by concentrating on what matters most to Ivanti’s customers and the organization itself. Jamie redirected Ivanti’s focus from external to internal, fostering an integrated and deliberate workflow that represents Ivanti holistically, not as a fragmented entity.
Jamie is the driving force behind Ivanti’s success in its overarching goal to amplify its messaging and brand organically. She has been instrumental in fostering a culture of cross-collaboration and creativity to achieve social marketing objectives. These efforts have resulted in increased sales opportunities and enthusiasm within the organization, ultimately refining Ivanti’s standing as a leader in the tech and business domains.
Below are highlights of the interview that showcases Jamie Whalen’s expertise as a social media and Content Strategist, and her accomplishments speak to her prowess in the field:
Brief our audience about your journey as a Marketing leader to your current position at your company. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?
As a marketing leader, I started in publishing, working with Roald Dahl’s company and getting to assist with editorial and creative designs. As I continued, I worked with B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Clients) clients at many corporate companies such as Staples, Autodesk, TedEX, and NESN, as well as the in-house and agency side at Ogilvy, BBDO, and others. As a passionate storyteller, I was always intrigued by giving a voice to a brand and helping make the awareness exciting and compelling. It was through this discovery that I grew into the fantastic world of content and social, anticipating the client’s needs and strategically showing results.
In my current role, I lead our Social Strategy, including four core focus areas: Organic social promotion, Executive Leadership program promotion, our highly successful Influencer Marketing initiatives, and 3x Muse Award-winning Brand Advocacy Programs. My passion for driving successful outcomes inspires me to continuously challenge our methods and ensure our actions align with our business objectives.
Early in my career, I struggled with managing up and gaining buy-in from C-suite to implement creative ideas. I felt that I had to work twice as hard to be heard and hone the knowledge that people older than me had. But through this experience, I learned the importance of supporting my manager and always having their back. This valuable lesson has served me well over the years: when you help your leaders, you help yourself. There’s an opportunity to work alongside and learn from them. I also realized the importance of having a mentor and building a network within my industry. I met many people who allowed me to participate in unique programs. Today, I still speak with many of them and ask for feedback in certain areas. This has been an incredible asset, allowing me to grow both personally and professionally.
But of all the lessons I’ve learned, the most significant is the power of knowing your passion. I once had a manager who tried to tell me what my love was supposed to be; shortly after coming into our organization, they completely changed my role, title, and everything I loved. Although it was hard, I had to push back and move on from the company because I knew that the path they were setting for me was not aligned with who I was and what I truly loved. This, in turn, opened so many other doors where my passion has driven results, ideas, and award-winning campaigns that would never have happened had I allowed another person to tell me where my vision should go. Ultimately, trusting my gut has allowed me to make significant strides in my career and driven me toward achieving new goals.
Tell us more about your company and its mission and vision; how does it thrive towards enabling advancements in the dynamic business arena?
Ivanti is a global technology leader with a mission to enable and elevate Everywhere Work. Ivanti recognizes the underlying needs of the modern workforce and develops innovative solutions to deliver on its vision. Its latest innovation and improvements to the Ivanti Neurons hyper-automation platform has transformed how businesses approach connectivity and management.
Ivanti powers Everywhere Work by enabling customers to elevate the digital employee experience (DEX) through its cutting-edge Ivanti Neurons platform, a critical tool that allows any organization to remain productive, flexible, and resilient despite an ever-changing workplace.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted the sector through your expertise in the market.
I have successfully impacted the sector by consistently aligning social strategies with the business and market direction. Even in the last two years, the way I allocate my budget has changed. With the evolving trends in consumer behavior, it’s no longer enough to rely on traditional methods of social strategy. People have changed in the previous few years in how they purchase. It’s no longer extended brands speaking to people to make people buy. It’s all about people talking to people to validate how good or bad a product is. As I’ve navigated, I have introduced a fantastic ELT program to the business and ensured all the activations done with influencers and all organic content are integrated into everything we do. In this process, Ivanti’s share of voice (SOV) increased from 0.7% to 45%, surpassing our competitors and placing Ivanti as a leader.
I have also built an industry-leading employee advocacy ambassador program, increasing the participation rate from 17% to 75%, well above the industry standard of 30%. This program has significantly boosted our reach from 1.7M to 86M, generating an earned media value of $2.6 million, a remarkable testament to the strong advocates that we have developed within internal walls. Our efforts have led to the development of a successful tracking system to accurately monitor how our social posts impact and connect to the pipeline, contributing to a 20% increase in solution sales. The attention to all touchpoints has allowed us to reach more of our audience through their conversations, driving accurate results.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.
As a global company, Ivanti recognizes that creating a work environment that welcomes and promotes diversity and inclusivity across various backgrounds is essential. The company has recently revamped its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Policy (DEIB) to align with its values and genuinely represent who Ivanti is as an organization.
Ivanti sets the corporate standard for treating employees with respect and exemplifies how teamwork is the root of success. Ivanti recognizes that collaboration is essential to achieving its goals and strives to create a winning, diverse, and inclusive culture that embodies its core values: Locking Arms, Fight the Good Fight, Champions for our Customers, and Outcomes Matter Most.
At Ivanti, employees are encouraged to embrace a healthy work-life blend rather than a balance. This means that employees can incorporate their personal and professional lives in a way that suits them best, without the pressure of designating a specific time or focus for either. Ivanti values the unique work styles of its employees and recognizes that the workplace does not define productivity but rather where one feels most comfortable being productive. The company supports this “Everywhere Work” philosophy through events like “Homecoming,” where colleagues can collaborate and reconnect. Ivanti’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and its support of a healthy work-life blend enables it to be an excellent example for other organizations.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?
I leverage Ivanti solutions to work 100% remote. Whether I am on the road or at home, Ivanti has provided me with the tools I need to seamlessly stay connected and excel in my work. Additionally, I’m using AI almost every day in all that I do. It assists me in my work and helps our company with many of our efforts. Integrating programs like Microsoft Teams, Asana, Grammarly, and many more has allowed me to achieve my goals with the right tools that have set me up for success.
What, according to you, could be the following significant change in the global marketing industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change?
The way we budget for brand awareness. The old-school methods are less useful now. We must leverage influencers’ “voices,” executive leadership teams, and advocacy programs to increase third-party validation. Customers will only visit your website or LinkedIn page if they know who you are and what you stand for. These all come from reaching the right audiences with the right message.
My company is preparing by being ahead of what’s coming; we’re shifting budgets to adjust with the market and ensuring our agility is top of mind.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for your company?
I envision myself as a leader in marketing or publishing, ideally a CMO, as well as a Top-Tier Working Mom. I want to continue to mentor and help the next generation of young men and women to love what they do. As a mother of three, I want to enable excellent problem solvers who can confidently change the world. Showing up and creating change will then influence the next generation, one I’m proud to be a part of and instill in.
My future goals for my company are to continue striving for a ‘Best in Class—Business to Human” program. I see so much potential in the relationships I’ve built with leading influencers in marketing. I want to magnify all the fantastic content and thought leadership reports we’ve done with our 3x award-winning Employee Advocacy program. I can’t wait to see what 2024 will bring.
What would be your advice to budding leaders who aspire to venture into the marketing industry?
Be kind. Always be empathetic and listen more in meetings than you speak. You can learn so much from those around you. Also, get involved, give back, and join local groups in your industry so others can enlighten you with a similar passion. And always remember to market yourself. Take time each quarter and highlight your wins; doing so will remind you how important your journey is.
One last one: never think any job is below you. Each little job is a piece of the bigger picture, and if you are too proud to see those little glimmers of opportunity in learning things you might not know, then you will miss your big picture.
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