MENA agencies have not only gained regional recognition their innovative work is recognized and awarded across the globe-Ellen Smyth, Owner/CEO, New York Festivals
Here’s the full Q & A:
What impresses you most about the advertising/marketing industry in MENA?
Ellen Smyth: The exponential growth within the region the past three years is remarkable, the increase in agencies, an abundance of top talent, projects with global brands, and of course impressive award-winning work that wowed our judges earning top honors in NYF’s competitions, as well as other global competitions. MENA agencies have not only gained regional recognition their innovative work is recognized and awarded across the globe.
What is unique about New York Festivals and its brands?
Ellen Smyth: When founder/previous owner Gerry Goldberg launched the New York Festivals Film and Television competition in 1957, the mission was to honor excellence in communications media and touch the hearts and minds of viewers worldwide.
New York Festivals was founded as an international awards competition designed to reward achievements in non-broadcast media, the NYF achieved prominence in the first 20 years, and continued to expand by adding TV and Cinema advertising, programming and promotion. The brand continued to grow, mirroring the changing trends and evolving technology: adding Radio Programming and Promotion, Print, Music Videos, and Interactive Video (yes, it was the 80’s). Advertising competitions in Health, Finance, Strategy in all mediums were later launched. The industry’s acceptance and participation are reflected throughout the years by the prominent thought leaders and creative executives that participate on NYF’s international juries and advisory boards…a Who’s Who of industry innovators, that have allowed New York Festivals, the Madison Avenue New York City brand, to navigate the ebb-and-flow of culture and world economy.
New York Festivals has been celebrating the world’s best work for 65 years, what do you attribute to its success?
Ellen Smyth: New York Festivals’ success is its clients – the creatives, those individuals, passionate about their work, who have spent days, nights, and weekends creating amazing award-winning campaigns. All of us at New York Festivals care about and appreciate the creative talent who give everything to their craft.
As one of the very few privately held award competition companies, New York Festivals has the advantage of being flexible, adaptable, and able to make decisions quickly. Yes, there have been mistakes along the way, missed opportunities, however we continue to advance with the industry. We all listen, learn, and adapt. As a team we care about our mission, to honor the world’s best work. We have kept the vision Gerry Goldberg had back in 1957, recognizing and celebrating excellence in all mediums and media and respecting those behind it.
What are the key components of your leadership style?
Ellen Smyth: My leadership style begins with believing in New York Festivals brand and fostering that belief the staff has for the brand. NYF’s staff has passion for our business model, they believe and aspire to advance the brand, which is so rewarding because I always thought as CEO, I was the only one with these strong beliefs…I have learned that is not true. Their innovation and dedication are inspiring. I have learned, that to lead one must listen, work with others, and give the freedom to others to make decisions that will benefit and elevate the brand.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your position?
Ellen Smyth: The most rewarding aspect these past few years is appreciating the people I get to work with daily, the joy of working alongside of the clients we know and respect, and the new and renewed relationships that we have fostered.
I have seen NYF’s staff take ownership; I have seen clients take ownership, by partnering and sharing their talent with NYF on creative projects. There are moments I am in disbelief and question it and then I realize it is a gift to the industry. Seeing the passion renewed for the New York Festivals brand is truly rewarding.
What prompted you to purchase New York Festivals 20 years ago?
Ellen Smyth: My partner and I had success with building brands and chose to take on another opportunity twenty years ago. We believed in the New York Festivals brand Gerry & Bihla Goldberg had strategically built. We had plenty of working years ahead of us and wanted the continued success Gerry and Bihla had for the brand and more. Our previous entrepreneurial background included owning a service company (Film and Video Postproduction facility) for the advertising industry. In addition, our purchase of the Clio Awards and bringing them out of bankruptcy combined with our brand-building experience and international development, ultimately allowed us to move forward with new ventures.
How has New York Festivals evolved since you’ve been at the helm?
Ellen Smyth: I was asked to take over the responsibilities of running the New York Festivals mid-2017. The industry was changing, and New York Festivals needed to evolve. I definitely had my work cut out for me.
Our infrastructure needed updating, and building a new CMS was time consuming. The staff was most helpful assisting during the trouble shooting process and providing insight to our future needs during the platform’s developmental process. Developing existing staff and adding additional talent to support the transition was ongoing.
New initiatives including the launch of targeted content creation as part of New York Festivals Advertising Awards provided opportunities to shine the spotlight on ground-breaking creatives, introduce the views of industry thought leaders, and highlight partnerships. Insightful interviews were featured in Creativity From the Other Side, with David Sable as interviewer. Additional NYF video content included feature episodes: Black Madison Avenue, Immigrant Madison Ave, episodes where various industry experts gathered to discuss underrepresented groups and themes in the advertising world. Additional ongoing series are in the works including Carving stairs into Stone, a series that delves into the career journeys of women in brand and marketing leadership positions.
As the Owner and CEO what has been your biggest challenge the last few years?
Ellen Smyth: The biggest challenge for us was Covid in 2020.
At the same time, it opened doors for New York Festivals. We were given the opportunity to connect with clients in a way we never had before. It was an opportunity to fine-tune our judging platform and use zoom on an international stage.
We adjusted to the new working from home environment, adapted our judging process and platform to allow our Grand and Executive juries to evaluate entries from home via zoom sessions.
Covid resulted in our partner of 13 years, the National Association of Broadcasters, canceling their annual NAB Show in Las Vegas in 2020. This Covid-induced cancellation resulted in the NYF TV & Film Awards and NYF Radio Awards pivoting to create a virtual Storytellers Gala format to celebrate winning work. The virtual Gala included clips from award-winning work from content creators, and virtual acceptance speeches from award-winners located around the globe.
Covid brought unique updates to our business model, and we are still using them today.
What is on the horizon for New York Festivals?
Ellen Smyth: We are excited and optimistic about the current state of the industry and are prepared to embrace new challenges and opportunities with innovation and determination as they arise. New York Festivals will continue with an eye to the future and will expand its brand base and global footprint as needed to best serve the industry.