Intro (00:00):

Welcome to the Taylor Ten. A fast-paced, 10 minute deep dive into the minds of those shaking up the marketing world, bringing you the sharpest insights, boldest ideas, and breakthrough trends driving the industry forward. So tune in, get inspired, and stay ahead.

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Salina (00:18):

Hi, I'm Salina Benitez, and welcome to the Taylor Ten. I'm here with Simona Meynekhdrun, a marketing professional within the consumer electronics industry to learn as much as I can about what really drives product and marketing innovation in the ever-evolving world of consumer devices. So Simona, welcome and thank you so much for joining us today.

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Simona (00:36):

Thank you, Salina. It's so great to be chatting.

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Salina (00:38):

So my first question I have for you is, in a world where I feel like every week brings a new device drop or feature update, how do you know or spot what trends are actually worth paying attention to?

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Simona (00:52):

Well, first off, you are very right. There's always a new product, a new feature, some kind of drop to keep an eye on. So I think in order to decide what trends to actually pay attention to, and for a launch or a marketing campaign, this is really where data and insights come in. So, we need to be able to analyze the market, understand who our target shoppers are, and just really find an authentic way to jump into those conversations. And on the right channels. I think you'll probably hear me talk a lot about authenticity during this conversation, but I think it's so important. We all want to break the internet. We all want to be the ones who are setting the trends that people follow. And it feels like every day I'm scrolling through TikTok or hearing a new audio trend that people are using or seeing a topic that's gone viral.

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(01:39):

But, all of that started somewhere. And as a marketer, I think that step one is always to glean the right insights and make sure that what we're doing will truly resonate. And certainly a lot of this is experimentation, but I think that the right insights can definitely get you on the right track. And I think that a big part of this is also going to be contingent on trusting your gut. I think not every trend is going to be right for you to experiment with, and not every moment makes sense to weigh in on. But I think that the overall ethos, I would say is that if something feels too clunky or lacks that authentic tie-in, and if you can't easily message it, then you should probably rethink the approach and find something that might work better. And I think the two do go hand in hand as well. So if you have the right numbers and insights to start, I think that you'll also feel really good about it because it'll be that natural story that you think is worth telling.

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Salina (02:37):

Kind of in the thematic of trend setting, there are so many shiny new things. How do you stand out in that crowded space and separate the products from the latest hype or the latest new sparkly thing?

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Simona (02:51):

Yeah, I think this is a really fun challenge to solve for because it's where you have the best opportunity to tap into culture, meet audiences where they are, and ideally even have a little fun with it. So I think, again, this does come into play with the insights that you're gathering because you can kind of start to figure out the right framework for whatever it is that you're doing. And I also do think that using tools like social listening play a huge role in this. So oftentimes I'll start my day by scrolling through social, seeing what kind of conversations are resonating across the space within the CE industry, and even beyond that, because there are so many tangential sides that you can be exploring too. And then of course my PR background – reading the news and just seeing what's happening across verticals there too. But I think using those insights and understanding the market and then tapping into culture in that authentic way, I think that that overall combination of elements is what's really going to help you figure out the best opportunity to separate out.

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(03:53):

And I think part of this also does need to be a branding exercise and understanding the brand personality that you want to portray in whatever it is that you want to achieve before you enter a conversation. Or if you're looking to start a trend, I think you first need to align on the right tone that as that brand you want to strike. And the consistency here is going to be key. So consumer tech moves so fast, social moves so fast, marketing moves so fast. So as we're intersecting all of these things, I think you need to kind of figure out how you want to engage in that consistent way to reach people where they are. So for example, if I create a social video and it's funny, maybe it's going to get us some great engagement, but if you're building that bigger campaign or a series of content that is able to land that same message and tone across different touch points, I think you're going to see much better results. And I think a brand that does this so well as Duolingo, I think most of us have seen their content before. They really lean into their mascot as their spokesperson. But I think it especially works for them because they're always leaning into that consistent brand persona and showing up in those fun unexpected ways. But with that consistent message behind it all.

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Salina (05:09):

I think we've established, and you even said it yourself, that the CE and the consumer tech realm moves so fast. So how do you keep a story going beyond its kind of launch moment? You mentioned your PR background, new news in itself is kind of the crème de la crème. How do you keep it relevant after launching?

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Simona (05:29):

It's a matter of finding that news, even if it's not something that's net new, but also finding new ingredients that can help you to achieve that in maybe an unexpected way. So for example, maybe when you have a big product announcement, you'll go out with it with a press release and media outreach, but then there could be more opportunities to extend it across other channels. And so you can do something on social, you can put paid behind it, you can go with something more digital. But I do think that you always need to be thinking not only for the purposes of that launch moment, but also creating that always on campaign element so that you can create more of that longevity. And I do think that a big part of this, again, is just relying on culture and seeing what's happening and finding new ways to comment and engage. And I think that there's actually a dual side to this. So there are certain things that we are always seeing from a seasonal perspective. It's July 4th coming up or Labor Day. You can plan for that. You can start to figure out what is the story that we can be telling during those key moments. And I think it's also using all the tools at your disposal to look into what's happening in culture day to day and finding new ways to amplify in those specific moments too.

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Salina (06:42):

So we're obviously in the year 2025, tech has come so far. So when the tech is truly advanced, it's cutting edge, how do you keep that storytelling human and relatable? How do you market a device that beyond just its specs and what it does and maybe how it fits into somebody's life without oversimplifying it, how do you achieve that balance?

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Simona (07:08):

Yeah, so I think for that, it's a really big blend of finding the right balance of speaking to the tech and speaking in a more relatable way for storytelling purposes. So oftentimes when I'm working on materials drafting a press release technical content, I oftentimes find myself stopping and asking, okay, why does this tech actually matter? And trying to verbalize that in a really clear and tangible way. And so I think that if I can clearly articulate it for myself, then I can help better base my storytelling around it and add in some relevant examples too. Right? This is probably where the insights come in too, because if you're trying to market something and to really showcase the benefit of a new innovation, the tech and specs are part of the equation, but then leaning on that clear story is going to be the other side that you have to solve for. We have to find the story within the story, and I think that's what makes this job so fun and engaging.

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Salina (08:07):

Speaking of fun, I thought it'd be fun to dive into your mind just a little more with a round of some rapid fire questions.

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Simona (08:16):

Okay, let's do it.

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Salina (08:17):

Ready? So the first piece of tech or the first device that you were obsessed with growing up.

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Simona (08:23):

So I think for me, it would have to be my tamagotchi. I was obsessed with it. As a kid, I would bring it to school with me, even though I wasn't allowed to do that. I think they have them again now. Everything comes back, always does. Nostalgia.

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Salina (08:36):

What's a product feature that consumers now expect as standard?

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Simona (08:42):

Probably connectivity or smart capabilities, but beyond that, just for everything to easily work together. So I want my TV to seamlessly sync with my soundbar to seamlessly sync with my phone and for everything. Just to give me a really clear view,

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Salina (08:58):

What futuristic gadget would your 10-year-old self be most excited or totally geeked out today to use?

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Simona (09:06):

I don't know if it's so much of gadget as it is a service, but Spotify, I always loved music and I feel like such a core part of my childhood was burning CDs and creating these mix tapes. And I feel like the fact that I can now listen to all of my favorite playlists, artists, podcasts, even with the touch of a button that's just mind blowing to my 10-year-old self.

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Salina (09:29):

Totally. I wholeheartedly believe that creating playlists for people is a love language.

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Simona (09:34):

A thousand percent

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Salina (09:35):

Simona, that was 10 minutes. It goes fast. Again, thank you so much for joining us. I feel like I learned so much today and I really appreciate your time.

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Simona (09:44):

Of course. Thank you for having me.

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