Coworking with Sophie O’Rourke

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Sophie O’Rourke is senior director, influencer marketing, Dialogue New York. She has also worked at Full Picture and at d2 publicity.

Favorite project you’ve worked on? One of my favorite and most creative campaigns I’ve worked on was for our five-year client, Little Spoon. Leaning into the nostalgia of the ’90s, we developed and executed a viral influencer program in support of their Lunchers launch (a build-and-eat array of healthy meals and snacks for big kids) that blanketed social media, driving home the overarching message that you’ve changed since the ’90s, why hasn’t your kid’s food? Our multi-tiered strategy engaged iconic ’90s celebrities, traditional macro influencers, and parent tastemakers via a range of personal, strategically timed partnerships, including paid campaigns, UGC content collaborators, and widespread gifting.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? I loved what the team at Crown Affair drummed up for their launch of the Finishing Spray. From the ode to ’90s New York to the newspaper PR mailer and movie-night screening of The Thomas Crown Affair in NYC, this campaign was creative, inspiring, and most importantly, stayed so true to their identity. They leveraged custom photography, graphic design, comic writers, and original artwork to deliver a 360-degree campaign that touched editorial, digital/social and OOH activations, effectively flooding the feeds of their target consumer and driving huge swell at launch. Such brilliant work.

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: I’m currently taking French lessons! While I studied it throughout my early schooling, I’m more determined than ever to speak fluently after spending a summer in Paris last year (and realizing how much of the language I’d forgotten in the years of disuse).

What marketing trend are you most optimistic about? Least? The influencer space has grown at such a colossal rate, and because of that, we’ve begun to see “influencer fatigue,” which is an indicator that real change needs to happen—and I’m excited for that change. At Dialogue, we’ve always believed in authentic storytelling and building impactful relationships with influencers, agents, clients, etc., but I’m excited to see more creator-led content driven from an authentic love for the product and mission over traditional “hashtag ads.”

I’m not pessimistic about any of the current trends, but I’m a little wary of AI-generated influencers, or virtual influencers, and the impact that could have on the industry. Talk about the wild, wild West!

What’s one marketing-related podcast/social account/series you’d recommend? I love the account People Brands and Things.