#776: Black Friday Special: Zappi CMO Nataly Kelly on the high-stakes world of holiday advertising
The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX
In a world drowning in data, is the 'big creative idea' for a holiday campaign an endangered species, or is it more critical than ever?
Agility requires not just moving fast, but moving with confidence. It's the ability to validate creative instincts with real-world data, ensuring that your biggest bets are also your smartest ones.
Today, we're going to talk about the high-stakes world of holiday advertising and the delicate balance between creative magic and data-driven methodology. We’re going to talk about one such campaign for John Lewis, a popular British Department store whose holiday ads are a cultural event in the UK, where the stakes can be high.
And they aren’t alone. The holiday season is the equivalent of the Super Bowl for many brands, where a single campaign can define the entire year. Yet, for every heartwarming success story, there are countless others that miss the mark. So how do brands de-risk their biggest creative investments and ensure their message will actually resonate with consumers?
About Nataly Kelly
Nataly Kelly is Chief Marketing Officer at Zappi, based in Boston, MA. Previously she served at HubSpot as Vice President of Marketing, Vice President of International Operations and Strategy, and Vice President of Localization.
Nataly Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalykelly/
Resources
Zappi: https://www.zappi.io/
The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow
Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/
Watch the John Lewis "Where Love Lives" Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1bRlnyQeDk
Zappi Report: Lessons in Advertising: Christmas 2025: https://email.zappistore.com/hubfs/Zappi%20Christmas%20Advertising%202025.pdf
Zappi Report: The Connected Insights Imperative: https://www.zappi.io/web/connected-insights-imperative-report/
Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
More description
In a world drowning in data, is the 'big creative idea' for a holiday campaign an endangered species, or is it more critical than ever?
Agility requires not just moving fast, but moving with confidence. It's the ability to validate creative instincts with real-world data, ensuring that your biggest bets are also your smartest ones.
Today, we're going to talk about the high-stakes world of holiday advertising and the delicate balance between creative magic and data-driven methodology. We’re going to talk about one such campaign for John Lewis, a popular British Department store whose holiday ads are a cultural event in the UK, where the stakes can be high.
And they aren’t alone. The holiday season is the equivalent of the Super Bowl for many brands, where a single campaign can define the entire year. Yet, for every heartwarming success story, there are countless others that miss the mark. So how do brands de-risk their biggest creative investments and ensure their message will actually resonate with consumers?
About Nataly Kelly
Nataly Kelly is Chief Marketing Officer at Zappi, based in Boston, MA. Previously she served at HubSpot as Vice President of Marketing, Vice President of International Operations and Strategy, and Vice President of Localization.
Nataly Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalykelly/
Resources
Zappi: https://www.zappi.io/
The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow
Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/
Watch the John Lewis "Where Love Lives" Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1bRlnyQeDk
Zappi Report: Lessons in Advertising: Christmas 2025: https://email.zappistore.com/hubfs/Zappi%20Christmas%20Advertising%202025.pdf
Zappi Report: The Connected Insights Imperative: https://www.zappi.io/web/connected-insights-imperative-report/
Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
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