Josie is a digital specialist that has spearheaded many of The Romans’ social and creator campaigns for clients including Badoo, Sports Direct, and Duolingo. We asked Josie to choose her Digital Hero
Who is your digital hero?
Rachael Mumford – Senior Social Media Manager at Liquid Death.
What has she done to win hero status in your eyes?
From working as a marketer for one of the very coolest jewellery brands on the planet, to where she is today, I’ve always been inspired by how Rachael injects vim and newness into everything she does, and her everlong drive to learn new skills so she can take back more from the world around her.
From journalism to partnerships, from marketing to digital, from Soho to Texas – and now to LA – I think it’s clear to see that Rachael doesn’t settle for less, always looking for ways to keep growing and fresh opportunities to mix things up.
It’s people – like Rachael – that are consciously connecting the dots between the disciplines with their knowledge, which is helping to narrow the gaps that others so often get swallowed up into.
How has her heroism helped drive digital?
It makes perfect sense why Rachael works for Liquid Death.
Liquid Death has shaken up the water industry to create a brand that’s not even alt cool, it’s mainstream cool – without compromising on its values. No matter how “out there” other marketers – digital or otherwise – might see it to be, they don’t do it for the clout, they do it for the community.
Which feels fitting for Rachael. She has always had a strong sense of identity, knowing who she is and what she stands for – and it’s that awareness I think makes her so good at tuning into the team and communities that she manages as part of her day-to-day.
Rachael and the team around her prove that finding ways to disrupt a sea of sameness to stand out, while staying cognisant of your “niche” is what people are craving today. It’s a valuable lesson that we could all learn from in the world of digital.
What are the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
We need to be data-driven without being driven by data. Yes, metrics are important but only because they signify resonance with real people, and digestible, measurable outputs that can be compared and contrasted.
There is no doubt that some matter more than others, but it’s time for a data-wizz to create a metric that can accurately measure meaning and resonance, so we can really move the dial. Because without that deeper understanding behind the numbers, things just won’t add up.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
Being open-minded enough to see the bigger picture, finding the vastness of the unknown and novel enticing, rather than burrowing into what I already know.
I didn’t start off in digital but I’ve always recognised that it isn’t something that we can opt in or out of, it’s a part of the way we live, and I truly believe those that stay curious about that, will win in the long run – or at the very least, never, ever be bored.
