Marina Nigrelli is EMEA Campaign Manager at Adobe, where she leads data-driven campaigns for Creative Cloud. She joined the Adobe in 2019 from Sky where she was Senior Marketing Manager.
Who is your digital hero?
So many… But the one that feels most pertinent to the current climate is Jaron Lanier, one of the creators of digital reality in the mid-80s, but who remains a key player and thought leader today.
What has he done to win hero status in your eyes?
Apart from the obvious, what I admire most and find most fascinating about Lanier, is how he publicly turned against the very technological culture he helped create.
For years he’s used his platform and foresight to try and open our eyes to the dangers of “bad technology” and how there is a moral imperative to ensure the advances in digital aren’t exploited to shape political discourse and economic stability. Anyone shining a spotlight and calling for action on this is a hero in my book.
How has his heroism helped drive digital?
Despite Lanier’s warnings, the digital industry is still lagging behind when it comes to regulating the huge swathes of “fake news” that flood our social channels, or the rogue data mining methods that are still at play.
But what he has done, in his signature avant-garde style, is make us think, question, perhaps even worry – but essentially he’s made us aware of the huge digital presence that influences us all daily. And being aware is the first step to solving the problem…
What the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
It’ll come as no surprise given my previous answers, but regulation, regulation and more regulation. GDPR and the huge compliance headache it brought to so many businesses, together with slashing reach, was a step in the right direction with regards to online consent.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Now the challenge is finding a global solution to policing the “infodemic” that digital perpetuates, and then the infrastructure and authority to ensure even the mightiest of tech giants comply.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
The term ‘heroic’ feels a little generous and prescient, but I’m expecting big things from a project I’m leading for Adobe Creative Cloud. It aims to better onboard and nurture our new 7 day trialists with the aim of improving customer engagement and retention.
Staying close to the customer feedback and even closer to the data, we’re building a new joiner experience that speaks to our growing non-pro base, and despite the many twists and turns, never deviates from Adobe’s “hedgehog concept” of Creativity for All. Watch this space…
