Glenn Conte of Chimney NY: “Be emotional and authentic, embrace technology, promote company-wide diversity, and tell great stories that connect people on a basic, human level”
Be emotional and authentic, embrace technology, promote company-wide diversity, and tell great stories that connect people on a basic, human level. By doing these things, you will create a reliable and distinguished brand that attracts many potential clients.
As an award-winning editor, Glenn Conte is no stranger to new challenges and joining Chimney NY as head of editorial in February this year was just the creative challenge Glenn had been looking for. Since then, Glenn has been working on a number of projects including seminal work for Disney’s NBA Experience.
A future-focused leader, Glenn relishes the boutique, yet global, experience at Chimney, as well as the collaborative work environment. Drawing inspiration equally from downtime with his family and friends to shifts in the industry, Glenn reveals his personal editing style, what he does to wind down, and why “being part of the solution” is the best advice he ever received.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Absolutely! For starters, I’m dyslexic. As a kid with a reading disability, I was always looking for ways to tell stories visually. So, instead of reading books, I studied old movies and was fascinated by the visual craft of storytelling. Ultimately, that’s why film editing is perfect for me; it’s where the story is honed and crafted visually.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
What I can say is that I have made plenty of mistakes in my career. But, I have learned that it doesn’t define you as a person. Use it as a lesson moving forward, and don’t be too hard on yourself for an honest mistake. By taking a mistake and turning it into a lesson, you are able to not only grow but also ensure the same thing doesn’t happen again.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
One thing that makes Chimney stand out is how they respect talent and let us work in an agile working environment. At the core of who we are, we are all about the creative. Another thing that makes Chimney stand out is that we integrated sustainable production methods from the beginning. Meaning we have utilized digital spaces for the purposes of work long before COVID, so during the pandemic, we were still able to create, shoot, produce, and edit to the same extent without having to shift any of our processes.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Currently, I am working on a campaign with Heineken that I will make visually unique by using a 360° camera. Applying the latest technologies allows me to deliver visual content in new and exciting ways to consumers. This creative process of chasing the newest ways to capture images and tell compelling stories is what drives me in my work.
Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?
Branding is about who you are as a company. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand your core offerings and what your brand stands for and then be able to relay that to consumers through marketing. On the other hand, advertising is simply about convincing someone to buy something using strategic tactics. In my opinion, brands need to invest more time and effort into branding their company properly. By having a unique and distinguishable brand story, your advertising will become easier because consumers will already be listening to what you have to say.
Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?
Other than having a unique brand story that stands apart from your competitors, I believe it should be the core investment of every brand to create loyalty and respect. One of the most significant ways this is accomplished is through exceptional visual storytelling. All brands will need to achieve this to engage the customer and keep their attention over time successfully.
Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand?
Definitely! Be emotional and authentic, embrace technology, promote company-wide diversity, and tell great stories that connect people on a basic, human level. By doing these things, you will create a reliable and distinguished brand that attracts many potential clients.
In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?
Beats by Dr. Dre has built an amazing brand from the ground up. I think what they do best is being authentic and not afraid to tell their truth. The brand sets politics aside, and it’s about being transparent with their audience. In my opinion, this is what makes them shine and is something other brands could implement from their model.
In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?
A successful brand building campaign will need to find a clear way to tell its story. This story must encapsulate the essence of who they are, which is what resonates with consumers the most. Getting this message out to your customers is how you build loyal and long-lasting relationships with your ideal clientele. Branding is more about reach and engaging the audience through visual storytelling while tracking sales is more about ROI.
What role does social media play in your branding efforts?
Any brand needs to have a presence on social media. The challenge is that they have to be creative and utilize the medium well; otherwise, they just become noise. In my opinion, TikTok is currently the ultimate platform for aspiring visual editors. It enables the creative to express themselves, spread their message, and connect with clients. These are some of the key advantages of using social media when branding your business.
What advice would you give to other marketers or content creators to thrive and avoid burnout?
First of all, don’t just focus on the data. It’s easy to get caught up in the views, likes, or clicks, but try to focus on your strategy and carrying out your plan. Secondly, if you need a break, it is best to have some creative partners you trust to continue to tell the most creative and engaging stories. After all, they are experts at visual storytelling so let them have fun building your brand while you take some time to avoid feeling overworked. These are some of the tools that I use to thrive and avoid burnout as the lead visual editor at Chimney.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-).
I like to keep things simple. So I say, just be nice to people. If people were more kind to one another, the world would be a much different and better place.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Be who you are, do what you can, want what you have. I just love how simple and straightforward the message is. It’s basically saying that if you do your best, the rest will follow. This sentiment is what drives me to be my best self every day.
We are blessed that very prominent leaders in business and entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have a lunch or breakfast with? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I’d have to say Elon Musk. He just pushes the envelope and would definitely be at the top of my list for influential people I would like to meet.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
