The Marketing Club of New York (MCNY) celebrates each of our Silver Apple honorees with a profile that dives into their career and goals. We spoke with honoree Sheila Colclasure, Global Chief Digital Responsibility and Public Policy Officer, IPG Kinesso prior to the Awards Gala in November 2022. This is her story.

MCNY: Did you find marketing or did marketing find you?

Sheila Colclasure (SC): We found each other. When marketing is done well, with honesty and fairness, it’s hugely beneficial to all of us, everywhere. Fundamentally, marketing and advertising are the exchange of meaning between people, or businesses and people, or even our government and people.  And that is so wonderful, and exciting, and important.  Marketing is a love language.

MCNY: What might you define as a career highlight or turning point, thus far?

SC: Ah… I’ve been so very fortunate in my career, and in my family, with many wonderful things, and sometimes not wonderful things that actually forced me to grow when I needed it most. Two highlights stand out: 

The first was transitioning from policy and politics proper in Washington DC, into the marketing business community at Acxiom. There were so many great thinkers and great people there that gave me opportunity to learn, grow, and develop. I’m forever thankful. 

The next really big one was coming to IPG and Kinesso. The leadership here, at this company, their values, business acumen, and people-first approach is truly next level. I am so very lucky to get to do the work I do, and even more lucky to get to work with the people I get to work with. 

MCNY: What excites you most about advertising and marketing today?

SC: Our modern technology, and the data that informs it, enables us to serve people better than ever before, to create customer journeys that are valuable, delightful, fair, and personal. We can use tech and data to create community and connectedness in ways that uphold our human values. There is so much more on the horizon that will help us connect people to marketplace, and marketplace to people in exciting…and proper, respectful ways. It’s an exciting time for our industry.    

MCNY: How do we, or should we, lead with data ethics in advertising and marketing?

SC: Data ethics should gate every action we take in marketing and advertising, as brands, service providers, martech, and adtech…. From engineering, to use, measurement, and reporting. Data about people, is people. It is us… as professionals, as consumers, as members of family and community. Data about people is an abstract of that person. The use of that data should be ethical, accountable, safe, and secure.     

MCNY: What’s the best way to bolster consumer trust in how brands collect and use information about consumers in marketing?

SC: The best way to bolster trust is to be trustworthy. Be transparent, be accountable, be respectful, and be fair. Practice the Golden Rule: Use other people’s data the way you’d like your own to be used. If industry’s use of data is solely for commercial benefit…we likely won’t inspire trust. Essentially, this means we must use data in service to people, protect and govern data effectively, and be responsible and answerable for all data we collect and use. It’s a people-first approach; think “data stewardship.” 

MCNY: What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

SC: There are so, so many great pieces of advice that wonderful people have given to me and I’ve relied on. Here’s the one that I think matters most, “The only time you make a mistake… is when you go against your gut.” 

MCNY: What advice would you give to a new entrant in our field?

SC: Two things: Marketing is so much fun. It is also vital to the marketplace, which is vital to people, our communities, and our economies. This is important work and should be done with intention and integrity. And number two is always, always, always, operate with humility, gratitude, and a service mindset.  

MCNY: What’s your personal motto or motivator?

SC: Be of service, create value, be impactful — and take care of people. 

MCNY: Tell us something surprising about you.

SC: I am a passionate beekeeper!  

MCNY: What are your favorite outside interests?

SC: My children.  

MCNY: Do you have a hidden skill?

SC:  I am a good joke teller, or so I’m told. 

MCNY: Well, we look forward to hearing one or two at the gala, thank you!