I am Souha Dalloul, and today I feel like sharing with you my story as a marketer for the past 14 years.
It all started in Kuwait, where I was born and raised, and had a curiosity why we do the things we do and buy the things we buy. At the time, mainstream was the norm, and we all pretty much thought, acted, ate, bought and even watched more or less the same things. That was the norm in the 80’s and 90’s in the region and the world at large. Being a people’s person, connecting with humans, learning about their stories and analysing how they tick came naturally. Little did I know at the time that this would translate into studying marketing and psychology and ending up in advertising and marketing roles. Of course back then, digital and social were not there – we were in the age of dial up and when WiFi came along – that was the transformation.
Fast forward after graduating from the American University of Beirut with BBA in Marketing and Minor in Psychology – the most inspiring role at the time was with an Agency to translate business and marketing challenges into advertising solutions. A few years into being an AdWoman with all its hectic round-the-clock nature as well as highly subjective nature; I decided to advance my career in advertising and peruse the more scientific side of digital and social at the core and venturing into strategic planning. As rewarding as that was – a piece of the puzzle was missing – that piece was completed by moving to the client side to build grow and manage brands with exposure to the complete eco-system of the brand.
The challenges are similar across roles with variations in scale as they fall into main buckets: capturing and articulating ROI for marketing activities (as marketing is a cost center), driving creativity and innovation in solutions that drive efficiency and effectiveness to the business without loss of brand DNA, and last but not least persuading external stakeholders. Today my specialty lies in online and offline brand integration and omni-channel marketing solution for B2B and B2C brands.
Along this journey, mentors have guided me along the way and opened doors for opportunity and growth, and till date life, people and brands remain my inspiration. With all the intricate elements and challenges, marketing is every changing and developing as both tech and societies are breaking down mainstream barriers, it is nonetheless the path and career I would have chosen for myself. No day is the same and no solution is a one-size fits all. It keeps me and many marketers like me thinking creatively, innovatively and blending the art and science to build, grow, and manage brands connecting people with experiences.