Brainwave Winner:  Pamela K. El

April 6, 2009

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Like a good neighbor, Pamela El has always been there for her brand – and its customers.  After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, she became a media champion for State Farm’s employees working round-the-clock in the recovery effort, helping to put a human face on the insurance company. To improve teen driving safety, El had another great idea: building an accident research initiative involving State Farm and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“Marketing is all about relationships and making connections,” says El, who has been known for creative strategies throughout her 25 years in marketing and who is one of the “Top 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business” according to The Network Journal.

Most recently, El has led her brand’s sponsorship of Dr. Ian Smith's “50 Million Pound Challenge,” a national anti-obesity initiative. “The impact of this effort is shown by the feedback we receive,” says El, citing a recent note: “Thank you, Dr. Ian, for saving my life, and thank you, State Farm, for making it happen.”

Along the way, El has helped position State Farm as a trusted leader in the insurance industry. “We believe consumers will grow their trust in brands that continue to advertise and speak clearly during tough economic times.”  A longtime advocate of change, El believes in new marketing tools and techniques to  reach consumers and cut through the background clutter. “Customers grow savvier to marketing messages by the day,” she says. “We need to be flexible enough to change our delivery methods and frequency in order to reach and relate to consumers at their current situation in life.”

And El offers a few words of advice for professional women along the way: “Search to find a career you’re passionate about, have fun with whatever you do, don’t settle for less than the best, and be yourself.

For more Changing the Game Awards Winners:

Brainwave Winner: Laura Klauberg
Brainwave Winner: Becky Saeger
Brainwave Winner: Sue Bostrom
Quantum Leap Winner: Nancy Smith
Paradigm Shift Winner: Esther "E.T" Franklin
No Apologies Winner: Dr. Jane McGonigal