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Connecting The Dots: A Personal Revelation at the AIDS 2024 Conference
Once upon a time, a young woman, fresh out of college, entered the world of advertising and marketing. What drove me was a Red Cross ad. It showed a baby seeing a person crying on TV and taking the pacifier out of his mouth to put it into the TV screen image of the crying child. The tagline hit me: “Some people are born to help.” I thought, “I want to do that. I want to inspire.” Advertising, I realized, reaches people on a big scale. This was the first dot.
“I want to do that. I want to inspire.”
Years went by, and I fell in love with marketing, communication theories, the power of media, consumer psychology, the omnichannel approach, and people-centric strategies. I worked for commercial brands that did amazing things, including CSR and purpose-driven content. This allowed me to do pro-bono work, creating campaigns for NGOs. It all started with AIDS, creating campaigns and big ideas to stop stigma and discrimination with PASCA, PSI, and HIVOS. This was the second dot.
Then, Population Media Center (PMC) knocked on our door to pitch for an audio drama 100% local, based on research, using an amazing methodology. Through serial dramas, we drove attitude and behavior change in relevant local contexts. It included promotion, main format, issue extensions, story extensions, and research components. I instantly fell in love. We won the pitch and developed Toma Mi Mano with amazing partners like FGER. This was the third dot.
As we built it, they came. We started understanding the depth and real meaning of fieldwork, the power of turning research into insights to generate impact. We began developing communication projects for Johns Hopkins, UNICEF, WHO, Rainforest Alliance, and many others. My mission and passion were aligning. This was the fourth dot.
Innovation, design, future vision, amplification, and cross-learning became relevant to me. I saw in PMC a great canvas to do all this and serve a bigger purpose on a global scale. This allowed me to contribute to their legacy in EEE (Empathetic, Education, Entertainment). They were pioneers in the SBCC space. So, I joined them in 2023 as the Global Director of Design and Innovation. This was the fifth dot.
The opportunity arose to continue our great leadership as VP of International Programs. I took on the task with love, discipline, and a determination to learn fast and support our amazing team, especially those in the countries we serve. This brought me to AIDS 2024, almost a year into my new role. AIDS, where my first issue love started. This moment feels full circle.
Our role is critical in bringing about attitude and behavior change in key players and the general population. We also serve as the link for multi-issues and connect with people in a polarized world.
As Steve Jobs said in his speech, you never connect the dots forward; you connect them backward. I am excited to discover what other dots I am building in the future. While discovering them, I am grateful to live the tagline that impacted me so many years ago.
