Kathy Delaney
chief creative officer, Publicis Health
What would you do if you didn’t work in healthcare?
Having chosen to come into health and wellness after working on general consumer brands for most of my career – that’s a tough question. There’s still so much white space I want to fill here that I’m not thinking of what else. If I didn’t have to make a salary, I would still try to do things that are purposeful and help people live better, more comfortable, and happy lives. I’ve found a bit of my sweet spot here.
Talk about the last time you experienced a fist-pumping victory moment.
Because of our belief in a brand’s mission, we recently created content the client was not expecting to see. Although we presented a very humorous video, I looked across the room and, to my surprise, saw our client tearing up. Crying, really.
Completely moved by the team’s passion for her brand, she was overtaken with emotion at seeing us over deliver. And yes, we are moving ahead with that work. I couldn’t be more proud of the team and client for pushing the boundaries by embracing the power of “what if.”
How long ago was the last time you recharged your batteries?
I recharge as a practice every day. I run and workout every morning. It’s my time to clear my mind and focus. Curiously, I come up with my best ideas then. I’m also an avid reader – and can blow through a novel in a weekend, and often do. For me, its creative fodder and escapism rolled into one. But soon, I’ll need to take that two-week spa, workout, and reading vacation on a beach. I’ve got something exciting coming up along those lines in June.
What do you find frustrating about working in healthcare marketing?
Our approach at Publicis Health is to move people, relate to them, and touch them in a unique and exciting way. I sometimes wonder why other agencies stick to the predictable formulas found in less-than-exciting healthcare communications. Every creative execution must emotionally touch people and move them to take the next right action.
To ensure pay parity and career advancement for women, I will…
Recognize strong talent, develop it, guide with inspiration to higher levels, and make sure they are paid a fair and equal salary for the value they offer.
What are your words to live by?
Have joy. Spread joy.
What is one thing you would tell young women starting their careers in healthcare marketing?
You can change the world around you. You can make a difference.
Favorite beverage?
Bubbly.
What people, dead or alive, would you like to have at a dinner party and why?
Lucille Ball: She mastered the art of making the ordinary extraordinary. She was the embodiment of bravado.
Janis Joplin: She sang with her entire soul. She gave it her all, and then some.
F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald: Doesn’t everybody want to be at a party with F. Scott and Zelda?
My Irish grandmother: She made up the best stories and told them as truth with a thick Irish brogue. Believe me, she would regale the whole table at this dinner party.
