Judge: Gina Valentino
Company and position: President at Hemisphere Marketing
Years as an MCM Awards judge: Many. Maybe 8 out of the past 10 years.
Q&A
How would you describe your job and what you do?
Running a catalog creative agency. Half of my work is consulting and the other half is leading the team that is producing catalogs start to finish.
Why do you think you were chosen to be an MCM Awards judge?
Twenty years in this industry affords me depth of knowledge of cataloging combined with personal experience of testing different creative variables to better understand productivity. Had the luxury of working at large as well as small multichannel merchants whose brands are well established or emerging–that experience is invaluable.
What direct marketing subject could you talk about all day?
Love to share knowledge about the three critical components to a successful catalog: creative, merchandise and circulation. I actually do a workshop about the physiology of selling off the page; the impact of merchandising and translating product to catalog layouts; the role of the circulation plan, how to develop it and the analysis after the fact. I love everything about what we do.
What excites you most outside the office?
Judging the catalog awards! I’m also president of the homes association which keeps me very involved with the community, schools and city council!
What was your first job?
I was 15 and worked at the doughnut shop…serving coffee, putting chocolate icing on the doughnuts, running the cash register.
In high school, I was:
I was Spirit Week Queen, Treasurer of Student Council and was the MC of the High School Talent Show.