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Ally Financial Wins 12th Annual FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Award

The Financial Communications Society (FCS) announces today that Ally Financial (Ally) has been named the 2017 FCS Financial Marketer of the Year.  The award will be presented to Andrea Riley, Ally's Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer, at a gala dinner event on December 7, 2017 at Current at Chelsea Piers in New York City.  The FCS will also recognize State Street Global Advisors and its Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Tisdalle as Runner-Up in the 2017 competition.

Now in its 12th year, the annual Award recognizes financial services companies whose marketing has driven outstanding business results during the year.

Ally was selected by a panel of leading marketing executives for its “Do It Right” campaign, a fully integrated campaign that brought to life the brand’s promise to keep the financial well-being of every customer at the center of every brand action.  The campaign included Ally’s signature punchy, humorous creative content, and also -leveraged a series of disruptive experiential tactics— including an unconventional promotion called “Lucky Penny” that spread $100,000 on streets across the country – and utilized a multitude of media channels to generate awareness of the brand and to increase product use.

“We are extremely honored to be recognized by the Financial Communications Society for ‘Do It Right’ — a campaign that truly embodies the spirit of the Ally brand, and has allowed us to engage not only with customers and prospects, but also to better connect with our communities and unite our own employees across many different lines of business,” said honoree Andrea Riley.  “The campaign has grown and evolved in every channel, powered by the consistent generation of new creative content, breakthrough experiential marketing campaigns, online and social tactics and strategic public relations efforts.  I’m incredibly proud of my team and our agency partners who have worked tirelesly to support and elevate ‘Do It Right.’”

In the same spirit of “big ideas can drive impact,” State Street Global Advisors is being recognized as a runner up for Financial Marketer of the Year for its “Fearless Girl” campaign.  The campaign, which launched on the eve of International Women’s Day, sparked a global conversation on gender diversity in corporate leadership and demonstrates how the firm’s mission as an asset manager and leader in ESG can drive positive change.

“We are honored to be recognized by our peers for our efforts to promote gender diversity and the impact it has on long-term investment performance,” said Stephen Tisdalle.  “We are pleased to see the heightened focus on this important issue since the launch, and we’re proud of the role ‘Fearless Girl’ continues to play in carrying this message forward – within our industry and beyond.”

“The FCS is proud to recognize the outstanding marketing work from both Ally Financial and State Street Global Advisors.  Their campaigns demonstrate that big ideas – more than big budgets – drive impact,” said Kevin Windorf, Chief Executive Officer of the FCS.  “By delivering on their brand promises, these marketers rally their employees, inspire their clients, and awaken their communities.”

The Judging Panel for the 2017 FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Award included 18 senior executives from leading financial companies:

  • John Greer, Chief Marketing Officer, AB
  • Jennifer Brockington, Senior Director Brand, Ally Bank
  • Rich Lehrfeld, SVP, Global Media, Communications & Experiences, American Express
  • Kathryn Ferrero, Chief Marketing Officer, AXA Equitable
  • Terrence Richardson, Head of Marketing for The Americas Global Banking and Markets, HSBC
  • Susan Canavari, Chief Brand Officer, J.P. Morgan Chase
  • Patrick Ohlin, VP, Head of Brand, Lincoln Financial
  • Peter Eliopoulus, Chief Marketing Officer, Office of Customer Advocate, M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust
  • Matt Hickerson, former Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing, Americas, Macquarie Group
  • Richard Hong, SVP Global Brand and Marketing, MetLife
  • Lauren Boyman, Chief Marketing Officer, Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley
  • Beth Oporto, Managing Director Global Marketing, NYSE
  • Bob O'Leary, EVP, Brand Strategist, PIMCO
  • Colin McConnell, SVP and Chief Brand Officer, Prudential
  • Kirti Naik, Global Head of Brand Marketing & Communications, Russell Investments
  • Stephen Tisdalle, Chief Marketing Officer, State Street Global Advisors
  • Arianna Orpello, SVP Brand, Consumer Deposit Product & Channel Marketing Strategy, TD Bank
  • John Huttlin, SVP, Head of Content Marketing, Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management

Sponsorship options, table reservations and ticket sales for the December 7th gala are available here.

The FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Award recognizes the marketing organization whose strong performance provides an inspiring example of how marketing and communications can advance a financial services firm’s business objectives and elevate the standard for exceptional work through innovation, creativity and impact in the marketplace.  The winner is selected from among nominated firms by a panel of senior marketers in financial services and advertising agencies.