Esther *ET* Franklin

Esther *ET* Franklin develops and drives the strategic vision globally for Spark Foundry and its clients as President, Global Strategy & Cultural Fluency. An integral leader in the advertising community, she was named Advertising Woman of the Year by the Chicago Advertising Federation in 2018. In her current role, E.T. has been instrumental in pioneering Spark’s approach to strategy HEAT, grounded in the concept of cultural fluency. By encouraging marketers to embrace an ‘inside out’ perspective, she has helped iconic brands – and the industry – understand the cultural identities, needs, motivations and media consumption habits of local and global audiences. Drawing on extensive industry experience, E.T. offers a unique perspective in any situation and, as a result, has strategically driven & enriched successful pitches for major accounts such as, Macy’s, Marriott International, Southwest Airlines, Mattel and more. Critically, her ability to lead, motivate &
inspire high-level, mulitfaceted talent makes it all work.

Why I am judging the awards.... "There has never been a more important time to critically & holistically assess what drives agency excellence. In order to thrive through the massive state of disruption thrust upon us, the concept of an agency village is key. Each agency eco-system consist of the better-known frontline as well as the lesser-focused on essentials. Acknowledging agencies on the leading edge of harmonizing across an increasingly complex array of functions/expertise/practices while inspiring its Talent to deliver is inspiring!"