Olivia F. Scott has successfully used her creativity to build a profitable career as a marketer and entrepreneur. With decades of experience, the marketing expert has scaled the heights of advertising and media, lending her expertise to icons like Ogilvy, DDB, VIBE Magazine, Live Nation, and iNDEMAND Television. She even served as CMO for Carol’s Daughter.
With a journalism degree from Mizzou, Scott kicked off her career at the global advertising agency, Leo Burnett. Not content with staying in one lane, the Memphis, TN native added the title “professor” to her résumé in 2009 and began teaching in NYC and New Orleans.
Now residing in New Orleans, Scott runs a successful marketing & event production firm called Omerge Alliance. To create balance in her life and embrace her love for mindfulness, she finds joy as a certified vinyasa yoga teacher and owner of Freedom at The Mat.
In this exclusive interview, learn about her new book 51 Brand Marketing Tips For Creators, find out how she uses creativity and mindfulness to create successful marketing campaigns, and read how she maintains work-life balance with grace and purpose.
BrownStyle Magazine: What sparked the inspiration behind your book, 51 Brand Marketing Tips For Creators?
Olivia F. Scott: In 2009, I launched my marketing firm Omerge Alliances from my Harlem, NYC apartment with very meager beginnings. We celebrated our 15-year anniversary in 2024. Instead of hosting a party, I wanted to create content that would both educate and cement our legacy in the world.
BSM: How does the book tie into your experiences as a marketing professor?
OFS: As a marketing professor at NYU, UNO, Loyola University New Orleans, and the Institute of Audio Research, I have witnessed students’ rapidly eroding attention spans for years. I’ve also witnessed how social media, and influencers in particular, are impacting young people’s professional aspirations. Many young people, starting in elementary school, now consider being an influencer a career path. Many who are considering this career path are foregoing education.
So, with young creators in mind, I chose to create this guidebook with time and experienced-earned nuggets of wisdom in a short, digestible format. This helps them to level up their marketing moves and shorten their learning curves. The book is also for entrepreneurs and creators who are short on time, but big on ideas.
BSM: You share some quick tips in this book. Can you share a tip that’s particularly important for marketing in 2025?
OFS: Tip #13: Reconsider “Soft” Launches. The concept of soft launches is one that many people believe in. Yet, it is my belief and experience that a consumer’s time and attention are rare gifts. If you get it once, consider yourself lucky. That’s why I believe it is wise to honor your prospects’ time by quickly getting your point across and/or ask for what you want. If you squander their time with a feeble ask, you may not get this attention again. I espouse that brands launch once, and well.
BSM: You’ve worked with both students and industry professionals. How has their perspectives shape the insights you shared in this book?
OFS: There are many creators in this world who have something they want to share with others. Everyone wants to believe that they have a shot at getting someone (or many) to buy their products. I believe each creator’s creations are unique and have the potential to offer a solution to a customer’s problem and/or fill a need or desire.
In knowing that young and old alike want to connect, this book is designed to share insights on the “how” of connection that is accessible— regardless of education, ethnicity, or experience.
BSM: In an era dominated by AI and data-driven strategies, according to you, what role does creativity still play in successful marketing campaigns?
OFS: AI has the ability to generate beautiful creative designs. However, the input to deliver such is still dependent on what the creator puts in. I call this input equals output.
The originator of the marketing campaign still needs to have consumer insights and customer behavior data in order to create a successful campaign. For example, to create a resonating marketing campaign for yoga mats targeting three distinct audience segments— Black women ages 25-44 in Chicago, Black men ages 25-35 in Philadelphia, and Black women ages 35-54 in Accra— the campaign must reflect insights into each group’s demographics, quality of life, and motivations for purchasing.
Knowing what the customer is seeking and how they will benefit is key to planning advertising, copywriting, design, and media strategies. AI can provide the data and design, but I have not yet seen its ability to synchronously perform the analysis of the data to inform the design and media planning. I believe human analysis and interpretation are still very helpful in creating comprehensive campaigns.
BSM: As a certified yoga teacher and the founder of Freedom At The Mat, what are your thoughts on the future of the wellness industry?
OFS: Thanks in large part to the pandemic, wellness tools became more accessible to the masses. I believe the future of wellness is global. I think we will continue to tap into Indian, Asian, and African techniques and rituals. My sincerest wish and hope is that wellness will become more affordable and widely available to all.
The biggest concern I have with the wellness industry is that for many years the term “wellness” has felt like an elite term that many felt was a luxury. Wellness, by many in our industry, still has many elements and offerings that are unattainable to many, including wearables, resorts, and the sheer cost of classes. I believe after learning of the need of so many people for such services, that more grants will be offered and more people will be able to both offer and receive the services. (Hear more about my feelings on the marketing of wellness in this article.)
BSM: As an entrepreneur, marketing professor, and wellness advocate, how do you manage to achieve work-life balance in all these roles?
OFS: Each day, I do what I can do, and I stop when I can do no more. There is no specific allocation of time that I apply to different aspects of my life.
Physical movement is and has been a priority to me for over 20 years, so I aim to do some sort of physical activity each and every day in some way— from swimming, yoga, and walking to elliptical and strength training.
Outside of my prioritization of physical movement, I teach a couple of days a week and balance my family and client obligations. I typically fail with work communications, and emails/message responses, but I do the best I can. Every day, I strive for greater efficiency and make a conscious effort to respect the time of those I work with, as well as my own.
