From Stage Lights to Strategy: Meet Gillian, SNMA’s Member of the Month

We’re shining the spotlight this month on someone who brings creativity, curiosity, and community spirit into everything she does. Meet Gillian, Associate Director of Digital Strategy at Mediology, or as she likes to call it, a Mediologist. Equal parts scientist and storyteller, she’s passionate about using empathy and experimentation to connect audiences and ideas.

Born and raised in Calgary (with a brief but formative education detour to Vancouver), Gillian’s career has been a joyful mix of marketing, sociology, and theatre. Whether she’s analyzing campaign data, crafting strategies, or choreographing intimacy scenes on stage, her work is all about human connection, and making someone’s day just a little brighter.

From Sociology and Stage Lights to Strategy

How did you first get into marketing?

By accident! I was a sociology and drama student who talked herself into a media agency job. After bouncing around through non-profit marketing, radio, and TV sales, I eventually found myself back agency-side. Marketing became a combination of everything I love: part psychology, part art, part science.

What’s a milestone you’re especially proud of?

You know that feeling when a plan works? That’s the good stuff. Watching a campaign come to life — after all the research, thought, and strategy — and then hearing that the goal was achieved, whether it’s more foot traffic, sales, or a behaviour change. It feels like opening night at the theatre when the audience laughs and cheers. You helped make a difference.

What do you love about marketing right now?

The experimentation. Testing and learning. Between new tools and shifting audience behaviours, the ‘rules’ are rewritten every few months. It’s thrilling, a little chaotic, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Science (and Art) of Mediology

What does Mediology do?

Think of it as media science. You’ve got a hypothesis (your message) and an audience to reach. Mediology gathers data on who they are, what they consume, and where they spend time. We add relevant insights from past campaigns, then design a formula — a media strategy — to connect effectively.

We run experiments (campaigns), test different ad placements and messages, and analyze results to see what worked and what didn’t. Sometimes it all clicks perfectly. More often, it sparks new questions, and that’s where the learning (and fun) really begins.

What’s your marketing superpower?

Empathy and storytelling, with a side of nerdy facts. I love connecting the “why” behind behaviour to the “how” of media strategy. And I make it entertaining while I do it — my team doesn’t call me Gillian-Jazz-Hands for nothing!

Finding Her People at SNMA

What first brought you into the SNMA community?

After followingThe Bloggity in the early 2000s, I attended my first SocialNext event 10 years ago (back when it was The Social Summit). I instantly felt like I’d found my people: smart, creative, curious marketers who love sharing ideas and talking shop.

How have you stayed involved?

I show up, I learn, I chat, I cheer people on. Whether it’s webinars, message boards, or live events, I try to bring energy and curiosity wherever I go. SNMA is like being in the theatre rehearsal space, everyone’s sharing ideas, building each other up, and swapping stories so we can put on a great show.

Note from SocialNext Community Manager, Shaniece: Gillian brings the best energy into our community space, always showing up, engaging and driving conversations. She’s such a bright light!

What kind of impact has SNMA had on you?

The connections have been incredible. The people I’ve met and the lessons I’ve learned through conferences and webinars have helped me grow my career and broaden my perspective.

Quick Hits

Favourite marketing podcast:
The Digital Marketing Podcast by Target Internet (UK). They’re passionate, curious, and unafraid to learn and make mistakes — and I always come away with something new.

Advice for new marketers:
Have a healthy skepticism. So many tools and tactics sound amazing, but nothing is perfect. Ask questions. Discover the limitations. That’s how you really learn.

Fun fact:
I’m an email hoarder and organizer — folders upon folders, rules upon rules. THIS is where I see AI helping my workflow!

Words to Live (and Work) By

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

That proverb has always resonated with Gillian — and it’s clear why. Her career, creativity, and community mindset all stem from one belief: that we do our best work together.

Join the conversation with Gillian in the SocialNext Marketing Alliance and connect with her on LinkedIn to bring a little extra joy to your scrolling.