Humans of 3Q/DEPT: Meet Sarah Nicoletti
Published: September 15, 2022
Author: Phoebe Martell-Crawford
Sarah Nicoletti started as an entry-level Account Associate in 2018 and when she left 3Q/DEPT in 2020, she had been promoted twice and was an Account Manager. After trying out the education section as a Communications Analyst, she returned to 3Q/DEPT in 2021 and is now a Strategy Consultant which is her sweet spot. Meet Sarah and learn more about her journey below!
Explain your current role at 3Q in 3 sentences or less.
I work with clients to identify strategic opportunities with a holistic view of their business and industry landscape in mind. This may look like doing localization research to better understand how consumers operate in a particular region, performing competitive analyses and benchmarking, or developing audience and persona insights or consumer purchase journeys. The strategy team gets to look at businesses as a whole, at a higher level than day to day performance marketing.
Tell us about your past role at 3Q.
I previously worked on the client services side, running paid search and social campaigns for a variety of accounts. I learned so much about paid media in that role, and I’m really glad to have had that experience. It is so helpful to have that background and understanding of what strategic recommendations are realistic and feasible to test within actual campaigns, so that our account teams can take our insights and apply them.
What inspired you to come back to 3Q?
I really enjoyed my time at 3Q, and took some time away to pursue a career path that I had always been interested in. During that time, I found myself missing the world of paid media. I had stayed connected with a lot of 3Q coworkers, and when I made the decision to make a move back into the media world, it just made sense to look at 3Q first. I was excited to find a role on the strategy team that aligned with the type of work I had hoped to be doing at this point in my career.
What’s your favorite thing about working for 3Q?
I have always said that the best thing about 3Q is the people. There are so many genuinely smart and kind people who will go out of their way to be helpful and ensure that our clients are successful. This spans across teams and offices. One of my favorite things about the strategy team is that we get to work with so many different teams and parts of the organization and get to know so many of the great people at 3Q.
What opportunities at 3Q/DEPT do you enjoy taking advantage of most? (i.e. training, benefits, room to grow, etc.)
I love taking advantage of benefits like our fitness bonus! Charlottesville has a lot of great fitness studios and gyms, so I’ve been branching out and exploring some new studios recently.
In what ways have you been able to grow your career here?
Starting out as an Account Associate, I was able to learn so much through the training team as part of my onboarding. Those resources were so valuable in giving me a solid foundation in paid media. On both the account and strategy teams, I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many different clients in a variety of verticals and on various paid media channels, which has allowed me to become well versed in different industries and networks. Getting to work with so many teams on all different types of campaigns and initiatives has allowed me to grow and learn so much.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I spend most of my free time staying active, exploring Charlottesville restaurants/breweries/wineries, going to concerts, and fostering animals for our local SPCA!
What 3Q initiative outside of your job description are you most proud of being a part of?
I love keeping up with 3Qers across the country on all of our fun slack channels. Whether it’s discussing football, Taylor Swift, or the latest Trader Joes releases, it’s a great way to build relationships with coworkers that you otherwise might not get to interact with.
What do you think has been the most interesting change in the marketing industry or in your channel this year?
Things are changing so quickly! While not limited to this year, I think it’s been really interesting to watch brands shifting their marketing tactics for Gen Z. This younger audience is consuming media so differently than past generations, and it’s been fun to watch brands react and respond to this audience. Brands such as Duolingo who have leaned into TikTok trends and engaged with the community on the platform have seen a lot of success – the challenge is that these viral moments are somewhat unpredictable; that’s what makes them fun
Your team is hiring. What are the benefits for someone looking to join?
One of my favorite parts about strategy is that our projects are often longer term, which allows us to put significant time and thought into the work to develop really solid analyses and recommendations for our clients. We’re encouraged to think freely and bring new ideas to the table, which has been a lot of fun and keeps us thinking creatively.
