2021 Canadians to Watch

CHOSEN BECAUSE:

Jennifer Songvilay is constantly looking for new ways to reach potential Hyundai buyers through digital and social media campaigns that resonate with their specific interests, such as mountain biking or motorsports.

“It’s about reaching the right audience at the right time with the right message,” said Songvilay, 35. “I think that makes a huge difference versus just blasting everyone with an ad.”

To reach her target audience, Songvilay often partners with online influencers, such as Calgary professional snowboarder Leanne Pelosi or Toronto’s YouTube cinematographer Peter McKinnon, to develop online campaigns they disseminate through their own social media channels.

Songvilay graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in hospitality and tourism management, and a minor in marketing. She joined Hyundai in 2014 as digital-marketing coordinator. By using the wealth of available data on consumers’ habits and interests, her team developed a more targeted online strategy that generated better results at a lower cost, Songvilay said.

IN HER OWN WORDS:

“If you have an effective message or creative that’s relevant to the consumer, it will resonate with them more and they will more likely take an action. And that action will drive a conversion, which will then result in greater cost efficiencies for media investments.”