PRs can ‘stretch their wings’ after PR agency win at Cannes, says Mastercard comms leader

“One of the key changes we’re seeing in communications – and we saw it at Cannes with legacy PR agency Edelman becoming the first PR agency to win a Titanium Lion – is the continued blurring of the lines between communications and marketing,” she says.

“For me, a PR agency winning in Cannes was super exciting as it ultimately means that we [comms professionals] can all spread our wings that little bit more. There’s a huge appetite here at Mastercard for good ideas, wherever they come from across the organization. There are so many areas across social media, events and thought leadership that fall into that kind of middle ground and they present a big opportunity for us all working in communications to be more creative.”

Monti will soon celebrate a decade working with the payments tech giant and, reflecting on her 10 years, the PR and political science graduate from upstate New York says she never expected the seismic changes that have changed communications during that time.

“One of the biggest challenges I still face in my role is navigating the pace of change in a continually changing marketplace. It’s hugely interesting and exciting that there are always new capabilities, new technologies, new companies and new reports coming out every single day, but you have to invest a lot of time to ultimately understand what all of that means for the Mastercard brand and also what people need and want from a brand like Mastercard.”

Understanding what the ‘consumer’ wants from you is core to any brand’s long-term success and, as the lines between creative and marketing get ever hazier, Monti believes it’s the responsibility of her team to evolve and offer increasingly important insights to the wider Mastercard business.

“Today, I see the communications team being a genuine window on to the world for the business. A good comms team can really help their business and its leaders to understand the context they are operating within. We can enable our companies to see real consumer and marketplace conversations, understand them and understand how our products and services impact on consumers’ lives.”

Mastercard has always been driven by ambition and the drive to innovate, explains Monti. Perhaps nowhere has the brand been more innovative during Monti’s time than with the commercial partnerships it has formed. The Grammys, the Brit Awards, The British Open, the Uefa Champions League, the Cannes Film Festival and the recently revealed sponsorship deal with the F1 McLaren team are a few partnerships that prompt Mondi to say: “I have a pretty fun job, but it is very hard work.”

“Communications is as strong as it has ever been at Mastercard, in my view. We have a fantastic leadership team and a fully integrated marketing and communications team led by Raja Rajamannar. Having that closeness to marketing has also been helpful just in terms of thinking in a 360° way and driving things forward. I’ve had the opportunity to take forward some great projects, such as helping launch the Mastercard Economics Institute and a Recovery Insight series early in the pandemic to help our customers understand how the pandemic was impacting how people shop and their changing spending habits.”

So, what else has Monti learned during her 10 years at the top of global comms?

“I’ve learned that it’s very important to always maintain perspective. It’s important to enter a conversation having done all your homework. That is what earns you trust and respect as a strategic partner. I also think it’s really important to listen. At Mastercard, we’re very much a relationship-driven company, so there’s a strong emphasis on collaboration and that is absolutely crucial to how we innovate and how we ideate here.”

So, as Monti prepares to lead the PR judging panel at The Drum Awards Festival, what will she specifically be looking for in entries?

“I’m looking to be surprised and delighted by just some unexpected and exciting submissions in this year’s awards. I have no doubt that will happen, based on what I’ve seen in past years. The other thing is that, more and more, we’re seeing these ideas focus on impact and identify what are the short and long-term changes that a business or brand is trying to drive. I also hope to be inspired.

“Sometimes, PR metrics can be a bit squishy. So, I’d like to see the PR entries tell real stories around impact versus simply trying to connect dots that maybe shouldn’t be connected in the first place.”

• The deadline to enter the PR categories of The Drum Awards Festival is Monday August 19