Amy Derksen, Creative Director>> FATFREE

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Creative Director

Amy Derksen

Creative Director

Part of the FATFREE team since before the beginning, Amy spends her time weaving engaging stories across just about every industry and channel—for local startups as well as some of the world's top brands. She's a whiz at making complex technical ideas simple enough for anyone to comprehend, as well as getting inside audiences' heads to understand what's most likely to motivate. From launch videos and online ads to websites and deep-dive content, she loves meeting people where they are and connecting them with the information they need to make a decision.

Amy honed her skills at industry leaders The Martin Agency and Leo Burnett—winning awards for Coca-Cola, IBM, GEICO and others—before realizing she prefers working directly with clients to make a real difference in their businesses.

Recent Perspectives by Amy

CSR and ESG matter—but only when they matter to your audiences

CSR and ESG matter—but only when they matter to your audiences

More than a decade ago, I had the pleasure of working with IEG, a client whose sole purpose was to help companies figure out the best sponsorship opportunities for their brands. IEG has been…

Forget the new normal. Embrace the “No Normal.”

Forget the new normal. Embrace the “No Normal.”

It’s been over a year since a “new normal” was declared. Then came the “next normal.” Frankly, neither of those, or whatever came in-between, were normal. Maybe it’s time to let go of the…

Execs are people, too: Don’t fall for these 4 B2B marketing myths

Execs are people, too: Don’t fall for these 4 B2B marketing myths

I don’t recall how the subject came up, but recently (in a social setting—not bagging on any clients here) I noted that all marketing needs to speak to humans as humans. Even when they’re at…

How to devise a loyalty program that engages, motivates and pays back

How to devise a loyalty program that engages, motivates and pays back

I’m above average. I just counted up 18 loyalty program cards and apps—four more than most Americans. (And if it’s true that at least half of people’s memberships are inactive, I’m above…

Email should always be plural: How to boost results with drip campaigns.

Email should always be plural: How to boost results with drip campaigns.

Email marketing is a numbers game. More than 80% of what we send out is destined to go unopened, and even more goes unclicked. There are lots of ways to increase open rates…

A better way to personalize—email segmentation

A better way to personalize—email segmentation

We’ve talked before about the perils of personalization and imagining that adding a variable name or industry field to an email is going to convince audiences that you know them. The solution…

It’s app update season. Have you budgeted to stay current?

It’s app update season. Have you budgeted to stay current?

Around this time every year, a few things are certain. Pumpkin spice aroma will pervade the air surrounding 15,000+ US Starbucks. The sun will set earlier (or later, depending upon your…

Ted Lasso, creativity and the power of Yes

Ted Lasso, creativity and the power of Yes

One of the few positive notes on Twitter recently has been the cast of Ted Lasso (the runaway Apple TV+ hit) talking about their experiences with the show after winning armloads of Emmys…

The forgotten audience—marketing to your own team

The forgotten audience—marketing to your own team

In an age when every marketing dollar is expected to show a quantifiable return, promotions aimed at your own employees can feel a little spongy. Or even wasteful. But we have two good…

Is gender driving a wedge between you and your audiences?

Is gender driving a wedge between you and your audiences?

The two men in this house recently needed new toothbrushes. We’re partial to the Philips Sonicare brand, so seeing a two-pack for a good price, I jumped. Hilarity ensued when the adult and…