Meet an Anthem Judge: Jennifer Lotito, (RED)
Jennifer Lotito is the President & Chief Operating Officer of (RED), a licensed brand that seeks to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in eight African countries, namely Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. Jennifer is also a new judge for The Anthem Awards, and will be reviewing this year’s purpose & mission-driven entries. Learn more about her work below.
1. For those who are unfamiliar, can you tell us a bit about yourself and the work that you do?
As President and Chief Operating Officer of (RED), the pandemic fighting organization co-founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, I’m responsible for the overall strategic and operational growth trajectory of (RED), helping generate critical and sustainable funding and awareness to help end the AIDS and now COVID-19 pandemic.
2. What expertise are you bringing as a judge for The Anthem Awards?
For the past 25 years, I’ve focused on the marketing, promotion and strategy of brands that deliver purpose and mission-driven work. 14 of those years have been spent at (RED), not just driving change, but also monitoring the cultural zeitgeist and campaigns that are advancing social good. There are so many incredible change-makers out there that are doing such amazing, life-saving work, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help review and reward the exciting contributions that these groups are making to society.
3. What are you looking for in Anthem Awards entries?
I’m looking to recognize and reward excellence. The most important criteria for me is impact – what mark are these campaigns leaving on society and how are they leveraging technology and innovation to create lasting change?
4. What does it take for a project or campaign to cause real-world change?
In this very oversaturated media world we are living in, “stickiness” or breakthrough of a smart idea or message is key to driving change. Getting people to notice and then take action is a huge challenge but campaigns that can deliver that are the ones that will change the world.
5. What social impact campaign, grassroot effort, fundraiser or project has recently inspired you?
Last fall, (RED) was thrilled to announce our first multi-brand automotive partnership with Jeep®, Ram, and FIAT to deliver a minimum of $4 million to support the critical work of the Global Fund, a life-saving global health partnership. And earlier this year, we saw the launch of special edition (RED) vehicles, which have since appeared on television during the NFL playoffs and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. It’s amazing to see this partnership launch and do so much good for the fight against global health emergencies.
