Graceann Bennett

Managing Partner, Director of Strategic Planning

Ogilvy Chicago

Graceann began her training in consumer behavior while growing up in the image-obsessed environment of Southern California, where every brand choice was made with the utmost care and consideration. She then went on to gain formal marketing credentials by obtaining a degree in Business Marketing at Brigham Young University. Upon graduation, she moved to New York City, via a stint in London, to put her credentials to work at Dunham & Marcus Consulting, advising companies like Pepsi-Cola, Stolichnaya, and Weight Watchers on global strategy and branding issues.

Following her indoctrination into the world of building brands, Graceann added other dimensions to her expertise by working at some of the country's top creative shops, including Weiss, Whitten, Stagliano; tbwa/chiat/day; and Mullen. She helped develop brand strategies and inspired creative for Coca-Cola, Four Seasons, Fortune, LendingTree.com, Guinness, and Wonderbra, among others.
In August of 2001, Graceann brought her passion for building brands through great creative to Arnold Worldwide, where she led the Brand Planning group, dedicating herself to fostering an environment where creatives, account management, and planning work together seamlessly. In 2004 she made the move to Chicago to become Leo Burnett's EVP, Director of Brand Planning. There she spent much of her time breaking down agency silos for better cross-fertilization of ideas, spearheading professional development of a department of 50 planners, and initiating groundbreaking thought leadership.

Graceann is now heading up the strategic planning department at Ogilvy Chicago, where she was brought in to build a fully integrated department to serve digital, activation, and brand planning needs. She also led efforts to further Dove’s campaign to broaden the definition of beauty while building its global business. She now oversees the global Kimberly-Clark business, Oscar Mayer, and important brand strategy projects.

Recently, Graceann was the architect behind two significant thought leadership initiatives. She led the Global Man Study, a proprietary study of male attitudes and values around the world, conducting over 2000 interviews in 13 countries, analyzing marketing conditions and social trends in an effort to answer that most elusive of questions: what is really going on with men? She also masterminded a collaborative and in-depth study with Yankelovich to explore the state of the Modern American Family. Cultural investigation is a great passion of Graceann's. Subjects she has explored include women and beauty, sensuality vs. sexuality, the psychology of status, global definitions of luxury, the role of America as a global brand asset or liability, semiotics of gift giving, the worth of wisdom, the American Dream, new rules of modern business, kids’ digital playground, reaching the ad adverse, and man's relationship to red meat, among others.

Graceann enjoys mentoring and growing talented Brand Planners. She is also involved in the Planning community. She served as Editor-in-Chief of the apg:us website, taught the first graduate Account Planning Course at Boston University, and chaired the annual account planning conference in Washington D.C.

She believes life is a journey of opposites and enjoys both high and low art; antique colonial homes and modern architecture; blockbusters and offbeat independent films. Graceann lives in downtown Chicago with her husband and three children.