The Marketing Mindset | Big Brothers Big Sisters Atlanta - John Mangan

At Setup, our mission is to connect marketers with the right people and the right resources — and one of the best ways we can do that is by learning directly from the experts shaping the industry every day.

You may know our CMO Spotlight series, where we feature top marketing leaders. Marketing Mindset is a little different. This series highlights the specialists, strategists, media managers, creatives, and operators who are making the magic happen on the ground floor every day.

Because great marketing doesn’t just happen in the C-suite — it happens through the mindset, creativity, and expertise of all of the people doing the work.

In this episode, Madeline Evans, the Marketing Manager at Setup, interviews John Mangan, the Director of Marketing for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta, about Disney, purpose-driven marketing, using a sales mindset in marketing efforts, and more. 

Watch the Recap + Find the Full Conversation Below!

Q1 | How does purpose drive Big Brothers Big Sisters Atlanta?

For John, purpose is deeply tied to the very real need in front of the organization every day.

He shared, “We have different audiences that we're serving. There are more kids in metro Atlanta than we have volunteers to serve them. Kids can be on a waitlist for a year, two years, sometimes three years. So we look at that need for recruitment as a real primary driver of what our marketing is able to do, whether that's in-person events or digital advertising to get folks interested in and aware of our organization and how they can contribute.”

That purpose gives the work immediate weight. Marketing at Big Brothers Big Sisters Atlanta is about awareness to help more kids get connected to mentors who can make a meaningful difference in their lives. In the full interview below, he shares about some of those matches and their long term impact. 

Q2 | How do you market to your different audiences?

John explained that one of the most important parts of the job is being able to speak to different audiences in ways that still feel true to the brand.

He said, “Telling that story while keeping those different audiences in mind and making sure they're feeling served by what we put out there is paramount to what we do. It's a different voice for different audiences and different segments. We want to make sure we're capturing our brand voice, but also speaking to folks in a way they want to be spoken to and interacted with.”

Effective marketing is not one-size-fits-all. The message may come from the same mission, but the way it is delivered has to meet people where they are.

Q3 | What do you wish were different about the marketing industry?

When asked what he wishes were different about the industry, John pointed to the rapid rise of AI and the tension many marketers are feeling as they figure out how to use it well without losing originality and leaning into “AI slop.” 

He shared, “Not that I wish it was different, but obviously the most impactful, craziest sea change we've seen has been AI. In terms of brainstorming, idea generation, first drafts, and different things, I think AI is really great. But I do see a trend, as it's more and more incorporated—not only in marketing but in everything—that there's maybe a dilution of spirit and creativity…” He continued, “I'm sure AI will evolve past that and make us look like uncreative oafs in the near future, but for right now I'm a little anti-AI slop.  I like to keep my finger on the pulse of everything, all the news in that area, and make sure that we're using it as a tool.”

His perspective feels especially relevant right now. There is a real openness to using new tools, but also a clear desire to protect the human spirit that makes marketing resonate in the first place.

Q4 | What strategies do you find most effective?

For John, the most effective marketing strategies start with one core truth: Big Brothers Big Sisters is, at its heart, a deeply human brand. He shared, “Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the most human brands there is. It's right there in the name. It's about connection, and it's about people. Just using the term ‘brother’ or ‘sister’—there's a familial connection. Maybe it's a spiritual connection. It's right there in the name, and it's right there in the mission.”

Because of that, the storytelling has to stay grounded in real people and real experiences.

John explained, “So I think when we're talking about how we present, it's got to be super story-driven. What really hooks people—and what hooks me—are the stories, the very human stories that are at the heart of what we do. It's stories like these that are the best way to talk about mentorship and what Big Brothers Big Sisters does: highlighting the very real stories that we have.”

That answer gets at something powerful: when the mission is about people, the strongest marketing will always come back to people.

Q5 | What is your secret sauce?

After raving about the positive impact Disney has had on him and his personal life, John shared that he is a wayfinder, like Moana. “I pay attention to what excites me and what engages me. I pay attention to what makes me mad, what angers me, what moves me to action. I pay attention to things that are funny, things that are cool. I pay attention to what drains me and what gives me joy.”

That awareness becomes a compass for him, both in work and in life.

As John put it, “Paying attention to those things helps you find your path, whether it's a marketing campaign, a career path, a life path, or a family path. I like to follow my yums as best I can.”

It is a memorable way to describe intuition and a good reminder that some of the best marketers are the ones paying close attention to what genuinely resonates.

Q6 | What is the Marketing Mindset to you?

John carries a piece of his sales knowledge to influence some of his marketing strategies.“A marketing mindset, to me, is not necessarily ‘always be closing’ or ‘always be converting,’ but I do look back at my time in sales frequently and what I learned. Being open and ready to talk about your positioning statement, what services you can perform, what problems you can solve, and why it would be beneficial to work together.”

John continued, “I think the marketing mindset of being prepared, ready, and knowledgeable about your thing—having that sales mindset—is really helpful in the more creative marketing pieces that we do.”

It is a useful takeaway for marketers in any role: creativity and clarity are not at odds. In fact, they often work best together.

Q7 | How can people help your organization?

John ended the conversation with a direct and heartfelt call to action: Big Brothers Big Sisters Atlanta needs volunteers. 

“We really need volunteers,” he shared. “We have about 200 kids on our waiting list, almost all of them boys right now, who have been waiting—some for more than a year. Our goal is to get them into mentoring relationships.”

For those interested in helping, he explained exactly where to start.

John said, “If you yourself are interested in becoming a mentor, please go to bbbsatl.org. Just Google Big Brothers Big Sisters Atlanta, or wherever you are in the metro area, and go to our website. You can sign up for an on-demand orientation, where there's a video that gives you the rundown of what it takes to be a mentor. If it sounds good to you, you can start the process and move through.”

And ultimately, he made clear that the impact goes both ways. “We're definitely interested in recruiting as many caring adults as we can. Be a volunteer. Get ready to help out, get ready to make an impact, and more importantly, get ready for it to affect you—your participation—more than it affects the child or the community. It's such an uplifting program, and I see it every day. So go to our website and get started.”

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You can watch John’s full interview to the right. If you like this interview and want more, check out our CMO Spotlight series where we interview CMOs from brands like Papa Johns, Kellanova, Invesco, NAPA, Henieken, and more here. 

Watch the Full Interview to the right.