ThinkNW Marketing All-Star Profile: Trish Adams, Öpinionated
We’re pleased to announce our first class of ThinkNW Marketing All-Stars. Chosen by the ThinkNW board and executive team, this program kicks off a tradition of recognizing the unique marketing talent that drives our industry and region forward.
We asked our honorees to share a bit about their work, lives and what the Pacific Northwest means to them.
Here’s what Trish Adams, president of Portland agency Öpinionated, had to say.
How long have you been in your current role?
Since April 2018.
What do you value most in your work in this role, and what do you consider your biggest accomplishment in your current role?
I absolutely love having the freedom to build an agency and an agency culture from the ground up in partnership with people I love. I am particularly proud of wooing some of the very best talent in the industry to join our growing team, as well as attracting wonderful clients—not because of someone else’s name on the door, but because of the raw talent, determination and work of our fantastic team.
What do you like to do outside of your work?
Having lived in Tokyo twice for eight years in total, I’m deeply connected to Japan. I have been able to stay connected to Japanese culture by serving on two boards of the Portland Japanese Garden: the Foundation Board since 2014 and the Board of Directors since 2019. I’m an avid traveler (well, pre-Covid … hoping to make a trip to Bhutan in spring) and love hiking and making trips to Oregon wine country.
What impact does the Pacific Northwest have on your work?
I’ve always loved the western culture of the PNW. I love that it doesn’t feel “slick” but instead has a strong sense of independence and an anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian vibe. There’s something about not being in New York or a traditional center of advertising that appeals to me. And it doesn’t get any better than being in Portland with access to trails, the coast and the mountains.
How would you characterize the Pacific Northwest marketing/creative community? In your mind, what makes it unique?
The community I’ve grown up in is filled with people who care deeply about their work and want to create something unique and meaningful that impacts culture. And they want to do that in an agency culture free of politics and bullshit, where each individual can make an individual contribution based on their unique perspective and point of view.
