Jewish Marketing Network Forges Connections

They say, in business, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

To that end, in July 2024, co-founders Lydia McBratney and Mira Cohen first discussed establishing a professional Jewish marketing network, connecting individuals working in Jewish organizations and nonprofits and providing them with resources to aid in their work.

McBratney is the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s digital communications manager and Cohen is the former senior manager of creative strategy at Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS).

The inspiration for creating the Atlanta Jewish Marketing Network (AJMN) was “to bring together marketing and communications professionals working at Jewish nonprofits in Atlanta,” said McBratney. “The long-term goals are to continue growing the network so that each Jewish nonprofit in Atlanta is represented, bring in specialists who can provide training and resources for our members, and keep a pulse on what our marketing and communications professionals need and are asking for to do their job well.”

The AJMN meets around four times per year at various locations. They encourage hosting and have been hosted so far at JF&CS, Federation, The Epstein School, and The Temple. Interested hosts can complete a form on the group’s website at jewishatlanta.org/atlanta-jewish-marketing-network/.

When asked about some of the challenges the co-founders had to overcome, McBratney said, “finding out who is behind the scenes at these organizations doing marketing and how to get in contact with them. This is a big reason we wanted to meet in the first place, so our challenge is also one of our motivations.”

McBratney noted that there is no requirement to be Jewish to join the network.

“The only requirement is that someone works in marketing/communications in one of these capacities for a Jewish nonprofit: as a contractor, as a part-time employee, as a full-time employee, or in a volunteer capacity,” she said.

The network is essentially about making connections.

“This network enables us to put faces to names and reduce barriers to communication between our organizations,” McBratney said.

At the meetups, network members participate in a group chat, share ideas, troubleshoot challenges, and forge relations that make collaboration easier and more effective. Organizations can align messaging, share resources, and amplify one another’s work, ensuring that donor-supported programs reach the right audiences with clarity and impact.

Interested in joining the network? If so, reach out to McBratney at lmcbratney@jewishatlanta.org.