Carlton Jared Lockett is an award-winning marketing strategist. A recipient of both a Shorty Award and a Digiday Award, he is recognized for driving revenue growth and brand innovation through culturally fluent, integrated strategies, with branded content and entertainment being a particular strength for the brands he’s worked on. Known for his exceptional taste level, Carlton elevates growth by shaping brand experiences that build enduring IP, visibility, and influence. He has partnered with global partners such as Coca-Cola, Bacardi, Kim Crawford Wines, Basquiat Estates, Ford, and L’Oréal, and previously redefined brand integrations in leadership at VICE Media Group (Refinery29, i-D Magazine), Time Inc., ESSENCE and MyCode Media.
How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year!
What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?
I’m thrilled to judge the Telly Awards because it puts me at the vanguard of creative innovation—spotlighting the bold, culture-shifting work that’s defining what’s next in our industry. With a leadership lens rooted in cultural marketing and the creator economy, I’m energized by the opportunity to elevate visionary, cross-platform talent and celebrate new standards for authentic storytelling. This is where fresh ideas meet executive insight, and I’m excited to help shape the future of our field.
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
My first role was as an intern for the society section of a luxury lifestyle publication. While it seemed on the surface to be about glittering dinner parties and cocktail soirees, it was actually a masterclass in integrated brand storytelling. I saw firsthand how a product launch isn’t just an announcement—it’s a full-sensory narrative. I learned that every element of a brand experience, from the venue to the guest list, is a chapter in that story, designed to create a specific feeling and connection. That foundational lesson—that storytelling is an immersive strategy, not just a medium—has become the bedrock of how I approach every brand partnership and content campaign today.
What project are you most proud to have worked on?
You know, I approach my work with the mindset of a builder. While I cherish the foundation of every project I’ve been a part of, my greatest sense of pride comes from constructing a career that fuels my curiosity for what’s ahead. I’m most energized by the next challenge, the next untold story, and the next opportunity to push the industry forward. So, in a way, I’m proud of everything in the rearview mirror because it’s what allows me to focus so clearly on the horizon.
What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?
As a marketing strategist, the ever-evolving media landscape isn’t a challenge for me—it’s a daily invitation to innovate, pivot strategically, and fuel progress. I see every shift as a chance to build something new, craft creative solutions, and help independent media and publishers thrive in ways that move our industry forward. For me, embracing change is the most rewarding part—it’s the engine for transformation and lasting impact.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
Excellence in video is all about emotional ignition—a story that taps into viewers’ hearts, lingers in their minds, and inspires real-world action. When done masterfully, video becomes a form of escapism, creating worlds audiences want to enter and experiences they’ll remember and share. The best videos move people, not just with flawless visuals or craft, but with authentic storytelling that connects, compels, and prompts action—because facts show emotional content drives up to four times more long-term impact and brand engagement than those that don’t.
What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?
I have the best job in the world: I get paid to be curious. That curiosity is my primary tool for solving big brand challenges. My role involves orchestrating partnerships and developing content strategies, but what I truly love is looking beyond the brief to uncover hidden opportunities—those unique fandoms and cultural moments that become the key to truly resonant consumer engagement. Getting to do this for products I genuinely enjoy makes the solution-building process endlessly fascinating.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
What excites me most right now is a project that perfectly blends my love for product strategy with my passion for uncovering untold stories. I’m building our company’s first-ever creator cohort, but the real innovation isn’t the ‘what’—it’s the ‘why.’
I’ve redesigned our offering from the ground up to act as a ‘human algorithm.’ Instead of brands chasing trends, we’re connecting them with a curated group of creators who are ahead of the trends. These creators are our cultural scouts. My focus is on identifying that unique value—the alchemy that happens when a brand’s authentic narrative meets a creator’s unique perspective and a highly-engaged, specific fandom. It’s the ultimate application of looking ‘beyond the brief’ to create something truly resonant and impossible to replicate.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?
I treat cultural immersion as a non-negotiable part of my creative process. My most powerful inspiration comes from stepping completely outside my own context—whether that means getting lost in a new neighborhood abroad or spending a week or month living a different city’s rhythm. I’m not just a tourist; I’m an active observer of the nuances: how people socialize, what they value, the unwritten rules of a community. This practice of ‘ethnographic curiosity’ is how I discover the authentic human truths and emerging signals that fuel bold, resonant storytelling. It’s the ultimate antidote to creative myopia.
What inspired you to pursue your career path?
Growing up in a small Texas town, I felt career options were limited until an MTV show premiered on my birthday, during my senior year of high school, and completely widened my perspective. Subscribing to magazines like Teen Vogue, ESSENCE, and Elle, I realized these outlets were powerful storytellers—showing how people shape and live their lives, even if I wasn’t a fashion enthusiast myself. Inspired by this world of narratives, I switched my college major, joined the school newspaper and comms team, and helped relaunch the yearbook as the first-ever business manager —discovering my true passion for impactful storytelling and creative media.
In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
We’re witnessing a fundamental blurring of lines, where the most compelling video content isn’t always coming from traditional studios, but from brands acting as cultural conduits. They’re creating scripted short-form series that feel native to social platforms, proving the second screen is now a premier destination for narrative. My insight for navigating this is that authenticity is the new currency. It’s not enough to have high production value; the story must be rooted in a genuine cultural truth or fandom that your brand has permission to explore. The goal is to move from interrupting what people care about to becoming a part of it. This requires a deep, curious understanding of niche communities—which is exactly where the most powerful, untold stories are waiting.
