TEAM LEADERSHIP ♦ MARKETING STRATEGY ♦ DEMAND GENERATION ♦ BRAND MANAGEMENT ♦ SOCIAL MEDIA ♦ INTEGRATED MARKETING ♦ DATA-DRIVEN MARKETING ♦ MARKETING AUTOMATION ♦ ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING

With over 20 years of experience in marketing and creative direction, I am a rare combination of being both creative and strategic, recognizing the importance of successfully delivering “the message” and adhering to brand standards, while constantly seeking new ideas. I have helped create original brands - bringing life to new companies - as well as working with companies that have strong histories and adding to their growth and success using by using market segmentation research and data-driven strategies.

connection

2018-present

Manager of Corporate Marketing
Senior Marketing Manager

Manager of Corporate Marketing:
Team leader responsible for developing and executing vertical, content, and brand marketing strategy across multiple business segments to increase demand generation, brand awareness and uniquely distinguish Connection in the marketplace by driving key campaigns from concept through execution. Includes the coordination of research, planning, targeting, strategy, execution, campaign analysis, demand generation mix, cross-team collaboration, and budget management.

Core responsibilities include:

  • Creative brand strategy development focused on strengthening Connection’s core brand value and increasing brand equity

  • Coordinating with executive leadership to develop marketing roadmaps that support multi segment initiatives in key areas of strategic growth

  • Establishing and maintaining impactful B2B multi-channel marketing programs focused on cloud solutions and growing Microsoft Azure by working closely with the internal Microsoft Center of Excellence

  • Managing vertical marketing team ensuring strong alignment with vertical strategy directors and sales within healthcare, manufacturing and retail

  • SMB loyalty program, and other ongoing initiatives to bolster ongoing customer engagement and reduce churn with a focus on increasing year-over-year e-commerce sales and average order values

Senior Program Marketing Manager:
Managed partner program marketing team to promote Connection and partner brands through development and strategic planning of marketing programs using targeted personas, data-driven strategies, and market segmentation research, driving marketing qualified leads and marketing sourced pipeline to increase overall profitability and partner growth within the channel.

Core responsibilities include:

  • Created strong B2B multi-touch on- and offline demand generation, and content marketing programs

  • Manage program marketing team to define and deliver messaging and materials for major partners including Hewlett-Packard, Apple, and Microsoft using targeted personas, data-driven strategies, and market segmentation research, driving marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and marketing sourced pipeline

Polaris direct

2017-2018

Creative Director

Provide day-to-day, hands-on creative direction and management for digital and print design team to execute high volume 1:1 marketing campaigns. Working directly with clients, my team maps the customer journey, develops strategic brand marketing plans to integrate traditional print and digital advertising campaigns for a true data-drive, omni-channel experience with strong impact and a focus on ROI.

Core responsibilities include:

  • Internal and external data-driven strategic marketing plans

  • Creative direction for high-volume 1:1 Variable Data Direct Mail Campaigns

  • Facilitation of omni-channel campaigns utilizing print and digital strategies

  • Copywriting

  • Team Management/Leadership

  • Social Media Management

  • Client Presentations

osram sylvania

2013-2017

Automotive Aftermarket Marketing:
Associate Marketing Manager, Canada
Senior Creative/Merchandising Manager
Social Media Manager

Senior level position responsible for all visual aspects of the company’s marketing communications programs. Leads teams and/or initiatives to enhance visibility of the company and its products. Coordinates all trade show activities, social media, packaging, POP, photography, ensuring brand consistency across all creative executions.

  • Associate Marketing Manager (Canada):

    • Managed the overall marketing budget for OSRAM Sylvania Canada; leveraged insights and KPIs to optimize campaign performance and spend.

    • Developed and managed multi-tier marketing plans, and coordinated strategic media placement and purchases with external agencies for both online and offline marketing campaigns including television broadcast, and programmatic digital advertising.

    • Partnered and provided ongoing marketing support for both sales and customer retail buyers in the automotive lighting catergory in an effort to increase POS, maintain and grow customer market share, and create differientiation for retailers.

    • Oversaw external agencies and directed strategic creative content for TV and online video campaigns, social media, point-of-purchase signage and print advertising for multiple products in the Sylvania portfolio.

  • Senior Creative/Merchandising Manager (North America):

    • Directed creative for all in-store point-of-purchase marketing (POP) for major specialty and mass market retailers such as AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts and Wal-Mart. POP includes the design, distribution and placement of signage, end caps, product and interactive displays.

    • Lead role in a packaging redesign project of all aftermarket halogen capsules, aided in the development of focus group scripts, analyzing results and determining new direction of on-packaging messaging. Launched in the Fall of 2014, the company saw a sales increase in the premium product lines over prior year with sustained growth year-over-year.

    • In addition to managing packaging graphics for all product families (over 700 individual part numbers), led development of new branding and launch materials for multiple new technology product lines. Oversaw the creative direction for product point-of-purchase and advertising to help win placement in multiple major retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada; increasing overall sales revenue for the company.

    • Established and maintained cross-functional relationships with internal and external teams. (sales, product marketing, legal, creative agencies, purchasing, finance and operations).

    • Partnered with Product Marketing and Category Managers to drive the overall direction for the brand using data-driven marketing strategies.

    • Managed and maintained established budgets. Built strong relationships with outside vendors to successfully negotiate pricing and implement cost savings alternatives.

    • Set product and brand photography direction and provided creative direction on all internal and external photo shoots (both still and video).

  • Social Media Management (North America):

Under my leadership, total engagement increased by +622%, reach and impressions by +376%, and the fan base grew by +31%. Additionally, my team consistently beat monthly engagement goals of 0.5-1% with an overall monthly average of 4.6%. I attribute this success to an ability to foster positive working relationships with external partners and agencies, clear communication of established KPIs and goals, and an ongoing open collaboration.

Core responsibilities included:

  • Provided day-to-day management of all social marketing channels in the US and Canada for Automotive Aftermarket.

  • Outlined detailed roadmaps of how social media fit within the overall marketing strategy and worked with team to plan and implement paid and organic strategies.

  • Facilitated social calendar, promotions and contests resulting in significant increases in user reach and engagement over prior year.

  • Drove creative direction of content creation including video campaigns, written content, and infographics.

  • Analyzed social media engagement metrics, such as new user growth, fan likes, comments and shares, and reported these numbers on a bi-weekly basis.

  • Negotiated vendor contracts and oversaw budget planning for creation of assets, paid distribution and execution of all social and digital activities.

  • Led the development of standards, policies and rules of engagement for social media

amber lee lifestyle photography

2007-present

Owner, Photographer

Modern portraiture, Urban Street Photography, Creative/Artistic Photography

In 2007, I picked up my camera and started creating modern and creative portraits, street/urban photography and landscape photos. Some of my urban and landscape photos were picked up and published in special editions of Time Life Magazine.

By challenging the conventional methods of photography, pushing post processing and incorporating graphic design, I seek to inspire an emotional connection and tell an engaging story by transforming simple moments into scenes that seduce a viewer and draw them in deeper.

Union Leader corp

2007-2013

Senior Art Director

Brought into the advertising department to implement and maintain an in-house agency to assist in advertising sales as a value-added service; as well as develop marketing for the newspaper and its various products. 

  • Created print ads, special sections and other printed material designs for advertising customers.

  • Created advertising campaigns for in-paper ads, direct mail and web advertising for external customers.

  • Directed and implemented internal and external in-house marketing programs.

  • Produced successful interactive, online advertising campaigns.

  • Aided in launching direct mail program to create additional revenue for company.

Led the creative marketing development and interpreted the “big idea” by creating strategic brand identities from initial logo conception to internal/external marketing materials. Responsible for overall creation and supervision of all creative projects including design, layout, copy of logos, ads, brochures, catalogs, direct mail and other printed pieces and approval of all materials in accordance with outlined marketing and brand strategies.

  • Worked directly with clients in various industries to create unique and targeted marketing plans.

  • Managed outside vendors/freelancers, estimating, scheduling and submitting written project proposals directly to client.

  • Designed, created and maintained client websites, email marketing campaigns.

  • Implemented various skills, including conception, organization, and multi-tasking.

  • Finding, hiring and managing creative in-house and freelance talent and maintained the intern program.

pennyhorse
advertising

2001-2007

Creative Director

  • Built successful and creative solutions for promotional projects in consideration of various budgets, project research including costs and materials, preparing presentations and mock-ups.

  • Took direction from Creative Director and worked closely with copywriters to concept and execute complete advertising campaigns for clients across multiple verticals including financial services, healthcare, and retail manufacturing. 

  • Researched, found and coordinated with external vendors on various projects.

tracey/edwards advertising

1999-2001

Art Director
Junior Art Director