Since 1982, I’ve been fortunate to work with and learn from great people, including some of the advertising industry’s all-time greats. (I started to tap out a list but it’s just too long. But Charlie Ashby, you’d certainly be on it!) I’ve also worked with wonderful clients who knew the difference between advertising BS and heartfelt communication that creates trust and builds relationships.
I’ve been an ad agency partner, lead strategist and creative director. As a copywriter, I won some awards (don’t we all?). I helped developed marketing campaigns for a variety of consumer, B2B and technology clients. These include large brands such as Nike, See’s Candies, Chevron, Pacific Bell and Piedmont Airlines, as well as small regional clients and start-ups.
I’ve led agency/client teams, managed accounts and vendors, and developed new business.
* * *
Great marketing doesn’t happen in a bubble. For any good work I’ve ever created, I’ve had great teammates who were designers, account planners, producers, clients — and other writers who served as mentors and editors.
While so much has changed over the years, there is a constant: the need to know and connect with the customer – and do it better than the competition.
Creative teams with first-hand experience in research and strategy development have an advantage that shows up in the ads, websites, email, applications, and in the way a product is packaged or designed.
I therefore focus on strategy development, even when there is little time or budget. A strong communications strategy, complete with compelling messages, is vital. I help clients develop communication strategies that serve as a basis for marketing campaigns, including print and broadcast ads, direct mail, collateral, social media and websites.
Without the right strategy, even great writing and design ring hollow.
Résumé
1994-2007
PARTNER, Rossie/Davis Advertising, San Francisco
(dba Clarity05 Partners and Square 1 Strategy Building)
Responsibilities: Create communication strategies for clients; develop creative concepts; present and sell work to client marketing directors, executive committees and boards; manage web development; write copy; develop new business; keep agency books
Clients included:
- Chevron Lummus Global: Developed and wrote ad campaign that increased inquiries from international markets; helped lead to large new accounts in Asia, the Middle East and Europe
- Kabira Technologies: Developed communication strategy; created ads, websites and direct mail; collaborated on complete rebranding; helped sales rise above $24 million from under $100,000 per year; campaign generated more than 25,000 sales leads; client landed major contracts including VISA, AT&T, Lucent, EDS, Alcatel and US Dept. of Defense
- Syntex Management Systems: Developed strategic messages; created framework for ongoing strategic messaging; managed development of new web site; web traffic rose 463% in first quarter after launch; qualified email inquiries rose from 2 to 63 per month
- WorldTelemetry Inc: Facilitated significant corporate repositioning; managed development of new website to communicate new position; site became the company’s most powerful sales tool; company now sells to C-level executives rather than convenience store managers
- See’s Candies: Campaigns contributed to steady sales growth for seven years; developed print and radio concepts, wrote scripts, directed actors and production engineers in studio; client sought my services after I left previous employer
- Burton-Ching Ltd: Established ultra-high-end brand for new furniture maker; achieved nationwide distribution and extremely high awareness within its first 18 months; increased showroom distributors from one to 15; created ad campaign, brochure, direct mail
- Staffing Industry Analysts Inc: Helped client transition from print to online publishing model; creative directed new publishing website, brand identity package and new modular design system that allowed client to create its own ads and collateral in a timely manner; as a result, key SIA conferences broke attendance records by 30%
- Bowen Research: Developed communication strategy for small research firm; results included significant new business inquiries and top 5 Google ranking on unpaid keyword searches
1990-1993
SENIOR COPYWRITER, Hal Riney & Partners, San Francisco
Responsibilities: Translate business objectives into communication strategy, develop advertising concepts, present and sell to clients, write copy, collaborate on production
Clients included:
- See’s Candies: Helped maintain $5 million account; generated campaigns that lasted multiple cycles; client sought out my services after I left the agency
- Stroh’s Brewery: For aging brand, helped develop campaigns that appealed to younger, hipper audience
1988-1990
COPYWRITER, Foote Cone & Belding, San Francisco
Responsibilities: Create concepts, write copy for ads and collateral
Clients included:
- Holland America Cruise Lines: Responsible for creative development of retail print campaign; work helped client emerge as a segment leader and led to strategic acquisition by Carnival
- Pacific Bell Centrex: Developed advertising that helped delay the demise of aging tech product with many competitive disadvantages
1985-1988
COPYWRITER, Wieden & Kennedy, Portland OR
Responsibilities: Develop creative strategies; create advertising concepts for print, broadcast and collateral; present and sell work to clients; write copy; assist in broadcast production
Clients included:
- Nike: Created first Nike ads featuring Charles Barkley, Andre Agassi and Bo Jackson; created co-op campaigns for major accounts such as Macy’s
- KINK-FM: Created slogan and award-winning ad campaign that lasted 15 years, solidified brand and drove KINK to #1 ratings in the Portland OR market
- Speedo Swimwear and White Stag Sportswear: Created advertising and collateral that resurrected brands and led to profitable sale of company
SKILLS
Developing strategic messages including positioning, value proposition, brand messages, key strategic product messages and tactical messaging
Managing projects including web development, ad campaigns, direct mail and collateral
Qualitative research including interviewing clients’ staff and customers
Copywriting including print, broadcast and interactive; received The One Show Gold Pencil and other copywriting awards; work featured in Communication Arts Advertising Annual
Planning communications campaigns including web sites, advertising, direct mail, collateral
Managing vendors such interactive developers, designers, suppliers, media sales
Ability to create and deliver technical messages in everyday language for non-technical audiences in a variety of media
Ability to meet strict deadlines through quick learning and prioritization
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, University of Virginia, 1979
Portfolio examples here
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