Zac Owen
MILWAUKEE,WI
Summary
Passionate and intellectually curious Brand Specialist with a track record of successfully leveraging data-driven brand insights to meet marketing and overall business objectives. Proven leadership skills with a history of directing cross-functional teams and launching innovative brand initiatives. Proficient in identifying and addressing customer pain points to enhance overall prospect and customer experience while exceeding business goals. Seeking to continue creating positive brand experiences and building brand value that cultivates organizational success and customer loyalty.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Brand Specialist
The Motley Fool
03.2022 - Current
- Collaborated with the Head of Brand and Communications and the Chief Marketing Officer to achieve marketing objectives by utilizing data-driven brand insights derived from prospect and customer research
- Initiated and led dynamic Member Stories initiatives with the Programming and Events team, which are now utilized on landing pages for various member marketing campaigns
- Pioneered the company's first-ever in-house brand research initiative, leading a team of UX, Advertising, SEO, and Business Intelligence professionals
- Conducted more than 25 focus groups, collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to improve understanding of customer trust and love
- Facilitated meetings with external executives from industry-leading companies, such as Southwest Airlines and LinkedIn, to guide the research process
- Presented research findings to the entire organization, leading individual brainstorming sessions with 15 customer-facing teams to enhance across all digital touchpoints
- Conceptualized, executed, and led a member loyalty initiative, enhancing our most loyal members' experience with personalized handwritten thank-you cards
- Led a team to refine our brand's email communication strategy, resulting in a significant improvement in email quantity, tone, relevance, and a 22 percentage point increase in members agreeing that the quantity of emails is appropriate
- Partnered strategically with marketing and advertising teams to incorporate brand-friendly copy and visuals into campaigns, ensuring all campaigns met the 50% margin parameters
Marketing Editor
The Motley Fool
09.2021 - 03.2022
- Facilitated collaboration between product and marketing teams, ensuring brand continuity across all customer interactions
- Assessed various marketing assets, embedding elements to increase trust, authenticity, and transparency in our brand
- Developed an in-depth understanding of the Member Experience journey, fostering a comprehensive marketing approach
- Used strategic insights from various sources to refine our marketing and product communications
Public Relations Specialist
The Ascent by The Motley Fool
08.2019 - 09.2021
- Developed and pitched data-informed narratives promptly to leading news outlets, securing over 100 notable backlinks and mentions from top-tier publications
- Leveraged excellent written and verbal communication skills to create impactful press releases and maintain productive relations with national news outlet reporters
- Collaborated with the social media manager to strategically disseminate research findings, enhancing audience engagement
- Established and nurtured beneficial relationships with journalists from premier U.S.
- Publications, boosting the company's website SEO
- Led a cross-functional project to introduce new site features highlighting the expertise of university specialists, resulting in a significant boost in the site's SEO performance
Content Marketing Intern
PaySimple
03.2018 - 08.2019
- Managed and revamped the blog strategy successfully, introducing innovative lead magnets, which led to a four-fold increase in monthly blog leads
- Proactively modified copy for PPC landing pages and conducted A/B testing to ensure alignment with business goals and maintain brand tone
- Managed social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, creating tailored, engaging content for customers
- Utilized Adobe Creative Suite for the creation of compelling graphics, boosting dynamic social media campaigns and various other projects
- Collaborated with SEO specialists and content marketing managers to drive a 204% increase in blog traffic
- Participated in a comprehensive brand refresh project, overseeing the integration of visual enhancements and significant copy changes
Education
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, COSkills
- Development and Implementation of Data-Driven Brand Strategies
- Effective Communication & Presentation Skills
- Cross-Functional Project Management
- SEO Optimization & Strategy
- Media Relations & Strategic Public Relations
- Content Creation
- Social Media Management
- Copywriting & Editing
- Brand Development & Consistency Enhancement
- Customer Experience Enhancement & Relationship Management
- Collaborative Problem Solving
- Quantitative & Qualitative Data Analysis
- Team Leadership & Collaboration
- Strategic Planning & Execution
Certification
LEVEL C “Brand Specialist” Certification by Marty Neumeier
- Enhanced my skills in disruptive thinking, differentiation, and innovation through the Level C Masterclass, gaining hands-on strategic branding and ideation training from top-tier brand experts. This experience strengthened my collaborative skills with experts around the globe, general brand assessment, and development capabilities. Also, I had the honor of presenting our group's final brand project from the Masterclass to brand guru, Marty Neumeier.
Timeline
Brand Specialist
The Motley Fool
03.2022 - Current
Marketing Editor
The Motley Fool
09.2021 - 03.2022
Public Relations Specialist
The Ascent by The Motley Fool
08.2019 - 09.2021
Content Marketing Intern
PaySimple
03.2018 - 08.2019
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
Metropolitan State University of Denver
LEVEL C “Brand Specialist” Certification by Marty Neumeier
- Enhanced my skills in disruptive thinking, differentiation, and innovation through the Level C Masterclass, gaining hands-on strategic branding and ideation training from top-tier brand experts. This experience strengthened my collaborative skills with experts around the globe, general brand assessment, and development capabilities. Also, I had the honor of presenting our group's final brand project from the Masterclass to brand guru, Marty Neumeier.
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