Brian Ludwick
North Miami,FL
Summary
Seasoned Media Director with a proven track record at Hunter Hamersmith, adept in strategic plan development, performance driven media and data analysis. Leveraged creative mindset and collaborative approach to drive business results for high-profile clients. Skilled in both linear and digital media planning and comfortable with various Python data analysis tools, consistently seeking improvement through continuous education and industry engagement.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Media Director
Hunter Hamersmith
North Miami, FL
03.2010 - Current
- Manage media planning and buying for Sandals and Beaches Resorts, operator of 23 all-inclusive resorts throughout the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Caribbean.
- Lead national media planning activity, develop direct response advertising strategies, and implement multimedia digital and traditional plans that drive resort bookings.
- Oversee relationships with the agency’s direct response buying vendors in the U.S. and Canada
- Evaluate and track DRTV buy performance against weekly goals.
- Employ data-driven attribution models to manage and optimize various performance campaigns across digital and linear TV, advanced TV platforms (Samsung), CTV/OTT services, YouTube Video for Action, Google Ads, and digital out of home; publisher-direct or leading DSP-brokered print deals.
- Manage campaign goal setting, monitoring, reporting, and optimizing results against budgets, conversions, CPC, ROAS, and other KPIs.
- Optimize quarterly and annual conversion, CPC, ROAS, and KPIs.
- Drive best practices in direct response advertising by staying up to date with industry research and development.
- Cultivate a direct relationship with senior-level clients via regular in-person meetings.
Group Media Director
OMD
New York, NY
11.2007 - 06.2009
- Managed client relationships with United Technologies, the London Tourist Board, and The Hartford.
- Provided a long-term strategic perspective and direction while overseeing day-to-day tactical execution of deliverables; anticipated client needs, and aligned agency resources for optimal performance.
- Led, inspired, and challenged the strategy team in the development of multimedia, traditional, and digital plans; proactively monitored the media landscape for innovative applications and opportunities.
- Interpreted and reported third-party data to measure campaign performance against benchmarks.
- Collaborated with the account management agency to ensure media and message integration; served as the client contact point for digital/social media, brand econometrics, business intelligence, research, and global/national buying teams.
- Stewarded client media budgets and projected spending estimates to OMD’s finance directors.
- Designed the agency's scope of work and negotiated fees.
VP Group Media Director
Carat USA
New York, NY
07.1999 - 11.2007
- Managed relationships with the marketing teams of Viacom’s leading analog and digital cable networks.
- Directed a fast-paced planning group and oversaw the creation of $50 million in annual multimedia plans supporting off-channel consumer, licensed products, B-to-B, and trade show marketing initiatives.
- Developed proficiency in targeting individual segments of a large and diverse audience (Kids 2-11, “Tweens,” Teens, Young Adults 18-34, Adults 25-49) in both general and multicultural markets.
- Designed proprietary targeting strategies that drove new audience sampling for high-profile televised events and resulted in 15-20% ratings increases year over year (MTV Music Video Awards).
- Led the planning team in daily brainstorming sessions of innovative media ideas; solicited partnerships with media vendors to create several new vehicles using state-of-the-art technologies in both national print, outdoor, mobile, and non-traditional channels.
- Developed proprietary analysis to measure ratings churn, predict audience flow, and measure ROI.
- Developed and managed local media plans in support of Viacom's distribution growth among key multistystem operators.
Media Supervisor
DDB Needham Worldwide
New York, NY
07.1997 - 12.1998
- Supervised media planning for $30-$40MM in national and local broadcast television and print activity for a major consumer packaged goods marketer (J&J’s CLEAN & CLEAR®, PURPOSE®, SHOWER to SHOWER®, RoC® brands), and a leading national finance/healthcare insurer (CIGNA).
- Developed national theoretical plans and local translations for new product launches.
- Managed a team of three media planners and assistants.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Advertising
The Pennsylvania State University
State College, PA06-1990
Skills
- Excellent writing skills
- Creative mindset
- Intellectually curious
- Strategic plan development
- Data analysis
- Python conversant
- Experience fitting, training, running, and interpreting statistical models
- Performance media planning
- Advanced TV
- Direct response media planning
- Target audience research
- Pay-per-click advertising
- Campaign metrics
- Target audience analysis
- Investment allocations and optimization
- Media partnerships
- Collaborative
- Budget management
- Advertising management
- Business forecasting
- Campaign management
- Continuous improvement
- Media buying
- Performance reporting
- Media plan presentations
Affiliations
- Passionate animal welfare advocate, board member of Toby's Legacy (non-profit animal sanctuary)
Certification
- Google Ads Video certification
Timeline
Media Director
Hunter Hamersmith
03.2010 - Current
Group Media Director
OMD
11.2007 - 06.2009
VP Group Media Director
Carat USA
07.1999 - 11.2007
Media Supervisor
DDB Needham Worldwide
07.1997 - 12.1998
Bachelor of Arts - Advertising
The Pennsylvania State University
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