Gray Abercrombie
Marketing Leader
Pineville,NC
Summary
Dynamic marketing leader with 20+ years of experience driving measurable sales, market share growth, and brand performance across Fortune 50 companies, global manufacturers, and retail partners. Recognized for building high-performance teams and leading cross-functional collaboration across marketing, product development, ecommerce and customer care.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President of Marketing and Customer Care
Daye North America
Charlotte, NC
08.2018 - Current
- Lead global marketing team in developing integrated brand, channel, content and retail marketing strategy supporting multiple brands sold at Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, and DTC.
- Directed omni-channel campaigns delivering 20M+ impressions and 700% ROI in 2024.
- Developed 3-year product roadmap and retail go-to-market strategy.
- Established third-party call center, aftermarket parts program, and dealer repair network.
- Led cross-functional teams in the development of creative assets for integrated marketing campaigns.
- Cultivated network of social media influencers reaching over 400K followers each month.
- Optimized marketing budget allocation to maximize return on investment, prioritizing high-impact initiatives.
- Continually evaluated marketplace trends and oversaw gathering of competitive intelligence within markets and across service lines.
- Developed a data-driven approach to marketing decision-making by implementing advanced analytics tools and processes.
Director of Global Marketing
Greenworks Tools
Mooresville, NC
06.2014 - 08.2018
- Directed brand strategy and channel marketing programs for outdoor tool brand sold at Lowe's, Walmart, Target, Canadian Tire, Menards and Amazon.
- Built omnichannel brand communications aligned globally.
- Led consumer insights program leveraging qualitative and quantitative research.
- Established visual brand language and global brand identity.
- Implemented cross-functional project management process to improve planning and execution.
- Developed comprehensive go-to-market plans for new products and services to drive adoption in target markets.
Manager, Private Brands and Partnerships
Food Lion LLC
Salisbury NC
09.2013 - 06.2014
- Designed and executed private brand marketing strategy for US grocery retailer with 1,100 store footprint.
- Managed corporate sponsorship portfolio, including ACC league partnership and Charlotte Hornets partnership.
- Developed event-based retail activation program that drove and average 15% redemption rate for coupons distributed at each event; 50% higher than average.
- Led cross-functional teams (CPG vendors, operations, agencies) to ensure flawless execution of consumer facing private brand promotions.
Marketing Director
Globe Tools
Mooresville, NC
06.2012 - 09.2013
- Built team of marketing managers, creative managers and digital designers supporting $100M outdoor power equipment manufacturer.
- Developed comprehensive brand standards guidelines and proprietary brand strategies.
- Created integrated marketing plans targeting key customer segments.
- Managed annual marketing budget, ensuring cost-effective allocation of resources for maximum impact.
- Boosted brand awareness and generated leads while managing internal and external marketing campaigns and programs.
- Directed trade show participation, maximizing exposure for company products and services.
Sports Marketing Manager
Lowe's Companies Inc.
Mooresville, NC
03.2004 - 04.2012
- Directed $10M+ sports sponsorship portfolio including NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, ALMS
- Managed NASCAR affinity credit program, tripling customer purchase frequency.
- Generated $18M in vendor revenue through sponsorship sales.
- Developed collegiate gift card program with 95 universities, driving $2M in incremental sales.
- Launched racing fan club magazine reaching 700,000 members.
- Created exclusive live music events leveraging NASCAR sponsorship yielding 200% ROI per market.
- Relaunched racing affinity website, increasing traffic by 25% and generating $500K in licensed merchandise revenue.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Communications
Appalachian State University
Boone, NCSkills
- Customer relationship management
- Visual concept development
- Content development strategy
- Data-driven marketing
- Strategic media planning
- Strategic partnership development
- Social media influencer marketing
- Target market analysis
- Competitor analysis
- Campaign management
- Mobile advertising strategies
- E-commerce strategy
Timeline
Vice President of Marketing and Customer Care
Daye North America
08.2018 - Current
Director of Global Marketing
Greenworks Tools
06.2014 - 08.2018
Manager, Private Brands and Partnerships
Food Lion LLC
09.2013 - 06.2014
Marketing Director
Globe Tools
06.2012 - 09.2013
Sports Marketing Manager
Lowe's Companies Inc.
03.2004 - 04.2012
Bachelor of Science - Communications
Appalachian State University