BRAND STRATEGY
My first-ever online handle was "tycoonwiz." I was obsessed with "Tycoon" computers games (Zoo Tycoon, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Mall Tycoon, Lemonade Tycoon...there were literally dozens that I played) as a child. I loved planning out my objectives, seeing what worked and what didn't, and adjusting based on feedback from my virtual visitors (I could never seem to build enough bear exhibits to satisfy everyone). This interest has led me to my current position as an Associate Strategy Director at TNH, working for national brands like Steiner Sports as well as local clients like BLVD404 and The Cider Mill. On my way to this position, I have picked up hard research skills in places like Simmons OneView, MRI+, and Mintel, in addition to learning how to conduct focus groups and how to condense research into a single Big Idea.
Strategy Director, AAF National Student Advertising Competition
In my final year at Syracuse University, my advertising professors chose twelve of my classmates and me to serve on the team representing Newhouse in the American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition. Our task was to develop a fully integrated advertising and retail campaign for Tai Pei frozen Asian foods. As Strategy Director, I led all research efforts for the project, which included surveys, focus groups, ethnography, store visits, digital audits, and more. Through this research, I discovered the insight that drove our entire campaign.
Because the competition is currently in progress, our final book must remain behind a password. Please message me for the password to view this work.
Lead Strategist, 360i Intern Competition
In addition to working for clients like HBO, Oreo cookies, and Malibu rum, my internship in the strategy department of digital advertising agency 360i included an intern project. I worked with a team of five others to develop a digital ad campaign for Subway. As the team’s strategist, I was responsible for identifying a target audience for the campaign and determining the type of messaging that would resonate with them. I was also tasked with making sure that our presentation logically flowed from our research findings to our proposed strategy to our actual advertisements. I also devised the “Third Act” seen at the end of the presentation.
A panel of judges from 360i watched five total intern teams present their projects. My team won the competition, with the judges citing our campaign's cohesiveness and creativity. I have moved some of the speaker notes from the presentation onto the actual slides for this portfolio, and have redacted proprietary information.
Research and Analytics, Steiner Sports
As a freshman, I worked on the Research and Analytics team for TNH's Steiner Sports account. I conducted secondary research through online and print articles, and in databases such as Simmons OneView and MRI+. My team and I also developed a Qualtrics survey and conducted in-depth interviews to learn more about our target. We honed in on the female sports fan, and realized that what we've been calling "The Man Cave" should really be called "The Fan Cave," creating an entirely new target for our client. We explored the social aspects and rituals involved with watching sports on television. Our insights led to the Steiner Sports account winning the TNH award for Best Strategy in 2014.