Marketing & Growth Director

CHRISTINE MORSE

616-***-**** ********@*****.***

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Proven team leader of forward-thinking marketing programs with industry leaders such as Herman Miller, Amway Corporation, Avid Marketing, Spectrum Health, and Disability Advocates of Kent County. Promoted numerous times for successful project management of marketing and high level event initiatives, business growth, and creation of successful, integrated marketing programs, building client relationships, turning vision into action which includes sales, team leadership, outreach, program development, teaching, team training, interpersonal skills, and multi-tasking ability.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Founder of Avid Marketing Alliance, Grand Rapids, MI, October, 2009 – Present Consulting and managing outreach and growth for organizations by using strong organization skills focused on managing multiple event for many clients, communications, and event management. Each event includes a

“kit of parts” which enable the event to execute with excellence. Using social media, pinpointed content, the correct tools for communication, industry knowledge, relationship marketing, advertising, media relations, SEO, digital tools, passion, and tenacity. We specialize in using free and low-cost electronic tools for creating massive expansion and teaching our clients how to turn events, marketing, social media, and PR into sales, donations, sponsorships, and increased connections. I have over 800+ positive testimonials! Some of my unique interests and key qualities are below.

• Organizational Growth Strategist – Big vision planning and building programs to support that dream.

• Establishing and building relationships of all levels.

• Event and Editorial Calendar creation and management.

• Embracing technology used for communications, PR, speaking, building audiences, and building great reputations.

Disability Advocates of Kent County, Grand Rapids, MI: January, 2015 – October, 2017 (2.5 year contract) Marketing Manager, Public Relations and Education: Hired to enhance the branding and create the entire marketing and communications department for a non-profit who has 12 different programs. Created and led the strategy planning, development, implementation, training, and management of all aspects of marketing which included various marketing tactics. Developed and fine-tuned key messaging, elevator pitches, marketing processes, organizational and program presentations, collateral materials, outbound communications, measurement of success reports, board reports, and event elevation. Located and created partnerships, collaborations, awareness, and active ‘opening of doors’ with current and potential new partners. We doubled and often tripled the number of contacts, interaction, and connections with the organization.

• Communications & Events Expansion which created massive awareness for our organization which doubled and tripled our event engagements, database, and daily inbound calls. We promoted all 12 areas of the organization while encouraging people to engage with our brand on many levels. This included gaining volunteers, donors, clients, and sponsors.

• Developed and managed the integrated marketing and outreach strategy which included enhanced branding, public relations, press and media outreach, social media, electronic and printed communications, search engine optimization, video production, content development, photography, enhanced events, donor relations and appeals strategies, and community engagement. We grew our database from 1,200 to 4,300 contacts and our daily calls increased from 30 per day to 60 per day. Our electronic newsletters averaged a 26% open rate which is higher than industry standards.

• Team Leadership which created new and expanded marketing collateral materials for 12 programs and numerous services, a new optimized and interactive website which originally had 125 hits/week and now they are receiving 1800+ each week.

• Training & Facilitation which comprised of filling the class with participants, utilizing my years of speaking experience, which is helpful for goal setting, creating the best environment for all participants’ growth, ensuring the expected outcome/s or objectives are clear, establishing expectations for all participants, energizing the group, and keeping everyone engaged. My knowledge in group facilitation includes brainstorming, action planning, capturing information, group activities, and group reviews to check progress.

Avid Marketing, LLC Grand Rapids, MI: 2009 – 2015

Principal: Leadership in marketing strategy development, CRM, project and sales management, communications, branding, social, cause, and experiential marketing, public relations, SEO, website development, team leadership, outside sales, events, client/team training, and promotions.

• We created visibility for clients who wished to grow by developing, a strong event calendar, implementing and providing on-going support for outbound and team communications, marketing, public relations, cause marketing and even creating sales for our clients. Emphasis on Integrated Marketing: social media, electronic and printed communications, SEO, video creation, digital marketing, website development, sales funnels, and cause marketing events.

• We identified the small to medium business or start up, created the relationship, created a custom marketing and sales strategy, closed the sale and led teams of people to reach the goals. Teams included project managers, events, writers, graphic designers, social media experts all using various tools which included WordPress, Joomla, LinkedIn, Facebook, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Twitter, You Tube, Google +, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Search Engine Optimization.

• Created marketing training curriculum which teaches the business owners how to reach their ideal client(s) with marketing and communications.

• We developed and implemented PR and promotions for various small businesses, non-profit organizations, corporations and emerging businesses. We helped over 48 clients within two years to gain visibility and growth.

• Marketing Services: Competitive Analysis, Market Research, Business and Marketing Plans & Strategy

• Branding: Logo Development, Messaging, Taglines, Elevator Pitches, Unique Value Propositions

• Tradeshows: Booth Design, Communications, Experiential Campaigns, Pre and Post Event Client Relationship Marketing. We often attended the show for our client; collected qualified leads and then followed-up with those leads until they become a true sale.

• Advertising & Events: Experiential marketing with the Whitecaps, Griffins, and Cyclones. Created events hosted at the client location which included speaking engagements and sponsorships.

• Provided training to the public in Social Media, Communications and Importance of an Overall Strategy

• Product Placement in Hollywood for furniture and brand enhancement.

• Created Speakers Bureau for a local environmental group. Herman Miller Inc., Zeeland, MI: 2000-2009

Program & Event Manager, Experiential Marketing: 2005-2009

Responsible for strategic development and team leadership of high level sponsorships and marketing campaigns for new product launches which included electronic and social communications using database management and CRM tactics, experiential marketing, tradeshows, sponsorships, & media campaigns.

Marketing and Program Management for key audiences: Knowledge of Space and Future Workforce, Ergonomics, Environmental, Medical, Schools and Universities

Program manager for multiple key corporate sponsorships, tradeshows and product placements met numerous deadlines and budgets which ranged from $25K to $250K.

Project lead for trade shows and sponsorships including responsibilities for: strategy, communications, logistics, on-site management, marketing, training, budgeting, and success metrics.

Partnered with numerous internal and external teams including dealers, product marketing, marketing communications, graphics designers, website team, and outside vendors.

As project lead, product placed approximately 100 projects within Nielsen top 10 rated shows, movies, commercials and print advertisement campaigns.

Worked with team leader to create a high level speakers bureau which secured speaking engagements for our knowledge experts as well as enticed international speakers to join our events.

Public Relations Associate: 2002-2005 (promoted)

Developed and maintained relationships with key editors and journalists.

Coordinated numerous fast paced media requests, press kit and reprint construction projects.

Developed and maintained editorial calendar, assigned budgets, and database of key media contacts.

Sample relationships: Contract, Interior Design, Metropolis, O, Business Week, Newsweek, Wired, Fortune, FMLink, ErgoWeb, Greenguard, Greengadgets.com.

Client Relationship Marketing: 2000-2002 (promoted)

• Created, deployed and managed electronic surveys and reports for eZconnect (new dealer website program).

• Created, deployed, and maintained the eZconnect marketing and client retention programs which enabled the clients to feel connected even though it was the “new” way of ordering through the internet.

• Established relationships with internal sales force and customers to implement, deploy, and support further eZconnect engagements.

Amway Corporation, Ada, MI: 1999-2000

Marketing Project Coordinator & CRM, International Promotions and Sales Department

• Coordinated incremental events which required inventory and forecasting support, government technical registration, and export pricing for 27 countries for promotional campaigns.

• Served as liaison with international affiliate staff to ensure marketing programs were launched within set deadlines.

• Managed database of best practices and analyzed promotions to determine marketing return on investment. Programs and Technology

Microsoft: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Outlook. Lotus Notes, Google Suite: Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Wordpress, Joomla, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Google and Facebook Ads, Search Engine Optimization, Google Analytics, Landing Pages for Marketing Funnels, SalesForce, InfusionSoft, HubSpot, Social Mediums, Digital Marketing Convergence

AWARDS & SPEAKING ENGAGMENTS

Herman Miller 2008 – “Web 2.0: Virtual Worlds”. I was selected to be part of a small team that launched a new program at our largest industry tradeshow (NeoCon) in just three months! Herman Miller 2008 – “Curiosity and Exploration” award nominee Herman Miller 2007 – “A Better World” award nominee Speaking Engagement Listing is extensive and an overview version of this can be found on my bio. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Assertive Communication Skills, 1992 How to Manage Difficult People, 2007 Project Management, 2001 Web 2.0: Virtual World Conference, 2008 Business Writing, 2007 Marketing: Past, Present and Future, Dr. Kotler, 2008 Various Business Administration and Communications – Davenport The Science of Mindfulness: Yale University, July, 2020 EDUCATION

Ferris State University – 1984 – 1988 Three years towards Hospitality Management and one year devoted to Social Services.

Speaking / Training Engagements:

• Approximately 1,200 speaking engagements with over 900 of them being group trainings.

• Grand Rapids Breakfast organization for professional learning. Impact of Story Telling on Sales and SEO

• Disability Advocates – Disability Decorum for Department of Justice, Goodwill, Salvation Army, KDL, City of GR, Mercantile Bank, YMCA, Spectrum Leadership, and many others. Developed the presentation and most of these organizations requested to have additional presentations for other areas of their companies. A+ on post event survey results., 2015, 2016, 2017

• Disability Advocates – Overview of services for over 50 organizations with intention of bringing more people into our services., 2015, 2016, 2017

• GRTV – 15 Non-Profit Segment Guest Spots and numerous PSA’s which I scripted and project managed, 2017

• WhiteBoard-SBD – Building Market Awareness through Marketing, Advertising, Social Media, & PR, 2012

• Avid’s Training Programs – Marketing Overview 101 – From Basics to Your Custom Plan in 1 Easy Day, 2012, 2013, 2014

• West Michigan Minority Contractors Assoc., Marketing – Creating Visibility for Your Company, 2012

• WGVU, Shelley Irwin Morning Show – Women in Leadership Roles + Women and Girls Lead, 2012

• West Michigan Film and Video Alliance, Product Placement – How to make money for your film, 2011

• West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum – Marketing Communications Team Lead, Project Reports, 2010

• Herman Miller, Inc. – Project Manager Team Spokesperson for numerous highly visible projects, 2007- 2009

• Blodgett Hospital, Concern: Employee Assistance Program – New Employee Orientations, 1991

Contact this candidate