SPARK Marketing and Strategy
As the only copywriter at the time, I was a natural fit to take ownership of SPARK’s publication. After that, I had the unique opportunity to dabble in, and eventually lead, many of the things that helped the agency promote itself. It’s a strange story, but a fun one, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
concepting
Copywriting
Organizational Design
Naming
EXperience Design
The Website
Unable to find a sustainable website UI and UX, SPARK was cursed to changing its site every year for 7 years. So, when myself and some peers were asked to take on the 2017 version, we vowed to crack the code.
Things I learned and did while making the website:
SEO writing doesn’t have to be boring. It’s also more than just adding in a few keywords here and there.
Simple isn’t wrong.
Created a template for case studies—how they sound, how they work, etc. It is still in place 2 years later.
Buzzwords don’t say anything and it is possible to speak the business language without sounding like an advertising word generator.
The Managing
Without a dedicated marketing manager, I stepped up to fill the role. Since I was still a full-time copywriter, I had to get creative with how I managed the two. The result was a small team of other multiple-hat-wearers all dedicated to certain aspects of the job. Every Monday, I checked in on project progress, talked with leaders to ensure our efforts were on-strategy, and handled resource management on case studies, PR efforts, social media, and reporting.
The Publication
What was once a quarterly called STICK (RIP) is now evolving into a digital publication that focuses on one thing: collaboration. As leader of this initiative, I am currently working with leadership and designers to find the “content” equation that works for us. Launching in June.
See some of my old pieces here.
The Sales Piece
Over the years, SPARK made a name for itself in the hotel branding world. By 2018, we’d branded 20+ with names like Hilton, Marriott, and Kimpton. To tell this story to prospective clients, we created an editorial-style, behind-the-scenes look at how, and why, we do what we do. Clients that have noted they’ve been not only impressed, but have been inspired, educated, and prepared.
