Hello!

I am a creative marketing executive with strong business acumen. I listen actively, think strategically, am skilled at prioritizing, and have a knack for cutting through the clutter to achieve targeted solutions. As a collaborative team builder, I am a facilitator, contributor and cheerleader with 20+ years of experience bringing talent together to build cross-functional, cooperative, client-centric, and productive teams.

I am a humble, positive, energetic, insatiably curious, communicator and thrive in challenging and fast-paced environments. I excel in identifying disruptive marketing opportunities and producing creative marketing communications and deliverables, on brief, on deadline and in budget.

Above all else, I am a relationship builder. I am genuine and sincere, and place great value in my word. If you are in need of an experienced and passionate freelance creative marketing professional, I look forward to talking with you!

Currently seeking opportunities for remote, freelance projects.

Go ahead, download my resume PDF here! 

Loree A. Blue

336.416.6595  |  loree@loreeblue.com

 E X P E R I E N C E

Director of Marketing and Communications

NC State University Industry Expansion Solutions  |   April 2022 – Current   |   Raleigh, NC

Currently serving a dual role as Director of Marketing and Communications for NC State University Industry Expansion Solutions and the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership. It is rewarding and exciting to support the North Carolina manufacturing industry!

Guide Brand Vision and Creative Strategy

• Guide marketing and creative strategy and content development to support vision, mission, and organizational business objectives.
• Serve as a customer advocate by building a consistent and engaging user experience for all brand touch points, marketing, advertising, and communications. Drive acquisition and conversion.
• Own brand identity. Assess all marketing activities for consistent message voice, positioning, and visual identity.
• Create and implement brand standards guide and departmental policies. Provide oversight of standards, educating staff from all divisions throughout the organizations to ensure consistent brand identity and reputation.

Analyze and interpret competitive trends, market data, and consumer insights into a plan of action

• Utilize data-driven strategies and define metrics to measure the success of individual and collective performances.
• Define and track KPIs to identify the ROI of free and revenue-generating programs and events.
• Research competitive landscape and monitor trends and adjust strategies and maintain product differentiation.
• Interpret Google Analytics to identify visitor behavior to be used as actionable insights for continual improvements in our website content.
• Analyze content, keywords, tags, and campaign metrics.
• Oversee Hootsuite Enterprise to measure organic and paid media via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google.
• Implement customer surveys and interpret responses to analyze program offerings, market preferences, and effectiveness of messaging and strategy.
• Provide leadership of the organization’s MarTech stack.

Manage the department’s priorities, accountability, productivity, quality, and effectiveness

• Develop and implement marketing strategy and marketing plans, participate in creative strategy, brainstorming, messaging priorities, content development and assign talent and deadlines.
• Align social media messaging with marketing promotions, website content, email marketing, and PR releases through collaborative scheduling and departmental communication.
• Lead website redesign project to improve User Experience and SEO, brand positioning, update/streamline content, introduce new backend technology functions, and enhanced SEO tools.
• Lead email newsletter content redesign. Research and utilize A/B testing to improve email distribution,
• Monitor ROI to guide team priorities; provide leadership on the most efficient staff expenditure of time and money.

Lead Project Management

• Serve as a funnel for all marketing initiatives, requests and projects. Set priorities and allocate talent in a fast-paced, quickly changing landscape.
• Provide creative development leadership of integrated digital and traditional, cross-channel marketing and communication strategies that include creative concept, branding, user experience (UX), owned, and earned media, focused heavily on organic growth, press releases, media story pitches, influencer marketing, email marketing campaigns, special events promotions, content expert articles and storytelling blogs, website development and social media content development, search engine optimization (SEO), videography, photography, illustration, animation, PowerPoint presentations, direct mail, and print collateral.
• Implement project management software to assign, track, and analyze effectiveness of marketing activities. Software tool improved team communications and scheduling to build a more collaborative team.

Build, develop and retain a high-impact, results-oriented team

• Mentor, coach, and inspire 5 full-time creative team members, cross-functional direct reports.
• Establish and monitor staff performance goals, assign accountabilities, set objectives, establish priorities, and provide regular feedback on performance.
• Promote a culture of high energy and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality. Seek frequent opportunities for professional career development of each team member.
• Serve on Core Leadership Team for the organization. Work with industry partners and board of directors to reach organizational objectives.

Principal Marketing and Public Affairs Manager

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Montgomery Parks  |   February 2019 – April 2022  |   Wheaton, MD

Guide Brand Vision and Creative Strategy

• Guide marketing and creative strategy and content development to support vision, mission, and organizational business objectives.
• Serve as a customer advocate by building a consistent and engaging user experience for all brand touch points, marketing, advertising, and communications. Drive acquisition and conversion.
• Own brand identity. Assess all marketing activities for consistent message voice, positioning, and visual identity.
• Create and implement brand standards guide and departmental policies. Provide oversight of standards, educating staff from all divisions throughout the organizations to ensure consistent brand identity and reputation.

Analyze and interpret competitive trends, market data, and consumer insights into a plan of action

• Utilize data-driven strategies and define metrics to measure the success of individual and collective performances.
• Define and track KPIs to identify the ROI of free and revenue-generating programs and events.
• Research competitive landscape and monitor trends and adjust strategies and maintain product differentiation.
• Interpret Google Analytics to identify visitor behavior to be used as actionable insights for continual improvements in our website content.
• Analyze content, keywords, tags, and campaign metrics.
• Oversee Hootsuite Enterprise to measure organic and paid media via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google.
• Implement customer surveys and interpret responses to analyze program offerings, market preferences, and effectiveness of messaging and strategy.
• Provide leadership of the organization’s MarTech stack.

Manage the department’s priorities, accountability, productivity, quality, and effectiveness

• Develop and implement marketing plans, participate in creative strategy, brainstorming, messaging priorities, content development and assign talent and deadlines.
• Align social media messaging with marketing promotions, website content, email marketing, and PR releases through collaborative scheduling and departmental communication. The payback was a 60% growth in website traffic and a 45% growth in social media followers over the past year.
• Redesign website presentation to improve User Experience and SEO, initiated lifestyle-driven brand positioning, update content, introduce new backend technology functions, and enhanced SEO tools, which has influenced a 30% increase in unique visitors and 22% expansion in the length of time visitors remained on site within first few months of plan implementation.
• Create a more inclusive accessibility experience through the resolution of complex accessibility issues, recommend and implement software, providing automated accessibility audits and progress reports to measure success in maintaining Section 508 compliance.
• Develop an interactive, customizable Program and Activity Guide Book tool that assembles program data in real-time via API (manual program updates are no longer needed-saving 10% in labor costs), provides custom content for our customer that real-time 24/7 and realizes savings over $100k in traditional manual publication costs. Provided a sustainable solution and reduced print waste.
• Research and utilize A/B testing to improve email distribution, which is resulting in a 15% increase in opens.
• Grow the email marketing database at an average rate of 100 new registrants per week through ongoing, targeted organic social and paid digital marketing campaigns.
• Negotiate and manage media, advertising, freelance talent, agency, vendor, and supplier relationships for accountability of the marketing budget.
• Monitor ROI to guide team priorities; provide leadership on the most efficient staff expenditure of time and money.

Lead Project Management

• Serve as a funnel for all marketing requests and projects. Set priorities and allocate talent in a fast-paced, quickly changing landscape.
• Provide creative development leadership of integrated digital and traditional, cross-channel marketing and communication strategies that include creative concept, branding, user experience (UX), owned, earned and paid media including search, display, pay-per-click (PPC), and organic advertising, press releases, media story pitches, influencer marketing, email marketing campaigns, special events promotions, content expert articles and storytelling blogs, website development and social media content development, search engine optimization (SEO), videography, photography, illustration, animation, PowerPoint presentations, direct mail, print collateral, television commercials, radio spots, signage, and crisis communications.
• Implement project management software to assign, track, and analyze effectiveness of marketing activities. Software tool improved team communications and scheduling to build a more collaborative team. Reduced turnaround time of project deliverables by 40% by increasing efficiency of department operations.

Build, develop and retain a high-impact, results-oriented team

• Hire, mentor, coach, and inspire 5 full-time and 1 part-time creative, cross-functional direct reports: Graphic Designer, Photographer/Videographer, Social Media Specialist, Communications Assistant, and two Assistant Marketing Managers.
• Establish and monitor staff performance goals, assign accountabilities, set objectives, establish priorities, and provide regular feedback on performance.
• Promote a culture of high energy and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality. Seek frequent opportunities for professional career development of each team member.
• Lead a diverse team through daily virtual collective team meetings, weekly one-on-one meetings with each team member, plan quarterly team building activities, provide six-month informal progress review, and an annual formal review evaluation.

 

Creative Director, CMO | COO

Ds2creative, Creative Marketing Solutions   |   August 2000 – February 2019   |   Lewisville, NC

Business Development and Account Management Leadership

• Built a successful boutique marketing communication firm with 95% account retention year over year, demonstrating the ability to build and maintain successful owner, manager, and c-level client relationships.
• Devised the firm’s sales objectives, created and presented new business pitches. Grew account base 30% consistently for 20 years.
• Gained deep understanding of numerous and diverse B2B and B2C industries, including competitors, services, consumer behaviors and values. Extensive experience in manufacturing, distribution, retail, restaurant and hospitality, tourism and leisure, textiles, furniture, technology, and service industries.
• Represented client companies at national sales and marketing meetings. Led marketing plan presentations. Worked with individual sales managers to develop effective sales presentations.
• Mentored four full-time and three part-time employees. Hired and coordinated contract talent and technicians.
• Established, and maintained an extensive vendor network.

Creative Project Leadership

• Led and participated in the creative concept, development and execution of strategic multi-channel marketing and lead generation services that engaged customers to improve market-share.
• Led project execution of client-focused, creative marketing deliverables that were on brief, on deadline, and in budget.
• Planned and executed marketing and promotion demand generation programs, website development and UX, designed specifically to increase conversion.
• Created integrated, multi-channel marketing programs including brand identity and corporate standards, website and social media strategy and content development and maintenance, e-commerce website design and development, public relations programs, customer service and sales strategies, and digital and traditional advertising campaigns.
• Provided leadership and participated in the development of merchandising and marketing programs including Limited-Time Offers, in-store POP materials, signage, packaging, sales collateral, and manager and franchisee incentive programs.
• Developed local store sales programs and implemented weekly marketing conference call for clients’ corporate-owned store managers and franchisees.
• Map customer segmentation to product benefits and channel selection to fully optimize marketing content and spend.

Sample accounts and industry expertise:

– TW Garner Food Company, Texas Pete® Sauces, Green Mountain Gringo® Salsa and Tortilla Chips, International Food Manufacturer

– Red Hot & Blue Restaurants, Inc., National Casual Restaurant Chain, Franchisor & Caterer

– Sticky Fingers Smokehouse, Regional Casual Restaurant Chain & Caterer

– Lowes Home Improvement, National Home Improvement Retailer

– Febreze Home Collection, Global Candle and Scent Manufacturer

– Battery Watering Systems, Global Battery Watering System Accessory Manufacturer and Distributor

– Industrial Battery & Charger, Inc., Regional Distributor of Power

– Green Energy Concepts, National Distributor of Imported Charger Technology

– L’eggs Hosiery, Global Textiles & Apparel Manufacturer

– Variety Wholesalers, Roses Discount Stores, Regional Discount Retail Stores

– Dize Company, Regional Manufacturer and Distributor of Awnings, Tarps & Specialty Canvas Products

– Tanglewood Park, County Park, Recreation & Tourism

– Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Art Museum & Tourism

– Micromem, Inc. and Mast, Inc., Global Sensor Technology Products & Applications

– SciWorks Science Museum and Environmental Park, Educational Tourist Attraction

– North Carolina Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative, Museum Association

– Chesson Labs, Pharmaceutical

Marketing Director

Pioneer/Eclipse Corporation  |  1996-2000   |  Sparta, NC

• Planned and executed regional, national, and international B2B marketing, sales and service strategies for an international floor care equipment and chemical company spanning 40 countries with a manufacturing capacity of 30 million gallons per year of chemicals
• Managed marketing team members to produce brand identity standards, launched complete re-branding and re-positioning of matured product line, including six new products and four new maintenance programs, and sales support collateral materials
• Collaborated on trade publication editorials, built relationships with media through public relation and advertising campaigns, organized trade show events
• Oversaw new product development, coordinating stakeholders, potential buyers, senior staff, salesmen, and product engineers to ensure a successful and profitable new product launch

E D U C A T I O N

Strategic Marketing, Professional Certificate, Cornell University • Essentials of Marketing Strategy • Applied Marketing Strategy and Decision-Making Tools • Marketing Research and Analysis • Creating and Communicating the Value of Your Brand • Introducing New Products: Success and Failures • Distribution Strategy and International Marketing

Executive Leadership, Professional Certificate, Cornell University • Quality and Service Excellence • Leading Collaborative Teams • Strategic Decision Making • Leading with Credibility • Motivating People for High Performance • Coaching Skills for Leaders • Leading for Creativity and Innovation • Planning and Delivering Effective Presentations

Data-Driven Marketing, Professional Certificate, Cornell University • Measuring Consumer Preferences • Analyzing Segmentation and Targeting • Using Data for Positioning Brands • Predicting and Managing Customers’ Lifetime Value • Market Response Modeling • Optimizing Digital Advertising with Analytics

BFA, Commercial Art, East Carolina University

R E F E R E N C E S

Available on request.

P E R S O N A L  

• Problem-solver, skilled at assessment, identifying solutions, and implementing effective approaches
• Enjoy mentoring staff to expand their professional expertise and love sharing the “high-five ah-ha” moments
• Dependable and attentive; work with immediacy to project/task completion
• Calm-under-pressure; prioritize the chaos of deadlines in fast-paced multitasking project management
• Passionate about technology and best practice
• Follow trending social, cultural, economic and design influences
• Self-motivated, high energy, entrepreneurial spirit team leadership
• Collaborative, trustworthy, interpersonal skills, building long-term professional relationships
• Conversationalist, well-mannered, considerate, with spirited sense of humor
• Expert in Adobe CS, Microsoft Office, Content Management Systems (WordPress) and Project Management CRM