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 creative marketing professional, I look forward to talking with you!

Go ahead, download my resume PDF here! 

Loree A. Blue

 336.416.6595  |  loree@loreeblue.com 

R E C E N T   E X P E R I E N C E

Principle Marketing and Public Affairs Manager

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

• • Guide brand ideation, vision, mission and brand positioning
  • Responsible for supervising, planning and executing integrated digital and traditional marketing programs for 12 separate divisions within the organization, oversee marketing, website and social media plans for 26 managers ranging from two formal gardens and five nature centers, six historical sites, two tennis centers, driving range and mini-golf, archery range, waterpark, two ice skating facilities, and three event centers
  • Drive all aspects of consumer touch points through: oversight of brand identity and creation of style standards, leadership of targeted marketing strategies that include cross-platform, multi-faceted engagement opportunities, implementation of crisis communications procedures to protect brand reputation, and mentor the marketing team in the development of engaging website and social media content
  • Manages the department’s accountability, productivity, collaboration and staff performances

          – Align the timing of social media account messaging with the launch of marketing promotion launches which is resulting in 60% collective growth  in website visitation and social media engagement over past year

          – Reformat website presentation, updating organization of content, introducing new backend technology, and adding SEO, which is resulting in increasing unique visitors by 30% and expanding the length of time visitors remained on site by 22% within first few months

        – Growing email marketing database at a rate of 100 new registrants per week (newsletter sign-up registrations) through targeted organic and paid marketing activities

        – Oversee the invention of the Activity Guide in electronic format and developing new electronic distribution avenues through partnerships and community organizations increasing exposure and creating a savings over $100k in production costs

       – Negotiate and manage media, advertising, vendor and supplier relationships with an internal marketing budget of +$425,000

       – Hire, mentor, inspire, and motivate six cross-functional direct reports to work efficiently and effectively through collaboration: Graphic Designer, Visual Media Specialist, Social Media Specialist, Communications Assistant and two Assistant Marketing Managers through virtual team meetings twice daily and once a week one-on-one meetings, six month informal review and a formal annual review process

  • Utilize data to guide strategy by identifying and analyzing KPIs to support ROI and measure the performance of marketing initiatives to translate into actionable insights for continual improvements in our marketing efforts

Creative Director, CMO | COO

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

• Built a successful boutique marketing communication firm with core clients with 95% account retention year over year, demonstrated the ability to build and maintain successful c-level client relationships
• Initiated a strong incentive-based working environment that achieved profit margins of 45% resulting in strong staff retention rate
• Led vision, creative ideation, and simultaneous execution of account-focused, creative marketing deliverables on brief, on deadline, and in budget, including marketing campaigns, website design, development and maintenance, social media strategies and content management, public relations programs, sales collateral, customer service training and accountability for client staff and exhibit design and illustration

•  Sample of accounts:

  TW GARNER FOOD COMPANY | texaspete.com | International Sauce, Salsa and Chip Manufacturer – B2C & B2B

  RED HOT & BLUE RESTAURANTS, INC. | redhotandblue.com | National Casual Dining Restaurant Chain, Franchisor & Caterer – B2C

  VARIETY WHOLESALERS, INC. | rosesdiscountstores.com | Regional Discount Retailer – Retail, Social Media & Email Marketing

   LOWES COMPANIES | lowes.com | National Home Improvement Retailer – Retail & Direct Mail

   FEBREZE HOME COLLECTION | febrezehomecollection.com | Candle & Scent Manufacturer – Ecommerce

  MICROMEM, INC. | MAST, INC. | micromeminc.com | Sensor Technology – B2B

  L’EGGS HOSIERY | HANES | hanes.com | Textiles & Apparel Manufacturer – B2B & B2C

   

  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 and a manufacturing capacity of 30 million gallons per year of chemicals
  • Managed a staff of 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 which helped the products to be sponsored/sold in 40 countries
  • Collaborated on trade publication editorials and advertising programs which increased exposure, positioned the brand as exposure, without adding additional costs to the marketing expenditures cost
  • Oversaw new product development timelines by coordinating with all relevant stakeholders including potential buyers, senior staff, and product engineers to ensure a successful and profitable new product laun

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