I have had the privilege of working for great organizations inspiring transformational change. Each has given me the opportunity to flex my creative muscle to build and strengthen communities of good around their cause.
November 2018
to
Present
Pathways to Education Canada
Senior Marketing Manager
Having overall responsibility for Pathways’ efforts to increase its brand profile, drive mass-market revenue, and increase donor retention, I strive to ensure that every interaction our target audiences have with the Pathways brand strengthens their relationship with the organization's mission.
I lead the strategy behind the organization’s national awareness campaigns. Working in collaboration with the creative agency Camp Jefferson and leaning on the media buying expertise of Cossette Media, I oversee the deployment of brand marketing content on a variety of channels—including TV, radio, out-of-home media, social media, and digital ad platforms—to build a community of support to address the educational needs of students living in low-income communities.
Campaign videos like those above (together with accompanying OOH and print collateral) are used to create a strong first impression, introducing new audiences to the brand by telling an inspirational story about the unlimited potential of youth—and the barriers that stand in their way. Barriers that have been amplified due to the pandemic.
Whereas the videos appeal to audiences’ emotions, they are complimented by messaging that seeks to educate through positioning high school graduation as part of the solution to larger social challenges. Collateral, like those below, help to address questions like “Why should I care?” or “What’s in it for me?” and are designed to speak to the brand’s RTCs—‘Reasons to Choose’ Pathways over its competitors as the destination for prospective donor dollars.
The combination of appeals to both emotion and rationality has contributed directly to increases of 154% in brand engagements, 59% in the number of leads, and a 93% increase in active donors over the last 3 years.
Together with the deployment of Pathways’ awareness campaigns, I have led from the front in reorienting the organization towards centering the donor experience. Through a robust content strategy, I implemented and continually optimize a user journey that facilitates meaningful engagement throughout the donor life-cycle.
Critically, the journey incorporates engagement beyond just the donation of funds, such as this initiative encouraging donors to leave message of support and hope to students impacted by COVID-19.
All of these initiatives have been grounded in a re-energized Pathways brand—one that speaks to the power and potential of the youth we serve—a process I led, culminating in the creation of an online brand book that has improved accessibility, and adoption of, Pathways’ brand guidelines across our national network of partners.
OCTOBER 2016
to
NOVEMBER 2018
Right To Play International
Digital marketing manager
In charge of Right To Play’s global digital marketing, I spearheaded a digital strategy to align and optimize online marketing and fundraising efforts across 7 international offices. This required coordinating multilingual campaigns and marketing and communications staff spread across the globe.
Working with the digital media agency The Young Astronauts—chosen after an extensive RFP process that I led—I oversaw the complete overhaul of the Right To Play family of websites, from a group of inflexible page templates on Microsoft SharePoint to a custom, multilingual build on the open-source Django content management system.
The entire process, which lasted 6 months, honed my project management skills. It included extensive user research, consultations with stakeholders spread across the globe, and the development of multiple personas to reflecting our varied, international audience. I then worked in partnership with the agency to build out the information architecture and UI designs, a separate contractor for the website copy, and our donation platform provider for customized donation forms that integrated tightly with the new site and our CRM software.
Digital media initiatives, including social influencer / brand ambassador campaigns, that I implemented increased organic brand engagements by over 50% and contributed to a doubling in online fundraising revenues over 2 years. This was supported by a culture of storytelling that I cultivated within the organization through the management of global content calendars.
I was also a key player in the launch and dissemination of Right To Play’s first global brand campaign, created with the help of BBDO Canada, that re-imagined play as a powerful tool to overcome adversity.
september 2014
to
october 2016
Furniture Bank
marketing manager
Think of a food bank, but for furniture. Furniture Bank is a charity and social enterprise that operates a furniture removal service, collecting gently-used furniture from individuals and corporations, and transferring them to vulnerable populations who can’t afford to furnish their homes.
Using a variety of tools such as SEO and SEM, email and social media marketing, CRM automation, and e-commerce best practices, I helped grow the organization’s website traffic by 125 percent, leading to an uptick in qualified leads for furniture removal, and a doubling of social enterprise revenue over two years.
Cultivating my interest in graphic design and Adobe Creative Cloud, I consolidated the organization’s brand guidelines, and undertook the design of a variety of materials including Annual Reports, Direct Mail products, and online fundraising appeals.
I also took advantage of more traditional lead generation activities, developing relationships with key stakeholders who had access to our target audience (such as the real estate industry, downsizers, and junk removal companies), and organizing Furniture Bank’s participation in home decor trade shows. And with the help of a pro-bono relationship with Edelman, I was able to cultivate interest from key media outlets such as CBC News and Toronto Star.