PR/Marcom Specialist

B.A. – Public Relations; Marquette University – Milwaukee, WI
Certificate – Publishing; New York University – Summer Publishing Institute
Program focused on book, magazine, and digital publishing.

ANYTIME FITNESS, Hastings, MN 2010 to 2013
World’s largest and fastest-growing fitness franchise with 3,000 gyms in more than 20 countries.

Public Relations Manager
Strategically developed and executed public relations programs to promote Anytime Fitness, and build/reinforce brand among key stakeholders (employees, franchisees, club members, and media).

Content Management
Wrote, edited, and produced internal and external materials including: media kits, press releases,
newsletters, speeches/presentations, blog posts, company website copy, and online/print advertisements.

Employee Communications
Co-created monthly online newsletter distributed to over 1,600 franchisees which showcased: organizational and employee success; industry news and trends; and promotional campaign announcements.
Co-created company “yearbook” as part of enhanced corporate culture program initiative. Wrote 100% copy for 2010-2013 yearbooks, collaborated with internal design staff and outside print vendor to create a “culture staple” that educated/inspired employees and strengthened interdepartmental relations.
Provided comprehensive public relations recaps for executive leadership and various internal publics.
Facilitated employee survey process capturing 98% engagement, and three consecutive “Best Places to Work” in MN honors.

Reputation Management
Managed Awards and Recognition Program resulting in earned rankings by Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNNMoney, Minnesota Business, Minnesota Star Tribune and company-wide productivity increases of 5% and 3% franchisee recruitment.
Provided counsel, guidance and/or strategies to senior management on matters relating to external reputation and corporate image.
Collaborated with Social Media Director on cross-platform campaigns to improve SEO, build fan base, and foster information sharing.

Public Relations
Collaborated with outside PR agency to develop brand messaging, conduct media outreach, and deliver creative assets for 2011-2012 initiatives/campaigns resulting in 2,740+ media hits from TV, radio, print and online media outlets for a total of 204M+M impressions and an advertising value of over $8M.

Media Relations Training
Delivered media training to corporate senior leadership and franchisees to ensure successful interactions with media including but not limited to: press conferences, editorial board sessions, panel interviews and one-on-one interviews.

Brand Building Management
Secured book deal for company’s CEO and Chief Science Officer. Served as primary liaison between authors and publisher to complete manuscript in 90 days. “Working Out Sucks!” became 2012 marketing campaign.
Negotiated, coordinated, and executed brand integration and cross-promotional campaigns with major TV networks/shows, most notably: ABC’s “Secret Millionaire,” A&E’s “Heavy,” Lifetime’s “Love Handles,” VH1’s “Bridal Bootcamp” and Canada’s “Be the Boss” increasing top of mind awareness by 2%.
Spearheaded company annual public health report, “Weight of the Union” to deliver commentary on state of nation’s health; earning recognition from the assistant to the U.S. Surgeon General.
Researched, recruited, and scheduled on-air guests for Anytime Health Radio including Richard Simmons, Suzanne Somers, Laurie David, Tony Horton, and Chris Kilham, to provide value added information and education to 300,000+ online subscribers.

THE PENGUIN GROUP USA – New York, NY 2008 to 2009
Book publisher and imprint of Penguin Group focused primarily on Mind/Body/Spirit titles.

Associate Marketing Manager for Tarcher books
Developed and executed optimal marketing plans for front and back list titles to improve ROI.
Managed marketing asset deliverable schedule to ensure timely delivery and completion of marketing materials and assets.
Drove creation/execution of advertising projects on or ahead of time for direct mail, online, and print ads.
Advocated consumer perspective in developing targeted messaging strategies to enhance sales volume.
Collaborated with Sales and Publicity Departments to achieve maximum exposure and revenue.
Co-created annual, quarterly, and monthly marketing budgets and managed/controlled costs for all projects.

PR NEWSWIRE – Minneapolis, MN 2004 to 2007
Global leader in news and information distribution services for professional communicators.

Product Demonstration Specialist (2004 to 2007)
Key member of team that supported successful sale, client on-boarding training, and renewal of PR Newswire products, including eWatch, MediaSense, ProfNet, MediAtlas.
Performed webinar demonstrations of products to potential buyers qualified by sales.
Delivered “Media Intelligence Suite Program” to current and new audience segments resulting in a renewal rate of 75%t and 1 new closed account per week.
Executed Value Proposition/Rate Increase Program resulting in incremental revenue in 2006.
Partnered with external sales force on marketing projects producing current account mix/profit improvements while assisting in strategic development.

Product Consultant, eWatch (2004)
Trained/educated new customers on how to effectively utilize PR Newswire products in their communications campaigns.
Negotiated renewal with clients of eWatch agreement while maintaining a 75% renewal rate.
Developed, wrote, and implemented customer survey to eWatch subscribers.
Developed effective communication articles publicizing new product introductions and features.

KOHNSTAMM COMMUNICATIONS, St. Paul, MN 2003
Twin Cities-based public relations firm that specializes in results-oriented media relations campaigns
Public Relations/Media Relations Intern
Developed targeted media lists to drive campaign results.
Pitched stories to generate favorable print, television, radio, and online publicity.
Wrote and edited press materials: fact sheets, press releases, media advisories, and pitch letters.

Branding & Content Generation, Creative Problem Solving, Customer Needs Identification & Solutions, Event Management, Inside Sales, marketing, Media Relations, New Business & Renewal Negotiation, Print & Web Advertising, Public relations, publishing, Webinar Presentations, Writing/Editing

English