Marketing Director

Posted on: 2006-01-22

KATE B. SPECTOR 3083 High Ridge Road Stamford, CT 06903 H: 203.322.5099 C: 203.561.6519 [email protected] SUMMARY Direct Marketing Professional with extensive experience managing clubs, continuities and circulation with a proven track record developing successful new member acquisition and customer retention promotion strategies. Experienced in multiple markets: Consumer General Interest, Children’s, Men’s, Ethnic and B-to-B. Areas of expertise include: * Strategic Planning and Budgeting * Testing Strategies * Customer Segmentation & Retention * Campaign Analysis * Vendor Management * Direct Mail Project Management & List Plans * Alternate Media * Account Reactivation * Staff Coaching and Mentoring * Cross-functional Team Management PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE BOOKSPAN, New York, NY 2000-2005 Partnership between Doubleday (Bertelsmann) and Book-of-the-Month Club (Time Warner) Marketing Director * Managed a $30 million new member acquisition budget with enrollment intake of over one million annual members; planned and implemented programs across multiple media channels including direct mail, print advertising, internal inserts, external enclosures, telemarketing, and DRTV; created annual marketing budget, developed creative positioning, formats, and offers; analyzed campaigns; supervised creative and media teams; interfaced with editorial, Internet and legal departments to ensure optimal performance. Achievements: * Converted Quality Paperback Book Club from a “no commitment” club to a commitment paradigm resulting in the second consecutive year of financial turnaround. * Directed Black Expressions Book Club’s dramatic enrollment growth in 2004 (membership grew over 150,000); intake was 87% ahead of budget making this one of Bookspan’s largest and most profitable clubs just five years from launch. * Enhanced direct mail response by successfully segmenting niche markets; Insight Out’s “female” package lifted response 109%; Kids’ Book Planet “girl” package improved 63%. * Reduced new member cost per order by 32% by restructuring the “counts as 2” policy for both Children’s Book of the Month and Kids’ Book Planet. * Discovered and investigated reporting anomalies in Black Expressions resulting in the reinstatement and rollout of a creative that lifted response 30%. * Conceived and championed an “out of the box” creative approach that lifted response 22% for History Book Club. COLUMBIA HOUSE, New York, NY 1997-2000 Direct Marketer of Music and Video Entertainment Products Marketing Director * Managed a $12 million new member acquisition budget; promotion channels included direct mail, telemarketing, internal and external inserts; supervised internal support departments and external resources (freelancers, ad agencies, telemarketing agencies). Achievements: * Launched outbound telemarketing program resulting in 12% of annual enrollment intake for Video Library. * Introduced research for selecting video products for solo promotion resulting in positive contribution from previously unprofitable campaigns. WEKA PUBLISHING, INC., Shelton, CT 1990-1997 U.S. Subsidiary of a German-based Company, WEKA is a loose-leaf publisher of business computing and legal/environmental compliance titles. Marketing Director * Managed a $3 million acquisition promotion budget; media channels included direct mail, telemarketing, space advertising, card decks, package inserts and public relations. Achievements: * Established the first marketing department for the American branch office; hired staff (marketing managers, analysts, promotion coordinators, data entry, and inbound telesales reps). * Set up reporting systems, planning tools, and promotion programs that led to 600% plus sales growth from 1990-1996. EDUCATION George Washington University BA, Psychology MEMBERSHIPS Direct Marketing Club of New York Hudson Valley Direct Marketing Association