Dont Mince Words


Portfolio

I have more than 25 years of integrated marketing and communications experience. This is a small sample of my capabilities.

Feature writing

From hard-news features to soft-news fluff, I know how to make a mountain out of a molehill.

  • Enjoy a Virginia resort during the holidays, (feature offering pitch) — This piece was written to promote intrastate travel in December.
  • Six Sigma improvement process aids in development of BRD — The executive vice president for AIG’s domestic brokerage group requested I ghost write this article for him.
  • The right staff — This byline offering was pitched to the MGMA. The client can subtly sell his services and display his expertise to his target audience.

Public relations and advertising writing

My public relations experience began in the Pentagon writing daily contract award announcements. That was hard news. But I’ve worked the softer side as well. Advertising has been a line item in most of my budgets, so I’ve done everything from media planning and strategy to writing ad copy.

Digital writing and web strategy

This is a small sample of some of the digital work I’ve successfully completed. I wish I had kept samples of the things I worked on during the AOL 2.0 development days. Those were challenging times. Now I work to ensure consumers have a consistent message from Facebook to website to other offline brand extensions.

Freedom Scott Music is a concierge travel and music production company. I wrote their website copy, press release, Facebook ad, and edited their e-guide.

Sonos is a global consumer electronics brand. From 2010-2013, I managed a rebrand and helped create a new brand voice. With retail channels and other resellers, copy can often get diluted. I created a copy deck/bible. It was used for web copy, banner ads, OOH, print collateral, and in social media. This is an example of that copy integrated into a product launch announcement email with a buy call to action.

At AIG I worked with a third party vendor to develop lists, and design protocols while also editing copy for their first client e-newsletter. In addition, I did the site architecture and copy for the PMP intranet site as well as managed the art direction.

I also helped to account manage, write copy, and produce MTV’s first Real World casting website as well as VH1’s Acceptable TV venture. As you would expect with Viacom, there were a lot of banner ads cross promoting the shows.

When geolocation and photo posting became the next-big-thing, Zagat realized they had lot of catching up to do if they wanted to remain competitive.  I wrote and coordinated the design mockups for their web strategy.  In the end, they realized the backend investment was substatainal and they were acquired by Google who had the tools in place.

Nonprofits need help too. The Rotary Club of Church Hill enlisted my help writing digital and print copy for an event they were promoting.

Employee communications

I’ve written employee communication pieces for Fortune 100 companies such as CapitalOne and AIG. The key has always been to give the employees what they want in order to do their job better.

Shareholder communications

I’ve written content for public and private companies annual reports. It’s never fun and always political; however, I get the job completed.

Marketing communications

Kaiser Permanente hired me to project manage their open enrollment materials. This brochure is versioned in two languages and copy is tweaked for four states. The challenge this year was working to integrated a new brand identity which had not been launched or finalized. A photo shoot was required to project a life-style oriented image.

Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation Centers needed an updated brochure to market their two inpatient facilities. I made the copy more benefit-driven and assisted with art direction.

AIG field staff had no leave behind brochure for their Six Sigma program benefits. I developed this concept, wrote the copy, and supervised design and printing.

When Sonos introduced their soundbar, it was necessary to create a home theater brochure to cross-sell products.  I wrote this copy as well as creative directed the photoshoot.

n1Health needed stock ads to be used in various print publication. I reviewed the data, created the strategy, wrote the copy, and art directed the ads. In addition, I created a tri-fold brochure for one facility. I wrote copy and art directed with heavy input from the client.

Brand ID

My agency and corporate experience has taught me how to be patient with internal and external clients. My strong communications background is an asset when determining key messaging and visuals.

MGM Grand’s Studio 54 nightclub wanted a hipper look to compete with other, newer Las Vegas venues. I oversaw the development of creative which was sexy and slightly more urban in look and feel. It was used for outdoor media and consumer ads.

Wynn Las Vegas’ Le Reve show wanted to explore new key art to be used on all marketing materals. I was responsible for managing a client with challenging internal approvals.

ProElite, Inc. was a new mixed martial arts company that needed a logo and an entire corporate identity system which reflected their core values, their acquisitions, and the sport itself. I managed the creative team as well as the client relationship.

Las Vegas Sands Corporation requested an initial brand exploration for their new property in Bethlehem, PA. I wrote the creative brief, supervised creatives, and managed client expectations through the process.

Radio

Sometimes my vocal abilities can be used for clients that cannot afford union talent.

I also write radio scripts. This is a 30-second spot for a Richmond Symphony fundraiser. Media time/flight was donated by Kroger.

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  1. Sandra Gutierrez says:

    Mujer loca! I enjoy your writings. Take care of yourself.

    – love, Sandra



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  • About Marna

    Marna’s writing career started as a Pentagon intern. Early exposure to $500 toilet seat press releases made her appreciate creative nonfiction. Now she has more than 25 years of senior-level marketing and communications success working with Fortune 100 companies, government, nonprofits, small businesses, startups, and agencies.

    Stats: 377 Posts, 132 Comments

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