A U D I O

Integrated audience // Superserve Customers // Future of News

Resume PDF Version // E-mail Chris


Entrepreneurial leader with 30 years of newspaper and television experience in marketing, branding, product creation, revenue development and change management.

Experience


2018 - Present    Retired

2007 2017       Chris Mead Associates, LLC
Internet marketing and branding consultancy engaged with media and private corporations. Practice achieves marketing strategies through cost-effective digital tactics.

Highlights

  • 2007 – Present Lilly Broadcasting WICU, WSEE, CW and WENY (NY)
    • Created digital strategy, trained news and sales staffs
      • Achieved significant growth in digital revenue & audience
    • Toledo, Buffalo and Erie Wine Festivals
      • Created and executed local marketing and branding for each event
      • Gross ticket sales were $300,000; events all sold out

  • 2011 – 2014    WTVG (Toledo, OH)/WJRT (Flint, MI)
    • Replaced CMS and built efficient workflow for news and sales; trained on all digital products and services.  Cut over $30,000 from digital expense budget
    • Created mobile, email, SMS, app push, SEO and social strategies
    • Results for WTVG:
      • Page views increased 153% to 6.6M
      • Visits increased 70%
      • Increased time spent 109% while decreasing bounces 15%
      • Pure digital sales increased 53% to $400,000 in 3 years

  • 2009 – 2012    Salvage Direct - $17.6M Online Insurance Salvage Marketplace
    • Created corporate strategic marketing plan and recruited staff to execute the plan as sales grew from $15M to $17.5M and nationwide locations grew from 35 to 60 while remarketing over 100,000 vehicles annually.

    • Built a branding program for differentiation which included professionalizing all sales channels and materials, CSR training and digital messaging.

2006 2007   Marketing Director, Erie Times-News / CEO, CyberInk
Successfully integrated a separate subsidiary, CyberInk, into the marketing department of the Erie Times-News and continued to lead the company’s digital strategy.

  • Leadership:     Led change among a highly creative and motivated 17-person team; integrated digital products/services into every conversation; created company-wide, cross-functional teams for brainstorming, planning and benchmarking; organized Erie Times-News annual strategic planning efforts; co-managed a 3-person, targeted publications group responsible for $1 million gross sales; led targeted publication sales efforts.

  • Marketing:      Built customer acquisition and retention strategies using multi-media tactics; ensured external media buys were effective and efficient; created public relations/event marketing position which launched a profitable job fair and successful advertiser workshops; researched and planned for corporate rebranding campaign around the newly integrated GoErie.com and Erie Times-News audiences; orchestrated launch of user-generated content project to enter competing market; led non-traditional revenue brainstorming.

1997 –  2007   CEO and Founder, CyberInk, LP
Created a subsidiary for the Erie Times-News to explore new media and created the newspaper’s web site (GoErie.com) which generated over $1 million in revenue by 2007 and 55% market share among Erie County adults.

  • Doubled self-service, classified ad placement to $200,000 (annualized 2007); built specialized, online sales force – increased sales by 35%.

1997 2006   Co-Founder, Aromas coffeeHouse
Created the vision, obtained financing and built a local coffeehouse/restaurant in Erie, PA. The successful retail operation employed 12 part-time employees and generated over $250,000 per year.

1991 – 1997   Marketing Director, Erie Times-News

1985 – 1991  Various positions in newspaper marketing and advertising

Education
MBA program study Gannon University
B.A. in Advertising, Michigan State University, 1985

Industry seminars
National Association of Broadcasters Conference, API Executive Development Program

Community service
Parkinson Partners, PSE Radio, Erie Humane Society, Flagship Niagara League, Family Services, United Way, Erie County Historical Society, Presque Isle Partnership, YMCA, Martin Luther King Center/NATO, Blood Bank