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KATIE SCHMITZ

Global Strategist & Brand Manager
EXPERIENCE

EXPERIENCE

DAN
Medtronic Diabetes (Northridge, CA) 
Principal Global Consumer Marketing Specialist 
September 2018 - Present
 

Consumer Marketing, Social, and Brand Strategy for Medtronic Diabetes —the world’s largest medical device manufacturer

  • Drive consumer insights-based digital & social strategies in partnership with key business unit stakeholders and represent the voice of our consumer with a patient-first mindset by translating research + data into actionable insights

  • Leverage digital & social subject matter expertise to develop direct-to-consumer campaigns aimed at generating demand through a consumer-centric, 360° approach that enables truly integrated programs.

  • Design and implement the Medtronic Diabetes Social Content Strategy and monthly content calendars to align with the business goals to generate demand for product, build brand love, and strengthen our community.

  • Lead communications with global counterparts when coordinating global product launches & other brand campaigns and collaborate with EMEA and APAC marketing teams to share best practices and digital/social strategies.

  • Act as key point of contact between creative/social/media agencies and Medtronic business units to ensure all teams are able to communicate effectively to their desired audiences and reach their objectives.  

Dentsu Aegis Network (Los Angeles, CA) 
Supervisor, Strategy and Insights 
January 2018 - September 2018
 

Strategic Planning and Innovation leadership for Adidas —a global challenger sports brand

  • Lead the strategic planning process by engaging clients in objective-setting and overall business direction, through to creative solutions and strategic frameworks for execution

  • Build & activate go-to-market strategies for Adidas brand initiatives utilizing consumer research, competitive analysis, business/marketing objectives, & innovation design

  • Manage a team of planners/assistants and oversee the planning & execution of all integrated brand campaigns—including budgets, timelines, and reporting

  • Structure & present recommendations to client leadership and guide clients in defining their brand identity and digital vision

  • Develop think pieces and lead brainstorming sessions to push internal teams and client partners to think differently, prioritize innovative practices, and future-proof their business

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Leadership and Client Relationship Management

  • Help structure and present recommendations to client leadership for approval and guide clients in defining their brand and digital vision 

  • Manage day-to-day responsibilities and professional development of planners and assistants

​

Organic
Dentsu Aegis Network (Detroit, MI) 
Senior Global Strategist 
May 2015 - December 2017
 

Consumer Insight and Strategic Planning for the Chevrolet Global Content Studio 

  • Served as strategic consultant to internal teams, agency partners, and clients for consumer relevance, brand identity alignment, global market intelligence, and overall digital best practices with a strong focus on consumer understanding and insight

  • Defined the global brand and infused a “local-up” approach to create a globally consistent, yet locally relevant brand presence across key strategy markets (including: US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Korea, India, Thailand, China, Saudi Arabia, & UAE)

  • Formulated comprehensive go-to-market strategies based on key consumer insights, including: audience segmentation, messaging architecture, platform and content strategy across paid, owned, and earned channels

  • Conducted consumer research (primary + secondary), insight analysis, and persona development, resulting in a best-in-class consumer understanding for both client and agency

  • Mined consumer insights from social listening and additional data sources to develop content strategies fueling a responsive content engine and creating an agency center of excellence

  • Facilitated a truly data-driven approach by leading integration with the analytics team to define global content objectives, develop KPIs and measurement plans, and incorporate key insights uncovered to optimize future strategic approaches

  • Managed day-to-day responsibilities and professional development of two regional strategists in key global markets

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Agency Growth

  • Created and presented the agency's first ever Global Content Compass—Strategic tool informing all global Chevrolet communications efforts, increasing brand alignment and codifying the content approach

  • Increased the Content Studio’s social listening capabilities by championing the implementation of additional tools and becoming a subject matter expert on utilization of data and cultural trends to impact content & brand momentum

CE
Organic, Inc. (Troy, MI) 
Senior Strategist 
April 2014 - May 2015
 

Consumer Insights and Strategic Approach Leadership on Kimberly-Clark brands (U by Kotex, Poise, Depend, Pull-Ups, and GoodNites) as well as new business initiatives

  • Conducted consumer ethnography, qualitative & quantitative data synthesis, insight analysis, persona development, and journey mapping to develop a 360° view of the most valuable consumer

  • Performed extensive brand research, competitive audits, technographic research, concept testing, and other forms of market analysis to glean insights and support strategic recommendations

  • Created briefs and strategic POVs based on intimate understanding of the target and brand objectives which were presented to creative and other internal teams for development

  • Worked closely with analytics team to define KPIs, develop reports, and optimize digital marketing initiatives based on performance data

 

Agency Growth

  • Implemented CRM best practices with key client leadership that resulted in the launch of advanced engagement scoring and lifetime value analysis for multiple brands—a crucial step in redefining audience intelligence

  • Added to Organic’s client roster through contributing consumer analysis, market research, and strategic development for several new business initiatives

  • Increased Organic’s visibility ­­­within the Omnicom network by representing the agency at Omnicom’s Emerging Stars Conference 2014

See3
Medtronic
Campbell Ewald (Detroit, MI) 
Digital Strategist 
May 2013 - March 2014
 

Lead CRM strategist and digital content planner for Team ROGUE on Cadillac

  • Crafted digital marketing strategies, including strategic pillars & brand architecture, web personas, customer journey, brand ecosystem, and overall strategy for digital integration across multiple channels, platforms, and devices

  • Touchpoints included social media, blog and website integration, online advertising, paid social, paid search, SEO, mobile presence, email marketing and CRM integration, as well as an abundance of ever-emerging interaction opportunities integrated with traditional offline ad mediums

  • Integrated with paid media, experiential, social teams, technology partners, etc. and worked closely with brand planning and analytics teams to construct strategies founded in data and consumer insight

  • Presented CRM best practices and innovations to client leadership and agency partners to improve Cadillac CRM efforts

See3 Communications (Chicago, IL) 
Marketing Associate
January 2013 - May 2013
 

Digital Marketing and Analytics Support at an Interactive digital agency that works with non-profits and social causes

  • Reviewed and analyzed marketing opportunities for See3’s lead generation efforts

  • Monitored online metrics including social media engagement, email and blog reach, and web analytics to create monthly dashboards

  • Collaborated on web content for email marketing, social media, and company blog efforts

  • Assisted project management and coordination with responsible parties to ensure timely execution of client deliverables 

Medtronic Diabetes (Northridge, CA) 
Digital Marketing Associate
May 2012 - August 2012
 

CRM and Lead Nurture Strategy Direction at the largest medical device manufacturer in the world

  • Developed strategy for large-scale customer acquisition campaigns and was instrumental in launching their first-ever lead nurture initiative

  • Focused on development of program strategy, consumer re-segmentation and progressive profiling, project management and planning, coordination with large creative agencies, and other consumer marketing efforts

  • Collaborated on several digital marketing efforts such as CRM, social media, website management, video content development, and overall digital branding strategy

RECOMMENDATIONS
Insight Consulting Group (Chicago, IL) 
Market Research Intern
January 2012 - May 2012

 

  • Assisted research by observing focus groups, synthesizing the data collected and converting it to usable market insight for a variety of CPG and medical device brands

  • Gained valuable knowledge about market research methodology and how such information can inform strategic activations

EDUCATION

RECOMMENDATIONS

“If you ever have the opportunity to work with Katie, take it. For the last three years she and I have worked together directly, and in that time she has grown from being a brilliant strategist and critical thinker, to a diligent manager and strong presenter. Katie is my 'go-to' when ever I need to have something sense-checked. She is thorough, and is always exploring new ways to solve complex problems. She has been a part of a pioneering group (The Global Content Studio) at Carat since inception, which has not been without its challenges. Over the years as the needs of the studio have changed Katie's role has also changed several times; through all of this she has shown that she is patient and agile and has approached each new challenge with rigor and a positive attitude. If you want to hear more about Katie and how much of a fan I am of hers, please feel free to send me an inmail."

“Katie is an extremely bright strategist. While launching her career, she dispels the millennial myths of entitled or lazy. Katie counters this with her ambition, hard work, and eagerness to learn from those around her. She is proactive and is responsive to feedback that helps develop her work. Katie also has an eye for integration, ensuring her strategic positioning is integrated with the big picture.

 

I really enjoyed working with Katie and would enjoy doing so again in the future."

Shauna Burbary / SVP Strategy Director at Carat USA

Casey Crawford / Associate Partner Automotive Aerospace & Defence at IBM iX

“Katie Schmitz is one of the most knowledgable and resourceful digital strategists I've met to date. Professionally, she has assisted my team of community managers and social analysts in building hashtag strategies for brand message amplification, developed nameplate archetypes and personality profiles to ensure social messaging is on-target and on-brand. Personally, Katie is reliable and flexible. I still consult Katie for digital direction and strategic input for the greatest level of social integration in ongoing projects. I highly recommend Katie as a digital strategist and insights professional."

Tierra Filhiol / Associate Director Strategy & Insights

"Katie is one of the sharpest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. In our time together on the Chevrolet Global Content Studio, I was constantly impressed by her innate understanding of the strategic business landscape and ability to problem solve. Katie has a knack for absorbing any/all information, while leveraging abstract ideas and insights, to turn out tangible strategies. Her contributions in developing the core pillars aligning business and media objectives for the Chevrolet brand, at a global scale, made her an invaluable asset to the team. Katie is an innovative thinker who’s always on top of her game. She is the first to help out and master whatever is thrown her way. She is a fantastic leader and a wonderful member

to have on your side."

Caitlin Parrett/ Associate Director, Global Reporting at IPG Mediabrands

EDUCATION

SKILLS
Loyola University Chicago 

 

Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Public Relations​

  • Minors: Marketing and Music

  • Grade Point Average: 3.7, Magna Cum Laude

  • Loyola University Chicago Interdisciplinary Honors Program

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Studied abroad—John Felice Rome Center (of Loyola)-- Rome, Italy

  • January 2011- June 2011

 

SKILLS

CONTACT

  • Digital Strategy formulation, brand ecosystem devlopment and overall go-to-market stratgey integration

  • Extensive background in market research

  • Strategic understanding of social Media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Foursquare/Swarm, Tumblr, Pinterest, Whatsapp/Messenger and their business value

  • Social listening and analytics tools such as: Crimson Hexagon, Netbase, Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Topsy, Brandwatch, Radian6, Bottlenose, Unmetric, Geofedia, PostAcumen, etc.

  • Anlytics tools like Google Analytics, as well as reading and reporting on proprietary analytics dashboards

  • Experience with consumer insights databases and other research tools: mTab, eMarketer, Mintel, MRI, Forrester technographics, GfK, etc.

  • Salesforce, Marketo, Eloqua, and other major CRM automation systems

  • Wordpress, Thismoment, Mad Mimi, Percolate, and other CMS tools

  • Graphic design tools: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign

  • Misc: Basecamp, Smartsheet, and other project management tools, Cision Point, etc.

  • Fluency with Microsoft Office (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.) as well as iWork (Keynote, etc.)

  • Both Windows and Mac Operating Systems (as well as proficiency with both iOS and Android mobile devices) 

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