brian karo

Responsible for technical specification documentation, sprint planning, and onboarding of new features to support the company’s growth strategy. Key member of the launch team for the new design community-focused web platform. Built entirely from the ground up, this new platform provides members with story editing and collaboration tools, collection creating, sharing features, and personalized content feeds. Develop content publishing partnership strategies and worked with the content team in implementing short-term and long-term programs. Created and implemented onboarding strategies for initial beta users including design and architect professionals, content publishing partners, super users, and early adopters. Managed the community feedback channel, captured member enhancement requests, worked with Engineering to prioritize release items, and engaged community members on new feature updates. Published weekly reporting of community activities—traffic, new users, returning user, time on site, comments, shares, and trends for company-wide distribution.

* Responsible for all subscription related acquisition and retention marketing programs. * Collaborated with the live events team on cross promotion opportunities, attendee strategy, and messaging. * Developed and executed marketing plans and test plans related to new business, customer retention, and annual live show attendance. * Identified and implemented cross promotion opportunities through direct mail, combination subscription sales with other publishers, email campaigns, flash sale deal sites, loyalty, and partnership programs. * Managed billing and renewal programs, internet orders, insert card strategy, seasonal gift campaigns, digital subscription growth, and partnership programs. * Built and managed annual promotional calendars, promotional effort selection and deployment schedules, and promotional creative print production timetables.

* Responsible for direct marketing strategy and execution for twelve niche publications—the largest titles being Yoga Journal, Vegetarian Times, Backpacker magazines. Also included: Old House Journal, Old House Interiors, Timber Home Living, Country's Best Log Homes, Log Home Living, Black Belt, American Cowboy, Yachts International, Early Homes. * Grew new business through direct mail and insert card subscription marketing programs through list analysis, segmentation, optimization, and creative testing. * Planned and implemented all direct marketing campaigns for various magazine titles based on corporate goals and budgets. * Analyzed list history and usage to determine ideal lists and segmentations to maximize campaign performance. * Insert card promotion creative and price testing, execution, and performance tracking analysis. * Prepared performance and P&L analysis against budget for all direct mail campaigns.

* Responsible for legacy billing and renewal marketing efforts. Optimized renewals through segment targeting, improving overall delivery efficiencies, and response rates for a subscriber base of 1.2 million resulting in an immediate lift in new business and renewal payments. * Streamlined direct marketing communications by developing and executing several tests aimed at subscription billing, renewal efficiencies and pricing strategies to increase higher response rates. * Measured billing, renewal, and test performance using custom reports and corporate proprietary tools. * Initiated and implemented the use of email billing and renewal marketing promotions to improve efficiency, control costs, and increase response effectiveness. * Preparation of bi-annual budgets and forecasting for managed business sources. * Worked closely with creative group to develop and revise the direct response artwork in support of marketing plans.

* Responsibilities included execution of growth strategy and implementation of acquisition and retention marketing programs. * Managed subscription fulfillment procedures, master schedules, billing, and renewal programs. * Created billing and renewal test strategies, such as creative, extra efforts, timing changes, and emails. * Assisted with list selection, segmentation, test ideas, campaign set-up, and execution. * Developed email promotions including website subscription banner, button ads, surveys, billing, and renewals to improve subscription access and generate new subscriptions. * Contributed to the annual direct mail and hot line campaigns.

* Executed new subscription promotion efforts including online advertising (website ad units, e-newsletter sponsorship, and email), direct mail, insert cards, and guerilla campaigns. * Coordinated vendors and staff in creative, production, list acquisition, and logistics to ensure on time campaign execution. * Established campaign structure, assigned coding and generated performance analysis reports to evaluated on-going business goals. * Tracked customer response to maximize overall efficiency and effectiveness of campaigns. * Managed subscriber file list rental activity including revenue tracking vs. budget. * Responsible for magazine insert card production, insertion schedules, response tracking, and evaluation. * Assisted Circulation Director with direct mail campaigns supporting subscription growth.

* Direct mail marketing list broker and consultant focused on the design and implementation of successful direct mail campaigns for major non-profit organizations. * Planned campaigns for client fundraising efforts. * Negotiated nonprofit and commercial list usage and rental exchange. * Prepared list recommendations to maximize campaign response and meet/exceed fundraising goals. * Analyzed and created custom client report packages summarizing list history performance.

* Responsible for setting strategy to meet company growth plans for print and digital subscriptions, and closely collaborated with the event marketing team to align strategy of events with online promotions and milestones. * Provided strategy and direction for magazine’s consumer marketing programs to achieve and maintain circulation size and revenue goals. * Developed and executed marketing programs supporting new business acquisitions, customer retention, and live event cross promotions. * Analyzed reporting for consumer marketing strategies and evaluated success and profitability. * Developed acquisitions and retention marketing collateral, including design, copy messaging, proofing, and production. * Worked with third party fulfillment bureau to ensure all data file selections and production schedules were followed and executed timely and accurately.