
Marketing and Strategy Consultant
Providence, Rhode Island Area

Marketing and Strategy Consultant
Providence, Rhode Island Area
I have spent my career helping to build brands and audiences, develop artists, and generate sales and attention for a wide range of people, products and events. My current and primary focus is working with creative organizations, artist, filmmakers, musicians and arts organizations. My professional background includes positions at a leading national public relations agency, multiple consultative relationships with regional arts and entertainment organizations, and at a national non-profit organization. At root, I am an idea generator and a connector who believes that when we are passionate about who we work with and the ideas we are advancing, great things happen.
You can get a look at how and what I think about over at my blog, http://www.onecoolfreeidea.com
Brand development, event production, publicity, strategy for people and projects in the entertainment industry, music, film, arts and arts organizations.
(Entertainment industry)
1993 — Present (16 years )
My consulting work centers around helping people develop innovative communications and branding strategy, marketing/communications plans, arts and entertainment events management, branding and promotion. My clients currently include artists, musicians, and Berkleemusic.com, the online division of the Berklee College of Music. An example of my writing is here http://www.berkleemusic.com/welcome/gowda
(Entertainment industry)
2006 — 2008 (2 years )
For the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIFF), I am part of a dedicated staff overseeing an event that draws 3,000 submissions and attracts 300 filmmakers annually. I maintain contact with and am involved in hospitality, registration and customer relations for this worldwide group. I have also worked to expand our audience by linking various films/content with local media outlets and special interest groups.
(Entertainment industry)
2006 — 2008 (2 years )
(Entertainment industry)
1996 — 2006 (10 years )
I developed an event from an initial 3,000 attendees to 10,000 on our 10th anniversary. Our 10th event featured celebrity vocalists, the RI Philharmonic, a surprise fireworks, and a US Navy flyover by two FA-18 figher jets. The plan included branding, advertising, direct mail solicitation, publicity, and corporate fundraising. I conceived and established the Summer’s End Youth Jazz Ensemble in collaboration with the RI Philharmonic’s Music School, linking local young musicians with the festival. A weeklong intensive music camp culminated with the kids performing live on stage at Summer’s End. I also produced a sidebar event, the Summer’s End Jazz Festival with local musicians and New Orleans’ Los Hombres Calientes.
(Music industry)
2002 — 2004 (2 years )
I directed a brand re-fresh, advertising, direct mail, and publicity campaign for the Music On The Hill concert series as it sought to build its subscription base and reach a younger audience. I worked with professional graphic arts and advertising firms to create a new brand identity and season brochure, developed and executed a media plan to maximize limited advertising dollars, coordinated a targeted direct mail effort, and managed publicity and subscriber communications.
(Entertainment industry)
1993 — 1996 (3 years )
Arts presenting organization bringing nationally-known talent to K-12 students in the community of East Greenwich.
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)
1990 — 1992 (2 years )
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
1985 — 1990 (5 years )
Managed communications strategy and events for international PR agency Creamer Dickson Basford (now Magnet), working with clients Allied Signal, Avery Dennison, Swarovski, A.T. Cross. Our team designed and managed PR/communications programs encompassing a broad range of products, events, media, consumer research and market segments.
Music business, marketing, composition 2006 — 2010 (expected)
BA , English, Political Science , 1978 — 1982
Intern/assistant producer at WXXI-TV/Rochester
My passion is music, film and the arts. I am a composer, singer, accompanist and keyboardist. I have worked as a musical director and accompanist for the Fantasyworks Children's Theater in Rhode Island. I am also a youth leader/mentor for a local mission project taking high school students to El Pedregal, Dominican Republic, where they are building a school in an impoverished community.