
Open Innovation; Social Media/Online Marketing Specialist & Radio Consultant
Washington D.C. Metro Area

Open Innovation; Social Media/Online Marketing Specialist & Radio Consultant
Washington D.C. Metro Area
I am an Open Innovation and Social Media evangelist, preaching the power of innovative ideas and new communication tools to transform business. I also have more than dozen years experience in Broadcast (radio) and online Media, and am known to hundreds of thousands of people who listen to the nationally syndicated Morning in America radio program.
My consultancy, Brick and Click, specializes in Online Suggestion Boxes, Consumer & Employee co-creation/idea platforms, Crowdsourcing, Social Media/ Online/Traditional Media Marketing, E-mail newsletters, Copywriting/Editing and Blogging; serving Business, Traditional Media (radio especially) and Government.
Formerly Director, North America at Fellowforce.com, an Amsterdam based Open Innovation portal and platform. Helped this internet startup with online marketing, community managment, PR, project management, editorial/branding, and consulting on ways to improve the platform and user experience.
I have two blogs that enable me to pursue and showcase my interests and passions: BrickandClick.com and ConsumerPassion.com. A third is a work in process: MainStreetReport.com.
My career includes deep experience in broadcast (radio) and online media:
Operations Director/News Anchor (I was an integral part of Bill Bennett's Morning in America syndicated talk show. I ran all technical and creative aspects of the show, and offered on-air analysis of various topics including business, the economy, technology, trends and politics)
Operations Manager/Program/Creative Director (in charge of 3 XM Satellite Radio Channels)
Creative Director (Commercial Writer/Radio Producer) w/ four First Place Awards
Podcast Developer/Producer (TownHall.com)
Network Radio News Anchor/Editor (SRN News, serving 1100 radio affiliates; I specialized in business and the economy)
Open Innovation, social media marketing, radio consulting, blogging, online marketing, business consulting, copywriting, editing, crowdsourcing, E-mail newsletters, consumer issues, broadcast media, audio production, radio operations, program development, brand development, internet domains, community management, Web 2.0, Podcast producing.
(Internet industry)
May 2008 — Present (7 months)
Helping businesses (primarily SME), local government and traditional media- radio especially- integrate and improve offline/online strategies, decide which Web 2.0 platforms and technology to deploy; how to stay ahead of the curve in this innovative and disruptive digital world.
Areas of special focus: Radio Consulting (using social media channels like Twitter to improve traffic, TSL and CUME), Open Innovation (Online Suggestion Boxes, Consumer/Employee Idea & Feedback Portals, Crowdsourcing), E-Mail Newsletters, Social Media Marketing, Digital Makeovers, Blogging, Business/Technology/Consumer Trends and how to provide a Radically Superior Consumer Experience.
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Internet industry)
July 2007 — May 2008 (11 months)
Helped build a global platform for open innovation between consumers and businesses; responsibilities included online marketing, brand creation (I coined the tagline Open For Innovation), community managment, sales and consulting in North America for Fellowforce.com, an open innovation platform and portal connecting companies and organizations with creative consumers and problem solvers worldwide.
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; SALM; Broadcast Media industry)
April 2004 — June 2007 (3 years 3 months)
* News Anchor, on-air contributor for nationally syndicated morning radio show. I am known by hundreds of thousands of listeners across the country and was an integral part of this show.
* Handled Technical Producing (audio mixing, creative production, caller software, anything and everything behind the scenes that runs the show
* Managed the website (www.bennettmornings.com) and web community (the Roundtable - a term I created); created and managed various online marketing campaigns
* wrote and edited commercial copy for the host
* Produced and marketed the CD Morning in America: Remembering President Ronald Reagan, a richly mixed compilation of show interviews, historic audio clips and listener thoughts from the week following Reagan's passing
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; SALM; Broadcast Media industry)
2006 — 2006 (less than a year)
Developed and produced a daily, half hour Podcast for http://www.TCSdaily.com, in partnership with http://www.TownHall.com. I created an audio 'frame' for the podcast, wrote/voiced announcer 'wraps', recorded the host and his guests, and edited/produced the raw audio into a final, high quality mix that was uploaded to Townhall.com each weekday.
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; SALM; Broadcast Media industry)
February 2001 — November 2003 (2 years 10 months)
* Responsible for 3 XM Satellite Radio channels, operated in partnership with Salem and XM
* Built and programmed from the ground up, one talk and two music format channels
* hired and directed a modest staff, including on-air talent, producers, and a webmaster
* Voicetracked for the music channels
* wrote and produced various creative audio pieces and promos
* developed new programs for the talk channel
* marketing
* web oversight
* programmed automation software
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; SALM; Broadcast Media industry)
February 2000 — April 2001 (1 year 3 months)
Creative Director for Salem's Washington DC two-station radio cluster. Responsible for audio production, commercial writing and campaign development. Heavy interaction with sales staff and clients. Was awarded three first place awards for commercials and/or promos (two Virginia Association of Broadcaster awards, one national Tesla award).
Also anchored afternoon drive time news and business updates.
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; SALM; Broadcast Media industry)
June 1998 — February 2000 (1 year 9 months)
News Anchor, Editor and Producer for SRN News, with more than 1000 radio affiliates. Typical shift would require several hours of writing and anchoring network newscasts, then producing audio feeds for affiliates, writing and voicing reports for other anchors, and writing/producing a daily Business Brief. My area of strength and special interest was Business and the Economy, especially the internet bubble, and move toward Y2K.
Business, the economy, Main Street, open innovation, consumer issues, new technology, trends, Web 2.0, blogs, entrepreneurship, dogs, animal rescue organizations (Chance Foundation in Catlett, VA), Outer Banks (Duck)
Open Coffee, ExecutiveBiz Roundtable
First Place, Virginia Association of Broadcasters: Radio Promotion, Large Market (Writer/Voice talent/Producer)
First Place, Virginia Association of Broadcasters: Radio Commercial, Large Market (Writer/Voice talent/Producer)
First Place, Tesla Awards (National contest based in Colorado Springs, CO): Radio Commecial, Large Market (Writer/Voice talent/Producer)
First Place, Tesla Awards: Radio Promo, Large Market (Writer/Voice talent/Producer)