Mark Drosos

From Burrito King to Social Prince

Austin, Texas Area

Current
  • President at Lodestone Social Media
Past

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4 more...

Education
  • Arizona State University
  • University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business
Recommended
Mark has 5 recommendations 5 people have recommended Mark
Connections
386 connections
Industry
Marketing and Advertising
Websites

Mark Drosos’s Summary

I am a marketing, digital media, sales professional and former burrito king. My expertise is leading consumer products companies, social media and digital marketing agencies along with a frozen burrito company to phenomenal success.

My teams have taken a company from $60M to $200M (organic growth) in a span of 4 years, produced award winning interactive marketing campaigns, reinvented an online education company into a leading social media company and led an agency to being named to the Inc. 500 fastest growing companies (85th overall in 2006).

I am a frequent speaker, interviewee and writer for iMedia Connection, The University of Southern California MBA program and Destination CRM amongst other media outlets.

Mark Drosos’s Specialties:

Social Media, Emerging Media Platforms, Digital Marketing/Media, Brand management, International Marketing, National Sales Management and Multi-channel marketing.

Mark Drosos’s Experience

  • President

    Lodestone Social Media

    (Marketing and Advertising industry)

    August 2008 — Present (1 year 4 months)

    Lodestone is a marketing agency that provides a compass to extend your brand into the digital, social media universe. Our sole purpose is to develop a magnetic brand attraction, a relationship between brands and consumers.

    Lodestone provides a sandbox of digital, social and mobile programs that can be aligned to your marketing objectives. Our expertise spans branded social applications, online communities, mobile activation, widgets and more.

    We combine the right technology, research, content and participation to shape an authentic, relevant and magnetic branded program to engage your consumers.

    Our team develop magnetic campaigns for Dell, TCU Horned Frogs, Q2 ebanking, VOD Drinks and Hex Bug Nano among others.

    Our strategies helped Hex Bug Nano secure distribution in Radio Shack and Toys R Us’ and launch a worldwide website and community for Dell’s SMB division with partners Microsoft and Intel.

  • COO/Ex. Creative Director

    Powered, Inc.

    (Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

    March 2007 — July 2008 (1 year 5 months)

    Powered is a 70 person Software as a Service company specializing in online communities that combine consumer education content with communities that stimulate engagement around products and brands.

    My team led the reinvention of Powered from an online education company to a leading online community and rich media company.

    I led account planning, sales/business development team and the creative group to a 50% growth rate and launched new consumer, customer service and consumer research community sites such as Sony's Backstage 101, Sony's Digital Darkroom and Atkins Community.

    My team guided the strategy for reinventing the platform into a robust community platform, content into a rich media production house and an account planning team into community managers and analytics powerhouse teaming with partners like Coremetrics, Brightcove and Vovici to establish best practices around measuring social marketing efforts.

  • VP Business Development & Interactive Marketing

    nFusion Group

    (Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

    September 2005 — March 2007 (1 year 7 months)

    I led the interactive marketing and business development for nFusion, a 60+ person marekting agency. My team guided the development of interactive marketing capabilities for agency, and providing strategic consulting to the agency’s clients.

    After joining the company nFusion was awarded business from clients such as; Microsoft, NEC, Nokia, Warner Bros., FOX Studios, Anheuser Busch and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

    I also guide the company’s first interactive marketing campaign with a user generated content promotion for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and a viral gaming campaign for Ice Age 2. In September of 2006 nFusion was named to the list of Inc 500’s fastest growing companies, ranked 85th overall.

  • Executive Director/VP Worldwide Interactive Marketing

    Warner Home Video

    (Public Company; TWX; Entertainment industry)

    May 2002 — September 2005 (3 years 5 months)

    At Warner I guided an international team responsible for online marketing strategies including advertising, promotions, social/community efforts, content and creative development.

    My team crafted online promotions and hundreds of online campaigns ranging from multi-million dollar blockbuster, such as The Matrix and Batman Begins to classic movies like The Wizard of Oz, and Casablanca.

    During my tenure with Warner Bros. the team initiated a content sharing partnership and in-store programs with key e-tailers like Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Amazon.

    I also guided the design of the consumer e-commerce portal at warnerhomevideo.com and developed the strategies for Warner’s B2B web portal, WHVdirect.com, in 17 countries.

    WHVdirect was the communication tool for customers, press, vendors, distributors and employees that provided critical DVD information from pricing, ordering data and creative materials to trailers, banners and promotions.

  • National Sales & Marketing Manager - Consultant

    Country Pure Foods

    (Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Food & Beverages industry)

    April 2002 — April 2003 (1 year 1 month)

    Country Pure Foods was a $130 million beverage manufacturer. The President/CEO, former Ruiz Foods President/CEO, enlisted me to lead the company’s sales team, develop branded products, create a broker network and leverage key client relationships.

    Serving as a transition point for me to finish my MBA and shift from the 'Burrito King' to the 'Social Prince' in the interactive marketing kingdom I focused the company’s efforts on leveraging private-label relationships to launch two new Country Pure branded products.

    We utilized prior broker network to introduce Country Pure products into the Club Channel. We increased exposure in the retail channel while executing the company’s first trading marketing program. The strategic plan increased sales by ten percent, diversified revenues and set up the company for future success.

  • National Sales/Marketing Manager

    Ruiz Foods

    (Privately Held; Food Production industry)

    March 1998 — March 2002 (4 years 1 month)

    RFP is a $300 million manufacturer of consumer food products. Transformed sales and marketing leading Ruiz from a regional brand to the nations #1 brand in frozen Mexican food.

    My team of sales managers/marketing managers and 60 contract brokers grew the company from $60 million dollars in revenue to over $200M and set up the company for growth beyond $300M.

    Responsibilities included P&L, top-to-top customer relations, creating strategic plans, media planning, trade spending, forecasting, PR, promotions, branding and budgeting.

    •Acted as change agent in redefining cross-functional roles, planning, focus and attitudes that catapulted sales 300% and creating the company’s first 3-year strategic plan.
    •Introduced first trade spending program resulting in a 6.5% gain in market share.
    •Re-designed brand and launched over 10 new items becoming the # 1 brand in the category.
    •Championed integrated brand efforts leading to being named Wal-Mart’s vendor of the quarter.

  • Western Marketing Manager, New Media

    Randy McNally

    (Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Publishing industry)

    January 1996 — March 1998 (2 years 3 months)

  • Western Marketing Manager

    Hormel Foods

    (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; HRL; Consumer Goods industry)

    March 1992 — December 1995 (3 years 10 months)

Mark Drosos’s Education

  • Arizona State University

    BS , Marketing

  • University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business

    MBA ,

Additional Information

Mark Drosos’s Websites:

Mark Drosos’s Groups:

Speaking:
UGC Panel iMedia http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/9750.ASP
USC MBA Marketing Program
Panel Moderator 2009 Trends in Digital Media for Austin Interactive Marketing Assoc. Feb 2009. http://www.austinima.org/

Articles:
The Second Coming of Web 2.0 http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/Editorial/Magazine-Features/The-Second-Coming-of-Web-2.0-49185.aspx
Social Marketing Strategy http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/18009.asp
Who's Marketing Your Brand http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/9406.asp
Path to a Branded Network http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/9804.asp
Avoid Entertainment Extinction http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/10387.asp

Board Participation
iMedia Agency Summit http://www.imediaconnection.com/summitspring/8351.ASP

  •    USC Marshall School of Business
  •    Social Media Marketing
  •    Warner Bros. Alumni
  •    Arizona State University Graduates
  •    nFusion Alumni

Mark Drosos’s Honors:

Ranked #85 in Inc. magazine's Fastest Growing Companies in 2006
Ranked #3 Fast 50 in 2006 by the Austin Business Journal
Ranked #1 Fastest Growing Company in 2005 by the Austin Business Journal
W3 Award - BEST IN SHOW movie and film category for Ice Age 2: Adopt a Sloth

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