Management Supervisor at AKQA, Inc.
San Francisco Bay Area
- Current
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- Management Supervisor at AKQA, Inc.
- Past
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- Senior Account Executive at Trigger LLC
- Producer at Trigger LLC
- Producer at Media Revolution
- Brand Marketing Web Producer at Nike
- Project Manager, Video Oral History at Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center
- Assistant Language Teacher at Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme
- Web Producer at Bank of America
- Web Producer at San Francisco Bay Guardian
- Education
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- Sarah Lawrence College
- The Park School
- Recommended
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20 people have recommended Saren - Connections
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350
connections
- Industry
- Marketing and Advertising
- Websites
Saren Sakurai’s Summary
With 14 years of experience in the digital space, I have been developing and executing integrated marketing strategies for international brands in the Global, US, and Asian markets on both sides of the client/agency relationship.
Recent brands include Kraft Foods (DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen, Jell-O, Philadelphia); Nike, Nike Asia Pacific; Sony Pictures (Home Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Sony Mobile); Team Red Bull; CBS Mobile, Kyocera Wireless, Jenny Craig, The Venetian Hotel and Casino, and FearNet.com.
Recent projects have included strong elements of Social Media; Mobile Engagements; Experiencial Websites; Rich Media; and Transformational Marketing Campaigns.
Saren Sakurai’s Specialties:
Brand Strategy and Innovation; Integrated Communications; Digital Strategy; Social Media; Mobile and Viral Marketing; Youth Branding; Client Service, Relationship Management, Account Management; and Business Development.
Saren Sakurai’s Experience
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Management Supervisor
AKQA, Inc.
(Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)
October 2007 — Present (1 year 3 months)
The sole account lead for two large agency accounts. I work intimately with Brand Managers and Directors of Interactive Marketing, and numerous client partner agencies, to develop annual, integrated, strategic marketing plans.
I lead the creation and presentation of strategic forecasting and industry landscape presentations; participate in quarterly reviews of campaign performance; and work closely with each client on ongoing campaign optimization strategies.
I've grown my current accounts from a new client and a single brand, to seven brands in three categories; quadrupled the annual budget within the agency year-over-year; and maintained significant profitability for the agency.
Current clients: DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen and Philadelphia Cream Cheese; and Method Home.
Projects have included strong elements of Social Media; Mobile Engagements; Experiencial Websites; Rich Media; and Transformational Marketing Campaigns. -
Senior Account Executive
Trigger LLC
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)
January 2007 — October 2007 (10 months)
As the Senior Account Executive, with a concentration on Strategy, I worked with Trigger's clients to provide interactive marketing solutions for a variety of entertainment, mobile, and youth brand companies.
Our team built digital campaigns for all three Spider-Man movies; a large variety of Sony Pictures films; Paramount Pictures films; Amp'd Mobile; Team Red Bull; CBS and CBS Mobile; Kyocera Wireless, Sony Home Entertainment, The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, and Wind-up Records.
We specialize in Flash websites, online communities, advergaming, mobile BREW skins, 3D modeling and animation, and motion graphics. -
Producer
Trigger LLC
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Online Media industry)
January 2006 — January 2007 (1 year 1 month)
Served as the primary account and project manager for Team Red Bull, CBS Mobile, Amp’d Mobile, Kyocera Wireless, and QualComm, as well as producing projects for Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, and Wind-Up Records.
Led each client’s interactive marketing initiative from creative brief to final delivery. Developed and maintained on-going brand strategy, wrote and directed pitch proposals and responses to RFP, led presentations to clients, as well as capabilities presentations to potential clients. Team Project Manager for all client’s projects from pricing and contracting, through documentation, build, and final delivery. -
Producer
Media Revolution
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Online Media industry)
October 2004 — December 2005 (1 year 3 months)
Producer for an Interactive Marketing Agency. Clients included Sony Pictures, Amp'd Mobile, Walt Disney World, the Shoah Foundation, Paramount Pictures, and Public Storage.
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Brand Marketing Web Producer
Nike
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; NKE; Marketing and Advertising industry)
January 2004 — September 2004 (9 months)
US producer for the Asia Pacific Region managing multiple, seasonal web campaigns from advertising brief, through development and localization, pan-Asian deployment, and continent-wide launch. Worked with design agencies in San Francisco, New York, London, and Amsterdam in coordination with Nike digital teams in seven Asian countries to design, build and translate quarterly updates for multiple brand categories. Was the primary project manager for multiple regional projects, including serving as regional lead for the global Nike 'Speed' campaign for the 2004 Olympic games. Maintained project timelines, wrote weekly reports, wrote briefs for the design agencies, and produced all product and on-model photography shoots for fall women's campaign in Asia.
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Project Manager, Video Oral History
Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center
(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry)
October 2002 — January 2004 (1 year 4 months)
Producer/Project Manager for the Oregon Nikkei Oral History Project. Produced a 30 segment video oral history of Japanese Americans in Oregon for a community historical society. Coordinated the training and scheduling of a team of twelve interviewers, a videography crew, transcription services, and a number of portrait photographers. Also produced the writing and direction of broadcast programming for local PBS, cable access, and public school programs.
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Assistant Language Teacher
Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme
(Education Management industry)
June 1999 — July 2001 (2 years 2 months)
Assistant English teacher in Japan. Lived and worked as an Assistant Teacher of English in the Miyagi Prefecture public school system.
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Web Producer
Bank of America
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; BAC; Online Media industry)
January 1999 — July 1999 (7 months)
Content Producer hired on a contract basis to facilitate the migration of content from the legacy websites of Bank of America and NationsBank during a merger and National re-branding campaign.
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Web Producer
San Francisco Bay Guardian
(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Online Media industry)
September 1996 — January 1999 (2 years 5 months)
Web Producer for the San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper. Lead the online production team in developing an in-house publishing model for weekly online content production.
Saren Sakurai’s Education
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Sarah Lawrence College
BA, Liberal Arts (Creative Writing), August 1986 — May 1990
The degree is in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Creative Writing, and a minor in American Studies.
- Activities and Societies:
- Managing Editor school magazine; Class President 1988-1989; member Concerned Students of Color; member Varsity Soccer team 1986-1987.
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The Park School
HS, Liberal Arts, 1982 — 1986
Saren Sakurai’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
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- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
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