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We are working with Altrec in their search for a Marketing Director – Email, Loyalty & Promotions based in Redmond, Oregon — just a few miles up the road from scenic Bend.
Altrec (IR-436) is a mid-market online retailer with strong sales potential. This new role was created with the goal of increasing email conversions through strategic campaigns and creating a new customer loyalty and retention program from the ground up, thereby increasing revenues and further establishing the Altrec brand.
The three main pillars of this role are:
- Customer Loyalty Program
- Email Marketing
- Promotions
This role enables the individual to use both his/her creative skills and analytical skills as a means to drive effective, measurable, integrated email and customer loyalty / retention programs. This role requires the individual to work closely with cross-functional departments within Altrec.com, so communication, collaboration, and influencing skills are essential.
This high-profile position will be based at the firm’s offices in Redmond, OR and will report directly to the CEO.
HARRY’S COMMENTS: Mike Morford, Altrec’s founder and CEO, is an extremely knowledgeable ecommerce executive both in terms of Altrec’s marketing economics and its positioning strategies. In addition to leading the company, Mike has been running Altrec’s Marketing department, so this role would report to Mike and work with him on a regular basis.
Altrec seeks a business oriented marketer who can look at Altrec‘s brand, assess each marketing campaign in light of an overall strategy, and understand how to combine email, social, and other touch points to sell to its customers the way they prefer to buy — and in a way that makes them feel better about themselves because of their relationship with Altrec.
Background on the company
Altrec is a leader in the online space for premium outdoor apparel and gear. It competes primarily with Backcountry.com, REI.com, Moosejaw.com and Zappos.com. To a lesser extent, Altrec competes with Amazon, eBay, and Dick’s Sporting Goods for many of the same outdoor products. All things considered, it’s a challenging category.
Altrec’s primary point of differentiation is its authenticity: The people at Altrec are true outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts, and they pride themselves on their ability to explain very simply the most technical aspects of any product they sell. The company’s mission is inspiring, educating, and equipping the outdoor enthusiast who will eventually become a steward of the outdoors as well. The company is very price competitive, but it does not compete on price, per se. Altrec sells expertise in much the same way that Crutchfield Electronics does in the consumer electronics space.
Naturally, Altrec.com, along with its content website, GreatOutdoors.com, are treasure troves of information celebrating the outdoor lifestyle. The GreatOutdoors.com site features more than 3000 articles, which the company intends to broaden. User generated content and social networking represent opportunities for improvement as well. Certainly, the company has the street credibility with diehard fans of the outdoor lifestyle to source and curate online resources to help them enjoy the outdoors. This, coupled with better personalization technology, should improve the emotional bond that Altrec enjoys with its fans.
Who are these fans?
Mike points out that there are some exciting trends bubbling up with the women’s segment of the database. Nationwide, for the 2012 year ending July 31, U.S. women’s sportswear (tops, bottoms, skirts, jeans and sweaters) generated about $83 billion in sales, according to The NPD Group’s Consumer Tracking Service. (Candidates, call me for Altrec’s trends with this promising cohort. I have tons of very rich data on Altrec’s house file’s source, geography, behaviors, and more.)
About the role
Altrec focuses on the following KPI’s: Total online sales; Traffic; E-mail subscribers; Conversion rate; and Average order value. In particular, both the conversion rates for first-time buyers as well as the conversion rate for repeat customers are very strong. Additionally, the AOV for returning customers is significantly higher, and in some segments of the house file, it’s off the charts. Your job is to mine the data to spot demand trends, and then segment the database to improve response. Relevant CRM strategies may include source segmentation; content/interest segmentation; advocacy segmentation; behavior-based segmentation; geographic segmentation; and possibly even role-based segmentation.
Moreover, it’s essential that you can bring a hypothesis-driven approach to designing offers that speak to the emotional triggers of each database cohort, such as the desire to belong; exclusivity; familiarity; consistency; proof of value; sense of urgency; and more. You can’t just know the numbers behind the database. You have to know what makes your customers tick emotionally.
The successful candidate must have demonstrated expertise in the following areas: CRM, Data Mining, Email Marketing, Gift Cards, Loyalty and Promotion Management, Mobile Commerce, Merchandising, Personalization, and Social Media as it would pertain to brand building and loyalty/CRM.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a world-class marketer to work for an entrepreneur who understands the true value of database marketing. If you have a firm grasp on how to collect and analyze data and you enjoy the outdoors and crave a seat at the table within a high-growth organization, Altrec is the place for you.
A word about Bend, Oregon.
According to the New York Times, Bend is one of America’s top 5 destinations for microbrews. For outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts, Bend is right up there with Aspen, Jackson Hole, Boulder, and Lake Tahoe. Seriously. When you live in Bend, you are just 15 minutes away from world-class downhill and cross-country skiing every morning. You are 10 to 15 minutes away from some of the best fly fishing in the lower 48. You are 20 minutes away from soaring mountains and serene lakes just perfect for camping. Plus, you have one of the top rock climbing destinations in America.
In Bend, you will have 25 world-class resorts, any one of which has three world-class golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. America’s top golf course designer is based in Bend, and he’s the only person who is allowed to touch the redesign of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Worried that you will have no place to put your family when they visit?
Bend is a great family town, and education is a huge deal there. Bend is home to a unique blend of highly educated, hardcore outdoor enthusiasts who have migrated from all over the world to establish the lifestyles they want to lead.
What are the next steps?
If this sounds like heaven on earth to you, we’d love for you apply. I have an enormous amount of information on this search, and the client will share even more information with qualified candidates who sign an NDA. You can expect to work through a short email marketing case study as part of the interview process.
If you’re good, you’ll enjoy doing the case and you’ll be energized by the experience. It won’t take long, and it will help us know if this is the right role for you.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Create, develop, implement, execute, manage, and refine a comprehensive customer loyalty / retention program from scratch, and ensure it aligns with the overall marketing plan for the company
- Enhance and optimize the firm’s existing e-mail program through strategic integration with the new customer loyalty program and other existing marketing channels such as printed package inserts and direct mail
- Strategically develop and execute new, creative customer promotions to drive business, conversion / click thru, and email sign up
- Collaborate on an e-mail marketing promotions calendar that ties into the overall business strategy
- Create customer segmentation test plans for seasonal and non-seasonal campaigns to drive traffic, sales and ROI
- Work with cross functional departments, including Merchandising, Production, Design, Marketing, and Technology to communicate and deliver seamless, intelligent customer loyalty & e-mail marketing programs
- In conjunction with the Marketing department, develop best practices in promotional personalization, testing, and web usability (UI)
- Establish program performance metrics and track, record and communicate results on an ongoing basis
- Measure and analyze program and campaign results and continuously refine strategies as required
- Act as the primary point-of-contact and company subject matter expert for these programs
POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
- 7+ years of demonstrated successful experience with e-mail, customer acquisition, and customer loyalty / retention programs in a fast paced, multi-channel, direct-to-consumer (D2C or B2C) retail environment
- Demonstrated experience creating and executing successful promotional campaigns
- Branding experience within the online consumer retail segment
- Strategic, creative thinker with strong analytical skills to synthesize complex data into actionable steps / initiatives
- Demonstrated experience & focus on online marketing analytics and ROI to guide successful decision making
- Senior-level understanding of CRM systems / data, customer insights and customer segmentation with demonstrated successes in improving loyalty and retention of customers
- Strong understanding of customer segmentation and testing with a track record of applying these principles to deliver incremental sales and profit
- Must have hands-on experience in the creative development process for online content, including a good understanding of email design and development, as well as promotional copywriting
- Self-starter and strong motivation to build something new in an environment that requires creativity and strong attention to detail
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build cross-functional relationships
- Solid Project Management skills with the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
- Experience marketing through multiple channels – specifically, online, email, and direct mail
- Adept and skillful with MS Office Suite – advanced MS Excel skills
- Bachelor’s degree is required
DESIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:
- Previous experience in a B2C retail ecommerce company
- Knowledge and/or education of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) or other related areas
- Experience in web usability (UI) and user experience (UX) is highly desired
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Cognitive Psychology or related field is desirable
- Graduate degree is desirable
Applications for this position are being coordinated by Harry Joiner. To apply, CLICK HERE. Candidates, please be sure to email Harry for a packet of market research and company / competitive intel that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.
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