About Jon Wegman
I'm a brand strategist by trade, learning advertising fundamentals at J. Walther Thompson - specifically with one of the most iconic brands - The United States Marine Corps. Here the briefs didn't change much - but the details mattered. Storied brands are carefully and artfully curated, respectfully polished and researched to perfection. It was an education that set me up for finding insights - and pulling them through a branded lens shaping much of my career.
Traditional media TV (:30 :60 :90), print advertising, events, and OOH gave way to an expanding digital canvas as I moved into digital -first and rapidly evolving experiential agency Moxie Interactive. Our largest client was Verizon Wireless and the mobile phone business was exploding into mainstream consumer behavior and exponentially iterating. It was a true technology-first company with big challenges in competitive differentiation and product marketing. It provided a front-row seat for a new consumer category - and we were defining the market - "coverage" wars, apple vs. android, never-before seen consumer goods like tablets, bluetooth, and 4G demanded strong consumer insights, predictive approach to behavior, and real-time understanding of channel and ad placement capabilities. Remember your first GIF?
By now digital media had transformed the consumer landscape - but companies were ill-equipped for the new customer and heavy reliant on more agile agency-led leadership and dev. I shifted into performance media largely driven by consumer trends in search and the new field of dynamic bids / pricing - AND - dynamic landing pages, shopper funnels, and customer experiences based on consumer data. It was a shift into consumer control and a focus on not just advertising but in conversion events too.
I wanted more control over the marketing funnel and moved into a rocketship of Twitter. For me, it was access to the inner workings of a publisher AND platform AND provider of media - a 360' playground. A big part of the job was explaining "why" Twitter - strategic briefs, pitches to major advertisers - a focus on targeted B2B anchored in evolving consumer behavior. Facebook was changing, Instagram appeared, Snap arrived - and the intricate balance of product development, advertising technology, and storytelling continued. I helped develop a brand voice for one of the most influential platforms on the planet - and eventually developed Twitter's first and only Customer Experience (CX) Team.
I describe CX as the delta between what a customer expects and what a brand delivers. Its also the bridge from "marketing" - to understanding full customer-lifecycle needs and expectations - moving from a brand promise into a brand relationship.
If you've made it this far, hopefully you're interested in my background, and my approach for making connections between consumers and brands. I'd love to continue the conversation and answer any questions you might have.
From a personal standpoint - I'm a creator and builder. I grew up in a Kodak family and have been around framing, developing, and intentional design since I can remember Creativity manifests itself in different ways through my personality - although writing, content creation, deign, and "making" things into reality have been consistent. I've torn down and rebuilt V-8 engines, suspensions, and interiors; gutted 4 kitchens, 9 bathrooms, rebuilt walls, plumbing, electrical, tiling, painted 3 houses, installed windows, doors, floors, framing; and built a cabin in the woods.
Most recently I wanted to launch a brand from scratch - to really test myself. End-to-end design, development, product invention, marketing, and e-commerce. It was a side-hustle concept for years, and it took me most of a year to fully launch - it's fun - but lonely.
My wife has her PhD in Industrial Organizational psychology and it's kept me fascinated with team dynamics, leadership literature, and the interdependent nature of work that we face. Work is such a big part of our lives and should be a careful commitment. I've experienced toxic cultures - but also true teamwork. I hate the term "player-coach" but the idea of switching hats is accurate. I am an agile contributor and celebrate others.
I love what I get to do.
My Latest Projects
CAMPOVIDA WINERY & ESTATE
The wine industry in California was up-ended in the last few years with the arrival of "no-vines" mega-brands who took control of the entire category without owning a single grape or acre. In a fiercely competitive and non-differentiated product marketplace - I was tasked with redesigning Campovida's entire marketing funnel. "Decidedly not Napa" is a pretty good brand statement to start with. We unpacked the customer journey, existing brand elements, member program, design, photography, labels, location marketing, social, web, and tasting-room tech stack. Salud!
HOTELIER TURNDOWN
Direct to Consumer (DTC) brands are a new frontier for CPG companies. The industry continues to be disrupted with new brands ex. Yeti -> Igloo; Harrys -> Gillette, etc. Having witnessed and consulting on this internally I asked myself "How hard would this be to try myself?" Besides a steep learning curve into Amazon / FBA fulfillment and product catalog data; The finding, sourcing, and designing of products was a unique product management experience - moving from virtual goods to physical. All content, design, and copy created myself. Check it out (buy something!) www.hotelierturndown.com
wegman.jon@gmail.com| 404-293-8669