Alison Gross Email & Phone Number

Chicago, IL, US

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Greater Chicago Area

As Director of Strategic Communications and External Affairs, Alison is responsible for corporate and internal communications, including website management, social media strategy, media relations, creative services, corporate identity and brand management, external and internal promotions and events, communications strategy and programs on the company.

Chicago, IL

Various volunteer work with Executive Director and 15 member advisory board to shape, guide and develop Women of the World, a 501(c)(3), whose vision is empowerment through partnership, elevating visibility and opportunity for women locally & globally. Women helping women pave the pathway for limitless possibilities and economic development. Volunteer work.

• Developed and executed a successful integrated brand marketing strategy for a $5 million public awareness and engagement campaign, including logo and brand development, public relations, marketing, advertising, web and.
• Website. Led all aspects of website creation for www.sciencechicago.com, a dynamic, database-driven site with a robust Content Management System (CMS), including hiring website agency, negotiating contracts, leading.
• Social Media and Online Marketing. Collaborated on creation and execution of integrated online communications strategy including aggressive social media campaigns on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, as well as.
• Advertising. Responsible for all aspects of print, interactive, outdoor, and radio advertising for the project, including soliciting, identifying and hiring an ad agency, leading strategy and creative development.
• Marketing Material and Management. Controlled creation of all marketing collateral—creative concepts, budgets, and distribution; in particular, managed the creation, production, and distribution of bi-monthly program.

• Work collaboratively with CEO and CCO to create and execute brand strategy at ground-breaking chain of cereal cafes. Manage office staff, graphic designer, outside copywriters, and outside PR firm.
• Handle advertising from conception, strategy and spend through execution.
• Represent company and brand in interviews and speaking engagements.
• Create and execute integrated brand cross-marketing promotions and events
• Create and execute seasonal and special in-store promotions.
• Initiate, manage and nurture outside marketing relationships.

• Ran the #1 U.S. travel guide book publisher with an annual list of 100+ titles, a $20M+ sales budget and a $2M operating budget, and staff of 30.
• Created sales and department budgets, budget reforecasts.
• Led contract negotiations, new business development, and overall sales & marketing strategies, and list development.
• Conceived program to retool and expand domestic coverage, resulting in proprietary books for Wal-Mart and Books-a-Million.
• Responsible for marketing partnerships to increase Fodor’s brand awareness, additional marketing exposure and incremental revenue. Results included major single title sale to Home Shopping Network’s luggage vendor.
• Oversaw redesign and repositioning of Fodor’s Gold Guides, to increase sales and market share.

• Managed a department of 5 employees for the Crown Publishing Group (Crown, Crown Business, Clarkson Potter, Harmony, Three Rivers Press).
• Created coordinated marketing plans for in-store, consumer, and non-traditional sales channels in collaboration with members of Crown imprint executive marketing team.
• Executed in-store promotions, resulting in more visible store placement, greater initial sales and incremental backlist sales on numerous titles and series.
• Participated in author/agent meetings to advise on appropriate sales channels.
• Worked on New York Times bestselling, key author and title campaigns, including: Suzanne Somers, Deepak Chopra, Suze Orman, Erik Larson (Isaac’s Storm), Pillsbury, Moosewood, Barefoot Contessa, Caroline Myss, the Kovels.

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Women'S Studies

Education record