Chris Finks Email & Phone Number

Portland, Oregon Area

Marketing lead for Portland's regional transit authority. Direct fully integrated marketing and community outreach strategies including digital, offline elements, including advertising and promotion, direct marketing, and media/social media strategy. Manage the planning, implementation and evaluation of TriMet marketing, community outreach and $30 million sales program, and external partnerships and relationships to increase ridership and revenues, and build community awareness and support. Manage broad and targeted marketing and community outreach activities to increase ridership and gain public support. Oversee development of marketing products and services to assure public awareness and that the products meet the needs of customers and the marketplace.

London, England, United Kingdom

Serve as marketing and strategy advisor to Ximius, a London-based product innovation lab on a mission to empower start-ups and businesses to create transformative human-centered digital experiences and drive deeper connections with their customers.

The founders of NW Food & Wine Festival, hand selected me to oversee event marketing, advertising and brand management due to excellent business connections, high-level marketing, media and branding experience and exceptional creativity. The event showcases Northwestern high-end wines, foods, spirits, beers, chefs, seafood and accouterments designed for foodies and industry experts.✔I produced a 600K person media reach in the first year and grew the reach to 8.5M in the second year through the increased support of the festival and brand exposure.✔Together with my team and digital campaigns, I increased ticket revenues by 27% (2016), 30% (2017) and on track to sell 50% in year three (2018) using an online sales strategy which drove VIP tickets.

Finksinc is a small regional business that I originated to produce marketing aimed at supporting local economic development. Includes destination marketing, digital marketing, outreach and developing strategic marketing and brand management. ✔I was able to increase hotel revenues and taxes by more than 40% over three years, event attendance by 200%, and sponsorship dollars raised 2:1 for City investment and media reach exceeding $5 M through the development of a visitor tourism program designed to drive hotel revenues and occupancy tax and awareness of the City of St. Helens, Oregon. ✔We identified 20 quantifiable actions to be implemented in support of wine and hospitality business “top-of-mind awareness” leading brand and marketing goal setting for Oregon’s Wine Capital.

Downtown Marketing Initiative was a public-private partnership I set-up to support an economic development, multi-channeled marketing effort and community outreach program during a downtown Portland light rail redevelopment period. The position was designed to build public, private partnerships and sustain business vitality during a 4-year light rail construction period. I produced TV advertising, public relations, e-commerce/web, promotions, developed a stable funding strategy, government and business liaison, and events strategist.✔We turned a 58% negative perception to a 59% positive impression of downtown Portland within 90 days by directing all earned media, promotions, and media and digital efforts to promoting the unique and positive attributes of the city, and by conducting media training for everyone from the executive suites to street level business. ✔My team created the funding source which allowed the budget to increase from $400K to $1.9M using the quantified first-year results and competitive research made media and budgetary recommendations and sources.✔We yielded a 27% increase in city-owned parking revenues.✔ Realized $7.5M in media value and a $40M reach domestically and internationally our establishment of a media strategy to support positive story-telling and branding. Additional Professional Experience includes Senior Marketing Associate, Cohn Marketing Group; Vice President, Association for Portland Progress; Marketing Director, The Rouse Company; Director of Marketing, The Old Post Office Pavilion; Director, Tower District Marketing Association; Marketing Associate, Michael Parola Design Group.