Chris Ertel Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

London, England, Gb

A modern marketing co-op of solopreneurs founded to give businesses better options. From brand strategy to UX, copywriting to video production, SEO to social media strategy, Indee is a one-stop-shop for any combination of A-list marketing pros

Manchester, Gb

Newly hired as a Strategy Director for Equator, I develop, evolve and enhance strategy proposition for new and existing clients in retail and CPG markets. ►DEFINE CLEAR AND IMPACTFUL BRAND STRATEGY to position clients for success. ►LEAD, MANAGE, AND MENTOR TEAM to deliver brand strategy services to clients, including portfolio strategy, brand positioning, consumer insights, segmentation and consumer research.

North Chicago, Il, Us

I was originally hired by Studio North, an award-winning marketing agency, as a freelance consultant. Due to excellence in managing and completing large-scale projects, I was quickly offered a senior marketing strategist role. Key Achievements:►PARTNERED ON LENOVO B2B FISCAL OBJECTIVES, driving social media and brand positioning strategy for several campaigns across multiple verticals, including health, education, and channel marketing.►COLLABORATED ON LAUNCH OF LOGITECH B2B OFFERINGS; created positioning, value proposition, marketing strategy, and communication strategy,►DELIVERED PERSUASIVE PRESENTATIONS, webinars, and events that increased B2B leads for Lenovo.

Consult with corporate and agency clients creating and connecting strategy with business execution. Help brands define their value proposition, core brand message and tone. Build creative briefs that aligns creative execution to business strategy. Current ProjectsBrand strategy and messaging for a $50B global technology companyBrand positioning for a venture backed start up luxury ecommerce brand, NYCCreative strategist for a design agency

Chicago, Illinois, Us

I co-founded this boutique brand design agency which specialized in brand and design services for mid-market and challenger packaged goods brands.Leveraging an extensive network of contacts and significant industry expertise, I directed client acquisition and account management efforts for Tyson, Staples, Chervon, Simple Mills, and Turtle Wax – exceeding client needs by bridging the gap between strategy and design.Key Achievements:►DROVE $2M REVENUE IN TWO YEARS BY ARCHITECTING STRATEGIC PLAN AND SUPPORTING PROCESSES. Catalyzed account growth by interpreting data to glean actionable insights about trends and consumer behavior.►BUILT CLIENT-CENTRIC CULTURE – ALIGNING STRATEGY WITH TRANSPARENCY, CLARITY, AND RELIABILITY to achieve client goals. Conducted research and translated into strategic recommendations.►FOSTERED HIGH-LEVEL COLLABORATION AND CREATIVITY BETWEEN CLIENT AND AGENCY TEAMS by creating virtual workshops, centered around innovation, brand, and communication strategy processes. ►DIRECTED LAUNCH AND EXECUTION OF TURTLE WAX SUB-BRAND. Aligned strategy and mission; built brand identity and value proposition, conducted consumer research, and led media channel positioning. ►ENSURED CLEAR MESSAGING AND VALUE PROPOSITION ACROSS ALL CHANNELS in a highly competitive, multibillion dollar category by creating comprehensive brand toolkits.►ACCELERATED $30K PROJECT LAUNCH FOR INSTANT POTS (TYSON) by creating alignment with design strategy.►LED VIRTUAL TEAM IN EXECUTING STAPLES’ PRIVATE LABEL BRANDS REPOSITIONING; managed adaptation process including brand standards, photography, illustrations, and copywriting.

Naperville, Illinois, Us

In this short-term role, I transformed an independent boutique brand adaptation agency by:►BUILDING BRAND STRATEGY, CREATING NEW PRODUCTS, AND FOSTERING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS between consumers and brands, including Kroger, Tyson, Sargento, and Guy & O’Neil. ►WINNING THE COMPANY’S FIRST BRAND CREATION PROJECT for ingredients supplier in home care cleaning space.

Chicago, Il, Us

Invited to return to my former employer in a newly created role, I innovated pipeline development for CPG brands, including Wrigley, Morton, 3M, Tyson, and Mars Petcare. Key Achievements:►BUILT BIDS, WON PROJECTS, GREW SCOPE, AND CREATED COMPREHENSIVE LEARNING PLANS AND WORKSHOPS ushering adoption of recommendations by team and client to move forward. ►ACCELERATED DECISION MAKING AND ENGAGEMENT WITHIN COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES by influencing executive engagement and winning trust as desired single point of contact.►LANDED SUCCESSFUL INNOVATION PROJECTS: Morton Salt ($450K), Scotch Brite ($100K), Tyson Aidells Sausage ($100K); helped each client define and customer personas to with business to drive decisions.

Chicago, Il, Us

Recruited to serve as a key executive for a $25M independent brand consultancy with 4 global offices, I led a team in acquiring new business and designed strategy for brands including Aldi, Wrigley, ConAgra, Unilever, and Corelle Brands.►BUILT, DEVELOPED, AND LED A CLIENT-CENTRIC TEAM that generated $25M annual revenue. ►FOSTERED AN ENVIRONMENT OF TEAMWORK by creating and overhauling consulting processes and structure.►EXTENDED ACCOUNT TEAM after instituting and formalizing new roles. Created job description, scope of work, development plans, and compensation structure.

Chicago, Il, Us

As a Senior Brand Consultant, I managed a $25M innovation pipeline development for CPG and B2B brands at a growth consultancy. Additionally, I spearheaded initiatives including account management, creative strategy, go-to-market strategy, business development, and qualitative and quantitative research.Key Achievements:►SOLVED COMPLEX BRAND PROBLEMS FOR GENERAL MILLS, WRIGLEY, AND 3M through design thinking, insight driven marketing, integrated marketing, and thoughtful product development. ►CREATED AND MONETIZED NEW CREATIVE PROCESSES; generated multiple design project engagements by serving as launch point for consumer-facing brand repositioning and purpose processes.►DROVE $3.5M IN PROJECT REVENUE by fostering and expanding agency relationships.

After success in both the company’s Cincinnati and Chicago offices, I was tapped by Managing Director to lead daily operations – including business development and planning, forecasting, and cross-cultural communications following the company’s acquisition of a nine-figure Kraft redesign project. Additionally, I:►AUTHORED RFP’S EXCEEDING $2M+. ►PARTNERED ON GLOBAL DESIGN STRATEGY FOR P&G EMEA. Areas of Responsibility: Business Development | Strategic Planning | Forecasting | Cross-Cultural Communications

New York, Us

As an Account Leader for Omnicon, a arketing consultancy specializing in brands and branding management with 24 offices in 17 countries, I led overall development and delivery of “A” and “B” client projects, including package design and brand strategy. Core Accountabilities: Thought Leadership | Proposal Development | Client Relationship Management | Account Executive Coaching | Project Management | Budget Management | Billing | Timeline Development | Revenue Forecasting

Chicago, Il, Us

As an Assistant Brand Manager, I identified new segments and created long-term strategic marketing plan for the $294M Sara Lee Deli business. Collaborating directly with advertising agencies, I created local marketing development plans.Key Achievements:►IDENTIFIED NEW SEGMENTS AND CREATED LONG-TERM STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN for $294M Sara Lee Service Deli Business.►DESIGNED GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGIES FOR 3 NEW PRODUCTS ($8M incremental profit).►REIMAGINED THE SARA LEE BRAND – complete with new packaging and label initiatives.Core Responsibilities: Brand Equity Studies | Consumer Research & Testing | Strategic Planning | Category Management | Panel Testing | Focus Groups | Brand Repositioning

Chicago, Illinois, Us

Key Achievements:►MANAGED NATIONAL TELEVISION ADVERTISING for: Sara Lee, Hanes, L’Eggs, Cross Your Heart, Ball Park Franks, Jimmy Dean, Ambi Pur, Sara Lee Bakery, Phillip Morris Youth Smoking Prevention, Payless Shoe Source►PARTNERED WITH MEDIA VENDORS to create promotional campaigns and strategies for Payless Shoe Source brand – resulting in incremental budget opportunities and out of home promotions.►IDENTIFIED NEW MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPANDED THE SARA LEE TARGET AUDIENCE for Ball Park Franks – resulting in new ad content and promotional campaigns.