John Blackburn Email & Phone Number

Minneapolis, Mn, Us

Bloomington, Mn, Us

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Us

Level2 is digital healthcare company within UnitedHeath Group Ventures focused on helping people beat type 2 diabetes. I lead a team that combines data driven performance marketing with consumer insight backed creativity. Our multi-channel campaigns are achieving 20% engagement in a category that usually sees 3-5%.Everything has been created from the ground up: a diverse team, tech stack, marketing automation, email marketing, testimonial story telling, webinars, direct mail, SEO/SEM, social, website and landing pages.The keys to our success:Consumer centric approach.Timely analytics.Continuous improvement process.And we enjoy working together.

An independent brand and marketing consultancy focused on shaping brands that people care about. Clients include Fortune 200 companies, founder-run businesses and startups. I work with CEOs and leaders to help them establish brand vision, build great customer experiences, tell better product stories and build effective marketing strategies.- Brand, product, customer experience, marketing and communications strategy. - Presentation and messaging development.- Creative, design, content and communications development.- Research design and management.

Edina, Mn, Us

As the CMO of this SaaS HR tech startup I built the brand, messaging, website, go-to-market strategy, creative assets, sales tools, funnel strategy, marketing operation and guided the product roadmap.- Marketing automation, lead generation and PPC campaigns.- Email, social and content strategy and campaigns.- Managed team of freelancers and partner marketing agencies.- Created the brand, voice, design, look and feel, website and key messaging.- Built sales tools, marketing assets and investor presentations.

Minneapolis, Mn, Us

Member of the original leadership team that grew this design and strategy driven agency from single digits to over 100 employees and three time 4A’s Agency of the Year. I held multiple roles as the company grew and our leadership model evolved.Established the insight, innovation and results driven strategy discipline that was central to the agency’s work process and new business wins.- Recruited, trained and mentored a growing strategy team.- Identified market research partners to serve as resources for pitches and existing clients.- Guided an effort to further integrate design thinking into the creative process.- Led customer centric teams that won awards for strategy, creativity and innovation.

Minneapolis, Mn, Us

I played a key role in creating much of what made mono’s culture, process and work unique.- Built a culture and process centered on simplicity, collaboration, innovation and design.- Developed a design-driven presentation style and template that stood out in new business and was regularly requested by clients.- Core member of a highly successful new business pitch team.- Brand and cultural steward that coached every incoming employee.

Minneapolis, Mn, Us

My strategic thinking and suspicion of the status quo were central to disruptive brand and creative work for MSNBC, USA Network, Herman Miller, Advance Auto Parts, EMD Serono and Blue Cross Blue Shield.- Authored the brand repositioning that propelled USA Network to double its business and secure their position as the #1 rated cable network.- Created the brand repositioning strategy that helped MSNBC increase ratings by 24% and achieve all time high ad revenue.- Developed the positioning strategy to modernize the Harvard Business School brand.- Led the brand and messaging strategy that helped Mrs. Meyer’s gain the distribution and sales growth that led to a successful purchase by SC Johnson.

Minneapolis, Mn, Us

My time at Fallon was a period of tremendous personal growth. Being part of the hottest agency in the world, during its heyday, was exciting and challenging. My work combined data, segmentation, and creativity.- This is where I learned the art of the new business pitch. I spent time with some of the best.- I co-created an entirely new strategic discipline and service offering called connection planning. Today, almost every agency in the world has someone they call a connection planner.- Dyson: I was part of the team that won the pitch to launch the Dyson brand in the U.S. The result was one of the most successful product launches in the U.S. in decades. Within a year, Dyson was a threat to the category leaders.- BMW: Created communications strategies for the launch of the Z4, 6 series and 7 series.- BMW Films: Guided communications and distribution strategy for the groundbreaking film series which included innovative distribution partnerships with Apple and Microsoft.- PBS: Developed the connection strategy for the Stay Curious rebranding.

This was my first career job. I learned how to tie a tie, managed multi-million dollar budgets, had power lunches, worked hard and was rapidly promoted. This is where I learned that I had a strong analytical side and really enjoyed strategic thinking.