Work Timeline

Karen Sowa

Accomplished Senior Marketing Consultant with over 14 years of experience in content marketing, specializing in developer-focused digital media.

 

Senior Marketing Consultant

9/2020 - PRESENT

Clients

Key Highlights

  • Developed and implemented marketing strategies for clients such as Cisco DevNet, Amazon Appstore for Developers, and MongoDB, focusing on developer-centric content and digital media.

  • Consulted on and executed social media programs and email campaigns, resulting in increased brand awareness and community engagement.

  • Orchestrated project management and cross-departmental collaboration to deliver cohesive product information and marketing materials for technical audiences.

  • Produced a wide range of marketing materials, including blogs, whitepapers, social media content, and sales enablement materials, tailored to client needs and industry trends.

Looking for marketing or sales enablement support?

“I had the joy of working with Karen on several marketing content projects. She's an excellent collaborator who can take your efforts to a whole new level. Karen joined our team as a contractor and quickly became an integral part of it. Her adaptation skills are unparalleled. In no time, she learned about our industry and then helped us hone our unique voice and build a library of content that is both educational and thought-provoking. She has a lot to offer with her vast expertise and seemingly unlimited talent. She would be a wise investment for anyone interested in propelling their marketing, communication, and PR efforts forward.”

Bethany Silvestri, Head of Marketing & Customer Success, ZeroWall

(Formally ZypMedia)

(Formally ZypMedia)

 

Senior Director, Marketing

3/2017 - 4/2020 • B2B CTV / OTT and Digital Ad Technology

  • Established and directed an inbound marketing department, contributing to senior leadership efforts that drove a consistent doubling of year-over-year revenue for three consecutive years. This initiative fundamentally transformed the organization's marketing strategy and revenue growth trajectory.

  • Oversaw all media, content, and branding initiatives, securing over 100 press placements in top-tier publications like Forbes, TechCrunch, and Inc., and elevating the company's presence at key industry events such as NABshow. This comprehensive media strategy significantly enhanced brand visibility and market reach.

  • Collaborated with Sales leadership to pioneer and deliver training programs for traditional TV advertising sales representatives from major partners like iHeartMedia, enabling them to excel in digital streaming advertising sales and substantially grow our digital revenue stream.

  • Spearheaded two major brand refreshes, aligning the public-facing brand with evolving business growth and market positioning, which resulted in enhanced brand perception and market competitiveness.

  • Led cross-functional communication efforts for the launch of a new B2B product, collaborating with marketing, sales, engineering, and product teams. Played a pivotal role in defining product vision, developing go-to-market strategies, and executing launch plans, leading to a successful market introduction.

  • Developed compelling narratives for press releases, sales pitches, events, and fundraising campaigns, leveraging sales data, product insights, and third-party surveys. These narratives effectively communicated the company's value proposition, enhancing engagement and support in the advertising community.

  • Conducted in-depth data analysis and reporting to showcase the flagship product's value by producing quarterly reports on the state of local OTT. This strategic data organization and presentation resulted in increased engagement from partners, prospects, and the press.

“Karen and I partnered to create and develop engaging sales training materials and presentations for our enterprise and direct clients. Her creativity, energy and willingness to produce superior collateral helped ZypTV (formerly ZypMedia) double revenue on an annual basis. The startup environment is fast-paced and taxing at times, but Karen was always eager to help in a pinch, with a fantastic attitude.

Her preparation, attention to detail and dedication would shine daily, but was truly noted during large partner conferences with C-Level executives and management. She was always thinking of ways to help make our trainings effective and most importantly fun for all. Karen has earned my respect and highest recommendation. I would be thrilled to work with her again in any capacity.”

Erin Hagood, Division VP of Digital Sales, iHeartMedia

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Manager, Marketing

5/2014 - 2/2017 • B2B Developer, DevOps and IT Software

  • Orchestrated comprehensive event marketing strategies for major industry events, enhancing visibility of key products to a developer-focused audience. Managed all aspects from trade show booth design and staffing to on-site execution, resulting in a significant increase in product awareness and press coverage.

  • Spearheaded the expansion of the organization's content program by establishing a network of technical influencers and writers. This initiative led to a substantial increase in website views and engagement, solidifying the brand's credibility with developer audiences.

  • Doubled the Twitter follower count within the first year of revitalizing the social media strategy, significantly increasing online presence of the brand and improving audience engagement.

  • Revamped the trial email drip campaign by optimizing content and targeting strategies, which boosted the free trial conversion rate by 40%.

  • Created a compelling event guide that went viral, contributing to a 30% increase in booth traffic at a key industry event compared to the previous year.

  • Developed and pitched engaging narratives about the organization, leading to successful placements in prestigious publications like Forbes, enhancing brand reputation and market visibility.

  • Led a comprehensive brand refresh, aligning the company’s public image with its evolving strategic goals.

“I was fortunate to join Loggly’s marketing team the same time as Karen. Extremely organized, she leads all ongoing social and content efforts without missing a beat on event planning deadlines. Her design intuition elevates discussions in meetings, but it is really her passion for Loggly’s community that makes her stand out. Karen’s commitment to motivate Loggly’s audience keeps us focused on what’s most important. She thrives in a startup environment and handles everything with a positive attitude. I could not have asked for a better team partner to start out with.”

Jayme Chen, SMB Growth, TikTok

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Associate, Design & Marketing

9/2010 - 1/2014 • B2C Music Tech Software

  • Spearheaded the development of templates and digital graphics, ensuring a consistent brand voice across all digital platforms and campaigns. This initiative significantly enhanced the effectiveness and cohesion of marketing initiatives.

  • Drove increased market visibility and revenue by strategizing and executing diverse marketing content including email campaigns, website content, banner ads, and television ads, resulting in growth in customer engagement and sales.

  • Managed all facets of trade show participation, from innovative booth design to effective product demos and staffing. These efforts led to elevated brand awareness and an increase in sales leads from major industry events.

  • Revamped the monthly promotional email campaign, updating the layout and narrative, and facilitating content translation into multiple languages, achieving a 74% increase in revenue generated from this channel.

  • Collaborated with the UI team to identify user pain points, leading to the development and communication of effective solutions that improved overall user experience with the product.

  • Facilitated communication and provided design documentation between marketing, engineering, and product teams, streamlining the development of efficient websites and landing pages.

  • Boosted brand presence in the music community through a marketing street team initiative, utilizing a 1979 VW bus for product demos and giveaways around San Francisco, enhancing brand visibility and engagement.

  • Coordinated all company events, including team outings and private performances, like one featuring rap legend Biz Markie, fostering team-building and industry networking.

  • Led a marketing internship program for over two years, mentoring new grads in content marketing, marketing research, and leadership, increasing the marketing team's impact on the organization.

“Karen is the epitome of a team player, a focused creative designer, and an all around hustler. Having worked together for 2.5 years at TuneUp, I've seen Karen greatly expand her skill sets in content marketing and graphic design and also can a test to her dedication and loyalty to the team and company. Karen comes prepared with fresh ideas, is very organized, and she takes feedback well and quickly turns it into actionable improvements.

Over the last year Karen transitioned from running all of TuneUp's major events such as MacWorld, SXSW, legendary company outings, recruiting and training of our interns, and generally making sure TuneUp ran smoothly to a graphic design and content marketing role for our large scale email marketing programs, landing page designs , and creative assets. She excelled in both roles and always delivers great work.

I highly recommend Karen, she's a huge asset to the TuneUp marketing team and a really fun and cool person to work with.”

Hasan Luongo, VP of Global Marketing, Chipper Cash

I’m ready to collaborate!

I’m looking to apply my energy towards supporting an action-focused team representing an organization with an impactful mission.

Sound like your team? How can I help you?

Let’s connect!