MARK D. CARLSON
Pembroke Pines, FL 33029
Phone: (305) 803-5657 • Email: mcarlson@billfishcreative.com • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-d-carlson-a89639b/
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Print and Digital Marketing | Advertising | Content Development | Sales
Marketing and Sales Strategist with over 20 years experience conquering revenue and growth goals in a rapidly evolving travel marketplace. Daily hands-on work with print production, web design, social media marketing, S.E.O. and P.P.C marketing, Google Analytics and CRM’s. Conceptualizes, develops, and delivers advertising solutions and media strategies that exceed client expectations while increasing engagement and sales year-over-year.
Established track-record for directing full-scale marketing departments while managing high-functioning creative professionals. Builds strategic partnerships with executives and key stakeholders and offers valuable recommendations capable of influencing critical business decisions. Manages all aspects of the sales funnel and sales team as well as managing relationships with travel agents and clients.
- Expert at establishing and overseeing in-house Sales & Marketing programs, with specific talents in digital marketing (including web design), social media management, CRM strategies and advertising.
- Sourced and directed high performing teams, vendors, and contracted professionals to deliver quality marketing materials, often exceeding client expectations.
- Over ten (10) years’ sales experience participating in local and national tradeshows, with success increasing on-site bookings and revenue by 50% from previous years (2018-2020).
- Specializes in leading Sales and Marketing efforts for travel companies, with advanced knowledge in developing strategies and detailed print & digital marketing plans for clients, tour operators and travel agents.
Travel Industry Marketing | Digital Marketing | Design | Digital Marketing Strategies | Sales
Brand Development & Awareness |Budget Management & Forecasting | Advertising Strategies
Market Research & Analysis | Project Management| Print Production | Key Account Management
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, Tropic Star Lodge (Piñas Bay, Panama) 05/2014 –05/2020
Directs all aspects of the Marketing division, providing a strategic vision that maximizes customer engagement and revenue growth. Supervises teams of creative professionals, primarily through partnerships with freelance designers and agencies, requiring contract negotiation abilities. Prioritizes multiple deadlines for projects and key tasks, leveraging highly focused marketing plans and skills in project management. Redefined strategies and expectations between various business units (Sales, Business, Operations, etc.) to support campaigns and corporate goals.
Key Contributions
- Manages a marketing budget of $500K and contributes to total annual revenue of $6.24M.
- Leads all marketing programs, primary focus in digital marketing (SEO, PPC, E-mail, multiple websites, social media, etc.), digital and print advertisements, online marketing, public relations, photography/film, copywriting, broadcast ads, and printed brochures and sales collateral.
- Delivered 30% growth in marketing engagement and conversions YOY after developing an integrated marketing strategy to support corporate business goals and brand awareness.
- Increased annual revenue by 41% over three years, through high-quality content creation, CRM strategies, sales efforts, market reach expansion, and the development of group and incentive travel programs.
- Nurtured relationships with industry leaders, tourist authorities, sports fishing organizations, and airlines on successful and profitable co-marketing projects.
EARLY WORK HISTORY
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, Star Clippers Cruise Line; Delivered profitable growth by scaling marketing channels and developing integrated marketing and communication plans for new and existing campaigns. Developed plans that increased direct bookings to 55% of total passengers. Ensured continual improvement in performance by managing CRM systems and developing databases to track customers and trends. Developed travel agent training materials and official documents for the Reservation Department.
MARKETING COORDINATOR, Premier Cruise Line; Accountable for the establishment and execution of copywriting for advertisements and travel agent collateral. Ensured continual improvement in performance results while testing new business ventures, which resulted in new growth opportunities. Analyzed KPIs and conversion metrics to deliver lead generation information to sales teams.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Google Analytics, S.E.O & PPC Advertising. Social Media. Graphic Design.
Design Programs: Adobe Creative Cloud: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and Acrobat Pro
CMS Programs: WordPress and Joomla
CRM Software & Systems: Salesforce, Revinate, RESCCO, and Lodgerunner
Other Programs: Microsoft Office Suite (Advanced Excel and PowerPoint), Basecamp, Trello, Workfront
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in English
Barry University (Miami Shores, FL)