Marketing strategist. Consumer-focused problem solver. Compassionate leader.
A few words…
Over the last decade, I have been incredibly fortunate to learn from some of the best and brightest in marketing, gaining experience in nearly every facet of advertising, brand building, and performance marketing while working with a variety of companies spanning a wide range of industries.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from these experiences, it’s this:
The consumer experience is everything.
A company can design the greatest product ever made (and make a lot of money in the process) but it will never achieve sustainable success without emphasizing positive and memorable experiences between the consumer and brand. It’s through these experiences that lasting relationships (and retained customers) are built.
Making this a reality requires a healthy obsession for the consumer’s needs, a significant investment of the time and energy, and the willingness to make business decisions that are in the best interest of the consumer, not just the bottom line. It also requires treating consumers like individuals rather than numbers on a spreadsheet, and speaking to them on a personal level built on trust and respect.
This focus on the consumer experience can be taken even further thanks to the advent of AI in marketing. By embracing AI as a partner to streamline the mundane and time-consuming aspects of our work, we as marketers are rewarded with the gift of more time to spend dialing up every consumer interaction with the brand.
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I’m always keeping an eye out for an opportunity to take on new challenges where I can leverage my passion for marketing to create meaningful consumer experiences and drive tangible business results. Bonus points if I can do all that while enabling my teammates to reach their full potential and (hopefully) have a little bit of fun along the way.
If I sound like someone you want to partner with (or just grab a beer), give me a shout!
Places I’ve Worked
Below is a summary of some of the desks I’ve sat at over the years. For a more detailed explanation of what I did while sitting at those desks, check out my resume.
Long Dash
Oct. 2021 – Mar. 2023
As a Group Director, I managed and cultivated relationships with several of Long Dash’s largest clients, including AbbVie, Salesforce, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. My primary focus was to partner with senior brand leadership (CMOs, VPs, and Senior Directors) and solve their most pressing business challenges by identifying pain points and recommending comprehensive solutions in order to better engage consumers and positively impact the bottom line. I also guided the execution of these recommendations by managing and working closely with several multidisciplinary teams consisting of strategists, copywriters, art directors, UX designers, and more.
Media.Monks
Mar. 2023 – Present
I’m currently leading Media.Monk’s LinkedIn account as their AOR for revenue-driving business units, such as LinkedIn Talent Solutions and LinkedIn Premium. Prior to becoming a full-time employee I served as a marketing consultant leading multiple initiatives with Google and PayPal, two of their largest accounts. These initiatives ranged from strategically repositioning products within the Google Ads suite to developing PayPal’s GTM strategy for new consumer product releases.
Laundry Service
Nov. 2019 – Oct. 2021
I joined Laundry Service in 2019 to oversee the agency’s relationship with Nike as the brand’s global social agency of record. In addition to managing the team responsible for generating, publishing, and reporting on the brand’s global social presence, I worked closely with senior leadership within Nike to define the global social strategy across Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. This included helping the brand navigate the logistical challenges associated with producing content during COVID-19. In addition, I led several other project-based relationships with various brands, including the launch campaign for Wynn Resorts’ sports betting app, WynnBet. The campaign required producing hundreds of above-the-line deliverables to support a multimillion dollar media buy consisting of television, digital, audio, and out-of-home placements.
AKQA
Mar. 2018 – Nov. 2019
As a Senior Client Manager, I was primarily tasked with leading AKQA Portland’s partnerships with Nike’s global and regional brand teams, which included managing a retained team of two dozen designers, copywriters, art directors, and strategists to produce hundreds of pieces of digital content to support Nike.com and the Nike App while also identifying net new opportunities for revenue growth within Nike. These projects varied from producing long-form, story-driven video series to conducting extensive first-party audience research to guide category strategies (e.g., Nike Running). In addition to my Nike responsibilities, I also led several website redesigns and integrated marketing campaigns for brands such as NRG Energy and The Trade Desk, and participated in several new business pitches.
Swirl (now Dentsu)
Jul. 2013 – Mar. 2018
While touching nearly all facets of marketing during my five years at Swirl, I primarily served as the account lead for clients leveraging our full-service offerings (strategy, creative, media, etc.) to execute integrated marketing campaigns, including both B2C and B2B brands. Each campaign included a combination of paid prospecting (digital, social, print, etc.), lead nurturing (retargeting, email, etc.), and retention. I also regularly partnered with our in-house media team to turn their performance reports into actionable insights for ongoing campaign optimization. In addition to client-facing projects, I led several internal initiatives with senior leadership, such as building out our data analysis capabilities and establishing processes for website redesigns.
AeroScout (now Securitas Technology)
Sep. 2012 – Jul. 2013
My first “real” job was with AeroScout, a Silicon Valley startup providing real-time, Wifi-based asset tracking solutions. As a marketing manager, I aided sales teams by providing them with the most up-to-date product information while also qualifying potential new customers requesting to learn more about AeroScout.
What Others Think
“Carsten is an incredible client partner and account leader. He digs deep and truly listens to understand his client’s needs, and works tirelessly to bring the talents of the agency together to deliver in excellence. All along the way, he maintains a (pretty awesome) sense of humor, and makes sure everyone has fun in the process.” – Jennifer C.
“As a junior level employee it makes all the difference when you have a supervisor that genuinely cares about your success at a company, treats every 1-1 like it’s the first meeting of the day, and who always has time to help you and the rest of your colleagues gain clarity on professional goals and next steps in your career. He set the best first example of what it means to lead a team with genuine authenticity and a growth mindset.” – Dora B.
“Carsten is an excellent collaborator, a strategic and thoughtful partner to clients, and an overall kind human. He possesses the presence of a leader and never hesitates to jump in and help keep the work moving. His ability to balance both the micro and the macro view makes him an excellent addition to any team working hard to deliver the best for a brand.” – Alison M.
“Carsten is a leader and brings out the best in those around him. He is an outstanding representative for client needs but isn’t afraid to elevate the conversation when scope creep occurs. On a personal level, Carsten always has the right advice, is motivating, and isn’t afraid to tell you like it is. In my short career, he is someone that pushed me to take on more responsibility, lean into opportunities that came my way, and, though he maybe didn’t know, he helped advance my career more than I ever thought possible.” – Kevin N.
“Carsten is skilled, hard working, ambitions and a great addition to any company that cares about its culture. I couldn't recommend Carsten more highly!” – John B.