Cell: 201.906.7033       E-mail: rhonabronson@mac.com

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PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Tech savvy, digital marketing leader who helps organizations and teams successfully transition into customer acquisition experts. Experienced in consumer products, non-profit, transportation, agency and media marketing sectors. Marketing strategist known to consistently deliver results that build revenue and traffic growth.

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AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Analytics & ROI Metrics, Audience Targeting, Budget Management, Brand Development, Content Production & Blogging, Digital Marketing, E-mail, Public Relations, Social Media Marketing, Strategic Marketing & Planning,  Team Growth & Motivation, Web Management

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EXPERIENCE

DELAWARE RIVER & BAY AUTHORITY, Cape May, NJ 
01/2014 – Present      Director of Marketing

Chief marketing executive for bi-state public authority that provides key transportation links between Delaware and New Jersey including two ferry systems, the Delaware Memorial Bridge and five airports. Responsible for strategic market plan development and implementation to build traffic, increase core customer base, and grow revenue largely for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.

• Create annual integrated strategic plans including aggressive use of digital marketing platforms.
• Manage all creative, advertising and media across diverse digital and legacy platforms. Oversee implementation of all paid, earned and owned media resources.
• Direct web content production, SEM, SEO and E-mail marketing programs.
• Review and track marketing performance metrics with Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Review Tracker and other data reporting services.
• Coordinate external PR efforts to build relationships with digital and community influencers including local business partnerships and on-campus event development

Key Accomplishments

• Digital Growth: Led tourism web site redesign from outdated CMS to new Drupal-based leisure site. Site receives more than 1.6 million annual page views and is the top traffic driver for passenger reservations. Developed email program that is the top outreach mechanism for driving event attendance and special program reservations. Grew house list 10-fold from 21,000 in 2014 to 250,000 in 2018.
• New Media Development & Social Engagement: Created new in-house Travel Channel and leveraged video archives across social channels. Grew social engagement across five platforms, led by 4-fold Facebook growth from 11,000 followers in 2014 to 45,000 in 2018.
• Audience Segmentation:  Spearheaded digital data segmentation targeting of key audiences for acquisition, repeat travel, and trial of new programs. Developed National Tourism Day campaign attracting 4,000 local passengers in one day. Directed test of an external registration system for a new Locals event that resulted in a sold-out event within hours.

PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY MEDIA GROUP, Pleasantville, NJ
06/2010 – 08/2013      Marketing Director

Key member of senior leadership team for developing strategic initiatives to increase revenue, grow market share, and test business innovation. Jump-started traditional marketing department into a change agent for new digital, advertising, and audience growth initiatives. Created sales presentations that successfully secured business from key verticals in the market and positioned the company for sale to Berkshire Hathaway Media. Company transformed into a state industry leader in digital innovation with greater agility to test new media solutions.

Key Accomplishments

• New Revenue Generation: Transitioned PressofAtlanticCity.com into first paid subscription news site in NJ transforming a previously free web site into a revenue platform generating $50,000 annually from new print and digital bundled packages in less than a year.
• Sales Training: Initiated sales programs to strengthen the positioning of product and service offerings. Created new, simplified toolkits for more effective sales presentations. Recaptured more than $100,000 in annual business.
• Category Growth: Led market research efforts to identify key growth categories. Developed initiatives for capturing market share in Health, Travel, Auto and Entertainment sectors.

PLAZA COMMUNICATIONS & CONSULTING, Ridgewood, NJ
08/2009 – 06/2010      Chief Marketing Consultant & Strategist

Principle consultant and white label marketing lead for various North Jersey advertising agency accounts in Association, Health Care, Education, Insurance, and Non-profit public sectors. Provided comprehensive marketing and strategic planning services including social media positioning, public relations, and board presentations.

Key Accomplishments

• Brand Development: Rebranded and repositioned Premier Consulting Partners, NY, as a full-service wealth management firm to attract new hedge fund business.
• Social Engagement: Led social grassroots efforts that saved NJ Poison Control Center, Newark, NJ, from budget cuts sought by state task force.
• PR Strategy: Developed PR plans for NJ Association of School Administrators, Trenton, NJ in response to proposed educational organizational changes from the then new gubernatorial administration.

THE NAPL NETWORK, Paramus, NJ
12/2007 – 07/2009      VP of Marketing

Chief marketing officer leading initiatives to reposition and transform a consortium of traditional printing trade associations into a digitally innovative consulting management services group. Managed all association marketing and communications including membership outreach, trade shows, event marketing, social media, web design, advertising, webinars, marketing seminars for association members, marketing consulting and marketing communications.

Key Accomplishments

• Trade Show Management: Reorganized national trade show booth from a product sales kiosk to a consulting center resulting in highest annual show revenue in the association’s history.
• Lead Generation: Launched white paper program as an inbound marketing tool for emerging consulting practices. First title, “How Not to Participate in a Recession,” received 1,000 qualified leads within 48 hours.
• Marketing Training: Highly rated industry speaker at national shows and training workshops on a variety of marketing topics.

NORTH JERSEY MEDIA GROUP, Hackensack, NJ
07/1997 – 12/2007      Marketing Director

Built new corporate marketing department for the daily news division to effectively position its products and services in the highly competitive New York Metro media market.  Successfully differentiated two separate daily titles – The Record in Hackensack and Herald News in Paterson – from each other in their joint home markets of Bergen and Passaic counties. Led all media partner relations, branding, value positioning, community service and marketing programs.

Key Accomplishments

• Branding: Led re-branding of parent company form Macromedia to North Jersey Media Group.
• Community Service: Developed Action Against Hunger™ and Bear Hugs for the Holiday™ into trademarked programs that consistently set annual records. Launched North Jersey Media Group Foundation and local Ground Zero fundraising efforts to provide services to NJ families affected by 9-11.
• Crisis & Media Communications: Led corporate efforts and PR regarding Ground Zero firefighter photo for 9-11, and handled media requests for all editorial talent nationally and on NY radio and TV.

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OTHER EXPERIENCE

• Blog contributor & editor for LittleHingesUSA.com and TheCroneDiary.com
• Past Content Contributor for AOL Jobs and Blog Editor for AdsWithLegs.com, Press of Atlantic City.
• Director of Communications and Editorial Director, National Association of Printers & Lithographers
• Public Relations Instructor, Fairleigh Dickinson University.
• Senior Editor, Thomas J. Lipton.

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EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

• MPA, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
• BA, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
• Cetifications: Lean Six Sigma Orange Belt, Agile Innovation, Google AdWords, SEO, Behavioral Interviewing
• Intermediate Level French fluency

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ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL SKILLS

Various web CMS platforms including Drupal, Google Analytics, WordPress and blog platforms, Hootsuite, Review Trackers, Slack, Canva, Munis, Microsoft Office Suite, Webinar platforms, Survey Monkey, Mail Chimp, HTML.