Overview
My name is Andre Okolowitz and I am a Digital Marketing Executive. I grow consumer companies using innovative and advanced online marketing strategies that get results. My background is in marketing with an undergraduate degree in Advertising and masters degree in direct marketing. I have 20+ years of marketing experience and have been at the forefront of the digital explosion that has taken over the marketing world and continues to evolve daily.
My experience includes tradition offline as well as online media channels. Offline media experience includes direct mail, catalogs, space ads, and inserts. And online experience includes channels such as email, affiliates, paid search, marketplace, social media, SEO, and new media. I have worked in fashion, home furnishing, software and publishing industries. I also have many years experience with subscription business models which include subscription boxes, membership, SAAS, and magazine subscriptions. I'v led teams in functional areas such as marketing, database, merchandising, and creative production.
My major drive in life is to grow companies. I am never satisfied with status quo and always strive to improve or grow companies, sometimes even beyond what they dreamed could be possible. For example, I doubled profits at Better Homes & Gardens Crafts Group and grew profits for Blair Home by 114%.
My Story
I started college pursuing an engineering degree which seemed to fit my passion for math and science. Mid-way into the program I realized engineering was not a subject matter that could keep me interested day and night. I set a course to discover what would keep my attention. The next semester I took classes in topics I thought might be more interesting. I found my communications class very intriguing, so much so that I changed my major to advertising.
One day, after creating an ad for class, I showed the ad to several peers for their input. What frustrated me most in their response was that some said it was a great ad while others said it was a bad ad. I realized quickly that it seemed subjective and there had to be a better way of proving an ads' effectiveness. What followed next changed the course of my life. One day I was speaking to one of my professors and he told me about a graduate program at Northwestern University in direct marketing. The direct marketing method was to sell directly to the consumer and measure results via order response. He not only caught my interest, and attention, but action as well. I signed up for the graduate program with great earnest. It was perfect, combining my interests for marketing, science, math, and it was the solution to my missing equation.
After graduation, I landed my first job in a large corporation analyzing direct marketing results. The data was so rich with information that I spent overtime pouring over the numbers to discover loads of insight to improve the business. My efforts quickly led to promotions and eventually to strategic marketing positions where I had direct ownership of the p&l and course of business. Using my analytics skills, I quickly discovered insights and built strategies to grow businesses with great success, becoming my passion in life
My Mission
My mission is to inspire improvement and growth.
It's short and to the point. But I think it encapsulates what I'm about. I seek to help companies or people (e.g. team members) get excited about their potential, showing them what's possible, then help them pursue that quest to become all they can be.
My Methodology
Below is a high-level outline of my strategic framework when working with companies seeking growth.