Your Brand. Build it and they will come.
Strategic storyteller, creative director, writer and multi-faceted advertising communications professional. Proven leader with a passion for doing work that works. 360º experience across platforms, media and continents. Launching and building brands, IPOs, products and services.
Diverse portfolio and creative outlook. Among my more unusual creative solutions: an experiential museum for beans and an original (award-winning) rap for a hepatitis B drug.
Just the facts resume
SueWalshWorks@Advertising 06/2018 – Present Creative Director/Content writer & strategist
Think it, craft it, make it: Identifying brand advantages; developing strategic insights; writing and executing just about everything. Capabilities: conceptual copy to daily content; manifestos to microsites, broadcast to blogs; UX, SEO and more. Clients include: Accenture, Doe-Anderson, Highway33 Capital Advisory, MRM, Publicis Groupe, Stafford, Strategic America, Tilt, Wolverine Worldwide, Yes and Marketing. Recent projects:
- Experiential events for a legendary bourbon
- 360 campaign for a leading-edge cancer center
- New website, eNewsletters, social for a cannabis-biotech investment firm
- Multi-media DSA campaign for a new pharmaceutical launch
- e-CRM for a life-changing medical device from Abbott Labs
Available freelance or full-time, on-site and remote.
Doner, Southfield, MI 09/2008 – 06/2018 Creative Director/Writer
Player/Coach: Provided conceptual and strategic leadership. Developed talent. Pitched business, won business. Built brands and client relationships.
- Integral role in winning new business including Beaumont Health, Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS).
- Produced work for clients that exceeded expectations—like helping BMS reach their 90-day fulfillment goal in 30 days.
- Created new brand campaign for Beaumont, that helped increase their business by double digits in under 60 days.
- Set records—ADT’s best-performing DR TV commercial of all time.
- Crafted advertising for PNC Bank that actually grew their market share during the 2008 financial crisis.
[Other clients: Summa Health, Children’s Mercy, Ohio Health, University Hospitals, Dupont, ADT, Purell, Owens Corning, Amazon, AutoTrader.com, Smithfield Foods, Bush’s Beans, Minute Maid, Ally Financial, Capital One, AAA]
Navicor Group, Columbus OH 04/2007 – 07/ 2008 Group Supervisor/Writer
High-science and edgy work—including the afore-mentioned rap video.
- Raised the bar creatively with successful conceptual campaigns for Tarceva (targeted oral cancer therapy) and the launch of Viread, a new hepatitis B drug.
- Virology, immunology, oncology. Direct to consumer; direct to physicians.
[Gilead Sciences and Genentech-Roche, and other]
McCann World Group, Birminghamm 04/2000 – 04/ 2007 Group Lead
Group leader of the Delphi Technologies’ team–responsible for Brand, OEM, Aftermarket and International. Took Delphi from the Indy 500 to the Fortune 500, launching IPO.
- Found insight and inspiration through techy information—and made it sound and look cool.
- Buzz-worthy work for Delphi Technologies and Karmanos Cancer Center directly led to new business (Honeywell and Delphi Medical Systems, respectively)
- Provided conceptual leadership, had daily client contact, produced broadcast, print, show booths, CRM and digital.
[Other clients: Nestle, GM Corp; Buick Collateral; Michigan Humane Society]
Young & Rubicam, Detroit 09/1998 – 04/2000 Senior Writer
Senior writing responsibilities for Salvation Army, Visteon Automotive Technology, Health Alliance Plan (HAP), Ford Credit, Michigan National Bank. Responsibilities included strategic planning, conceptual writing, coordinating freelancers and guiding junior writers.
- Launched highly successful, award-winning broadcast campaign for Salvation Army Brand that helped raise money for hurricane relief.
- Launched Visteon, a new automotive technology company (spin off from Ford).
Bowne Internet Solutions 04/1998 – 09/1998 Senior Digital Writer
Explored the potential of the Internet and digital advertising when big agencies were protesting its relevance: GM’s first serious corporate website.
- Delivered brand-building online experiences for Cadillac—architecture, brand content, specifications, digital ads, blogs.
- Recruited talent from the automotive industry to help build the writing side of a digital creative department.
McCann Erickson, Troy 04/1988 – 04/1998 Associate Creative Director/Writer
Other positions: Copywriter, Senior Copywriter. Primary accounts included Buick and GMC Truck. As ACD, shared responsibility for re-launching two of Buick’s (then) highest volume brands.
- Successful, multi-million dollar launches for totally redesigned brands that brought down median age of buyers (a GM goal).
- Participated in multi-office assignments for international clients: Coca-Cola, Exxon, and GM Europe and South America. Also locally, DTE Energy.
Awards: Effies, Indies, Addys, Davie, Caddys (D-Show), Tellies, Mobius.
Education:
Oakland University, Rochester Hills (completed 2018) MA in Liberal Studies, GPA 3.98
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor BA in English Language & Literature, GPA 3.78