September Member Spotlight – Rachel Macik

Posted by Robin Tooms on Sep 3, 2010 in Featured, Membership | 0 comments

This month, please take a moment and get to know AMA Member Rachel Macik

Where do you work, and what does you company or organization do?
I work at Atos Origin, which is a Global IT company. I am part of the Global Marketing Circuit, representing North America. We’re actually quite large with over 49,000 employees. In the US, we’re still building our brand. Atos Origin acquired Schlumberger Sema in 2003, and now has over 800 employees in the US. In Houston, we service several of the large Oilfield Service Providers, and provide infrastructure services to entities that have chosen IT outsourcing.

Briefly describe your job.
Day-to-day I work with our global marketing teams to localize solution marketing for our target sectors. One of our largest contracts is with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  We have had this contract since the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games and have the contract to the Rio Summer Games in 2016. In March, I was fortunate enough to attend the Vancouver Winter Games to host a group of industry analysts and support our executive team who presented our 2010 sales and marketing strategy. This was a fantastic opportunity, as only a select few are invited to the Games each year. It was an amazing experience. I hope I get a chance to attend the London Summer Games in 2012!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atosorigin/sets/72157622647582102/

If you weren’t at your current job, what would you want to be doing instead?
If I wasn’t with Atos Origin, I’d be Mrs. Linda Winder, my high school journalism teacher. I learned so much from her class—photography, layout, graphic design…. I would love to go back and inspire teens the same way she did. She has been my all time favorite mentor.

What is your all-time favorite marketing campaign or brand?
Because marketing techniques change so often, my once-favorites are always trumped by something new! Right now, one of my favorite commercials is Dean Winters in the Allstate “Mayhem” ads. I think they are clever. I like clever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR19XBym6v4&feature=related

What’s your favorite food or drink?
Pizza (any pizza) + red wine = heaven. Cold pizza for breakfast (minus the wine) is just as wonderful.

How long have you been an AMA Houston member?
I’ve just signed up this year *blush* My marketing team won a Crystal award this year, and we were all inspired and joined right away.

What’s your favorite thing about AMA Houston?
I didn’t realize what an outreach AMA Houston had. I should be ashamed to be a marketeer in this city for over 12 years and never have been a member. There are so many classes and people to learn from. It’s really a fantastic network. I am looking forward to becoming an active member.

And we’re looking forward to seeing Rachel at the next event! Be sure to join Rachel’s network on LinkedIn too.

Sept 9, 2010 – Networking Happy Hour at Czech Center Museum

Posted by Robin Tooms on Sep 2, 2010 in Events | 0 comments

AMA Houston Networking Happy Hour Thursday, September 9, 2010 Czech out AMA Networking! There is nothing like networking “Czech Style”. AMA Houston networking is designed to get all of Houston’s talented marketing people together to find new contacts and resources – learning the polka is up to you. Come meet, mingle, and build your marketing contact list at every level. Invite your associates and friends to this AMA event; it is open to everyone at no cost. Click here to RSVP WHEN Thursday, September 9th See you at 5:00 PM! WHERE Czech Center Museum 4920 San Jacinto Street at Wichita Houston, Texas 77002

Sept 24, 2010 – Marketing to Physicians: Winning Game Plans for an Industry in Flux

Posted by Shanthi Subramanian on Sep 2, 2010 in Events | 0 comments

Marketing to Physicians: Winning Game Plans for an Industry in Flux

Sept 17, 2010 – Ignite Your Sales Force for Better Bottom Line Results

Posted by Robin Tooms on Sep 1, 2010 in Events | 0 comments

How to Ignite Your Sales Force for Better Bottom Line Results

Aug 31, 2010 – Marketing for the Upturn

Posted by Robin Tooms on Aug 31, 2010 in Events Archive | 0 comments

Marketing for the Upturn: Is your company using marketing and the latest in information technology to position for growth?

Differentiating in the Bazaar: How Marketing Can Help Sales.

Posted by Richard Laurence Baron on Aug 31, 2010 in Events, Featured, Internal Communications | 2 comments

Selling predates marketing by a considerable number of centuries, even by a thousand years or two. At some point in every market, though, the salesperson’s going to run into a problem. It’s the “difference problem.” A souk gets too busy. Bazaars become over-crowded. Markets change, sometimes faster than you imagine (think iPhone). Buyers have more and more on their minds.

These buyers can no longer take the time, maybe haven’t got the time, to differentiation among sellers. We marketers tend to think this is a new challenge but it’s not. Every time another brass coffee pot seller sets up a booth next to ours – or a new refinery starts producing ethylene and tries selling it to our customers – we face the challenge of commoditization…that’s a difference problem.

It affects companies, marketers and salespeople. So on Friday, September 17, the AMAHouston Energy SIG’s presenting its “Savvy Sales Force Enablement” seminar. Have you registered yet?