This month, please take a moment and get to know AMA Member Liz Selig-Stephens:
Where do you work?
I work for University of Houston as the Assistant Director of Marketing for University Relations. The University of Houston will educate more than 37,000 students this year and has 304 degree programs between bachelors, masters and PHDs.
Briefly describe your job
On a daily basis I advocate for the University of Houston through marketing and branding a s well as supporting communications to our alumni and donors. We’re currently rebranding the university and my days are typically spent focused on research, media buying, managing e-communications for the university and working with many staff members on video, photography, design, writing, web and marketing.
If you weren’t at your current job, what would you want to be doing instead?
I enjoy my current job quite a bit and there isn’t anything else I’d rather do.
What is your all-time favorite marketing campaign or brand?
My two favorite brands are Coca-Cola and Target.
What’s your favorite food or drink?
My favorite food is Mexican and my favorite drink is Coke (the real thing, not diet).
How long have you been an AMA Houston member?
I’ve been an AMA Houston member since 2000.
What’s your favorite thing about AMA Houston?
My favorite thing about AMA Houston is the people I’ve met. I have some dear friends in the organization as well as some great relationships with partner organizations. The most beneficial experience for me was volunteering my time on the board from 2005-2007. It’s great to learn what others are doing and find ways to improve your own marketing plan and strategy.
Want to connect with Stacie personally? Be sure to say “hi” at the next event. You’ll also find her on LinkedIn, so be sure to connect there as well.
Membership / by
Robin Tooms
March 29th, 2010
2:31 pm
Events
At the AMA Houston January Luncheon, John Elmer, Chief Marketing Officer of Ingrain and Dr. Vikas Mittal, Professor of Management and Marketing at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business shared insights into how marketers can build credibility with chief financial officers.
Did you miss the event? If you’re an AMA Houston member, you can download copies of their presentations on the AMA Houston LinkedIn Group.
Check out the March 26th issue of the Houston Business Journal. The speakers are shown on page 26A.
Pictured from left to right are Penny Todd, CenterPoint Energy, John Elmer, Dr. Vikas Mittal and Sherri Scott, AMA past president.
Events / by
Robin Tooms
Pull out the latest issue of “Marketing News” dated March 30, 2010 and you’ll find AMA Houston Board Member Stacey Eddington of Transwestern right on page four.
Thanks Stacey for sharing your perspective on marketing budgets with all of us.
Board Leadership / by
Robin Tooms
March 26th, 2010
3:50 pm
Events
Okay, here’s a month for you coming up. It starts with April Fool’s Day – followed immediately by Good Friday. Thirteen days later, it’s you and the IRS, mano a mano. So looking ahead, the end of April may seem like a long way off. It isn’t.
By the time April 30 rolls up and the vernal equinox 40+ days in the past, you’ll want put the Spring back in your step. Get it via AMAHouston’s Professional Development SIG seminar that very day.
The SIG people are calling it “Defying Gravity” because there are some marketers who overcome every challenge: They get themselves on the scoreboard and stay there. They constantly rack up points in categories like on-the-job performance, better relationships with the bosses, more influence and even bigger marketing budgets. They’re energized and on top of things full-time.
The SIG is thinking, “How can we get some of that for AMAHouston members?” Its secret weapon is Becky Robbins who is Partner and Senior Consultant with Houston-based Mark Kamin & Associates. She’ll be the star of the SIG show and bringing her passionate coaching methods with her.
Robbins is all about generating peak performance, about growing personal fulfillment, more revenue and stronger, more rewarding organizational relationships. She’s also strangely fond of marketing communicators and PR people. “There’s plenty of cynicism in some industries,” she says, “but marketers are more buoyant – imaginative, hard-working, loving what they’re doing. Marketers have to be pretty positive and companies with optimistic marketers can produce the things that will drive greater success.
The Professional Development SIG and its co-chairs, Brenda Bramhill and Kerry Fellers, are staging this event so you can take home the benefits*. Robbins will help you set “stretch goals” for a fulfilling future and even embrace unexpected change (‘cause who knows what will really happen after April 30?).
Most years, the month ahead starts with loud cries about “April Fools” and ends with shouts of “May Day! May Day!” This year you can discover how to defy gravity instead – a reserved seat is required for liftoff. BTW, I’m Richard Laurence Baron, AMAHouston volunteer and principal of Signalwrite Marketing.
*Stop (Word)Press. Mark Kamin & Associates is offering SIG attendees two great giveaways. You’ll have a chance to win either two free hours of one-on-one coaching with Becky Robbins – an $800 value; or one ticket to Robbins’s May event in Houston, “The Secrets of High-Powered Professional Sales People,” worth $300.
Events / by
Richard Laurence Baron
On March 15th, almost 300 marketers met at the Alley Theatre to celebrate the 2009 Marketer of the Year. All of the category winners were in attendance, which made for a “who’s who” in Houston Marketing. Congratulations to all of the winners!
The 2008 winner, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, was on hand to announce this year’s winner. Past Marketer of the Year winners include the Houston Zoo (2007), Weatherford International (2006) and the Houston Symphony (2005).
More information at the AMA Houston website.
Interview with Blinds.com and Boeing
Christine Hall, HBJ Reporter, was able to snag an interview after the event with both the winner, Blinds.com, and the keynote speaker, Kenneth Price, director of marketing, sales strategy and operations for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Read the full (very informative!) article.
Event Photos
Looking for event photos from the night? We’ve posted all of them on our AMA Houston Photo Gallery.
Event Webcast
Our friends at omNovia have posted a webcast from that night. You can see the full award ceremony and the Boeing presentation in its entirety.
Events, awards / by
Robin Tooms
There’s lots going on with AMA Houston, and our volunteers are no exception. This past week at the March luncheon, we announced the following volunteer honors:
- Board Members of the Month (we have THREE this month!):
- Brandy Beverly, Director Marketing Communications at Baylor College of Medicine and Rajul Khemsara, Senior Customer Research Analyst CHRISTUS Health: As Co-Chairs for the Healthcare Marketing SIG they have expertly managed several well-attended events. They exemplify what is great about our SIG programming: informative events that dive into relevant issues around marketing interests.
- Tara Johnson, Marketing Communications Coordinator at Mustang Engineering: Tara recently joined the board as Event Marketing Director (a demanding role!) and has been doing more than just getting our emails out in a timely manner, she’s looking for ways to help us promote events better as well.
- Volunteer of the Month: Shanthi Subramanian, Marketing Programs Manager at Gimmal Group, Inc. has been a real asset in keeping our website up to date. She expertly keeps our events and other news updated with the immediacy that our audiences expect.
Thanks to all of our volunteers for their help!
Board Leadership, Volunteers / by
Robin Tooms
Brock Wagner arrived casual, his aloha shirt laid way back. He spoke about guerrilla-marketing St Arnold beer as anticipated below. In the energy-packed crowd, though, what caught my eye and ear were the small, blue-covered tubes placed by each place-setting by Colin Hageney of sponsor Bullpen Marketing.
As you can see – this secret photo carefully taken for me by Bullpen CD Suzi Senna – each of these tubes advertises the upcoming AMA Crystal Awards. But when I picked one up and idly asked about it, one of my table-mates said, “Oh! ChapStick!”
I replied that I didn’t think this tube was actually ChapStick – one of America’s best-planted brands. Then someone else (Kerri Ryan, I think, of Kryanoutloud Marketing) pointed us all in the right direction: “Lip balm.”
Later, one of the luncheon program presenters drew the crowd’s attention to the promotional item, calling it…ChapStick.
Now part of Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, the ChapStick brand is 100 this year. Its website offers a shallow look at the product’s history – a visitor from outer space would be hard-pressed to figure out why ChapStick is so widely used and well-known. But we know, don’t we? A simple, always-useful product that’s as close as our pocket or purse, with a consistent trade dress that today’s company continues even through a gazillion product line extensions.
Then there’s Colin’s lip balm with its own purpose-designed label. For him, it is a extremely effective brand vehicle: “Be the name on everybody’s lips,” as he says on the Bullpen blog. I suspect that, as long as users think its ChapStick, everyone will be happy. The product and the brand are effectively the same.
My tube is kiwi-strawberry flavor. Thanks to everyone for the great luncheon program – a nooner filled with beer and lip balm. BTW, I’m Richard Laurence Baron, AMAHouston volunteer and principal of Signalwrite Marketing.
Events, Sponsors, Volunteers / by
Richard Laurence Baron
The President of St Arnold Brewing Company is speaking at the AMAHouston monthly luncheon next week. You can still register here.
It’s always a pleasure to be reminded that there’s great beer in Houston – and fresh too. The brewery’s Spring Bock label is shown here because I had a taste (or two) of it a couple of weeks back at the terrific new brewery location. It’s good stuff, Maynard.
I know Brock Wagner won’t be rolling out the barrels next week, if for no other reason than it’s a middle-of-the-day event and most marketers won’t want to return to work with beer on their breath.
Nevertheless, come to this lunch if [a] you believe in beer; [b] take an interest in beverage marketing; [c] want to learn more about creating a fan base using nothing but natural ingredients and personal energy; [d] want to network intensively.
Networking [d] is ever-important. Wagner will be talking about [c]: “Houston’s Home Brewed Beer: How Saint Arnold Built its Brand through Guerilla Marketing.” Check [b] if you got a big lift out of the Simply Orange presentation by Allison Barrett last November. (I did.)
Or throw up your hands and admit to [a].
Next Wednesday you can have ‘em all. (I will.) And I hope to [d] with you there. BTW, I’m Richard Laurence Baron, AMAHouston volunteer and principal of Signalwrite Marketing.
Events, General, Uncategorized / by
Richard Laurence Baron
This month, please take a moment and get to know AMA Member Stacie Fairchild:
Where do you work?
Bristow Group Inc. – one of the world’s largest providers of helicopter services, providing the safest and most efficient helicopter transportation, maintenance, search and rescue and aviation support worldwide.
How long have you been an AMA Houston member?
3 years
Give us three words that describe yourself:
Happy, very detailed, strong willed.
If I weren’t in marketing, I’d be…
A Veterinarian
What is your all-time favorite marketing campaign or brand?
Houston Texans
What’s your favorite food or drink?
Luby’s Mac & Cheese, Water & lemon
Want to connect with Stacie personally? Talk to her at the next event, or visit her company website at http://www.bristowgroup.com
Tell her you found her on the AMA Member spotlight. She’ll likely be able to chat you up with marketing tips, the Houston Texans or Luby’s. 
Membership / by
Robin Tooms
