Photo by Radim Schreiber
ABOUT firefly marketing - LUCIÉRNAGA
Luciérnaga (pronounced: lu’ see-air’ na’ ga') is the Spanish word for “firefly” and represents a metaphor for great marketing which attracts, engages, connects, and drives action between brands and targets. In this age of big data and marketing automation, brands are still created by vision and grow through emotional connections with consumers. Specializing in Brand Strategy, Marketing, Operational Alignment, and Culture, FIREFLY MARKETING builds brands and addresses business challenges across CPG, B2C, B2B, Non-Profit, and Professional Services.
ABOUT ME
An Award-Winning Marketing Executive, passionate about bringing brands to life, articulating and executing visions, and delivering measurable growth. From startups to Fortune 500 global entities, I've created new companies, transformed iconic American brands, achieved multi-million-dollar revenue growth, and led cultural evolutions. I bring this experience, attitude and approach to Firefly Marketing and its clients.
What We Do
BRANDING
<STRATEGY>
Define the brand and create maps for success
-
Brand Development and Management
-
Competitive Analysis
-
Mission, Values, Purpose
-
(STP) Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning
-
Brand Naming, Identity and Imagery
-
Balance Functional and Emotional Benefits
mARKETING
<TACTICS>
Create and execute detailed action plans
-
4 Ps - Product, Place, Promotion, Price
-
CRM/Data Analytics
-
Media selection - Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned
-
Social/Digital Content Calendar Development
-
Forensics - why didn't previous efforts work and how can they be fixed?
relationships
<personal branding>
USE BRANDing principles to improve RELATIONSHIPs
-
Personal Audit
-
Brand Articulation, Creation and Evolution
-
Brand Pillars
-
Storytelling
-
Identity, Meaning, Response
-
Ownable, Authentic
-
Connect Personal and Corporate Brands
-
Measurements for success
-
Small Groups; Executive Leadership Teams; Corporate Engagements; Individuals
-
Keynote Speaking
-
Educational Seminars and Interactive Workshops
-
Topics Include: Brand Management, Marketing, Personal Branding, Relationship Management, Cultural Evolution
workshops
<CUSTOM EDUCATION>
develop and facilitate executive learning
Photo by Radim Schreiber
CAPABILITIES
A dedicated focus on functional elements within Vision, Equity, Opportunity, Execution, and Leadership can result in winning championships regardless of your category of business.
GLOBAL MARKETING
Plan, execute, and translate marketing mix across geographies and cultures to maximize brand equity and revenues.
DIGITAL + SOCIAL
Engage, converse, sell, and grow through constantly emerging technologies and consumer-connection points.
ADVERTISING + PR
Create motivating communications to attract, engage and drive action with targets. Vast experience across paid, earned, shared and owned mediums.
SPORTS + ACTIVE-LIFESTYLE MARKETING
Promote brands via the emotional power of amateur, collegiate, and professional sports. Connect brands through active-lifestyle messages to support fun, and physical, mental, and social well-being.
SPONSORSHIPS, ACTIVATION + ENGAGEMENT
Drive brand awareness and consumer interactions through brand, event, sport, and charitable alliances based on relevance, alignment, and intended business results.
CRM + DATA ANALYTICS
Compile, organize, and analyze data to reveal patterns, trends, and associations in customer/consumer behavior.
P&L
Advocate financial responsibility and ROI to maximize profitability.
GO-TO-MARKET
Plan the steps needed to enter a new market, launch a new product or service, re-brand, or other new-direction moves.
STRATEGY
Develop the road maps to guide decision making, achieve visions, prioritize objectives, and optimize financial performance.
GOAL SETTING
Establish and articulate quantitative and time-based objectives to motivate, measure, and drive business.
VISION
OPPORTUNITY
EXECUTION
BRAND MANAGEMENT
Convert products into living, breathing entities by creating and maintaining emotional connections with target audiences.
SEGMENTATION, TARGETING + POSITIONING
Strategic, audience-focused approach to brand building and communications.
IDENTITY
Create and maintain an ownable, unique, and differentiated corporate/brand verbal & visual voice. Ensure consistency across all internal and external communication elements.
ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT
Focus on aligning mission, vision, and goals with the strategies to achieve success. Emphasis on the interrelation between work, people, structure, and culture.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Embrace new ideas, market forces, and technology while remaining grounded in strategic process.
COLLABORATION
Combine idealism and pragmatism; see big picture; hold long-term focus while executing plans with organizational awareness; lead through cross-functional partnership, empowerment, and fun.
EQUITY
LEADERSHIP
Photo by Radim Schreiber
FIREFLY MARKETING PHILOSOPHY
I describe marketing with a visual metaphor of a FIREFLY (Luciérnaga in Spanish and the agency URL; etymology Greek “light; to shine”). Their bioluminescent communication attracts, engages, connects, and drives action organically – the same as great communication between brands and targets. This article details the firefly-marketing metaphor.
Photo by Radim Schreiber
BRAND PERSONALITY
Intellectual curiosity and an active lifestyle drive energy, creativity, and a brand-focused "what if" sense of enthusiasm. Here are a few more things which enhance and add color to my personal side and my professional experience.
-
Magical Realism + Latin American Authors: Eduardo Galeano, Pablo Neruda, and Gabriel García Márquez. Fantastic, sometimes magical things happen in ordinary daily life. This is a simple definition of the literary genre of Magical Realism and is an apt way to define my approach to strategy, branding, marketing and leadership. Let’s make amazing things happen.
-
Soccer: Player, Coach and Fan - Favorite team: FC Barcelona - Ask me why.
-
U.S. Soccer Federation Licensed Coach. I am fortunate to have shared my love of the sport with others by coaching kids from U9 - U16.
-
I’m fascinated by the teamwork and leadership insights provided by the game itself, the rabidity of its fans worldwide, the cultural, socio-economic, political, and religious connections clubs and national teams have with their fans, and the templates this creates beyond sport.
-
-
Trail Running: The air, nature and crunch of the path under my feet clear the mind, and energize the body and spirit. Ask me about my best run ever!
-
Alebrijes: Carving and painting Oaxacan folk-art-inspired animals.
-
A formative experience as an exchange student in rural Uruguay was the beginning of a lifelong interest in what makes people "tick" and why. This interest in cultural understanding led to earning an M.B.A. from the renowned Thunderbird School of Global Management and, ultimately, into this career of connecting brands and targets through meaningful and engaging marketing efforts.
Photo by Radim Schreiber
DACOR CORPORATION
Sporting Goods; Active Lifestyle
Marketing Manager
Brands: Dacor SCUBA, Dacor Sport
Responsibilities: Marketing, Product Development, Sales Integration, Production Forecasting, Bilingual English/Spanish Customer Service
JIM BEAM BRANDS COMPANY
Consumer Packaged Goods
Director, Global Brand Development
Brands: Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Sour Apple Pucker, Geyser Peak Wines
Responsibilities: Brand Management, Global Marketing, New Business, Advertising, Promotions, Research
WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY
Consumer Packaged Goods
Senior Marketing Manager
Brands: Juicy Fruit, Doublemint, Wrigley’s Spearmint, Extra
Responsibilities: Brand Management & Equity Development, Advertising, Promotions, Research
CHICAGO RUSH ARENA FOOTBALL
Sports, Events & Entertainment
VP, Marketing & Business Development
Responsibilities: Strategy, Marketing, Brand Management, Research, Attendance, Engagement
CHICAGO WOLVES HOCKEY
Sports, Events & Entertainment
VP, Business Development
Responsibilities: Marketing, Leadership, Attendance, Sponsorships, Activation, Engagement
KEMPERLESNIK
PR, Marketing, Events Agency
VP, Sports & Event Marketing
Key Accounts: McDonald’s, KitchenAid
Responsibilities: Strategy, Marketing, P&L, F500 Account Mgmt, Sponsorship Marketing/Sales/Activation
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
School of Professional Studies
Lecturer & Thesis Advisor
Graduate-level course development and instruction includes: Brand Management; Marketing Research; Sales Management
FIREFLY MARKETING
Principal Consultant
Focus: Brand Strategy, Marketing, Operational Alignment, Culture
Client Areas: CPG, B2C, B2B, Non-Profits, Agencies, Services
My value is based in brand-building, revenue-generation, and leadership success across multiple business categories and challenges. With large and small budgets and staff, I have the experience to help drive growth.
Curt gruber
WORK
EXPERIENCE
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Global Brand Development of
Jim Beam Bourbon
23% global market share.
Re-positioned iconic Doublemint brand through celebrity-endorsement relationship with Venus and Serena Williams. Reestablished target -market relevance and usage to jumpstart sales on an American favorite.
Managed U.S. marketing efforts on Juicy Fruit, Doublemint, Wrigley’s Spearmint + Extra brands.
-
+35% market share
-
+$500MM gross sales
-
$45MM marketing budget.
DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker
Most successful new product launch in spirits-industry history.
$28MM 1st year bottom line. “Appletini” invented!
Marketing, branding, activation and P&L for iconic sports events:
-
CBS Sports Classic college-basketball (Kentucky, UNC, Ohio State and UCLA). Year-one revenues +20% of budget.
-
30-year old EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. +10% revenue in 1st year after developing new marketing plan.
-
McDonald’s All American Games sponsorhips, Steering Committee.
-
Client-services, activation and engagement for the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid.
Re-established international wine sales, distribution and marketing operations for Geyser Peak California wines in (8) target countries in Europe and Asia. +25% increase 1st year sales.
Executive team member which built the Chicago Rush franchise from concept to national brand: 3x winner of best front office; +95% in-arena attendance in final (4) seasons and highest league-wide national TV ratings on ESPN.
-
Brand Management + Marketing
-
Sales Management
-
Marketing Research
-
Faculty Director (2010-12)
-
MSA Admissions Committee
-
Facutly Advisory Board
-
Thesis Advisor
1+ years teaching graduate-level courses at Northwestern University
Engineered a fluid cultural evolution, transformed creative + positioning, media placement, data analytics, sales strategy, and sales-team management. +21% sales in 1st year.
recent engagements
CATEGORY INDUSTRY DESCRIPTION
Consumer Sports Apparel & Uniforms Mission/Vision; Segmentation (S); Targeting (T); Positioning (P); Business Audit; Sales & Marketing Realignment
Online Retail CPG Startup Brand Strategy; Business Development; Marketing Tactics
B2B Services SaaS Startup Brand Strategy; Business Development
Professional Services Professional Coaching Brand Development; Digital Presence
Professional Services Industry Awards Brand Strategy; Planning; Social Media; Content
Consumer Services Health Club Startup STP; Brand Identity
Real Estate Residential Housing Brand Restage; STP; Identity
Healthcare Medical Research Brand Audit; Qualitative Research; Restage; STP; Bus. Dev. Planning
Non-Profit Private Foundation Messaging; White Paper Research & Writing
Professional Services Global IT Consulting Talent Acquisition Marketing; Business Development
Photo by Radim Schreiber
VISUAL INSPIRATIONS
This gallery of places + phenomena illustrates the inspirational power of nature to drive creativity and innovation.
Volcán Calbuco
La Región de los Lagos
Chile 2015
Photo by Francisco Negroni
This is called a "dirty thunderstorm" - a weather phenomenon related to the production of lightning in a volcanic plume.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Do you have a marketing, brand, or strategic challenge?
Does your organization need proven executive marketing leadership or inspiration?
Do you need to bring your brand to life?
I can help, let's discuss.
Curt Gruber
773.490.4808
©2020 LUCIÉRNAGA