ANDY FRIEDMAN: BRINGING BRANDS TO LIFE


People tell me I'm somebody who gets it. Marketing. Digital. Content. Transformation. Operations.
People. Creativity.
I'm known as an accomplished, experienced and innovative marketing leader with extensive knowledge of digital, social, video, print and in-person events.
A wise man once told me brands are the sum of story and experience. Digital marketing involves both - at all relevant touchpoints. After all, marketing is about creating emotional connections.
More CMOs are leveraging content experience to lead marketing organizations. I'm a living example of this, having learned to connect brands to audiences through multimedia content.
I believe great things happen from easy collaboration and team leadership with empathy and focus. I've been proud to help build and grow a number of high performing strategic content organizations. My experience is in both in on-site and remote team leadership.
The key to growth, I believe, is an intense audience focus, deep-dive into the data and unlocking the creativity and passion in the Team and in the community.
Most recently, I've had success building systems to launch and grow product offerings for WAI's international portfolio of businesses. We are launching and marketing products in six different languages and to multiple, diverse cultures. When the pandemic hit, we quickly pivoted to an effective strategy of webinars and virtual events. Our lead gen didn't miss a beat.
Previously, I've collaborated with teams to grow profitability of live events, build a digital strategy for a large national association and rebuilding a well-known professional certification program.
I enjoy public speaking and in-person training. I'm known for my "digital translation" abilities and also helping others excel in live settings.
I cut my teeth as a journalist, and even chased OJ down the LA freeways as a young reporter. I grabbed my Marketing MBA from USC and have since worked with companies like Tribune, Penton and AMA on content strategy, live events and training.
I'm proud of my two children, enjoy most sports, like to travel and volunteer, am a dedicated bookworm and a former jazz trumpet player who still loves music.
Career Highlights:
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Leading international marketing efforts for Specifi Software and other WAI companies
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Engineered digital content transition for American Marketing Association
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Rebooted AMA's certification program with 8X year-year growth
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Led AMA's live events portfolio into profitability in one year
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Achieved record online engagement for 19 Penton trade brands
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Accomplished with new platform rollouts, systems & standards
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Scaled systems in record time for two major startups
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Ran content production and integration at Tribune TV websites
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Proud volunteer and mentor at Chicago's 1871 startup incubator
Want more info? Please feel free to check out my resume. Or shoot me a quick email.

What They're Saying
"Andy's leadership allowed Tribune Broadcasting's TV stations to quickly achieve record levels of digital engagement. This was accompanied by large increases in non-spot revenue as we moved to an integrated media sales model. Andy's vision was integral to this success."
- Jerry Kersting, former President, Tribune Broadcasting
"Andy has successfully moved the AMA content team from a print-oriented team to a digital-first team. "
- Beth Taylor, former CFO, American Marketing Association
"On complex, evolving projects, Andy was the linchpin at Patch, managing and organizing critical communication."
- Ari Soglin, Senior Regional Editor, AOL Patch
"Andy was the driving force behind our digital content strategy. Our websites have seen unmatched growth."
- Angie Gates, Marketing Director, Penton Media
"Andy is a strong, creative manager. His job involved starting a new product and soliciting support for that initiative. Andy was able to do his job with confidence and vision."
-- Walter Sabo, COO, Sabo Media
"Andy Friedman understands not only how to create a comprehensive content strategy that engages an audience and drives profit for the company, but also knows how to garner traffic from search engines."
--Brent D. Payne, International SEO Speaker & CEO of Loud Interactive
"Andy is the future of digital marketing and content."
- Glen Callanan, Director of Interactive Sales, WGN-TV/Tribune Broadcasting
"Andy is the person you want on your team if you value fun, integrity and intelligence."
- Kim Johnson, SVP, Digital Sales Strategy, Tribune Company, VP, Interactive Sales, Clear Channel Radio
"Andy Friedman makes things happen."
- Drake LaMonica, Former Producer, Clear Channel Interactive
"Andy Friedman is the best manager I know."
-- Shawn Wasson, Online Producer, Social Media Manager & Radio Host, iHeart Radio