Allison Fess

I finished General Assembly's 10-week Digital Marketing program in July 2018 with a greater understanding of marketing trends and the power of language—specifically the clear, concise, and useful messaging in good UI/UX and content writing that leads users towards a solution or goal.

Using skills and knowledge from the program, I created an email strategy for a client that resulted in at least one email with a 40% open rate—well above the standard 15% for ecommerce—and a 100% increase in traffic over a 48 hour period. At TravelPirates, I used data (combined with good content) to yield an average 25% CTR, sometimes exceeding 50%. I love seeing quantifiable results from the words I choose.

I hold myself and my work to high standards. Maybe it's a hint of perfectionism, but I tend to see things as they could be, and strive to match that. Whether it's finding a more precise word or just the right accessory for a look, I refine until I'm satisfied.

My inner editor is in a love/hate relationship with A/B tests and analytics that tell me almost exactly what is and isn't working. Is it the CTA button color? Should I call it vegan or plant-based? What happens if I change the banner image? The possibilities are frustratingly and excitingly endless.

I believe that brand voice and user experience are two sides of the same coin. When content is engaging and speaking to the right person, it builds a better brand and a stronger audience.

I love helping companies discover brand voice through customer empathy. When TravelPirates launched in the US, they were still speaking German, figuratively. As one of the US market's first editors, I suggested the creation of an in-house style guide to homogenize the editorial team's writing. Once our headlines and formatting were uniform, our voice got stronger as American audiences responded to a brand they trusted more.

As a puzzle nerd, my process is to first understand big-picture goals, then figure out how to configure the details in order to reach them. How can you fit jigsaw pieces together effectively if you don't know what the image should be?

I do the New York Times crossword nearly every day. Saturday is my favorite because, inevitably, I'll be stuck with a 90% empty grid, sure that there is no way I'll finish it this time. But somehow, one by one, the answers come and slowly build on each other. By the end of my second cup of coffee, it's complete.

At the beginning of my career, I learned that the way I communicate reflects on me and the company as a whole. Speaking the right language to executives, engineers, PR firms, and venture capitalists lent credibility to a new startup (MOG) and served in many ways to usher it towards acquisition by Beats Music (now Apple Music).

With good communication comes easy collaboration, and both personally and professionally my greatest strengths are drawn out in creative and open environments. I share in the belief that better solutions arise when teams work together.

Take a look at what former colleagues have said about me on LinkedIn:

"Allison spearheaded our cultural program at MOG. She was responsible for creating a great working environment...She was well liked by the full staff and never shied away from rolling up her sleeve to make the workplace better for others" —T. Jay Fowler, Product Manager, YouTube

" Allison is exactly the kind of colleague I so value in a work environment—a smart, forward-thinking teammate focused on how to pursue the challenge at hand with intelligence, creativity, efficiency, and grace."—Trish Reynales, Editor, Santa Barbara Magazine

"She was always a pleasure to be around and her positive energy helped grow much of our corporate culture. She's an experienced problem solver, and is excellent at managing any situation without losing her composure."—Lauren Kasper, Label Relations, Apple Music

"She established herself as one of our strongest team members. Her work was thorough, creative and consistent. She was a pleasure to work with and was always quick to help other members of the team"—Dom Scarlett, Chief Editor, TravelPirates