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 data-driven messaging that leads users towards a solution.

Armed with this knowledge, 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 adding just the right amount of vanilla to a cookie recipe, 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.

When brands sound consistent, compelling, and human they sound more like friends—and who doesn't trust their friends? I believe that speaking in a cohesive brand voice benefits business and audience alike, and I love helping companies discover what theirs sounds like. 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 grew stronger as American audiences responded to a brand they trusted more.

Love your tone? I'm also adept at matching brand voice. Fenty Beauty has arguably one of the most distinct voices in the beauty space, and I quickly learned what the Fenty customer expects to hear. With an eye (and ear!) for detail, I was able to create a series of seven emails for a marketing campaign in the Fenty voice within a week of coming on board.

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 that only comes together when take a step back and think about the details in a wider context.

Similarly, once I understand the aim of a marketing campaign or key KPIs, I tailor my words to best achieve them. My process is to first see big-picture goal then figure out how to configure the details in order to reach it. How can you fit jigsaw pieces together effectively if you don't know what the image should be?

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 as the CEO's right-hand woman 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.

At least I hope so, if these testimonials are true. Take a look at what former colleagues have said about me on LinkedIn:

" 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 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

"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

"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