Stoltz Marketing Group (SMG), a Boise-based integrated marketing communications company, recently welcomed Jay Bowen as senior account director with a specialty in content and marketing automation.
In her new position, Bowen will oversee accounts in a variety of industries, including financial and professional services, retail, foodservice, and construction and maintenance.
“Jay is an innovative marketing game-changer in the digital space,” SMG President Ken Stoltz said. “She will help broaden our services in account management and digital marketing capabilities, and we are thrilled to have her on board.”
Prior to SMG, Bowen was VP of Sales and Marketing at Metageek, and Digital Content Director at DaviesMoore before that. She has over 15 years of agency and client-side experience working in the technology and digital space in South Africa, London, and the United States in a broad range of industry sectors such as travel, telecommunications/cable, government, non-profit, and financial. Bowen has degrees in both marketing and journalism from the London School of Marketing.
In addition to her experience in marketing, Bowen is the founder of Idaho Women in STEM, a nonprofit that raises scholarship money for young women who want to study STEM subjects in Idaho. She is also on the board of directors for the Boise Advertising Federation and recently represented the STEM space on the TEDx Woman Boise panel event.
Description
The Director of Client Services is responsible for management of the Account Services team, interaction with the management team, and overseeing client relationships as a senior member of the staff. In addition to management duties, this individual will act as an Account Executive on select accounts, responsible for daily contact between the agency and client accounts and interfacing with various agency departments to move projects through on behalf of the client. This includes coordinating with the creative director concerning creative issues and input, the media director regarding media planning, the public relations director for all PR efforts, the director of digital marketing concerning interactive projects, the production manager for scheduling and timing and the accounting department for budgeting and billing.
The individual who fills this position must be driven and exemplify strong leadership qualities, as well as fit into the agency’s established culture.
The Director of Client Services will drive all initiatives for the Account Services department and have major input in developing strategic marketing plans for clients. After plans are developed and presented to clients, the Director will be responsible for overseeing those tasked with carrying out the plan on a daily basis and ensuring accurate and timely billing.
This position requires an individual with the capacity to maintain a high level of awareness and organization with client activities, detail-oriented management, and professional communication with key client contacts as needed.
Management Responsibilities
Mentors and leads account services team and provides continued opportunity for learning
Ensures delivery of quality Agency services across all accounts
Attends management meetings and effectively represents account services department and team members
Establishes account services strategy and workflow
Oversees billing, projections and QVA (quote vs. actual) reporting for team
Staffs account services team as necessary to guarantee proper client management
Conducts department meetings and one-on-one reviews with individuals to stay apprised of client status and provide direction
Account Executive Responsibilities
Handles day-to-day activities and execution of approved programs for assigned clients
Keeps apprised of progress of clients’ projects through production and traffic managers or other relevant personnel
Initiates and manages internal teams for client jobs
Effectively presents, sells and defends all agency work/proposals to clients; supports other client service team members in these functions
Keeps apprised of clients’ brands/products/services/marketing developments
Assists in preparing client invoices, proposals, marketing communications and strategic marketing plans, media and public relations plans
Regularly checks for and responds promptly to all client communications, including calls, emails and text messages
Reviews and approves creative/production materials, copy, layouts, and production art, and coordinates client approval of same
Authors and communicates thorough project and creative briefs to assigned team
Develops and manages all scopes of work and client budgets
Reviews billing prior to release to clients; ensures prompt collection of accounts receivable
Handles all client billing projections and detailed monthly analysis for actual billing versus projections
Coordinates project timing and budgets with all relevant agency personnel
Actively seeks additional projects/new business from client contacts
Represents agency at industry and community functions
The Boise radio dial seems to be in continuous expansion mode. Much of that growth is coming from Impact Radio Group – the Idaho-owned company that has undergone a complete transformation in recent years.
Sunday, Impact launched 92.7 The Alternative – giving the group its sixth format in the main Boise market*¹.
92.7 FM is broadcasting an alternative rock format – featuring artists like Nirvana, Coldpay, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more. I even heard a track from an artist I didn’t recognize – Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness (thanks, Siri).
You might remember that Impact previously had an alternative station of sorts, originally known as 99.1 The Virus. The group later shortened the name to V-99.1, before dropping the format entirely and trying something else in its place (99.1 FM eventually moved to the Twin Falls market). Here’s a YouTube clip of a TV spot for V:
When the station died, it held onto its Facebook page, and even hinted at the time that it might come back some day.
In recent weeks, posts started to pop up on the mostly dormant page hinting at a revival. Then Sunday, a post confirmed the revival, albeit under a new name and tweaked format.
The station will go up against heritage alternative station KQXR/100.3 The X, much as V-99.1 FM did. Impact GM Darrell Calton says V was “pretty wide open,” in terms of playlist. The Alternative will stick more to a traditional alternative-type format in its attempt to grab ratings in the market. In the spring, KQXR was the fifth-highest rated station in the market among those 12 and older.
Calton tells me that engineering crews have been working for several weeks to get not one but two frequencies tuned and ready to go – both aimed at launching the new station.
In addition to 92.7 – which is intended as a translator station and licensed to Horseshoe Bend, Impact has launched HD radio on KQBL/101.9 FM. This is the first fully functioning commercial HD station in the market*², and gives the group the ability to launch the new frequency for all — and upgrade the quality for others.
Here’s how it works:
92.7 will be the “primary” station for consumers, as you would guess, for something called Alternative 92.7. However, using a 2010 FCC decision, 92.7 FM is actually a translator that “rebroadcasts” from a multicast channel that lives at 101.9-3 FM. From the FCC’s perspective, 101.9-3 is really this new Alternative station’s “home,” but Impact is able to jump through some governmental hoops to get it on to 92.7 FM so everyone can hear.
Why does this matter? Most folks still don’t have HD radios – especially in any place but their cars. In vehicles, about 200 makes come with HD radios standard – but you might still buy a brand new car without the technology. For those that do have an HD radio, they’ll be mapped over to 101.9-3 automatically and will generally get a clearer, sharper signal.
Impact is also utilizing this trick for its existing 96.5 ESPN Boise station. The sports talker will be on 101.9-2 with a rebroadcast on the existing 96.5 FM translator (which had previously been rebroadcasting an AM transmitter, essentially).
Impact now has a full cluster of stations serving Boise – including KWYD/Wild 101 FM (now with its own booster translator in Boise at 101.5), KZMG/My 102.7, KSRV/96.1 Bob FM, KNFL/96.5 ESPN Boise, KQBL/101.9 The Bull — and KQBL/92.7 The Alternative.
*¹ = Impact also operates KSRV-AM/Oldies 1380 AM which is focused primarily on the Ontario part of the area.
*² = Scripps’ KRVB/94.9 The River also went HD this past week, though for now it is not promoting this fact nor is it utilizing any multicast subchannels. In addition, Boise State Public Radio has been broadcasting in HD for some time, but it’s not a commercial station.
Don Day was the editor of IdahoRadioNews.com for a jillion years about a jillion years ago. He’s also the digital sales and product manager for KTVB Digital.
We need AD’s and brand designers in Boise. Bring your design and concepting chops– a.k.a., your ability to distill complicated marketing problems into elegantly simple solutions–and we’ll provide you a platform to thrive in an agency filled with super-smart creatives, brand strategists and digital agitators. Clients range from packaged goods to outdoor rec, finance, tech and insurance. Shoot me a link to your portfolio and CV if you’re interested.
Join the Boise Advertising Federation tonight at Woodland Empire Ale Craft for their Board Installation and presentation of this year’s Duke Award winner.