Meet John
Hi! I'm John.
Start the Presses
I started my career in print marketing, where I handled client relations and project management for clients in the publishing and entertainment industries; most notably Penguin Random House and Disney. We created PR and media kits and large-format displays for upcoming titles and releases for promotions in Barnes & Noble, Target and other retail locations around the US.
My Career Takes Flight
In 2013, I joined the public affairs team at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in New York City where I got to work on a top-to-bottom rebrand of the institution. Our focus shifted from the sparkle of the College's programs to the strength of its impressive and diverse campus community. I established the institution's presence on Instagram, and revitalized its strategy on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. I wrote engaging press releases and inspiring spotlight stories, designed publications, social graphics and newsletters and produced video content that showcased the incredible students we helped to become the next generation of professionals.
As I grew in my role at Vaughn, my responsibilities evolved to include management of the entire digital brand presence. To that end, I led the in-house team and external agency team as we unified our approach to blogging, content creation and marketing, paid and organic social, digital media relations, search and display advertising and out-of-home marketing. As a media relations liaison, I secured placements in USA Today, Bloomberg, the Daily News and industry publications like Metro Airport News and Airport Voice. We were featured in segments on ABC World News Tonight, NBC 4, and Telemundo, and were heavily featured in episodes of "White Collar" and "The Deuce."
I reported campaign analytics and analytics on day-to-day content marketing to the institution quarterly. In these reports, we found we'd been outperforming institutions 10 times our size in engagements on Instagram, that just under 1 million visitors had read our Google MyBusiness content (at no-cost to the institution) each quarter and that 48% of respondents to an internal survey had chosen to enroll in the College based exclusively on the content they had seen on our social media channels.
Fly Away on My Zefyr
In addition to my work at Vaughn College, I lead a freelance marketing and PR operation called Zefyr Media. I work with for and not-for-profit organizations to help them rebrand, or to reach their audiences in ways they couldn't before. I have worked with groups benefiting people with disabilities, groups that advocate for people in the LGBTQ+ community, medical practices and companies in the manufacturing industry. Campaigns I have worked on were linked to a 200% increase in donations to a client's fundraising gala over the previous year, a 21% increase in sales to a small business client's website over a six-month period, and a 5,000% increase in traffic to a client's website compared to the previous quarter.
A Touch of Boilerplate
My professional experiences, paired with the skills I learned in academic programs in public relations at Hofstra University and digital marketing at Yale have given me the skills I need to keep myself ahead of the ever-changing landscape of professional communications. I have a creative eye, a sharp mind, and a deep sense of empathy that allows me to understand different audiences' needs and tailor my strategies and communication techniques in a unique and effective way. Check out some of my work here, and tap the contact tab to get in touch with me!