Experience

United Ways of California

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Sr. Advisor, Marketing - Kinship Navigation

  • Oct 2019 - Present

  Advisor to new, statewide kinship navigation project- Identify, launch and amplify kinship multi-platform resource - Create strategic content and programs to build community and connection- Deliver solutions to affect positive outcomes in kinship and foster households Advisor to new, statewide kinship navigation project- Identify, launch and amplify kinship multi-platform resource - Create strategic content and programs to build community and connection- Deliver solutions to affect positive outcomes in kinship and foster households



Melissa Radke Gersh Innovative Marketing

• United States
• Advertising Services

• Owner

  • Jul 2001 - Present

  Launched marketing consulting business. Diverse clients/projects including: Los Angeles County Library, Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), 2-1-1, Ford Fusion, Barnhart School, Fairmont Schools, Brookmore Apartments, the Las Vegas Gangster Museum, bestselling author Noah BenShea and major Las Vegas hotel chain.• Saved CHLA over $20,000 on biggest annual fundraiser, Kids Dream Golf Tournament while raising over $175,000.• Substantially grew revenue (23%) while reducing costs (13%) for Brookmore while winning City of Pasadena competition to reduce taxes by $40,000 annually.



United Way of Greater Los Angeles

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Interim Director/Consultant, Communications and Content / Marketing

  • Apr 2018 - Dec 2019

  Hired to manage one to four consultants/employees to drive strategic marketing strategies, creative content (email marketing, blogs, newsletters, etc.), event support, advertising, creative services, internal communications, and earned media, including agency management.* Provide framework and continuity for overall branding, positioning, style guides, and marketing elements.* Create alignment within organization's departments, increase ROI, institutional memory, and efficiencies.* Direct all internal and external communication efforts across channels; curate all elements for media requests.* Created strategic messaging framework for organization, sub-brands and partnerships.* Developed engaging 25-piece workplace campaign tool kit, including bilingual options (see link).* Produced all crisis communications for disaster recovery fundraising for those affected by Hill and Woolsey fires which generated over $2.7 million and became state-wide standard.* Started as consultant April, 2018 to February, 2019 and July 2019.



The Walt Disney Company

• United States
• Entertainment Providers
• 700 & Above Employee

• Director of Marketing/PR/Producer/Special Events Sr. Mgr/Sr./Coordinator

  • 1995 - 2001

  The Disney Store (Director of Marketing/PR; Producer, Programming):Responsibilities included: Supervising 10 direct reports, developing, promoting and supporting new business initiatives to support “reinvention” of The Disney Store, not limited to special events, product promotions, marketing, brand management, strategic public relations programs, synergistic studio partnerships, community relations, communications and serving on the directors board as well as acting Vice President of Marketing for two months.Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (Sr. Manager, Special Events):• Envisioned, developed, and pitched a six-month interactive national traveling “mall tour” for Pocahontas establishing the first exclusive long-lead marketing launch vehicle for animated films for four consecutive years.• Drew over 22 million consumers to U.S./European malls and increased early film awareness by 30%.• Generated $40 million value in four years with mall tour concepts including direct supervision of tour ad campaign and maximizing $8 million in media/promotional plans.Responsibilities included: Creation of 125 events and team member in countless others including red carpet film premiere events, managing all aspects of tour fabrication and operation finances, creating multi million dollar advertising/publicity campaigns, managing all tour operations and its 25 personnel/hundreds of city volunteers, developing mall marketing/sales programs utilizing market analysis, creating and maintaining relationships with key mall developers, engaging key Disney divisions and corporate alliance partners, acting as liaison for web site development, performing the role of official tour spokesperson for media interviews, supervising publicity agencies, troubleshooting day-to day touring challenges, and overseeing set design/fabrication of creative elements to ensure a cohesive identity with the films’ marketing.

• Intern/Sr.Marketing Coordinator - Home Office In-Theatre Marketing Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

  • 1989 - 1995

  • Innovated in-theatre marketing by creating, writing, and supervising writers for an industry-adopted creative Promotional Guide to generate additional in-theatre awareness and publicity.• Generated original national promotions covered by Advertising Age and The Wall Street Journal.• Developed relationships and national promotions with top in-theatre marketing executives while overseeing seven U.S./Canadian field marketing coordinators.• Envisioned and created an IT program that would maximize organizational memory in the high-turnover position of the entry-level Disney marketing coordinator.



Original Movie Cookie Company

• Owner

  • 1987 - 1990

  • Launched entrepreneurial company as Disney and Columbia Studios’ youngest licensee to be the first to market film characters on a movie theatre’s concession stand food item. Unique character cookies featured characters, from movies such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bambi, Cinderella, and Ghostbusters II timed to the films’ theatrical release.• Cold called concession directors resulting in penetration of numerous large theatre chains and independents to reach sales in 350 U.S. theatres per film release.Responsibilities included: Developing original "movie cookie" concept, pitching and maintaining ongoing relationships with studio licensing executives, creating strategic national marketing/advertising and PR campaigns for both trade and consumer, and merchandising and branding this unique concession product by creating consistent unified messages which enhanced recall and helped bridge the gap between in-theatre cookie sales.