Today, we got the privilege of speaking with Kathy Jack-Romero, President of Local Marketing Solutions at Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK.
Kathy has been with Gannett for more than 30 years and leads our sales teams in delivering local marketing solutions to clients across the U.S.
We talked to Kathy about her career journey with Gannett, her favorite marketing solution and client story, and what she can’t live without.
Wow! Congratulations on 32 years “ that’s quite an accomplishment. You’ve worn a lot of different hats during your time here. Tell us a little about that.
My career can be characterized as one of reinvention. As we’ve transformed our industry over the years, I’ve made it a point to do the same with my career. I’ve jumped in to learn new aspects of our business and reimagined ways in which I could take my talents to a new area, team, or approach in our organization. I love building and leading winning teams, and I hold myself accountable to consistent communication, collaboration and understanding, and tapping into the “superpowers” of our team members.
I love that! So, what’s your favorite part of what you’re doing now?
Talking to our teams about the impact they make in our communities. I love when someone tells me of the success that their client is having. Our North Star is to make our communities a better place. Finding that “purpose” makes your job so much more rewarding. We help local businesses thrive. We allow them to achieve growth, meet goals, have banner sales years. They then add staff, support local causes and issues, and contribute to a healthy and vibrant local community. That’s important and meaningful work!
That really is! Speaking of marketing solutions, which of ours are you most excited about?
A differentiator of ours is branded content. No one is better equipped to deliver a highly engaged audience with content that we know resonates with the desired consumer! We have expertise on both sides of this powerful coin. Plus, I love when we have the opportunity to talk about the power of our journalism and how a client can fit alongside and compliment the work that we do.
Do you have any examples of how we partner with our clients to help them achieve results?
We have a home improvement client in Memphis that started their relationship with us by being selected as a winner in our annual “Best of” awards. At the time of the awards, the client was not advertising with us. After publishing our winners, our valuable and loyal audience of readers started reaching out to this business to inquire about jobs/services. The owner of the business did not have a website, and consumers wanted to see examples of his work. Our team partnered with this client to help them understand the value of a powerful website and we delivered a finished product to him in short order. After a few months of the website being up and running, the client agreed with our team that it was time to start driving leads to his site with display, search, and social advertising.
A few months after that, our partnership with the client led to us helping him build a strong SEO and listings presence and participate in a pay for performance program with us. At each step of the way along this journey “ our client has allowed us to be a trusted advisor and partner, not just a vendor. We’ve been able to help this local referral-based business owner truly grow their business to new levels of success.
Just like we love to partner with local businesses, I know we love to frequent them as well. What’s your favorite local business to visit?
The Human Bean. I just can’t function well without a latte a day “ and the chocolate-covered coffee bean that accompanies my drink gives me an extra kick.
Last question: What was your very first job?
In high school, I worked as a housekeeper for a boutique ski hotel in Lake Tahoe on the weekends. I delivered extra towels to Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli, passed by Bill Cosby in the hallway, and got to hit the slopes on the weekends after my shift.
Thanks to Kathy Jack-Romero for talking with us about her career journey, partnering with local businesses for marketing solutions, and more.
To learn more about LOCALiQ and what we do, contact us today.
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