Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Lauren Ashleigh Allen

Whangarei

Summary

As an Operations and Marketing Manager with over 15 years experience across both Product and Service Industries, I'm passionate about brand strategy and development, creating memorable content and showcasing the very best a brand has to offer.

Originally from South Africa, I moved to New Zealand in 2011 and have had the opportunity to work across some of New Zealand's most iconic brands.

I am a hardworking, passionate individual who gives of my best in any given situation. I am a dedicated, loyal employee who works well within a team environment, as well as being self- motivated and able to work on my own without the need to be micro-managed. I have strong written and verbal communication skills and am an extremely organised person. I work well under pressure, and I welcome new challenges and tasks to tackle.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience

Work History

Operations and Marketing Manager

Harcourts Optimize Realty
12.2020 - Current

To oversee and run the operations and marketing business units for Harcourts Optimize Group, which includes 3 x residential sales offices, 1 x property management division and 1 x commercial sales division. I have built up and currently manage a team of 2 marketing coordinators, and 7 administrators.


Responsibilities:

Operations

• Optimizing workflows and implementing best practices

• Manage, control and reduce costs effectively. By monitoring budgets and finding areas to reduce waste, help improve the company’s profitability. This cost control extends to managing relationships with vendors and negotiating favourable terms

• Integration of technology into real estate operations. This includes implementing property management software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and other tools that enhance efficiency and provide better insights into the business

• Long-term strategic planning. Work with business owners to set goals and develop plans for growth and expansion

• Ensure customer service processes are efficient and responsive, leading to better client experiences, resulting in higher client retention, referrals, and repeat business.

• Adept at adapting to changing market conditions and business needs. This role requires one to be flexible and responsive, allowing the company to pivot when necessary and take advantage of new opportunities.

Marketing

• Taking responsibility for marketing strategy including creative planning, discovering market opportunities, and implementing these strategies, in conjunction with the Business Owners

• Developing and delivering the strategic marketing plan for both the business units (Whangarei, Bream Bay, Just Rentals and NAI) and the individual agents

• Overseeing digital marketing, advertising, print material and promotional campaigns in conjunction with internal marketing team and external agency experts

• Leveraging data, analytics and segmentation to identify opportunities and insights, then translate these into executable integrated marketing plans that improve performance and deliver on objectives to increase brand awareness and market share

• Collaboration with the sales and PM teams to identify and develop new opportunities

• Nurturing our brand, brand assets and tone of voice

• Responsibly manage the deployment of the marketing budget and forecasting, in conjunction with the Business Owners

• Manage all PR activity. Explore brand partnerships with relevant brands, to help reach new audience. Sponsorship and Community. Harcourts Foundation.

• Reporting on all marketing strategies in detail using tested analytics and tools

· Creating and managing project and campaign timelines, ensuring delivery to a high standard and to agreed timeframes meeting key performance metrics

· Creating overarching social media strategies with clear content pillars for brand building and community activation.

Brand Comms Marketing Manager

Unicrest
03.2018 - 01.2020
  • To plan, lead and manage all aspects of the company's marketing strategy and budget alongside the CEO and GM
  • Develop an integrated 12- and 24-month marketing strategy for the company in line with the overall company objectives
  • Oversee the roll out of the marketing strategies including social media platform management and strategy, SEO strategy, AdWords strategy, Blogging Strategy, Content Topic management
  • Recommend marketing and sales opportunities to CEO and General Manager that have not previously been considered with detailed analysis and expected ROI; and then execute with needed resource on those opportunities
  • Ensure that Marketing KPIs are tracked and are meeting targets MTD, YTD and YOY
  • Collaborating and coordinating with the Sales Manager and team to health check the status of sales and assist with tactical and top line strategic marketing initiatives, including lead generation
  • Manage the suite of brands and corporate identity, ensuring they are market leading in look/feel, brand conviction, tone of voice, building brand awareness and positioning
  • Packaging design, brand design, brand tweaks, brand overhauls
  • Conducting and overseeing market research to assess target market size and opportunities
  • Assist with new product development rollout, including branding, marketing and entry into new markets
  • Monitor and conduct regular customer research in conjunction with customer advocacy team to monitor brand position in marketplace
  • Exploration, evaluation of and event management of brand events, targeted trade shows/expos
  • Public relation management - Reputation management, building, maintaining and managing communications strategy to best leverage the business
  • Sponsorship and partnership management - explore and investigate opportunities for the business to increase leads, sales, brand exposure and reach
  • Manage the marketing team and respective contractors to ensure their respective responsibilities are being met
  • Responsible for all brochures, catalogues, customer manuals, instruction booklets, and ensuring these are kept up to date and improved based on feedback from Sales Team, Customer Advocacy, and Customers direct
  • Work with sales and customer advocacy team members to gain and maintain and grow a bank of customer feedback, testimonials and opportunities for improvement
  • Manage one-off marketing projects such as: new instruction manual, new product viewing app/tool for prospective customers, new video installation manual, video product showcase library, video FAQ library, storytelling, customer experience showcases, blog writing, target market campaign, viral/guerrilla marketing experimentation


Design Services Manager

Air New Zealand
05.2014 - 06.2017
  • Company Overview: Design Studio Traffic and Account Manager before being promoted to senior role - Global Brand Marketing, Design House
  • Sitting within the Global Masterbrand team, Customer Marketing and Communications, this role was responsible for project management, planning, education of brand and marketing objectives and business strategy and alignment
  • I was part of the senior team who effectively oversaw and managed the roll out of Air New Zealand's revised brand architecture
  • Our team was responsible for the visual identity of the brand and the graphic and design aspects relating to all Air New Zealand communications, from internal to customer facing
  • This included working with all parts of the business, taking in briefs, working with the stakeholders to put a marketing lens on each project and identifying the best solutions for them
  • I was responsible for managing workloads for the 8 designers, additional freelancers, dealing with external agencies and suppliers, as well as planning workflow through the design studio to ensure projects met business objectives and strategies, were correctly briefed and interpreted by the design team, prioritised and completed on time
  • I assisted in educating the wider Air New Zealand business about the design house team function, design process and timings, and educating the wider business of the new brand architecture and its application
  • My role included ensuring that design projects were aligned to the Air New Zealand brand strategy and overall business drivers and customer experience objectives
  • I ensured projects and designs had been across the right stakeholders (e.g Design Manager, brand marketing and customer experience.) showing I effectively work well across teams as well
  • We successfully managed exponential growth and projects through this team, initially seeing approximately 50 jobs through the studio per month to up to 350 jobs during our busiest times
  • We were able to bring projects in house, thus proving to be a huge cost saver for the business (approximately $2 million per year) while ensuring that the business objectives and strategy were closely aligned to and met

Marketing Executive

Rendezvous Grand Hotel Auckland
09.2012 - 05.2014
  • Company Overview: New Zealand's largest hotel, featuring 452 guest rooms and suites, 16 conference and events spaces, 2 restaurants and a bar
  • I oversaw the branding, communications and marketing elements for all the above departments, reporting to the Director of Sales and Marketing
  • New Zealand's largest hotel, featuring 452 guest rooms and suites, 16 conference and events spaces, 2 restaurants and a bar
  • The hotel saw a 20% growth year on year during the time I worked there
  • Part of this success can be attributed to the work I did to increase the profile of the hotel through various marketing programs and PR strategies
  • We also saw our Tripadvisor listing grow from #35 in 2011 to #9 as at the time of my leaving the company
  • I successfully initiated and implemented a strong marketing and communication plans for the hotel as well as oversaw the entire budget for the team

Marketing Co-Ordinator

Valentines and Cobb & Co Brands
05.2011 - 09.2012
  • Company Overview: Two Iconic 25- and 35-year-old family restaurant chains, Valentines being a buffet restaurant and Cobb & Co al a carte
  • I oversaw all Marketing aspects for both groups (21 restaurants in total), reporting to the Group General Manager
  • Two Iconic 25- and 35-year-old family restaurant chains, Valentines being a buffet restaurant and Cobb & Co al a carte
  • Formulating strategic plans for both groups with extremely tight budgets, and maximising various sources and outlets to best meet the needs of the businesses
  • Being able to slow or maintain level of customer base and loyalty during tough economic times, through strategic plans created
  • The website and email database for both groups formed an integral part of my strategy
  • Website visitation, unique users and length of time of sites increased as much as 70% year-on-year in some instances
  • I was also able to establish and form strong relationships with suppliers and agencies

Public Relations Officer

Boxer Superstores
04.2010 - 03.2011
  • Company Overview: National FMCG Company
  • Boxer Superstores is one of the top five biggest supermarket groups in South Africa, with over 120 stores across the country
  • I was employed as the Public Relations Officer, reporting to the Marketing Director of this national listed company
  • I oversaw the entire PR portfolio and worked closely with the other 15 plus individuals in the Marketing Department
  • National FMCG Company
  • Boxer Superstores is one of the top five biggest supermarket groups in South Africa, with over 120 stores across the country
  • Liaising with all media (print, radio, TV), sending out press releases, attending media briefings
  • Monitoring and being accountable for all mentions of the brand within the media environment
  • Writing for, proofing and editing monthly internal newsletter
  • Writing for, editing, proofing and coordinating internally generated magazine, with a print run of 7000
  • I was required to source all adverts, manage the finances of the magazine, write for, coordinate and organise material from other contributors, piece together images, and copy etc
  • I was heavily involved in the design process as well

Education

Bachelor of Business Administration - Business Management And Communications

UNISA (University of South Africa)
01.2006

Certificate in Make Up Artistry -

The Make Up School

Matriculated -

Port Shepstone High School
01.2006

Skills

  • Proactive
  • Highly organised
  • Focused multitasker
  • Self-starter
  • Excels under pressure
  • Team player
  • Keen collaborator
  • Growth marketing mindset
  • Natural leader
  • People management
  • Partner management
  • Project management
  • Results-oriented

Timeline

Operations and Marketing Manager

Harcourts Optimize Realty
12.2020 - Current

Brand Comms Marketing Manager

Unicrest
03.2018 - 01.2020

Design Services Manager

Air New Zealand
05.2014 - 06.2017

Marketing Executive

Rendezvous Grand Hotel Auckland
09.2012 - 05.2014

Marketing Co-Ordinator

Valentines and Cobb & Co Brands
05.2011 - 09.2012

Public Relations Officer

Boxer Superstores
04.2010 - 03.2011

Certificate in Make Up Artistry -

The Make Up School

Matriculated -

Port Shepstone High School

Bachelor of Business Administration - Business Management And Communications

UNISA (University of South Africa)
Lauren Ashleigh Allen