MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS LEADER skilled at planning, creating, implementing and measuring communications in consumer and business markets.
Balanced experience in corporate marketing teams, agencies and independent consulting. Flexible in all media and channels, including offline and online advertising, website optimization, social media, direct marketing, mobile marketing, trade shows, sports and multicultural sponsorships, public relations, sales training and employee communications.
Industry experience includes telecom, banking, utilities, business services, building materials and healthcare.
Key Capabilities
• Marketing Communications Project Management
• Marketing Research and Communications Measurement
• Agency and Vendor Selection, Direction and Evaluation; Vendor Contract Optimization and Cost Reduction
• Writing: Brand Definitions, Creative Briefs, Proposals, Online and Offline Content
• Coaching and Training
Specialties: Project work for companies, agencies and entrepreneurs looking to define their brands and market themselves. Brand Definition; Creative Brief Development; Agency Selection; Agency Evaluation; Agency Direction; Agency Contract Optimization; Marketing Project Management; Marketing Communications Measurement; Mobile Marketing; Writing Proposals and Social Media Content. Good
I had been away from Adobe InDesign for three years, and I was beginning to worry if I had lost my basic skill level in this industry-standard layout tool. This week I jumped back into the InDesign pool and started swimming. I watched YouTube videos, asked Perplexity a lot of questions, and just played around with the platform enough until I arrived at a level of knowledge that is, perhaps, better than I had when I fell off the InDesign wagon in 2022.
If you want to learn something, the training is out there, and it’s usually free.
I created this page, an homage to my Navy SEALS veteran nephew, a man of many manly skills I can’t even fathom, but I don’t think he knows InDesign, so I have that going for me.
There’s a new breed of ball chasers stealing hearts at stadiums this summer, from The Show to the minors and even the College World Series. The golden retriever, that smiling, tail-wagging, blonde-hair-shedding variety of canis familiaris, is making headlines—not just as the bat dog or the mascot, but often as the face of a team’s brand and focal point of fan engagement.
A Golden Wave Across Ballparks: Some Notable Goldens
Dizzy, the English cream golden retriever, is the beloved ballpark dog and mascot for our own Arkansas Travelers, even inspiring a weeklong “Barkansas Dizzys” rebrand and the sale of dazzling Dizzy merchandise.
Bruce made headlines at a Washington Nationals game before returning to his minor league duties with the Rochester Red Wings.
Bo, companion of LSU outfielder Derek Curiel, was a fan favorite at the College World Series in Omaha. Bo inspired the Tigers to win the national championship, and there’s a rumor that he changed the spelling of his name to the Cajunized BEAUX.
The Trenton Thunder, a team with a storied tradition of golden retriever batdogs, have cemented their alternate identity, the Trenton Goldens. What began as a tribute to their batdogs—Chase, Derby, Rookie, and Dash—has become a fan-favorite brand. The Thunder now wear Goldens jerseys for all dog-friendly games and offer a full line of Goldens merchandise.
The Hudson Valley Renegades, a minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Hudson Valley Renegades, have unleashed a new alternate identity for 2025: the Hudson Valley Retrievers. For three games this season, the team will don special uniforms featuring Bella, a golden retriever mascot inspired by their original groundskeeping dog from 1999.
From top left: My Winnie (red Cane’s bandana) with Dizzy, Winnie gets her Barkansas Dizzys treats, Bo Curiel of LSU at the College World Series, Bruce the Bat Dog at the Washington Nationals game, the Trenton Thunder – make that the Trenton Goldens.
In addition to their roles as celebrities and mascots, goldens and other breeds are welcomed at many minor league parks with their humans on designated “bring your dog” nights. Here in Little Rock, I often take my nine-year-old Winnie to see our Travelers, a double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The stadium features an enclosed dog park, and local businesses sponsor doggy treats and gifts.
There are two kinds of people: those who own a golden retriever and those who wish they did. Goldens come equipped with a personality at no extra charge. They are goofy and are guaranteed not to bite you. Their presence at ballparks amplifies the friendly atmosphere that baseball is famous for.
And in College Football, a Family of Golden Receivers
Baseball is not the only sport with a golden touch. Last college football season, ESPN announcer Kirk Herbstreit’s beloved Ben was a crowd favorite. Sadly, Ben passed away in November. Mr. Herbstreit has a squad of new golden boys. Look for Peter, Ben’s successor, on ESPN College GameDay and on the gridiron in the fall.
While the Big Game was never close on the field, the annual showcase of creative advertising on TV was full of memorable and not-so-memorable moments. This list is a complete roster of what ran, and even some ads that we thought were going to run but never got in the game.
I bought this bottle of Gorilla brand Super Glue at Walmart. After unpackaging it and using a few drops, I noticed the bottle was half empty (or half full for the eternal optimists in the room). My first thought was that the product-to-packaging ratio was a merchandising ploy, but it’s not about marketing. It’s about physics. According to the Gorilla Glue Company official Facebook page, “We fill our super glue bottles by weight not by size so they may appear to be half full. Rest assured you have the full amount of glue you paid for. Look for the white fill lines on the cardboard package!” Gorilla Glue’s product information says, “for high performance and usability, the adhesive needs to be protected from air. One way to keep the air out of the adhesive is by packaging it in thick plastic bottles. If the thicker plastic bottle was completely full, it would be too hard to squeeze.”
Lesson learned: Not everybody is out to cheat you. If you trust a brand the way I trust Gorilla Glue Company (their Gorilla tape is world-class), stay loyal. That brand will almost always treat you right.
Paul Sage - Marketing 