Marketing for Sustainability, Health and Green Products

Key Skills

• Exceptional writing skills (view Nicolette's blog as an example)
• Background in energy policy, energy efficiency and passive solar building strategies
• Certified green building professional (Build It Green)
• Web design (HTML, XHTML, CSS, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, ImageReady)
• Strong strategic planning and project management for web launches and integrated online/print marketing campaigns (Dreamweaver, IBM Websphere, InDesign)
• Online marketing: E-newsletters, banners, landing pages, SEO, SEM and Cost-Per-Click campaigns (Google Analytics, SEO copywriting)
• Producing retail print catalogs and ads (print bidding/buying, color correction, photo retouching)
• Brand management: coherence of messages and visual assets across web, print, radio and TV
• New business presentations and events (Powerpoint, video, multimedia, scripting, media coaching and speechwriting)
• Writing and management of responses to RFPs, editorial management of print and e-publications
• Proven client management and communications skills
• Team building, managing multi-disciplinary teams and outside contractors
• Skilled at sketching, drafting and illustration (by hand, Illustrator, Photoshop, SketchUp) (See webpage)
• Superb drawing, watercolor rendering, rapid hand sketching abilities (See drawing portfolio)
• Public relations: writing of news releases, stage directing events, testimonials, news outreach in print and online
• Space planning and color consultation
• Hands-on experience from four home renovations, freelance experience providing space planning, energy efficiency advise and color consultation to interior design clients
• Mature, creative problem-solver with small business and retail experience

Career Highlights

• Creator of "Living in Comfort and Joy", a green building and interior design blog that attracted more than 37,000 visitors in its first year
• Lead writer on RFP for solar panel installation on historic landmark building in San Francisco
• Earned 2005 commendation, bonus, standing ovation from top management for website launch
• Facebook ad with online “killer quiz” proved most effective promotion in university’s history, gaining a front-page story in 8/18/2008 San Diego Union Tribune
• Cut bounce rate by 50% and increased new user visits by more than 200 a day after website redesign, and launch of SEM, SEO and social marketing campaign for forensics school
• Video development for Apple CD-ROM user training guide won a "Cindy" creative award
• TV and video: script for “Broken Wings” documentary on domestic violence; TV campaign introducing New Zealand kiwifruit to US
• Creative direction for annual report chosen as one of nation’s ten best by Business Publishing Magazine
• Creative concept for Hawaii Dreambook, rated United Airlines’ “most effective travel promotion”
• Major national creative award from American Advertising Federation; Ads Magazine also recognized Ampex campaign as “one of ten business-to-business campaigns of the year”
• Re-developed website for PBS TV series “Healing Quest”

Professional History

Associate VP Communications & Marketing Director, Alliant International University, San Francisco, 11/03-present. Supervise web and print marketing for school of education at graduate university with $1.1M income from 3800 students on six California campuses and one in Mexico City. Manage internal and external clients; oversee web and print budget and tracking, determine messaging and graphic standards. Pioneered social media strategies on Facebook and LinkedIn; manage Pay-Per-Click campaigns. Was project and design manager for Alliant's massive, IBM Websphere-based website, portal and content management system launched in “shortest period ever seen” by ad agency. Design and SEO for six additional websites. Manage print designer, online designer/webmaster, plus freelance writers, designers, print and IT contractors. Oversaw signage and graphics for three campus moves. Developed new corporate identity, charted market rollouts. Hired as PR Director in 2003, promoted to Assistant VP 2005 with added website, print publication and buying authority. Promoted to Associate VP Communications in 2007. Moved to Marketing Director in 2009 to provide more time for freelance clients and continuing education in green building.

Media and Marketing Communications Positions

• Media Director, Bay Area School Reform Collaborative, San Francisco, 2/98-10/03
• Media Director, TURN, The Utility Reform Network, San Francisco, 7/96-2/98 - Conducted community outreach campaigns on energy efficiency and electric deregulation, engaged in lobbying on behalf of ratepayers, and informed media about impact of California deregulation proposals/law and energy policy.
• Owner/President, Nicolette Toussaint Communications, San Francisco, 1/94-8/96
• Sr. Communications Consultant, Communication Technologies, San Francisco, 2/93-12/93
• Creative Services Manager, RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, San Francisco, 9/89-2/93 Outreach to consumers and media to prevent traffic congestion and enhance clean air by reducing solo driving. Served on Spare the Air outreach board of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District; featured as keynote speaker for California Clean Air Week in three different counties.
  

Advertising Agency Positions

• Associate Creative Director, NW Ayer, Los Angeles, 1986. Directed radio and print advertising for Sheraton Hotels – Western US, and for AAA-affiliate California Automobile Association
• Senior Copywriter, Dailey & Associates/Lowe Marschalk, San Francisco, 1983-85. TV, radio and print ads for Royal Viking Cruise Lines, Del Monte brands (Chun King, Patio Mexican Food, A1 Steak Sauce and Wright’s Hickory Smoke), New Zealand Kiwifruit Authority, Kaiser Permanente and Magic Theatre
• Senior (High Tech) Copywriter, Foote/Cone/Belding, San Francisco, 1983.
• Copywriter, Doug Gotthoffer Advertising, Palo Alto, 1983: Seiko Graphics, Hunter and Ready and Westminster Software (project management and critical path analysis software).
• Advertising and Creative Services Manager, GE/Calma Computer-Aided Design, 1980-83
  Print and TV ads and user documentation for CAD/CAM systems for architecture and engineering
• Advertising Consultant, United Airlines, 1977-81.

Education

Master’s Degree in Design, Institute of Design and Architecture (Bauhaus), Illinois Institute of Technology
BA in English, BA in Journalism, with honors, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
Current Evening Student, Certificate Program in Interior Design, UC Berkeley Extension, San Francisco

Additional Professional Training

• Search Engine Marketing and Direct Marketing – American Marketing Association
• Management by Objective, Gantt and Critical Path Project Management – General Electric
• Web design, HTML, CSS – Academy X
• Photoshop, Watercolor Photo-realism – UC Berkeley Extension
• Scriptwriting – SFSU
• Interviewing and Radio Production – National Public Radio
• Public Speaking – Decker and Associates

Professional Memberships

IIDA, Search Engine Marketing Salon, American Marketing Association, LinkedIn, Linking Northern California, Green Marketing Group, Mature Marketing Group

References

References on request; recommendations on Nicolette's LinkedIn Profile; click here for client testimonial.

Links below to go back to website.