Our series, People at Play, highlights the creative minds who fuel PlayNetwork –
a little bit of wisdom & insight, a little bit of rock & roll, straight from our teams.
Who :: Zoë Maredith Dixon
What :: Messaging Supervisor
How :: In college, Psychology and Communication were the focal points of my studies but my genuine passion unveiled itself when I worked as the Assistant Music Director at a local radio station. I had finally found a vocation that spoke to me beyond scholastic curiosity and on an ardent level and it was there where I experienced my first taste of audio production and voiceover artistry. In addition to radio, I have voiced and produced characters for video games, global brands, web radio and streaming algorithmic radio. Also, I have acquired over 25 years of experience in musical theatre, dance, singing and stage acting which contributes significantly in honing my creative craft here at PlayNetwork.
☎ ) What role does messaging play as part of the connection brands have to their consumers? What do you take into consideration when in the concept creation process – how do you tap into the brand’s DNA?
Messaging is distinctive in the sense that it connects brands to their consumers using a human voice to hold an audience captive while articulating a story. During the concept creation process, I envelop myself within the brand to engage with every resource I ascertain: websites, consumers, research marketing materials, on-site visits and consumer reviews, to name a few. After gathering all pertinent, available data, I have a creative consultation with our client to discuss the parameters of their proposed marketing strategy. My team and I would then create a messaging campaign that matches their brand impression and attracts the attention of their intended target markets.
☎ ) What are the types/methods for delivery of messaging? How do they impact points of contact with customers regarding potential sales?
Messaging is distributed to sites via our proprietary web-based platform, Serenade, which allows messages to be programmed overhead on-site or on-hold through a phone system. Messaging can also be delivered through our various web radio platforms, VoIP systems, streaming and other methods as well. Messaging not only educates, informs and advertises, but it enhances the inclusive feel and ambiance of a brand. Scripts, voices, music beds, sound effects and general tone can all be manipulated to generate a messaging experience that speaks directly to our clients’ consumers on a human level that is unsurpassed with any other method of creative media and influences the customer to try a new product, service or resource they may not have otherwise known about!
☎ ) How can messaging be used unconventionally to help brands boost sales?
We produced a messaging concept for one of our clients with the intention of an employee-only audience that would run prior to each of their location’s opening times. These messages would list off different employee incentives for selling specific promotional items for that particular month, and within the allowances of our extensive day-parting features, we scheduled these custom messages to play just before their stores open in order to hype employee morale in regards to making sales, and this resulted in an overall in-store sale increase of 3% which ultimately increased their bottom line and pleased our client.
Zoë is an accomplished musician and heavily involved in Seattle’s scene. On what she’s up to musically these days:
Recently, I have had the opportunity to work with some prodigious local musicians while engaging in the eclectic Seattle music scene. In doing so, I am now actively fronting a band, “Dixon”, which has lead me to work with even more fantastic musicians across multiple genres. Music has always been a constant love in my life, and that passion drives me to become a better musician daily, which in turn motivates and inspires my creativity when I am crafting and producing messaging for our clients here at PlayNetwork.
Next time you walk into a FedEx Office, you just might hear Zoë overhead! Check out a sample of her vocal stylings –
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