I dropped out of college in 1981 as a poet and writer to travel the country, and upon my return to New York City, had the good fortune of reinventing myself as a partner in a business which made and marketed art jewelry and giftware. I did this for more than 15 years. This is the foundation of my understanding of design, and the base of my explorations into branding and visual identity. It was my lab.
In 2000 I went back to college to finish my Bachelor's degree--which was interrupted all those years ago--in Home Furnishings Marketing at FIT. After graduating, I became the Marketing Manager at SFERRA Fine Linens. I partnered with the Creative Director to completely re-envision the brand for this venerable 118-year old luxury linens company. The Creative Director focused on what went into the package; I focused on all else. I created the rebranding strategy, which was initiated with a logo redesign, and re-worked all the visual and verbal territories of the brand: photography, packaging, trade show, website, and all marketing and communications. I sought out and managed all outside creative, hired a public relations firm, and began concepting for a national ad campaign.
In addition, I performed all the marketing tasks for several licensed lines of SFERRA's textile business, Tommy Bahama Home among them. My final branding project there was the launch of the sub-brand, 1891 by SFERRA.
Deciding to further my Advertising and Marketing Communications writing skills, I moved over to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (merchandise side) in 2007. I've helped to launch three businesses there as a Senior Copywriter, and have worked on Martha's businesses with Macy's, Waterford Wedgwood, 1-800-Flowers.com, and Crane and Co. I continue to pitch them my strategies for Social Media.
And so it is.
Mary
Shields
