Sara McKinney Robbins

Responsible for the coordination and completion of marketing initiatives in partnership with internal teams and external partners to drive business growth and profitability through project management. Execute creative projects such as packaging, merchandising displays and ecommerce needs. Assist in the development and tracking of product launches, key events and social media campaigns on the project calendar. Maintain an updated status report on project elements with clear action items and deliverables and follow-up with cross-functional team members and agencies as needed to ensure all project elements are on track. Create and present marketing decks to internal teams and external partners. Track invoices and reconcile all budgetary expenses with strict adherence to internal processes and timelines.

Created brand identities for new products and emerging markets within the liquor industry including flavored bourbons, whiskies, vodkas and ready to drink beverages. Created original illustrations, typography and artwork for use on labels, packaging, mixology guides, advertisements and other branded marketing/promotional materials. Worked with sales representatives around the country to provide relevant and engaging collateral for local markets and retail locations. Retouched images from photoshoots for use throughout the company. Worked with local and national printers to ensure accuracy and meet quality standards on labels, packaging and branded merchandise.

Research graphic trends and develop new screen print concepts for garments in the retail, licensed and college bookstore markets. Conceptualize graphic offerings as well as presentation, sales and promotional materials for sporting events such as the Little League World Series, College World Series, Final Four, Frozen Four and various bowl games and for major retailers such as Walmart and Kohl's. Work with sales people around the country to create screen print graphics promoting festivals, events and businesses. Retouch photography from in-studio and on location shoots to include screen print graphics on all garments shown.

Coordinated in studio and on location photo shoots featuring Russell Athletic apparel for catalog and web applications. Built relationships with modeling agencies; scouted possible talent, locations and venues; ordered, organized and styled merchandise to be shot. Directed photo shoots while taking into consideration all possible uses for final photography by multiple departments. Designed and developed catalog layout, retouched images and worked with merchandising to ensure that all product descriptions and representations were accurate. Collaborated with in-house production team and print shop to complete, produce and deliver all catalogs and web images according to predetermined time lines.

Developed packaging for ladies and girls underwear programs while maintaining a cohesive look across all product categories. Communicated with members of several marketing teams on a daily basis to determine how best to meet and exceed the expectations of national retailers such as Walmart, Target, Kmart and Dollar General to grow the Fruit of the Loom brand while displacing our competitors. Presented progress reports on current projects and suggested new creative direction at weekly meetings with marketing staff. Researched trends and materials to ensure creation of relevant and practical packaging concepts. Worked closely with retouching agencies, vendors and suppliers to develop budgets for each project. Explored marketing and design theories and practices in developing markets such as China and India. Redesigned various existing packaging to be more environmentally friendly and reduce waste and costs.