As a Media Analytics and Insights Manager, Ashlyn Wade works with clients upfront, before their campaigns even begin to gain access to critical first-party data like their CRM system, sales info, targeting lists, etc. Based on the business and media objectives and insight we wish to glean from the campaign, she sets to work determining relevant KPIs and benchmarks and the best way to measure against them. Once the data connections have been integrated into our reporting platform, campaigns launch and the data begins to flow, Ashlyn builds visualizations to highlight KPIs and answer key media questions. She works closely with Mindstream platform managers to gather insights and develop recommendations that are presented back to clients in monthly and quarterly reports.
Although she originally went to college with the intention of earning a management degree and eventually opening her own bakery, Ashlyn got a taste of marketing in a required class during her Junior year and really enjoyed it. The idea of helping companies put their best foot forward and tell their story led her to shift gears and seek further education in marketing. She says, “I’ve also just always liked to work with numbers and spreadsheets so the more I got into the data side the more I realized it was something I was interested in pursuing.”
Possessing an unusual mix of analytical skills and creativity, Ashlyn loves the opportunity to apply both in her daily job duties. She says, “I enjoy the problem solving we often have to do to clean and manipulate the data. The analytics team is a weird mix of data and creativity, which is how my brain works. The analytical side enjoys working with data and finding those key insights to share with the client while we use creativity to present the data in the best way and create visually appealing dashboards.”
Heightened awareness and concerns around data collection and consumer privacy have made a significant impact on the industry over the last couple of years. Ashlyn notes, “Consumers are becoming more aware of the amount of data that corporations have about them. This has not only impacted media through people opting out of cookies and tracking, but also on the data side and the steps we have in place to make sure any shared PII (personally identifiable information) is shared securely and stays protected. I only see this getting additional restrictions as time goes on especially with customers becoming more and more aware and concerned about the data that companies have about them.”
To stay sharp on all things analytics, Ashlyn reads Avinash Kaushik’s blog, Occam’s Razor, checks out Think with Google and follows Digital Chadvertising on Instagram.
In addition to baking, Ashlyn enjoys cooking, reading, traveling, music and hanging out with her dog, Levi (above). She plays the cello and is currently trying to teach herself how to play the piano.
Ashlyn credits her parents, owners of a Dickey’s Barbeque franchise, for instilling her passion for small business. She says, “They are a large portion of the person I am today and have given me an ideal example of work ethic and working to not just support yourself and your family but for the Lord. They showed me how to work hard and do the best you can, while showing compassion for your customers and coworkers, which is what I strive for.” You could say it’s like the icing on the cake!
An enormous part of what makes Mindstream Media Group successful is the collective talent and collaboration of its employees across the country. While we as an agency love to share stories about client successes, industry news and product updates on our MMG Blog, we also want to feature the actual people behind the work we are doing to grow client business.
Our recent video series, Fast-Forward the Conversation, discusses the HOW behind supporting client growth through media strategy, with topics like shopper marketing, franchise work, QSR challenges, agency partnerships and more.
We’re also now featuring a Mindstreamer (as we like to call ourselves) periodically to share their stories and celebrate the diverse people, backgrounds, interests and qualities that make us unique.
Some of Rich’s responsibilities include integrating clients into internal agency systems for seamless campaign planning, execution and reporting, processing billing and work orders for a multitude of client accounts and building interactive client campaigns on various demand-side platforms (DSPs) such as Basis, The Trade Desk and 