Carol Kruger is a cornerstone of The Wendt Agency. She has been with the team for decades and is a powerhouse when it comes to everything media, social, and public relations. As Senior Vice President, Carol confidently builds brands through strong content creation and media strategy. And capitalizing on her roots in the journalism industry, she is deft at recognizing the power of a captivating story. We took a moment for a Q & A with Carol recently. Read on as she shares her media expertise and what marketing insights she sees building on the horizon.
Who is Carol?
“I am a person who loves puzzles. I like fitting the pieces together and creating something which is bigger than its parts. Whether that’s planning a new flower bed in my garden, trying to reverse engineer an amazing meal I had in a restaurant, or creating a communications plan which effectively delivers the message to the target audience; I like creating beautiful things.”
When You Work With Clients, What do You Bring to The Table?
“A commitment to listening and a love of problem-solving. I don’t like the same old, same old. I want to dig in and figure out how to build a communications strategy that really ‘fits’ the client; achieving their goals, sticking to their budget, and connecting to their audience in an honest and authentic way. Even when working with a long-term client and building on past success, I want to look at ALL the communication tools available before creating a strategy.”
Do You Have Any Favorite Marketing Insights You’ve Seen Coming on The Horizon?
“So many things are changing so quickly these days, but in the end, I think the one thing that never changes is the need to truly understand the audience. No matter what the product, the goal, and the media tactic; if you don’t understand the audience you are trying to reach, you will not be successful. There will always be new ways to reach people, and everyone wants to jump on a trend, be ahead of the curve for the next big thing, but trendy isn’t necessarily successful. People don’t want to be marketed to; they want to be listened to, to be heard, and understood. So, my insight is – do that; listen to your target audience, learn from them, and communicate with them in an authentic way.”
You’ve been With Wendt a Long Time. How Many Years? Why The Longevity With Wendt?
“I have, and it has gone so quickly! I started in this industry back in 1996 at a boutique agency that merged with The Wendt Agency, so I have been a part of this company, one way or another, for 25 years. I’ve stuck around because I love what I do, the people I work with, and the clients I have had the opportunity to partner with across the years. Watching, not only this company grow and thrive, but our clients do the same has just been an amazing experience. And the endless supply of good quality coffee hasn’t hurt either!”
What Is The Best Part About Your Work That You Like The Most?
“I love seeing the client’s message running in the media environments where we’ve placed it. Seeing an ad on Hulu, driving by a billboard, scrolling through Facebook, listening to Spotify, reading a magazine – it always makes me smile. Thinking of all the steps along the way to reach that moment – client meetings, goal setting, audience research, strategic planning, media negotiations, creative development, and so many more – so it can end up in front of the client’s target audience – it’s just the end result of a long and detailed process and so gratifying to see the final part.”
If You Could Give Advice to an Up-and-Comer in Your Profession, What Would You Tell Them?
“Great ideas can come from anywhere at any time. Listen, ask questions, do your research, and then – let your mind work. You might not get the answer at 3:30 p.m. on a Tuesday … it might be a 9:45 a.m. on a Saturday, but if you give your mind some time to think and pay attention to your own thoughts, you’ll get some great ideas! Just remember to write them down somewhere!”
At Wendt, we consider ourselves very lucky to have Carol as an integral part of our team. If you’d like to learn more about Carol’s perspective on industry trends, check out, What You Don’t Know About Apple IOS Changes That May Hurt Your Business. To learn more about our team and how we create winning campaigns, reach out to us here. And be sure to sign up for Wendt Word, our monthly newsletter that shares our marketing insight, our expertise, and culture.
