Alena is available for hire

Alena Danko

Verified Expert in Marketing

Marketing Expert

Location

Barcelona, Spain

Toptal Member Since

October 4, 2023

Alena is a results-driven marketing expert passionate about digital marketing and technology. With over a decade of industry experience, her expertise spans B2B, B2C, and B2B2C domains. Alena's agile and creative approach consistently yields positive results. She is known for her innovative strategies that combine creativity and analytical skills. With a track record of careful, strategic planning, Alena has an uncanny ability to turn business visions into tangible, vibrant realities.

Expertise

Branding Digital Marketing Digital Strategy Go-to-market Strategy Lead Generation Marketing Strategy Product Marketing Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Work Experience

Head of Marketing

2022 - 2023

Hyrise Academy

Orchestrated the entire B2C customer acquisition funnel and marketing channel strategy, resulting in a significant uptick in customer reach and conversions.
Elevated marketing automation and CRM tools by pioneering lead nurturing activities tailored for segmented audiences and fostering enhanced engagement and conversion.
Performed app store optimization (ASO) and conversion rate optimization (CRO), increasing qualified program applications and reducing customer acquisition cost (CAC) and cost per lead (CPL) through enhanced organic search and social channels.
Enhanced the content marketing strategy, customer segmentation, and product value. Collaborated with sales and product teams to pinpoint and fast-track high-impact features, improving customer retention rates.
Supported the B2B sales team and sales strategy by handling copywriting, creating targeted content, automating crucial processes, and supplying them with crucial sales enablement materials, ultimately strengthening sales analysis and outcomes.
Streamlined external collaborations by overseeing contractors and agencies delivering growth marketing campaigns, ensuring timely and high-quality executions.
Performed marketing attribution analyses to demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of each solution on key metrics such as traffic, qualified leads, conversions, and sales.
Conceived and formalized a robust growth playbook, laying the groundwork for seamless and effective geographic expansions in the future.

Head of Marketing

2021 - 2022

Legit Health

Surpassed acquisition targets by conceptualizing and executing a go-to-market strategy from its inception that not only met but exceeded the initial quarterly acquisition objectives.
Optimized sales outreach by identifying target customer profiles and verticals, leading to the creation of tailored messaging, customer journeys, sales assets, and comprehensive sales enablement materials that amplified conversion rates.
Elevated brand communication through the development and execution of precise communication plans and marketing campaigns, catalyzing brand awareness and successfully driving lead generation activities in key markets.
Reinvented value propositions through innovative development and introduction of value-added offerings that uniquely positioned the brand ahead of current and anticipated competitors.
Pioneered a pricing strategy by leading the development of a value-based pricing model meticulously tailored to market dynamics and customer needs, resulting in increased revenue and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Strengthened market position by orchestrating strategic initiatives encompassing sales strategy, messaging, and pricing, which was pivotal in enhancing Legit Health's market stance and ensuring resonance with the target audience.
Utilized SWOT analysis to evaluate threats and strengths of the organization to inform strategic planning.

Global Channel Marketing and Communications Manager

2019 - 2021

DerbySoft

Elevated brand design and presence through the conception and execution of integrated product marketing strategies, leading to a substantial increase in brand awareness and driving a surge in global sales.
Enhanced product positioning by strategically devising competitive positioning and communication plans for existing and new products, resulting in significant sales growth and heightened customer retention.
Innovated the sales strategy and sales collateral by creating compelling materials that leverage dynamic storytelling concepts to captivate prospects and streamline the sales journey.
Strengthened organizational communication by orchestrating and implementing crucial internal and external communication strategies, fostering improved stakeholder engagement and transparency.
Bolstered media presence through online reputation management by crafting impactful blogs, press releases, and other content for the brand's website and external media channels, improving the brand's authority and thought leadership in the industry.

Digital Marketing Manager

2018 - 2020

DerbySoft

Elevated digital media campaigns by orchestrating and optimizing global paid media campaigns for leading hotel chains, ensuring maximum visibility and conversion rates.
Pioneered client-centric strategies by crafting and implementing tailor-made approaches that empowered clients to achieve their business objectives and surpass performance goals.
Fostered strategic partnerships by overseeing collaborations with marketing teams from top-tier hotel brands and media partners, guiding them to leverage advertising platforms and channels for maximum return on investment (ROI).
Boosted revenue streams by improving campaign performance, leading to substantial revenue increases for clients and the company.
Influenced product development by participating in product feature projects, using client feedback as a roadmap, and leading to the successful launch of pilot initiatives and product validations.
Scaled up client success by employing strategic account management and customized campaign optimizations to ensure top hotel chains meet and often surpass their targeted revenue and ROI benchmarks.

Senior Global Media Planner

2017 - 2017

Havas Media Group

Achieved global campaign excellence by spearheading the planning, implementation, and supervision of digital media campaigns globally, ensuring seamless integration across display, video, and social platforms.
Optimized promotional campaigns by researching, negotiating, and executing integrated media plans for the winter promotional campaigns to meet original objectives and strategies and bolster brand presence. Implemented YouTube Ads campaigns.
Enhanced media planning with technology by integrating cutting-edge media database technologies, including tagging, tracking, and ad service metrics, into planning efforts, ensuring precise monitoring and optimization of multichannel media campaigns.

Media Strategist and Digital Media Campaign Manager

2016 - 2017

Amadeus Hospitality | Travelclick

Maximized overall hotel revenue by strategically deploying paid media activities, including search engine marketing (SEM), pay-per-click (PPC), display, remarketing, and social media campaigns.
Boosted direct booking revenue by developing and implementing effective marketing strategies and campaigns, significantly increasing direct booking revenue for hotels.
Formulated and delivered actionable strategic recommendations by analyzing competitors' performance, future demand forecasts, historical data, and current market trends.
Managed a prestigious client portfolio of 45 EMEA luxury independent hotels and chains, providing expert consultancy and establishing enduring client relationships.
Achieved high client satisfaction and retention rate by emphasizing TravelClick's commitment to quality service and expertise.
Diversified client services by adeptly executing upselling and cross-selling strategies across various products.
Tailored marketing campaigns to the unique needs of individual hotels, guaranteeing maximum reach and return on investment, ultimately elevating brand visibility and enhancing customer engagement.

Traffic Manager and Marketing Team Lead

2015 - 2016

Splendia

Maximized web traffic monetization by analyzing and optimizing data from all traffic sources, including on-page SEO strategies, substantially enhancing web conversion rates, acquiring new users, and retaining existing ones.
Revolutionized marketing campaigns by orchestrating data-driven initiatives globally across PPC, cost per acquisition (CPA), cost per mille (CPM), and social media platforms, achieving targeted ROI and enhancing Splendia's brand visibility.
Accelerated eCommerce acquisition by spearheading marketing initiatives and achieving aggressive ROI targets while increasing return visitation, conversions, and overall customer satisfaction.
Transformed website traffic channels within six months by efficiently overseeing organic and paid channels, doubling the conversion rate, and achieving a 40% reduction in acquisition costs.
Expanded affiliate networks by introducing, negotiating, and integrating robust affiliate and partnership programs, strengthening Splendia's standing in the luxury hotel market and enhancing member benefits.
Enhanced user experience by heading pivotal UI/UX improvement projects, guaranteeing an intuitive and premium online experience for Splendia's clients, and reinforcing the brand's reputation for delivering best-in-class service.

Marketing Online, SEM, and Affiliate Marketing Manager

2013 - 2015

Grupo Hotusa

Drove the development of digital campaigns by leading PPC initiatives across multiple search engines in diverse markets and languages, increasing online sales for Hotusa Group's trademarks.
Maximized marketing returns by leading in-depth reviews and data-driven optimizations of search campaigns, display ads, and affiliate marketing, resulting in a consistent surge in return on investment and maximized ROI across platforms.
Advanced meta-search process by overseeing and optimizing the initial meta-search process's integration, analysis, and optimization, ensuring high-performance ratings for partner hotel group brands.
Innovated social media advertising by pioneering the use and management of targeted advertising on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, expanding audiences and increasing brand visibility.
Developed comprehensive reporting templates for websites, capturing critical business metrics and interactions, enabling more informed decision-making for the group's brands and partner hotels, and customizing business analytics.

Revenue Manager

2012 - 2013

NH Hotels

Enhanced revenue generation by conducting comprehensive strategy analyses and daily pricing adjustments for 25 hotels, achieving an average of 18% year-over-year revenue growth during the tenure.
Spearheaded the integration of advanced Revenue Management Solutions, leading to a 30% increase in operational efficiency and enabling more accurate forecasting and budgeting through refined data insights.
Implemented a robust market monitoring protocol that provided deep competitive analysis, contributing to a strategic shift that captured a 15% increase in market share within the area.

Project History

Revolutionizing Boat Rentals on the Amalfi Coast

http://poeseaboats.com

Led the conceptualization and successful launch of poeseaboats.com, effectively connecting travelers with local boat tours and providing boat owners with a robust operational management tool.

Poeseaboats.com is an innovative online platform that connects travelers with the best private boat tours across the scenic Amalfi Coast and beyond. Recognizing a gap in the market, I led the ideation, creation, and subsequent development of this platform, ensuring that both travelers and boat owners enjoy a streamlined experience. The traveler's side of the platform offers a user-friendly interface for exploring and booking top-notch boat tours provided by vetted local boat owners. At the same time, our SaaS offering enables boat owners to access a robust set of tools that can be used to manage their operations from internal booking to inventory efficiently.

I also developed and executed a comprehensive commercial and marketing strategy. This integrated approach ensured our go-to-market was a huge success, attracting 20 boat owner clients in the initial months. The platform's user base grew rapidly, with travelers subscribing and making bookings, which is a testament to our platform's efficiency and appeal. Through poeseaboats.com, we've enhanced the travel experience along the Amalfi Coast and given local boat owners the tools they need to thrive in the digital age.

Lead Generation Strategy for Hyrise Academy | Fueling B2C and B2B Growth

https://www.hyrise.com/

Developed and executed a holistic lead generation and sales strategy for Hyrise Academy, converting thousands of individual applicants and over 100 companies in just three months.

Hyrise Academy, with its distinctive offerings, required a tailored lead generation strategy to cater to individual consumers and businesses. Recognizing the distinct needs and behaviors of these two segments, I initiated a comprehensive funnel design to address every stage of the lead generation process.

For the B2C segment, the strategy focused on capturing individual users' interest, understanding their needs and preferences, and guiding them smoothly through the conversion journey. Personalized messaging, targeted content marketing, and effective retargeting campaigns ensured high conversion rates.

For the B2B segment, the emphasis was on demonstrating the tangible benefits and value propositions that Hyrise Academy could offer to businesses. This involved creating high-quality, informative content, organizing webinars, and leveraging targeted LinkedIn campaigns to reach decision-makers in relevant industries.

The combined efforts paid off well. In just three months, the strategy successfully converted over a thousand individual applicants and more than 100 companies, marking a significant milestone for Hyrise Academy's growth journey.

B2B Go-to-market Strategy for Legit Health

https://legit.health

Devised and implemented a B2B go-to-market strategy for Legit Health, securing partnerships with leading local hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies and surpassing set objectives.

I designed a B2B go-to-market strategy from scratch. The 1st step was to identify target customer profiles and verticals. After thorough market research and analysis, a focused messaging approach, sales strategy, and sales assets were crafted to resonate with these targets, including premier hospitals, clinics, and insurance firms. This was coupled with a comprehensive sales enablement toolkit, ensuring a smooth acquisition journey.

Understanding the importance of clear communication in healthcare, I devised targeted communication plans and marketing campaigns that were effective and tailored to specific markets and audiences. The results were evident when we overachieved our acquisition targets and secured collaborations with key players in the healthcare sector.

Furthermore, I strategized value-add propositions that positioned it against current and prospective competitors to ensure that Legit Health maintained its competitive edge. Simultaneously, I introduced a value-based pricing strategy, keeping both the market dynamics and the customers' needs in perspective.

Education

2013 - 2014

Master's Degree in Revenue Management

INSA Business, Marketing, and Communication School - Barcelona, Spain

2012 - 2013

Master's Degree in Direct and Interactive Relationship Marketing

INSA Business, Marketing, and Communication School - Barcelona, Spain

2010 - 2011

Master of Science Degree in Information Sciences in Business and Marketing

Autonomous University of Barcelona - Barcelona, Spain

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