14:31 With Erin Faucette
Meet Erin, a marketing operations manager for Technekes and the event director for the annual All-In to Fight Cancer Texas Hold’em fundraiser which is sponsored by Technekes and has raised over $1 million to date. 14:31 was the time allotted, and also a reference to Technekes headquarters’ address on West Morehead Street in Charlotte.
How long have you been with Technekes and what brought you here?
I joined Technekes about 10 years ago. I even remember the date — June 16, 2008. I’d gotten my degree in marketing a few years earlier, but took the long way in putting it to use. After graduation, I travelled a good bit and worked in event planning. Eventually, though, I wanted to put my marketing education to work and landed a job at Technekes.
What is your primary responsibility at Technekes?
As a marketing operations manager, I am that person “behind the curtain” — connecting our sales, creative and technology teams to get things up and running. I’m also the event director for All-In to Fight Cancer, which Technekes helped found eight years ago and which we continue to sponsor. In a way, I’m also “behind the curtain” there — running the event, working with sponsors, overseeing budgets, maintaining relationships, and perhaps my favorite — handing out checks to cancer organizations dedicated to serving the needs of local healthcare providers, researchers, families and patients.
What does Technekes do?
I like to say that we “create solutions” — that we are the answer to your marketing problems, linking your sales and marketing teams to make things happen.
What is one thing you’d want current clients to know about Technekes?
We get to do awesome work for long term clients (I’ve worked with one client for over eight years — so far!), so they know very well how we can run successful programs for them. So now, I’d just want them to know that we do a LOT of things. We have the technology, the strategy, the creativity to do lots of OTHER types of marketing for them as well.
What is one thing you’d want prospective clients to know about Technekes?
When you come to us and say that you need us to do “this,” know that yes, we can do “this,” but “this” may not be the best solution for you. So tell us the whole story. Tell us about your end goal. Tell us what you need to accomplish. Let us develop a solution that isn’t necessarily “this,” but that is designed to achieve your specific goals.
What is the biggest problem facing marketers today?
Budget. The sky’s the limit in terms of what we can help a marketer accomplish, but dollars — spread across so many types of marketing efforts — become the real decider.
Where do you see Technekes five years from now?
I see Technekes as the leader in ag and healthcare marketing.
If we had a billboard outside our headquarters’ building, what would you want it to say?
That’s easy: We create demand.
The next annual All-In to Fight Cancer Texas Hold’em fundraiser is March 8 in Charlotte NC. Player and spectator tickets are still available. Visit www.allintofightcancer.org for details.
