Marketing veteran Amanda Byrd, who names the late magazine publisher Larry Flynt as a career mentor, has joined San Diego-based experiential marketing firm GDX Studios as director of growth.
Byrd, with more than two decades of marketing experience, will be responsible for GDX’s continued growth, leading new business efforts and nurturing emerging client relationships, a statement said. GDX specializes in creating and organizing experiences, including publicity stunts, in-store events and fan experiences with street teams that can engage customers with a brand.
Flynt (1942-2021), founder of Hustler magazine and a pornographic TV channel called Hustler TV, was using experiential marketing “long before it was a recognized media form,” Byrd told Times of San Diego. “Flynt had a lot of personal and professional moments that could be described as experiential marketing.”
“He really had a knack for crafting wildly unforgettable experiences. I continue to tap into his mastery of surprise, delight and shock when building experiences that will set our clients apart from the masses,” she said.
Byrd worked at Hustler (2001-2006) as well as at Penthouse (2006-2015), another U.S. men’s magazine. In 2002, she was part of the management team that opened a Hustler retail store in Downtown San Diego.
“With no social media at the time, we relied on street-level activations to drive foot traffic into the store,” recalled Byrd. “We had a DJ and go-go dancers in the windows on Fridays, which created an energetic atmosphere as people who were out on a Friday night to have fun.”
“We built a stage for local brands and hired street teams to encourage passersby and anyone leaving Petco Park after a ballgame to stop by the store. We had media projections and pictures with a naughty Santa,” she said. “These were all core experiential tactics that drove our marketing strategy back then and worked really well for the store.”
At Hustler, Byrd said she was mostly involved with opening retail outlets called Hustler Hollywood stores, which now operate in more than 50 U.S. cities. Byrd said Flynt revolutionized the concept of adult stores with Hustler Hollywood outlets.
“Alongside his daughter, Theresa Flynt, they imagined an entirely new personality for adult stores which were well-lit, had a light and bright color palette and stocked all the best novelties,” Byrd said. “But, the addition that stood out the most was that he put a coffee shop in an adult store.”
“Now, unassuming customers could just grab an espresso and a vibrator and go along with their day. It was so unexpected and genius,” she explained. “Customers were ready to seek out the stores to experience this type of anomaly and tell all their friends. It created the ultimate brand advocate, which is at the core of any great experiential moment.”
While at Penthouse, Byrd said she assisted at MIPCOM, an annual trade show held in Cannes, France, that is attended by television and media professions who work in the production and entertainment content industry.
“Technology was starting to become more prevalent then,” said Byrd. “At Cannes, we pitched live streaming interactive entertainment through a broadcast channel. We had talent online and ready to personalize our presentations by engaging in real-time conversations with our clients and using their names. The experience for the buyers was a huge success.”
Byrd said she learned from both career experiences at Hustler and Penthouse. “Many of the best practices from those days still ring true today: Create experiences that align with your target audience, build a well-educated, engaged team of brand ambassadors and always include an element of surprise and delight,” she said.
“Today, we’re bombarded with media telling us what to buy, when to buy it, how to use it,” said Byrd. “Experiential marketing lets the customer lead that conversation by organically engaging with your brand and learning about its narrative. That’s something so unique to experiential and why it will always be necessary for brands who are looking to build a long-lasting legacy in their industry.”
After working at Penthouse, Byrd worked with a boutique licensing agency for two years (2016-2018). The agency specialized in retro, pop-culture brands, including Polaroid and BSA Motorcycles. She placed licensed products in retail outlets ranging from Target to Topshop, a United Kingdom-based woman’s clothing retailer. She also brokered a brand collaboration between Puma and Polaroid for a limited-edition shoe collection.
Prior to joining GDX, Byrd served as chief marketing officer for Philter Labs, a San Diego-based, cannabis-tech startup. She assisted the 2018 business launch and led all aspects of consumer-facing marketing and customer retention during her four-year stint there. Through her strategic brand building, she helped raise nearly $5 million, including investment and a product development arrangement with British American Tobacco that ran between 2020 until the end of last year.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the GDX family and work alongside such a talented and creative team,” said Byrd. “I sought out GDX as not only the West Coast leader in experiential marketing, but also because of the approach they take with their experiences.”
“GDX is perfectly positioned to meet the growing demand of live events and provide the tangible touchpoints so many consumers are craving,” she explained. “As a marketing executive tracking the trends, I was eager to join a company so aligned with connecting consumers and brands in a meaningful and lasting way.”
“I really believe that startups looking to make a splash while keeping costs down should absolutely consider experiential marketing as the ultimate launchpad for their product. A well-executed live event or PR stunt can effectively communicate their message in a dynamic way, all while generating valuable content for social media, earned media and collecting valuable first-party data,” said Byrd. “Experiential marketing is the only media form that amplifies all other media forms, making it a smart way to stretch budget using all the byproducts from a single event.”
According to Aaron Gaeir, founder of GDX Studios, “What was once considered a peripheral aspect of media has now become the driving force behind amplifying all forms of media. Brands are increasingly recognizing the importance of experiential and in-real-life performances, and as a result, they are redirecting their media investments accordingly. Our ability to retain exceptional talent like Amanda Byrd is a clear indication of this paradigm shift.”
In 2008, Gaeir founded Grandesign as an out-of-home agency, with an experiential marketing arm that focused on execution. As the team and the industry continued to grow, Gaeir and his executive team decided to rebrand the agency to GDX Studios in 2020 to adapt to the shifts in the experiential marketing industry.
Today, GDX Studios offers a holistic experiential marketing approach that provides brands with a range of services aimed at enhancing experiences before, during and after activation. The agency’s client list includes FaZe Clan, NBC Sports, Hallmark Channel and Adult Swim.
At last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, GDX Studios distributed Dr. Squatch’s personal care products for men in the 10-by-10-square foot Death Star Bathroom in the Lucas Films Pavilion. GDX also was part of decorating both sides of the downtown Hard Rock Hotel San Diego exterior, both the Fifth Avenue and “L” Street building facades, for the Apple+ show “Severance,” a psychological thriller about office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives.
Jack in the Box Hires 22-Year-Old ‘Gamer Jack’ for Twitch Campaign
Quick-service restaurant chain Jack in the Box, based in San Diego, has announced the hiring of 22-year-old Kodie Turner, a Twitch streamer, to the position of Gamer Jack.
Turner, an up-and-coming Gen-Z gamer, will serve as the burger chain’s first-ever, full-time Twitch creator and as Gamer Jack on the Jack Twitch channel. Twitch is a live streaming platform that allows users to watch or create their own live streams. The most popular Twitch stream is video games.
“Hiring a Twitch streamer to help nurture our brand’s audience within the gaming space has been a goal for Jack in the Box for quite some time,” said Ryan Ostrom, chief marketing officer at Jack in the Box. “Jack in the Box is consistently making the effort to communicate as authentically as possible with our fans, meeting them where they are and reaching them in fun and surprising ways.”
A statement said, “As a company rooted in innovation, Jack in the Box looks forward to continuing to celebrate and empower rising creators in the gaming community.”
Last fall, Jack in the Box posted a job opening for Gamer Jack. Applicants had to be at least 18 years old and “goated with the sauce,” according to the job description. Job benefits included a gaming setup makeover that would outfit Gamer Jack with state-of-the-art technology.
Hundreds of applicants, ranging from amateurs to pros, applied for the position. “It came down to taking a chance on an underdog creator who was up for the challenge,” a Jack statement said.
The company said Gamer Jack will be making appearances in upcoming Twitch streams and creator channels to give away free Jack in the Box mystery boxes filled with limited edition Jack swag in an effort to bring positivity and value to the gaming community.
“I’m really excited to be able to represent Jack in the Box in a way that aligns with my passions and interests as well as the brand’s desire to grow within the gaming space and build a community,” said Turner. “I’m so appreciative of being chosen to be Gamer Jack and be able to engage with fans on Twitch in an authentic way. Jack in the Box continues to root for underdogs like me and prove they’re real innovators outside of just the food space by showing up.”
Turner reportedly has more than 4,000 combined followers across his YouTube, Twitch and Instagram channels.
Agencies supporting the campaign include Small Girls PR and marketing firm Zoned Gaming.
Twitch viewers can tune to two streams this week to win a mystery box. The schedule includes 4 p.m., Monday, May 15, for Warzone 2.0 with Rising Creators and 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 17, for Jack Box and Warzone 2.0 with Rising Creators. Both times are Pacific times. Mystery boxes also can be purchased for $20, plus shipping at shopjackinthebox.com.
Jack in the Box, founded and headquartered in San Diego, operates and franchises more than 2,180 restaurants across 21 states, and Del Taco with approximately 600 restaurants across 15 states.
Health Care Communicators Present Marketing and Advertising Awards
The Health Care Communicators of Southern California, a professional networking group, said it presented about 50 Finest Awards at a luncheon held May 12, at the Carlsbad Windmill, a special event venue in Carlsbad. About 100 people attended the awards event.
Nisha Morris, vice president of marketing and communication for City of Hope Orange County, was named 2023 Communicator of the Year. HCCSC said Morris achieved off-the-chart metrics for news coverage of the opening of City of Hope Orange County’s Lennar Foundation Cancer Center. The center’s opening exceeded expectations with about 100 new patients on the first day of operation.
The awards program featured gold, silver and bronze awards presented in 35 categories, including public relations, digital marketing, writing, collateral, and special events. Awards recognized excellence in healthcare marketing and advertising. A total of 90 entries were received from organizations in San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties and the Inland Empire.
Recipient of the most awards was Tri-City Medical Center with 12, followed by Scripps Health with nine awards.
Other multiple-award winners included the University of California San Diego Health (seven awards), City of Hope Orange County (six awards), Loma Linda University Health and Maricich Health (five awards), Lagrant Communications and CalOptima Health (three awards and Lifesharing (two awards).
Single award winners included Dexcom, Integrated Healthcare Association, Millennium Health, Reveille and TrueCare.
Scripps Health received the Best in Show award for its open enrollment ads after achieving the highest overall score among all entries.
Three students were each awarded a $3,000 scholarship from AMN Healthcare. They included; Nneoma Meremikwu, University of California San Diego; Matthew Campo, Azuza Pacific University; Harshil Shah, University of South Florida. Paulette Anest, VP of clinical and education solutions at AMN Healthcare, presented the scholarship checks.
Members of the HCCSC group include communications professionals who work in the health care, wellness, biotech, medical device, health information technology and pharmaceutical industries in San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties, as well as the Inland Empire.
Frontwave Credit Union Wins Marketing Awards
Frontwave Credit Union, headquartered in Oceanside, reports it was honored with eight Diamond Awards for marketing, advertising, branding and business development from the Credit Union National Association Marketing and Business Development Council.
Frontwave won the awards in a variety of categories, including Complete Campaign, Cutting Edge, Email, Financial Education, Logo, Ongoing Event, Radio and Video Non-Commercial. Frontwave said the awards program drew 1,246 entries competing in 36 categories.
“It’s an honor to be recognized among such talented competitors and stand out for the creative and innovative work showcasing how Frontwave makes financial dreams come true for our members,” said Todd Kern, chief experience officer, Frontwave Credit Union. “I’m incredibly proud of our team for continuing to elevate and evolve our brand in a way that resonates with our members and our community, while contributing to the continued growth of the credit union.”
Frontwave Credit Union, serving San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, was formed in 1952 as Camp Pendleton Federal Credit Union. It has 122,000 members and $1.4 billion in assets. Branches are located in Twentynine Palms, Barstow, Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, San Diego, San Marcos, Temecula, Wildomar, Escondido and Yucca Valley.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
