Sweat drips down Christina Mowry’s forehead. Her fists clench. She centers herself, sizes up the heavy punching bag and then deploys a series of fierce jabs, uppercuts and hooks in dizzying succession.

The boxing class instructor, who looks a little like Burgess Meredith if you squint enough, proudly looks on. He knows he’s got a champ.

Via giphy.com

 

Christina, a Senior Content Marketing Strategist at Brafton, isn’t just a winner in the boxing ring, or in the other fitness classes in Boston she attends religiously, from spin to barre. She’s also a veritable Rocky Balboa of content, a hero who works tirelessly to help her clients overcome marketing obstacles.

Whether squaring off against low blog readership or the need for a complete strategy overhaul, Christina has the eye of the tiger, rising up to the challenges of content marketing without a flinch.

Via giphy.com

 

The psychology of strategy

Christina Mowry started at Brafton in 2015 as an Associate CMS, following a position as an Education Payment Advisor in Rhode Island. At the time, she was looking for a job in marketing that would enable her to put her strategic advising skills and business psychology knowledge to good use.

For Christina, psychology and marketing go hand in hand. Fascinated by human behavior and motivation, she initially pursued a psychology degree at her alma mater, Fairfield University.

“I felt like something was missing, though, when I took classes,” Christina said. “I really became interested in learning how to apply understanding about human behavior in a business capacity, and marketing was the perfect fit for me!”

This business psychology perspective is behind Christina’s refusal to take a one-size-fits-all approach to strategy. Instead, she approaches each client’s situation as a unique case to be solved.

“I love working with clients,” she said. “Each has a completely different business, goal, target audience and marketing strategy, so I enjoy the variety in my days.”

Long game, small moments

Like Rocky jogging through the streets of Philadelphia every morning, Christina knows the dedication required to turn content marketing into tangible business progress.

“I’m proud of the moments when my clients start to see real results,” she said. “Content marketing is often playing the long game, and it’s very rewarding to see when the results come in and become self-sustaining.”

I’m proud of the moments when my clients start to see real results. Content marketing is often playing the long game, and it’s very rewarding to see when the results come in and become self-sustaining.

No matter how ambitious a content strategy is, however, Christina never loses her focus on the details or forgets the trust her clients place in her.

“I really love the small moments, like when a client needs a recommendation and I’m able to help them out,” Christina said. “Being a strategic advisor is one of my favorite parts of the job, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.”

A creative culture

Christina works alongside imaginative colleagues who know the sky’s the limit when it comes to content. In any given week, she can see a social strategist create an entire campaign based on a single sentence from a client; a writer wordsmith a press release in real time on a client call; and the design team relate security concepts to Game of Thrones.

“I love my co-workers,” said Christina. “Thankfully, since we spend 40+ hours together a week. The talented people at Brafton never fail to impress me.”

Whether swapping weekend stories or catching up on what’s good right now on Netflix, Brafton creatives and strategists come together to exchange ideas and inspire one another. Christina particularly enjoys sharing the latest pics of her mini lop bunny, Basil.

“People don’t realize that bunnies actually have huge personalities, and he’s very entertaining,” Christina gushed.

FYI, Basil “The Boston Bun” has his own Instagram account @Lopstagram, and you’re going to want to follow it. He’s downright adorable and on his way to being a viral sensation.

That Thursday feeling, am I right everybun?

A post shared by Basil the Boston Bun (@lopstagram) on

Upping the ante in 2018

While Christina can tell you all about Basil’s latest antics, she also has a lot to say about the future of content marketing.

She believes that as marketing becomes increasingly personalized, businesses need to use content as a means to speak directly to consumers. And, thankfully, that doesn’t mean filling articles with eye-roll-inducing buzzwords.

Being a strategic advisor is one of my favorite parts of the job, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.

“I think most companies are still very formal in their branding and communications, oftentimes leading them to use a lot of high-level fluff in their writing that doesn’t really give prospects any new information or share a unique perspective,” Christina said.

Instead, she says companies need to go beyond approaching content marketing as a sales tactic and instead embrace it as a way to educate and attract customers. Consumers in 2018 are used to being marketed to, and brands need to rise above the noise to be successful in this media-saturated landscape.

Rocky III may not be the best film in the series, but it did give us “Eye of the Tiger” along with a great quote, which works perfectly here: “Every once in a while, a person comes along who defies the odds, who defies logic, and fulfills an incredible dream.” At Brafton, that person is Christina Mowry, a true champion for her clients.

Samantha Glavin is a Senior Content Writer at Brafton. When she’s not coming up with catchy slogans and snappy headlines, you can find her exploring her new home of Boulder, Colorado and raiding Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop.