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WE ARE A PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN MEDIA AGENCY

MEDIA STRATEGY
MEDIA PLANNING & BUYING
DIGITAL MARKETING
DATA SCIENCE

Media Strategy

Combining market opportunity analysis with customer insights to deliver media strategies that produce positive business results.

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Media Planning & Buying

Leveraging performance-driven media practices to connect your brand with key audiences across every screen.

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Digital Marketing

Integrating traditionally siloed channels such as programmatic media, digital audio and video, paid search, SEO, and paid social to provide cross-channel insights and optimizations.

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Data Science

Centralizing business, sales, and media activity data to provide actionable views of real-time business results.

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INDUSTRIES
WE SERVE

We produce results by applying tradigital thinking tailored to your specific industry.

Retail

Travel

Restaurant

Healthcare

FINANCE

Additional
Experience

Retail

Travel

Restaurant

Healthcare

Finance

Additional
Experience

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Bob Nichol

CEO

BIO

Bob Nichol is the Founder and CEO of award-winning Southwest Media Group, one of the nation's leading independent media service agencies. With nearly $200 million in billings, Southwest Media Group provides strategic planning, buying, digital, and marketing services to a growing list of blue-chip restaurant, retail, and travel clients.

EXPERIENCE

Prior to starting the agency in 1995, Bob spent 18 years in media planning, working on a diverse list of clients including Frito-Lay, Phillips Petroleum Company, Heinz, Budget Rent a Car, Embassy Suites Hotels, and Interstate Batteries.

Eric Schaefer

President

BIO

Eric brings over 20 years of broad scale media experience to Southwest Media Group. Prior to becoming president of the agency he was Chief Digital Officer where he built an in-house programmatic media optimization team and developed an integrated business intelligence practice. He has a proven track record of aligning traditional and digital media strategy to connect business results with clients’ media investments. In addition to media agency operations, Eric frequently engages in digital strategy and measurement at the clients’ media objective stage. His experience with broadcasters, publishers and agency team models, particularly within data-driven media activations, give him a unique acumen in designing and implementing value-driven media solutions for clients. Eric is a graduate of Wake Forest University and holds an MBA from Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas.

Melissa Wolf

Group Director of Buying Operations

BIO

Melissa provides a wealth of knowledge about media buying with more than 20 years of broadcast buying experience. Widely respected by vendors across the country, she specializes in network and spot buying for radio, television, and direct response. Melissa is entrenched in the buying process and continues to negotiate and buy media herself.

EXPERIENCE

Her client experience is diverse and includes brands such as British Airways, Texas Tourism, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Dr. Pepper, and McDonald’s.

Debbie Bridgewater

Director, Finance

BIO

Debbie is the Director of Finance for Southwest Media Group and is responsible for the fiscal management of the agency. She has 40 years of accounting experience, including an 11-year concentration in the media arena, and manages the agency database and accounting systems. Working closely with vendors and clients Debbie takes pride in creating out-of-the-box solutions for those clients requiring unique billing arrangements. Debbie holds a degree in Accounting and Information Management Systems.

Kim Kohler

Chief Relationship Officer

BIO

Kim is a senior progressive leader with strong strategic and analytical thinking, who has a proven track record on both the agency and client side. Kim is a passionate brand enthusiast with expertise spanning a variety of high-profile clients, including 18 years on Pepsi, as well as exceptional service on General Motors (Saturn), Imperial Sugar, Subaru, and Frito Lay. He's well versed in all forms of media and planning strategy and has led multiple agency relationships.

Kurt Schweitzer

Group Planning Director

BIO

Kurt Schweitzer is a Group Planning Director at Southwest Media Group and has been working in media for the past 20 years. Growing up outside of Pittsburgh, Kurt attended the Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism majoring in advertising and received a B.A. in Journalism in 1997. During his time at Southwest Media Group, he has served as the strategic lead on numerous prestigious brands including Dillard’s, Whataburger, ConocoPhillips, Dave & Busters, Texas Health Resources, Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, and H-E-B Grocery Stores, among others. In addition to his account responsibilities, Kurt also heads up the media research at SMG, with a focus on applying research insights to business challenges.

EXPERIENCE

Kurt has a strong background in both traditional and digital media and has helped SMG clients evolve their media strategies and tactics to align with the ever-changing advertising environment. Digital media continues to account for a greater share of consumer’s time and the number of touchpoints has increased exponentially. Kurt uses his years of marketing experience and passion for digital media to navigate clients through this complex landscape and generate holistic media plans that deliver on our clients’ goals.

Ryan Ward

Group Planning Director

BIO

Ryan has 20 years of media planning and buying experience working on an extensive list of clients ranging from national CPG brands to luxury automotive to international air travel. Currently, he oversees Dillard’s, Half Price Books, Raising Cane’s, and The Parking Spot. Ryan’s number one focus is client service; delivering excellence from all aspects of media planning including strategy, buying, execution, and measurement. As a media enthusiast, he is always constantly vetting the next big idea to bring the best and brightest to his clients keeping the strategy always fresh and cutting edge.

April Cook

Director, Talent & Development

BIO

April leads all training and development for the agency, including recruiting top talent crucial for a growing client roster and developing both young and seasoned professionals toward career excellence. She inherently understands that the employee is the single most valuable asset an organization can have, and is driven by the unrelenting pursuit of a fun and engaging culture. Not only is April a 10-year veteran of SMG, she is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Semper Fi!

Todd Unruh

Head of Innovation

BIO

Todd has 20 years of experience in digital strategy, branding and consumer insights. He has led digital strategy efforts for brands in packaged goods, insurance, restaurant, non-profit and other categories. He also has a strong background in user experience, website and app design as well as e-commerce and analytics. Leading SOUTHWEST MEDIA GROUP’S evolving strategic approach to client solutions, he is responsible for applying our team’s strong media acumen to every communication, advertising and business challenge in order to create a solution that has lasting impact for our clients.

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Southwest Media Group