Sparkt was an Emmy® Award–winning media startup undergoing a fundamental business model shift. The company was evolving from traditional news media into a community-driven platform built around brand storytelling, audience trust, and measurable impact. I joined as CMO to lead growth strategy, digital transformation, and performance marketing during this transition.

The challenge was twofold: build a scalable growth engine while the business model itself was changing. Sparkt needed to prove that mission-based content could drive real audience growth, advertiser performance, and revenue without relying on legacy media economics.

I partnered closely with executive leadership to define a hybrid B2B/B2C growth strategy with direct P&L accountability. That meant aligning content, distribution, paid acquisition, and conversion systems around clear business outcomes, not just reach. While content creation remained in the newsroom, I worked closely with the team, translating long-form reporting into scalable social, distribution, and engagement strategies that extended reach without compromising editorial integrity. Reporting and operating dashboards were established to give leadership visibility into performance as the platform evolved.

Execution focused on precision and efficiency. Audience growth was driven through a combination of organic content, paid social experimentation, and platform optimization. On a 1.2× increase in marketing spend, the platform achieved 2.4× user growth, while improving acquisition efficiency. Social referral traffic scaled rapidly, reaching tens of millions of users with a low cost per acquisition, and campaign performance consistently exceeded industry benchmarks for click-through and conversion rates.

During this period, the platform was trusted by national and regional brands, including Lyft, UPMC, Giant Eagle, McDonald’s, and Duck Donuts, to support community-focused campaigns centered on visibility, trust, and positive impact.

In parallel, I helped guide the evolution of Sparkt’s digital platform through multiple site iterations, supporting the shift toward an all-video experience with built-in calls to action for advertisers. These changes strengthened sponsor value, increased engagement, and positioned the platform for national expansion.

During this period, Sparkt generated recurring monthly revenue, grew a meaningful audience footprint, and earned two regional Emmy® Awards for original programming. The role concluded following Sparkt’s acquisition by Audacy and the subsequent sunset of the platform.

This case study reflects CMO-level performance marketing and digital transformation leadership for high-growth media and platform businesses.