Having enjoyed a successful 25-plus year career in the world of marketing across a variety of businesses, Keven Ellison was contacted by a business associate from AIS of Las Vegas. She told Ellison about AIS’ corporate culture and felt that he would fit into the organization like a glove. There was only one catch—AIS did not have a marketing department. But the dealer had an opening in sales.
Not many professionals would consider such a change so deep into their career. But two things intrigued Ellison: he wanted a chance to see how a successful business operates without a marketing division. But he also knew what impact a marketing division could have on AIS. Thus, Ellison kept an open mind to the possibilities ahead.
“I love the people and the opportunity of demonstrating how marketing can lead in a sales-driven industry,” said Ellison, a 2019 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “(AIS President) Gary Harouff and the management team are dedicated to creating a great work environment to attract high-performance talent that breeds success. I hop out of bed every morning knowing that we are going to make a difference in marketing, whether that’s learning something new, teaching something new or on capitalizing on something we created that’s new.”
AIS was doing inbound marketing but didn’t truly have a dedicated marketing professional. Ellison took the reins as vice president of marketing in September of 2017, shortly after joining the firm, and made his presence immediately felt. A graduate of Cal State-Long Beach, Ellison helped devise a content strategy that entailed marketing literature and videos to reap organic traffic to their website and increase sales.
Immediate Results
Leveraging those 25-plus years of sales, Ellison and AIS saw virtually immediate results. Within 16 months, AIS saw nine times more monthly traffic to the website. First-page Google search results soared, and AIS reaped $250,000 in new equipment proposals and $500,000 in new contract revenue for equipment. For his efforts, Ellison was named the AIS Executive of the Year at the company’s 2019 annual Kick Off Awards.
“I don’t think I am doing anything special,” Ellison remarked. “I always felt that I should share any knowledge and experience that I have in my 25-plus years in marketing. If that’s setting the bar higher for the industry as a whole or helping educate others, it makes us all better marketers. I believe that all my peers have something to share or to teach us and I am open to learning what they all have to offer.”
Harouff has proven to be a great influence on Ellison in a short amount of time. Ellison noted that Harouff laid the groundwork for marketing by recognizing the changing consumer/decision maker. In buying into the inbound marketing philosophy, Harouff paved the way for Ellison to execute on his strategy. In addition, Harouff turned Ellison on to the writing of Marcus Sheridan, author of “They Ask, You Answer,” which has proven to be a treasure trove of knowledge and insight into consumer behavior and their needs.
A former diver for the U.S. national team in the early 1980s, Ellison had the good fortune to work with an Olympic coach for several years who shared the notion that in order to motivate and teach individuals, it requires a customized approach. Ellison has borrowed this philosophy in crafting a marketing team.
“With every hire and team member, you need to consider (a customized approach) when supporting them to reach their short- and long-term goals,” he said. “A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach never works.”
Marks of Excellence
AIS’ marketing efforts have drawn quick attention. In addition to Ellison being named the “Geary” Executive of the Year by AIS, his marketing team was presented the 2019 inbound marketing award by its agency, IMPACT, for exceeding its goals. That has set the bar high moving forward. AIS has doubled its revenue goals from 2018 to 2019 for marketing to generate, and there are several key performance indicators the team wants to build upon. AIS is also looking to leverage its membership in the Copier Dealer Association to grow and learn.
“I believe that we need to keep setting higher goals, provide the support and resources needed for our team to thrive and celebrate the wins while learning from the losses,” Ellison noted.
As a Southern California native and given his competitive background, Ellison is naturally drawn to water-based activities, both above and below. Living in Las Vegas, he enjoys spending time in the pool when not stealing away to California’s southern shores. An avid golfer and tech aficionado, Ellison has a son and daughter in college. His daughter is pursuing her master’s degree while his son is completing work toward a bachelor’s degree.
