Our highly esteemed Channel Marketing Manager, Kyle Brex shares his thoughts and insights on his experience over his 15 year career with Panini.
Kyle excels in creating impactful marketing strategies and has a strong track record of fostering collaborative partnerships.
His expertise and guidance are incredibly valuable and we are fortunate to have someone as knowledgeable as Kyle on our team.
1. How did you get started in Marketing and what inspired you to be in it?
There was a restructure of the organization and I was offered the Channel Marketing Manager position. I was hesitant at first, but after taking some time to decide and talking to some of the previous people in the role, I accepted the offer and am very glad I did!
2. What motivates you to do your best work?
A great Manager. I have been extremely lucky in my career at Panini to have had some great Managers. They’re the reason I am where I am today and still to this day, I talk to all of them on a regular basis.
3. What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?
I love a challenge and I’ve had a bunch of different roles at Panini in my 16 years, but I can honestly say that this Marketing role has been the biggest challenge yet. Although I had zero Marketing experience when I started, I knew our products very well and already had great relationships with our resellers, which helped me quite a bit. It also didn’t hurt that I still have relationships with all of the people that were previously in my role, so I could lean on them for advice when needed.
4. What would you say two important attributes are to excelling in marketing?
Creativity and analytical skills are the keys to success. Creativity and “out of the box” thinking allows us to differentiate our brand from our competitors and data analysis in areas like market trends, campaign performance and consumer behavior helps us understand which strategies are effective.
5. What do you enjoy most about your work?
It’s fast-paced and never boring. Trends and behaviors are constantly changing which brings new challenges and opportunities to the Marketing team on a daily basis.
6. Can you talk about a valuable lesson you've learned through your experiences?
I used to be afraid to fail and would beat myself up about it when I did. I finally learned that failure doesn’t have to be a negative thing, it can actually be a positive thing. I now think of failure as an opportunity to learn and grow from my mistakes.
7. What words of wisdom and advice would you give someone just starting out in the marketing field?
Have fun and don’t be afraid to fail. Marketing is exciting but can also be very challenging. Results are not always immediate in Marketing so be patient and learn from prior setbacks. Also, stay updated with new trends, technologies and behaviors by continuously learning about the field.
8. How do you see the future of biometric authentication evolving in the next few years?
I think the use of biometrics will grow significantly year over year going forward as it is the most reliable form of authentication in my opinion. The convenience and enhanced protection biometrics offer will become a cornerstone of digital security.
9. Outside of work, what are your interests or hobbies?
LOTS of golf and rooting for my Cleveland sports teams, the Browns, Cavs and Indians
10. What is one fun fact about you?
About 20 years ago I won free Chick-fil-a for a year and last year I won free Chipotle for a year.
