top of page

Chrissy Funk.

HELLO, I'M

Here to help make a difference  in
your market presence and growth goals. 

Chrissy Funk

This is me

Emmy and Telly Award-winning professional with a dynamic mix

of strategic planning, team leadership, and crisis management.​​

Insight-driven, multi-faceted, data-informed brand strategist with a proven track record of successfully engineering holistic, 360-degree marketing strategies to deliver on all business and brand objectives. Leads end-to-end, narrative-driven marketing and campaigns rooted in the science and art of storytelling. Producer of highly differentiated customer experience, achieves mission-critical goals, and optimizes the brand experience across all marketing touchpoints.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2023 - Current • Marketing Director • Gray Media WDBJ & WZBJ • Roanoke, VA

Gray is one of the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and operates in 113 broadcast markets in the United States. 

​

Set the tone, marketing vision, and creative direction for WDBJ and WZBJ’s brands. Accountable for leading the creative team and managing all aspects of the production cycle, from conceptualization to post-production. Continually refine the creative process to expand audience engagement and viewership, while ensuring strategic alignment with business and financial objectives. 

​

  • News and Marketing kept the station #1 in all key dayparts, and surpassed 2023 digital metrics in nine months during 2024.

  • Managed all aspects of on-air inventory; conducted deep dives into rating system data to identify cross-audience marketing and content development opportunities.

  • Identified and remediated gaps in marketing operations; established creative policies and marketing processes that are standardized, scalable, and informed by industry best practices.

  • Led and facilitated brainstorming sessions with the team to develop unique, data-informed marketing campaigns, on-air promotions, and a suite of creative initiatives while continually optimizing brand messaging.

  • Drove the development and execution of original creative concepts encompassing client commercials, sizzle reels, marketing videos, cross-channel promotions, and special programming.

  • Established creative policies and marketing processes that are standardized, scalable, and informed by industry best practices.

  • Directed the development of a suite of campaigns for the station brand, news brand, investigative brand, weather brand, and newscast franchises. 

  • Cultivated and strengthened relationships with partners, sponsors, and clients to drive brand recognition.

  • Launched new image campaigns on Super Bowl Sunday, including breaking news and investigative.

  • Rebranded our investigative content and coined it ‘Target 7’.

​2020 - 2021 • Marketing Director • Graham Media Group WSLS • Roanoke, VA

Graham Media Group owns seven local television stations and operates in 6 states with 7 media hubs.

​​

  • Drove significant improvements in overall ratings; increased the 7PM slot from #3 to #1 for WSLS.

  • Managed and administered $600K in creative budgets, including Marketing, Commercial, Community, Programming, and Lifestyle Show. Partnered with the GM to develop the creative and production budgets.

  • Exceeded 100% of revenue goal in Year 1.

  • Managed all aspects of corporate marketing and branding locally; produced presentation materials, developed and maintained websites, and authored video scripts and presentations. 

  • Identified and remediated gaps in marketing operations; established creative policies and marketing processes that are standardized, scalable, and informed by industry best practices.

  • Overcame significant resistance to change in an industry undergoing major transformation and digitization. 

  • Developed and launched a suite of creative initiatives, including daily topicals, sweeps promos, a weather brand (Know Your Zone), In Your Town (local news on the road), and the Halloween drive-through socially distant event during the pandemic.

2018 - 2019 • Marketing Director • Sinclair Broadcasting • West Palm Beach, FL WPEC/WTVX/WWHB

A leading provider of local news that owns, operates, and provides services to 185 television stations in 86 markets.

​

  • Steered all aspects of the creative process, including writing, video production, editing, recruitment, and directing for the CBS, CW, and Azteca affiliates. 

  • Ensured strict alignment with established brand standards (voice, style, values) in all marketing and commercial assets.

  • Managed the CBS affiliates $1MM outside media budget.

  • Unified marketing strategies across all platforms to expand viewership in a highly competitive industry. 

  • Drove significant improvements in ratings across the board; scaled YoY A25-54 Rolling Averages by 10-40% (2017 to 2018) and by 8-100% (2018 to 2019).

  • Led a top-down departmental reorganization (including promotions and new positions) to improve agility and performance.

  • Highly skilled at identifying strengths and competencies at the individual level, strategically positioning talent where they are most effective.

  • Led a rebranding campaign (including three songs and a slogan) to modernize the brand image; provided feedback on song lyrics, feel, and music scores.

  • Negotiated partnerships with national celebrity talent to participate in station events and broaden brand appeal.

  • Leveraged internal research group findings and target audience profiles to inform the marketing and content strategy.

  • Developed a modern, brand-aligned sales presentation that effectively articulates the brand’s value proposition.

2015 - 2017 • Marketing Director • Scripps WPTV & Raycom WFLX • West Palm Beach, FL

Scripps is a diversified media company that operates a portfolio of 61 stations in 41 markets.​ 

​

  • Led a team of seven creative direct reports and two indirect reports to manage ROI-driven marketing initiatives on a $1MM annual budget for two stations (a FOX affiliate and the #1 Legacy station in the Scripps portfolio). 

  • Overhauled the business culture; designed the ‘Promotional Philosophy and Plan’ to enhance content relevance and brand impact.

  • Recruited, trained, and retained a highly qualified team of top talent; held them accountable to a high standard via periodic performance reviews, one-on-one feedback, and mentorship. 

  • Launched the “This is Home” slogan for WPTV5 and developed a “universal” graphics package for all Scripps stations.

  • Launched a new station slogan for the FOX station during Super Bowl Sunday: "We've Got You Covered".

  • Leveraged market research, competitive analysis, and data-driven insights to guide and inform the marketing strategy. 

  • Enlisted paid research to reposition anchors and place them in more effective time slots.

  • Drove sustained improvements in ratings and revenue; scaled YoY PUTS share growth by 3-8% (2015 to 2016) and 7-13% (2016 to 2017) for the A25-54 segment.

  • Increased YoY A25-54 ratings growth by 59-115% (2015 to 2016). 

Additional Roles: 

Assistant Marketing Director, WJXT, Graham Media Group, (2011-2015)

Marketing Producer and then promoted to Digital Media Producer, KMGH, McGraw-Hill Broadcasting (2008-2011)

Marketing Producer, WTEN, Young Broadcasting (2007-2008)

Creative Services Coordinator, WTAE, Hearst Television (2006-2007)

Creative Services Intern, WTAE, Hearst Television (2005)

Skills & Abilities

Brand Development   Writing 
Campaign Management  Creative Strategy

Social Media  Community Outreach   

Events   High Emotional Intelligence

Negotiations  Public Communications 

Talent Director  Programming Strategy  

Product Development  Partnerships

Mentor  Problem Solver  Celebrates Small Wins 

Promotions   Financial Planning & Analysis

Customer Service  New Business

Integrated Marketing  Detail-Oriented 

Media Relations

Get in Touch

Chrissy Funk

chrissy@itschrissyfunk.com

    Thanks for submitting!

    bottom of page