Thought leader spotlight: Alexa Dalessandro
Behind the data are our world-class thought leaders. Over the next few months, we will be introducing you to the people responsible for Comperemedia’s industry expertise.
Alexa Dalessandro is a Comperemedia Research Analyst with a focus on the financial services industry.
Q: What topics do you specialize in?
A: I specialize primarily ing financial services, with some retail and travel mixed into my reports as well.
Q: How did you get to where you are now?
A: Well, my first job out of college was at a local news station. I worked with sales and marketing teams to develop key market analyses for our DMA and determine which media channels our clients should focus on. I enjoyed working with data so much that I wanted to focus more on marketing strategy rather than advertising. It led me to Comperemedia’s Insights team, where I get to dive into even more marketing streams and come up with unique recommendations for our clients!
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone in your industry, who would it be and why?
A: I would have lunch with Melissa Hartwig (Urban). She is the founder of Whole30 and I would love to pick her brain about how she started the program, what led her to success and how she partners with companies to strengthen her brand into what it is today while inspiring people who are on their own fitness journeys. She is someone who combines her passion with reality and I would love to hear how she bridged the gap between the two.
Q: Tell us about a brand campaign or shift in strategy that has recently caught your eye?
A: I’ve been keeping an eye on lending campaigns recently, and one brand that sticks out is Citi’s Flex loans. The positioning is interesting in that they are targeting credit card customers to cross-sell the product as a way to get out of debt. As a whole, lenders are more actively going after customers to encourage saving by way of borrowing, which in itself, is an interesting shift.
Q: What is your favorite part about your job?
A: Getting to be creative. It is fun to have the freedom to write about topics that interest me and explore companies’ strategies and product launches. The team I work with is also so wonderful about sharing learnings and generating new ideas…we have lots of bright people!
Q: Last but not least, tell a fun fact about yourself.
A: I am probably the biggest Steelers fan out there. So much so, that a few years ago, I got blocked by Ben Roethlisberger on Twitter, probably for tweeting him so many times. I also cried when the Steelers lost Super Bowl 45 to the Green Bay Packers. Die-hard status.
