Thought leader spotlight: Zachary Brown
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.
Zachary Brown is a Comperemedia Research Analyst and thought leader specializing in risk-based strategies and balance transfers. Zachary creates initiatives for both interactive deliverables and report automation to make Comperemedia products more accessible to clients.
Q: What topics do you specialize in?
A: In the market, I specialize in Financial Profile (applying risk-attributes to pricing) and balance transfers. At Comperemedia, I also specialize in interactive deliverables and report automation.
Q: How did you get to where you are now?
A: Most of my career has been guided by problems clients had that I could find the solutions to. That’s led me to a lot of single projects that some didn’t think were possible, but it’s also led to a lot of new approaches that nobody thought to try to learn. I got where I am by looking for solutions around roadblocks, instead of accepting how far we’ve come.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone in your industry, who would it be and why?
A: I would have lunch with Allen Parker, the acting CEO of Wells Fargo. I’ve been following the Wells Fargo news ever since joining Comperemedia and Parker recently became acting CEO and is approaching things completely differently from his predecessor. He’s increasing transparency and overhauling all of Wells Fargo’s systems, despite not even having the permanent role. I would love to hear his take on strategy amidst crisis.
Q: Tell us about a brand campaign or shift in strategy that has recently caught your eye?
A: Not to talk about Wells Fargo again, but their Platinum cards have really interesting creative elements. When a credit card doesn’t have rewards, sometimes they struggle with how to establish the value of the product. They might talk about APR or no fees, but that can be boring. Wells Fargo Platinum campaigns are positioned as “Balance Transfer Kits.” They barely touch on the product itself, instead focusing on the benefits of a balance transfer. It’s Wells taking a unique approach to absorb balances from their competitors.
Q: What is your favorite part about your job?
A: I get to go into work every day and solve riddles. Sometimes that’s creating a deliverable that answers the clients’ questions, sometimes that’s finding deeper trends in data, and sometimes that’s taking a complicated report and making it easier to understand. Every time I find a solution, I get a thrill.
Q: Last but not least- tell a fun fact about yourself.
A: I love collecting books. I have a small library inside my apartment and spend about an hour a day (on the trains especially) reading. Some of my favorite authors include Stephen King, Agatha Christie, and Michael Crichton.
