David Griner

I lead a team of writers and editors who create daily news, video and interactive content for Adweek's hugely popular website, Adweek.com. Working closely with the magazine's print editors and other diverse teams, I'm focused on ensuring the site's content remains engaging, informative, accurate and even enjoyable. Our daily content covers the intersecting worlds of marketing, media and tech.

So far in 2015, Adweek.com's traffic has increased more than 100% over the same period a year prior, and our team continues to grow into new and exciting areas of coverage.

As a frequent public speaker on digital content strategy, social media trends and modern marketing, I'm passionate about educating and inspiring audiences with the possibilities of the online world. I also keep it fun and engaging, and I've built a reputation for making complicated topics seem approachable and enjoyable.

Topics I'm often asked to cover as a speaker:
• Content strategy
• Emerging social media platforms and trends
• Building partnerships between brands and bloggers
• Increasing your social media audiences and engagement

Highlighted events I've spoken at:
• BlogWorld/NMX (multiple years)
• Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition
• Type-A Parent Conference (multiple years)
• Solo PR Summit
• Creative Week NYC
• Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism

After seven years and more than 600 articles as a freelance contributor to Adweek, I joined the magazine full-time in 2014 as its first Social Editor.

In addition to overseeing each of Adweek's social media channels, I focused on making it easier for readers and marketing professionals to contribute their thoughts, ideas and feedback. I worked with staffers across all beats and multiple cities to create up-to-the-minute coverage of advertising, PR, social media, digital innovation and cultural trends.

I also served as co-editor and a frequent contributor to Adweek's daily blog, AdFreak, one of the world's most popular sites for the best, worst and weirdest moments in marketing.

My freelance writing covered the intersection of technology and culture for a variety of digital publications, including Polygon and Poynter.org.

For seven years, I was a primary contributor and frequent editor for Adweek's daily blog covering advertising, PR, digital marketing and pop culture. In that time, the blog's audience grew into the millions and frequently dominated the traffic to Adweek.com.

In addition to blogging, I occasionally wrote about technology trends and social media for Adweek.com and the magazine's print edition.

After leading the charge on Luckie's early social media efforts for clients such as Little Debbie, Asheville Tourism and McAlister's Deli, I saw the potential for the agency to offer a service that went far beyond Facebook and Twitter. The result was the creation of the Digital Content department, overseeing the content strategy and development for a wide array of client sites, social media channels, mobile apps, integrated promotions and public relations campaigns.

Our stellar team of content strategists, planners, coordinators, writers and community managers grew quickly, becoming a central component of almost every digital project based out of the agency's headquarters.

Select Results:

• Little Debbie: Generated 1.7 million Facebook fans, 64,000 Twitter followers, along with early growth in Instagram, Vine and Pinterest. Named in 2013 one of the "Top 20 Food Brands in Social Media."

• Captain D's: Helped the 600-location restaurant chain announce its new head chef and improved menu with an exclusive YouTube video series and Facebook promotion, growing the fan base by 77% (53,000 new fans).

• Alabama Tourism: Led content strategy for a dramatic, industry-leading overhaul of Alabama.travel, along with the state's award-winning "Year of Alabama Food" campaign and Alabama Civil Rights Trail smartphone app.

• Bayer Advanced: Personally wrote the national home and garden brand's "Social Media Policies and Procedures," coordinated its launch into social media and generated 72,000 Facebook fans.

• Regions Bank: Strategized and developed dozens of informative articles, case studies and interactive tools for one of the nation's top financial institutions.

• McAlister's Deli: Increased the 300-location restaurant chain's Facebook audience by 200% (68,000 new fans) with one six-week promotion.

• Asheville (N.C.) Tourism: Oversaw the CVB's first-ever viral campaign, The Five Day Weekend, and created the city's popular Foodtopian Society local-food campaign.

In 2006, I embarked on a new phase of my career by transitioning from full-time journalism to copywriting for a full-service marketing agency. Writing for a wide variety of accounts and industries including tourism, snack goods, banking and telecom, I quickly found my passion in the emerging field soon to be dubbed social media. Soon my role had evolved to be largely focused on online content creation, which expanded into a highly successful social media department and eventually evolved into the agency's national-caliber Digital Content division, of which I was promoted to VP/director in 2008.