Thom Oliphant
Brand Story, Content Strategy
Highlights 2020-2023:
Led Sleep Number Brand Story and Content Strategy.
Led the creation of its first Brand Story Team in the fast-paced, competitive luxury durable goods retail landscape;
Led the brand storytelling and brand development efforts across all linear and digital platforms:
Owned integrated content strategy, multi-platform, programming plan and distribution strategy to help grow brand’s NFL partnership;
Worked with Sleep Number’s board of sleep scientists and clinicians to create content to advance the brand’s position as a connected health/sleep science leader.
Managed daily relationships with media partners, including Google, Discovery/WB, Meta, HBOMax, Fox, Disney, NBC/Peacock.
Worked with measurement-driven, full funnel marketing and media strategies;
Partnered on website re-design/ecommerce consumer journey mapping/ build-out of storytelling PDP.
Worked with third party media and digital agencies, production companies, influencer/creators to produce ongoing programming for Sleep Number’s digital channels.
Results: created over 200 episodes of social and digital content that generated over half a billion measured (514M) brand engagements (a 54% YOY lift) in 2022.
Consulted Big Ten Conference, one of the Power Five college sports conferences in the US, and Commissioner Kevin Warren.
Advised on creative services, digital strategy, including a re-launch plan for their 14 social media channels;
Developed a creative content plan to engage and grow their 1M+ following; re-organizing and modernizing their creative services and digital staff and internal structure to support a new digital focus and future growth;
Creating a strategy and data set to support monetization and sponsorship opportunities and a digital growth strategy to support the Conference’s successful efforts to negotiate its record-breaking $7B media/broadcast media rights deal with CBS, Fox, and NBC.
Highlights 2016-2020:
Oversaw daily operations of Taillight Branded, a content agency and key marketing company focused on developing social media strategies, creating branded content, and promoting music artists and top global brands.
Secured, maintained, and managed global branded clients including Coca-Cola, General Mills, Swisher, General Mills, Dr. Pepper, Kingsford, Kraft, Walmart, Walmart .com, Miller Coors.
Completed long-term and continuous partnerships to produce content for major brands including Walmart and Coca Cola exceeding goals by 20% and resulting in 1.8% sales increase in US in 2017 plus similar program for Kingsford leading to 11% sales growth two consecutive years.
Produced more than 250 episodes of branded content.
Established relationships with top recording artists including Ron White, Thomas Rhett, Kelsea Ballerini, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Lauren Alaina, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw, Kane Brown, Cole Swindell, Luke Combs, Lanco, Chris Young, Kacey Musgraves, Kip Moore, and Old Dominion and helped secure $2M+ through social media cause initiatives.
Advanced seven-city tour with Grammy-nominated hip hop artists including Cardi b, Machine Gun Kelly, 21 Savage, B.O.B., Gucci Mane, Fetty Wap and designed and produced hours of original content for the Swisher Sweets Artists Project.
Highlights 2014-2016:
Co-foundeD My Country Nation, a lifestyle-themed social media network for millennial country music fans in association with Walmart. Served as Executive Producer/Creative Director for all branded content series and specials, and relationships with channel talent. Secured brand sponsors and agencies of record.
Guided MyCN to top-rated and most engaged millennial country music social media site and successful exit for partners in 2017.
Created nearly 400+ episodes of millennial-focused content with 30 million views, 100+ million impressions, and securing agreements for music stars, super-influencers, and sports heroes.
Executed proprietary branded content strategy and unique social media plan to produce measurable results at Walmart for clients by engaging partnerships with Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean resulting in 17% increase in sales, 409% growth in audience views, 18.5 million video views, and multiple award nominations in 2016.
Produced Greenlight a Vet digital campaign launched on CMA Awards coordinating messages from 50 country artists, 750,000+ engagements, 1.3 million content views, and more than 9.2 million online acts of support.
Highlights 2000-2014:
Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Producer on projects with networks including Netflix, NBC, CBS, FOX, MTV Networks, NBC, Scripps Digital, GAC, VH1, A&E, Gannett, and CMT.
Earned Midsouth Region Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Music City Keep on Playin’; A Benefit for Flood Relief.
Received National Addy Award for Best Advocacy Campaign with truth.tv.
Won CMA Award for Best Music Video for the Dixie Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces.
Directed Barely Breathing for Duncan Sheik among MTVs most watched videos of all-time as as over
250 other classic music videos, commercials, and concert films from the US to Japan, UK, Australia, Russia, and Sweden.
Awards/ Nominations/ Exhibits
2018 AVA Digital Platinum Award/ Swisher’s “The Artist Project” Campaign
2018 AVA Digital Gold Award/ Diet Coke “A Break From the Ordinary” Campaign
2011 MIDSOUTH EMMY AWARDS Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment/ “Music City, Keep on Playin’: A benefit for Flood Relief” / GAC
2003 MIDWEST REGIONAL ADDIES/ Message Campaign Best in Show/ “Kokomo Story”
2003 NATIONAL ADDY AWARD/ Best Advocacy Campaign/ ”www.truth.tv”
2002 NATIONAL ADDY AWARD/ Best PSA Campaign/ “Salvation Army”
2000 CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION/ Music Video of the Year/ Paul Brandt “That’s The Truth”
1999 COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION/ Video of the Year/ Dixie Chicks “Wide Open Spaces”
1999 TELLY AWARD/ Winner: Music Video/ Dixie Chicks “Wide Open Spaces”
1998 CMT- COUNTRY MUSIC TELEVISION/ Director of the Year
1998 BILLBOARD MUSIC VIDEO AWARD/ Best New Artist Clip/ Dixie Chicks - “Wide Open Spaces”
1998 ADDY AWARDS/ Winner of fifteen awards/ Best Campaign/ “If I”
1998 TELLY AWARD/ Winner: Music Video/ The Kinleys “Just Between You and Me”
1997 CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION/ Music Video of the Year/ Paul Brandt “I Do”
1996 GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION/ Dove Award/ Long Form Music Video of the Year/ Geoff Moore “The Distance”
1995 GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION/ Dove Award/ Cindy Morgan “I Will Be Free”
1995 GOLD CLIO AWARD/ Best Country Video/ Martina McBride “Wild Angels”
1995 TELLY AWARD/ Winner: Music Video/ RLG Country “Say Goodbye to the Farm”
1995 ADDY AWARDS/ Winner of five awards/ “Just More Stuff”
1995 MAXIE AWARD/ Best Retail Campaign/”Just More Stuff”
1993 BILLBOARD MAGAZINE AWARD/ Phil Keaggy “I Will Be There”
1990 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE/ Best Short Film Category/ “Finetuning”
1989 CHICAGO FILM FESTIVAL/ Best Short Film/ “Finetuning”
EVERSON MUSEUM, Syracuse, NY/ Video Art Permanent Collection/ “Finetuning”
GEORGE EASTMAN COLLECTION OF INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, Rochester, NY/ Permanent Film Collection/ “Egg”