Meet Our New Media Strategist: Renae Vinzant
We are elated to announce another fantastic addition to The Sampson House team. Meet, Renae Vinzant our new Media Strategist. Since starting at TSH, Renae has revamped our teams knowledge and work within the Media space. She brings to the table the most organized, strategic, knowledgeable and somehow beautifully color coordinated excel spreadsheets and documents. Her go-getter ambition paired with her upbeat personality makes her an excellent addition to our office. When she’s not in the office, Renae can be found traveling to the dreamiest locations, reading a good book, or hanging with friends and family. Get to know her below! We are thankful to have her! Cheers to joining the crew, Renae, we can’t wait to see what you do at TSH!
Name: Renae Vinzant
College: South Dakota State University
Hometown: Sioux Falls
Role: Media Strategist
Birthday: October 15th
Instagram handle: @renaekarissa
Coffee Drink of choice: Iced Vanilla Latte with Oat Milk
HOW DID YOU FIRST LEARN ABOUT TSH AND WHAT DREW YOU TO US?
I first learned about The Sampson House while I was in college and hearing Val speak at AAF’s Student Day. I kept a radar on them after graduating, so when I was approached about a media position, I knew it was something I needed to pursue! I’ve always been drawn to TSH’s branding and its approach to modern marketing with a digital focus. So happy to be on the team!
WHAT ARE 3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE SAMPSON HOUSE?
Creative. Modern. Innovative.
WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? AND WHICH HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE SO FAR?
I’ve been working on creating media plans and strategies for all of our clients since starting, but two that stand out to me have been Zephyr and Hungry for Truth. Zephyr has been fun to figure out how to reach their goals through media, and I enjoy the flexibility I’ve been given to make sure we reach those goals. Hungry for Truth has many different projects that we work across, and it keeps my job in media interesting by always having new content to promote!
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO WAKE UP AND GO TO WORK?
I really love problem-solving, which is maybe my favorite part of marketing! I love that I get to wake up every day and come up with new ideas and solutions for our clients and projects. No day is ever the same, and we get to be creative in so many ways!
WHAT DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME DOING WHEN YOU’RE NOT AT WORK?
A big passion of mine is traveling, and I try to do that as much as possible! Other than that, I enjoy reading, doing yoga, spending time with my family and friends, and am a frequent visitor to all the coffee shops in Sioux Falls!
WHEN DID YOU DEVELOP AN INTEREST IN ART, DESIGN, AND MARKETING?
I’ve always been a very creative person and spent a lot of my childhood doing art and writing. I struggled to pick a major because I didn’t really know all of the careers that were out there. I started out as a journalism major in college and thought I wanted to go into publishing. I decided to add marketing and social media minors to expand my skill set and really fell in love with all the advertising and marketing classes I was taking.
My former professor and current mentor, Heather Solberg, encouraged me to explore advertising while I was in her media analytics class. I quickly made the switch to become an advertising major and never looked back! I completed a few internships in media at an in-house department and an agency. I loved how diverse of a field it was, that I was able to use my analytical and creative skills at the same time!
WHAT’S A CURRENT MARKETING TREND YOU SEE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?
Short-form video content. As someone who looks at media data almost every day, we are seeing a huge jump in how people are consuming their content compared to only a few years ago. I think TikTok and Instagram Reels are only going to continue to grow.
WHO WOULD BE YOUR DREAM CLIENT TO WORK ON AND WHY?
My dream client would be Glossier. I have always loved their branding and approach to beauty and skincare. I think it would be a fun brand to work on!
BEST ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
My mom has always preached that life is too short to do things that don’t make you happy. I think it’s a good motto to live by, always to pursue things that bring your life some happiness!
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS -
Motivated. Independent. Curious.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR POSITION?
I love that media is ever-changing, and it always keeps me on my toes to be learning new platforms and ways to market to people. I love combining research & data with creative ideas and being able to bring them to life.
WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE BUCKET-LIST TRAVEL DESTINATION?
A life goal of mine is to visit every country in Europe at least once; so far I’ve knocked out three, so only have 40-something to go! Greece, Spain, and Germany are the top ones on my list right now.
IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Hands down it would be Taylor Swift. I’m currently listening to her Reputation album while writing this! Her music has always been a big part of my life so I would love to meet her one day.
FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
Look’s Marketplace, Bread & Circus, and Josiah’s are ones that I frequent a lot and never get sick of! Sioux Falls has some of the best restaurants, so you really can’t go wrong with any of them.
3 INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT YOU:
I got my CDL license while working at Leif Ericson Day Camp, so for at least a few more years, I can legally drive a school bus.
In 7th grade, for a reason I don’t remember, we had a potato fair where you had to use a potato in a diorama. I won for my Finding Nemo potato.
I had a radio show in college.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY LISTENING TO ON YOUR PLAYLIST?
Taylor Swift and anything that comes up on my weekly Release Radar on Spotify. I love listening to a variety of music and artists, usually in the pop and country realms. As for podcasts, The Toast, Sunday Scaries, or Bachelor Party are some of my go-to’s.
GO-TO TV SHOW?
My feel-good shows are Friends or New Girl, so I’m usually binging one of those at all times. Right now it’s Friends. On a regular basis I’m usually watching anything Bachelor related or whatever new shows come out on the many streaming platforms.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
Being successful for me is about being happy and content. I think success can come from a variety of different places in our lives, whether career or personal and it’s about finding a good balance between that. My goals are to be fulfufilled in the work I complete, connected to the people around me, and challenged to keep finding new things to add to my life.
WHAT DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE HERE AT TSH?
I bring a fresh perspective to the team and a willingness to jump into any project! I’m really excited to continue growing media for our clients here at The Sampson House and remaining agile to keep up with changing trends.
