Sunayana Gopal
Toronto,Canada
Summary
Marketing and advertising professional with over 10 years of experience driving growth across global brands like KFC, Lowe’s, Sears, and Ogilvy. Proven track record for transforming insights into impactful campaigns, simplifying merchandising strategies, and leading award-winning initiatives. Expertise in performance marketing, creative development, and team leadership, with a passion for building purpose-driven, results-focused brands.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Retail Marketing Manager – KFC
Yum! Restaurants International
01.2024 - Current
- Lead the development and marketing strategy of a 24 month calendar to help unlock brand relevance, consideration and business growth.
- Influence and align franchisees on the product and pricing approach along with the execution of menuboard design nationally to increase sales.
- Manage the creative brief, agency partnership and program executions of point of sale elements for incremental transaction growth.
- Coach and develop a team to implement robust initiatives across all media channels.
Digital Production Specialist
Lowes
05.2016 - Current
- Strategized and updated website, ecommerce, mobile, email and related digital properties based on digital marketing and media strategies to grow market share.
- Provided input and managed the planning, creative and implementation process of homepage and category pages for sales penetration both in-store and online.
- Conducted A/B testing on both web and email platforms to learn consumer preferences and behaviours to adapt strategies for future promotions.
- Interfaced with external agencies and cross-functional teams to create briefs and seamlessly carry out projects based on the all-year-round digital marketing calendar incorporating traditional plans into digital marketing plans.
- Part of an e-commerce team that drove an increase of 12.43% in conversion rate and 34.43% in transaction rate.
Performance Marketing Manager – KFC
Yum! Restaurants International
01.2021 - 12.2023
- Leveraged the use of data analytics and insights to build strong calendar plans and menu optimization tactics.
- Revamped the iconic Canadian ‘Toonie Tuesday’ that step changed value perceptions and launched ‘$5 sandwich’ campaign that drove +26% lift for the sandwich portfolio.
- Redefined the menu by simplifying merchandizing and product skus to support high growth strategic priorities, reduce complexity and deliver profitable sales.
- Guided the annual plan, budgets and program executions of direct mail to maximize revenue.
- Coach and develop a direct report.
Associate Marketing Manager – KFC
Yum! Restaurants International
11.2017 - 12.2020
- Drove marketing initiatives with cross functional teams and agencies including innovation, TV, digital advertising, in-store promotion and consumer research.
- Introduced bamboo packaging that generated positive media attention and created interest globally. Eliminated 50 million plastic bags, 10 million plastic straws and 22 million styrofoam containers from the system to not only ensure a positive environmental impact but also provide a positive brand halo.
- Implemented a highly successful plant-based sandwich launch selling out 6 weeks of forecasted units in 7 hours garnering a 600% increment in sales.
- Winner of the ‘You Make the Colonel Proud Award’ in 2019.
Associate E-commerce Marketing Manager
Sears Canada Inc.
05.2017 - 10.2017
- Oversaw categories and determined the placement of content onsite by analyzing promotions and marketing plans to improve search performance.
- Reviewed creative and supervised deployment to create enhanced, self-contained selling pages for highest value products or brand pages within category.
- Recommended improvements for the digital communication programs to improve customer experience and drive site conversions.
- Ensured consistency and integration between online and offline communication platforms by working closely with cross functional departments.
Digital Production Specialist
Lowes
05.2016 - 05.2017
- Strategized and updated website, ecommerce, mobile, email and related digital properties based on digital marketing and media strategies to grow market share.
- Provided input and managed the planning, creative and implementation process of homepage and category pages for sales penetration both in-store and online.
- Conducted A/B testing on both web and email platforms to learn consumer preferences and behaviours to adapt strategies for future promotions.
- Interfaced with external agencies and cross-functional teams to create briefs and seamlessly carry out projects based on the all-year-round digital marketing calendar incorporating traditional plans into digital marketing plans.
- Part of an e-commerce team that drove an increase of 12.43% in conversion rate and 34.43% in transaction rate.
Digital Coordinator Co-op
Canadian Tire
01.2016 - 04.2016
- Responsible for online content creation, development and delivery of weekly plans for the outdoor, home décor and kitchen line of business.
- Supervised the TESTED for Life in Canada digital program by ensuring that all the content are consistently updated.
- Analyzed data to present insights and recommendations for future campaign strategies across Canadian provinces.
- Supported the execution of new digital marketing and merchandising plans to launch the brand CANVAS and supervised the TESTED for Life in Canada digital program.
- One of the ‘Top 10 Best Co-op Students’ for the work term and second place winner for the ‘HotIdea’ competition.
Account Executive
Ogilvy and Mather Pvt. Ltd
07.2013 - 05.2014
- Worked as a liaison between the client, creative team, and third-party vendors to execute Integrated Market Communication (IMC) plans through various campaigns rolling out 19 television commercials, 15 digital films, 20 radio spots and over 1000 artworks.
- Identified flaws in the client billing process and rectified them, which ensured financial hygiene – process mastery, approval of all estimates and payments of bills across all departments.
- Relaunched the brand identity for their sub brand – Gems Surprise - by launching new set of toys which helped save the brand from being discarded as sales picked up and started growing at 40%.
- Collaborated with the team to conceptualize the ‘Date Film’ campaign, which won a Flagship Yahoo Big Idea Chair Award, Platinum at Digiratti Awards and Silver at Effies Award.
- Received a personal award for ‘Best Use of Digital Media’ in the Mondelez Marketing Excellence Awards.
Assistant Account Executive
Ogilvy and Mather Pvt. Ltd
08.2011 - 07.2013
- Brands Handled: Kraft Foods: - Cadbury 5 star and Cadbury Gems.
Education
MBA - Marketing
Brock University
04.2016
Diploma in Marketing Management -
Welingkar Institute of Management
01.2014
Bachelors in Mass Media - Advertising
M.M.K University
04.2011
Skills
- Microsoft 365 Suite
- Project management tools
- Adobe Experience Manager
- Optimizely and Omniture
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud
- Google Analytics
- Daptiv and SiteManager
- Trello and Asana
- Basecamp
Websites
Affiliations
- An avid traveler who has visited 7/7 continents in the world.
- Volunteered for Canadian Blood Services, Jumpstart Charities and Add Hope.
- Completed a bungee jump and participated in sky diving.
- Fundraiser for Help Age, Cystic Fibrosis Canada and Seva Food Bank.
- Amateur salsa and bachata dancer.
Certification
Certified E-Commerce UX Professional
Baymard Institute
Mini MBA in Brand Management
Mini MBA
Timeline
Retail Marketing Manager – KFC
Yum! Restaurants International
01.2024 - Current
Performance Marketing Manager – KFC
Yum! Restaurants International
01.2021 - 12.2023
Associate Marketing Manager – KFC
Yum! Restaurants International
11.2017 - 12.2020
Associate E-commerce Marketing Manager
Sears Canada Inc.
05.2017 - 10.2017
Digital Production Specialist
Lowes
05.2016 - Current
Digital Production Specialist
Lowes
05.2016 - 05.2017
Digital Coordinator Co-op
Canadian Tire
01.2016 - 04.2016
Account Executive
Ogilvy and Mather Pvt. Ltd
07.2013 - 05.2014
Assistant Account Executive
Ogilvy and Mather Pvt. Ltd
08.2011 - 07.2013
MBA - Marketing
Brock University
Diploma in Marketing Management -
Welingkar Institute of Management
Bachelors in Mass Media - Advertising
M.M.K University