Right Side Up Talent Spotlight: Alexander Parker

The Right Side Up Talent Spotlight series profiles some of our full-time employees and growth marketing consultants. We chatted with them to learn about their incredible professional experiences, expert marketing insights, and how they’re balancing work and life.

Alexander Parker | Performance Creative

Alexander Parker is a seasoned creator with a demonstrated history of establishing high performing creative for some of the world’s top brands. Alexander joined RSU full-time in 2020 to lead the performance creative team.

Where is home these days?

Cinebar, Washington. It’s not even a city; the closest city is Mossyrock or Onalaska.

I found some land on Craigslist that’s covered with moss and trees where I park the ambulance I live out of. I’m forced to be outside pretty often, which is a refreshing change from a life spent mostly on computers.

What is your work environment/flow like and how has it evolved since starting at RSU?

I can be territorial about my calendar; it’s how I stay productive and sane. I find it important to keep days balanced between work that requires a flow state, work that requires socializing, self care, and self improvement. It’s not difficult at RSU to work how and when I want to, even if that means blocking off certain days from calls, or moving work hours to later in the day so I can travel when there’s less traffic.

What’s your title, how would you describe your current role at RSU, and how long have you been with us?

I'm the creative lead at RSU. The department I run sets up creative contractors to knock out ad design projects for clients. That can be anything from creative for performance channels like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to landing pages or video productions. 

I’ve been full-time since December 2020, but I’ve been on projects with RSU since early 2019.

Tell me about your professional background and area(s) of expertise. Any specific achievements you’re proud of or notable brands you’ve worked with that you'd like to mention?

I’m an experienced creator with a demonstrated history of working in the design industry. My career started at 15 with a T-shirt company, and then I got a professional marketing job for a university at 16. The following year I started at SCAD where I received a degree in Advertising with a focus on Business and Entrepreneurship.

I’ve established visual identities, ad libraries, and creative strategies for the world’s top brands including npm js (now GitHub), Credit Karma, Disney, Nerf, Visa, and many others. In 2019, I founded a design studio that provided unique web-based creative processes for clients like Apartment List, Digit, Yonder, and others. I joined the RSU team full-time in 2020 to lead the creative department on both B2B and D2C clients.

I’ve also sung Happy Birthday in person to Andre 3000, got stuck in a hallway with Fergie because of Will Smith, and my face has been in web ads for both Outback Steakhouse and Intel. 

Has your work changed since you first started here?

I was actually making the ads when I started, now I make processes and presentations. It’s still creative, but a bit more chaotic. My job has morphed into something of a flight controller, or an Eye of Sauron type of role.

How do you see creative evolving in the world of growth marketing for the future?

Channels, technology, format, creative approaches—all will evolve. But how they change is irrelevant. What stays consistent is the need to nail strategy and messaging.

We’ll continue to see more brands use more affordable methods of creative production like user generated ads, AI in ads, and assets made using free design software. But, just like with any tools, it matters who utilizes them—the brands that hire expert creators and artists will find the biggest wins.

What has the structure/flexibility of Right Side Up’s model allowed you to do outside of work?

I recently adopted a dog named Doc and we travel the country together. It's much easier to get things done when others are typically working, so it’s nice to have the flexibility to run more efficient errands or walk Doc in the middle of the day and then do my RSU work later.

Do you have a favorite or interesting creative project (personal or professional) you've worked on recently?

I’m in the early stages of landscaping my property and laying out what sort of house I could build. I’m not very handy, but I can make anything happen so it’s been fun to figure out how to shape my own world.

Beyond that, I travel a lot to stay inspired and motivated.

Professionally, we’ve been building more teams that handle video and TikTok production lately. It’s been impressive to see what those teams come up with and invigorating to find the right team dynamics to produce badass work.

And now, let’s get to the fun stuff…

What did you want to be when you grew up? Would you do that now if you could?

I think the first thing was a train conductor, then a fireman, and then around middle school it quickly morphed into figuring out a work-from-home career where I didn’t have to work in a stuffy office or do the same thing every day. Seems like I succeeded in that way. 

What’s a TV show, podcast, book, video game, recipe, etc. that you’re loving right now?
I recently read I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy and it was the fastest I’ve finished a book in a long time. I liked the short chapters, they helped illustrate the stalagmite of Jennette’s turbulent life, layer by layer. 

The most important movie I’ve seen in the past year was Everything Everywhere All at Once, but the most important movie I’ve ever seen? It's a toss up between Holy Mountain, Fantastic Planet, and Clue.

What was your first concert?
Probably one of my mom’s, she conducts choirs and choruses.

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to? Why?
East Asian temples. The incense, ancient wooden structures, all the moss, and the coolness of the metal and shaded (usually forested) environments really spoke to me.

Want to speak with one of Right Side Up’s marketing experts about your company’s growth strategy? Drop us a line at growth@rightsideup.co to get started. Or maybe you’re interested in joining the Right Side Up team? We’d love to chat—reach out to talent@rightsideup.co and we’ll be in touch.