In Q2’2022, I assumed the role of overseeing the growth and performance of the Online European Creative Org which includes 17 managers, copywriters, and designers. My responsibility was to ensure the seamless collaboration of the creative team, with a focus on producing deliverables, adhering to deadlines, and securing work from marketing and brand strategies. To achieve this goal, I needed to provide creative direction and interpret marketing and branding plans while developing multiple solutions that fit the brief and brand positioning. Equally important, my role involved identifying potential opportunities to drive performance, consumer engagement, channel strategy, and long-term brand affinity.As the EU Creative Copy Lead for Wayfair, I was responsible for developing and executing a holistic pan-European creative copy strategy for B2C. I was also in charge of high-profile initiatives such as email, onsite, and print catalogue campaigns, social media communications, and Wayfair's international expansion. In this role, I worked closely with project managers, designers, and stakeholders to guarantee that our customers and internal partners were content with the quality of our creative work, the value of our services, and our responsiveness to their needs.In addition to my regular duties, I participated in various side projects such as:● Creating DEI and Inclusive Language Guidelines for Europe in British English and German● Developing a Terminology Strategy and Management for geographic expansion in Ireland and Austria● Leading a Leadership book club● Participating in mentorship programs and Employee Resource Group activities● Validating marketing and creative automation tools● Establishing non-negotiables for the brand and guidance on the use of the Wayfair nameI maintained a high standard of quality in a growing and fast-paced environment, while ensuring compliance with creative guidelines and marketing channel best practices to guarantee brand readiness and success in performance marketing. Overall, my goal was to elevate the brand with consistent deliverables and high-quality creative workI conceived, developed, and was responsible for creating and implementing our European Copy Guide.
I established Wayfair's Medium space for copywriting as an invaluable resource. It sheds light on creative stories, ideas, and perspectives and serves as an employee branding tool.
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Culture and remote work in 2020
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Interview with Krista Casey, Creative Director Wayfair Europe
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The dos and don’ts when creating a style guide for multiple languages
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Interview with André Sousa, Design Manager & Art Director
I supported creative and business teams by bringing a global perspective to both new and ongoing campaigns. This was achieved by leading and conducting competitor research exercises, which provided strategic insights and creative inspiration. By doing so, we were able to create campaigns that were not only innovative but also effective.
While at Wayfair, feedback proved to be a pivotal factor in driving the company's success. “Whether we're sharing feedback with our team members, or receiving feedback on our managerial style, it's important that the feedback be thoughtful and actionable.” Here are a few feedback quotes I received from my manager, colleagues, and direct reports during my tenure at the company.
“Valeria Is able to move mountains with very little resourcing. Leverages large external freelance network, advocates for new profiles (copyeditor) to maximize existing talents efforts on high impact work. Valeria creates data driven proposals using the information available to her (freelance costs, time logging, time invested vs. in market performance) to advocate for her team as well as the creative department holistically. Introducing new profiles into our workstreams, pushing back on the amount of asks due to low ROI.”
— Manager Feedback, 2022
“Empathetic leader who builds trust, actively coaches and delegates, delivers tough messages with kindness, and establishes clear ownership to ensure proper team growth path.”
— Manager Feedback, 2021
“Valeria not only collaborates effectively, but helps others do it better too, with a great sense for the process and timings of wayfair - often helping to identify and solve problems down the line before they even happen. This is doubled by her great relationships with stakeholders and colleagues. Valeria also displays great respect for others - both in terms of direct interaction and guidance for other managers. This results in a team that is open to surfacing issues early and honestly, which is clearly reflected in her team’s low turnover. She is also a great ambassador for the company, both welcoming new employees and engaging with Wayfair.”
— Peer Feedback, 2022
“Working under Valeria’s management for the past couple of months has been a really positive experience. She balances being present and offering support with showing me a lot of trust and allowing me the freedom to own my work with minimal guidance. She has been a large part of my personal confidence growing, and by encouraging me to take initiative and run with my ideas she’s been crucial in helping me feel capable and equipped to take on more responsibilities and more complex projects. By pushing me out of my comfort zone while still ensuring I had the support and guidance I needed, I have become more and more confident about my abilities. I never feel micromanaged and always look forward to sharing and discussing work with her.”
— Upward Feedback, 2021
“Continuing from last year and to keep the copy team morale up, Valeria has worked on bringing up a lot of different initiatives for our copy team that focus on our individuals’ strengths and opportunity areas. She manages to push us out of our comfort zone, offering support without micro-managing us. She definitely helps us to keep a high bar for copy and I am looking forward to how she will push us in the next months.”
— Upward Feedback, 2020