Business Development, Content Strategy, Event Management, Fractional CMO
Katie Schrock
Sometimes My Job Is To Make Marketing Boring

I have a mildly disappointing confession about being a marketing executive:

A surprising amount of my job is incredibly boring.

Spreadsheets.

Naming conventions.

Email segmentation.

Approval systems.

Analytics.

Budgets.

Workflows.

Content calendars.

And an alarming amount of time spent figuring out which file called FINAL_FINAL_v3 is, in fact, final.

But I've started believing this is one of the biggest differences between organizations that do marketing and organizations that manage marketing as a business function.

Creativity needs infrastructure.

Otherwise your creative people spend half their time solving emergencies the organization manufactured for them.

I wrote about something I'm calling marketing debt, why my Monday-morning analytics ritual matters, and the interesting point where the CMO's responsibilities start colliding with the COO's.

Because sometimes the highest-value thing a marketing leader can do isn't create another campaign.

It's build the system that makes every campaign afterward better.

Sometimes My Job Is To Make Marketing Boring
Fractional CMO, Business Development, Content Strategy, Event Management
Katie Schrock
Preserve the Ritual. Modernize the Delivery.

There is a big difference between tradition and “that's how we've always done it.”

I've been thinking about that a lot lately through my work with rodeos, agricultural organizations, festivals and associations.

Some things absolutely deserve protecting.

The history. The people. The community. The annual rituals. The things that make someone say, “This is ours.”

But the clunky registration system? The communication method nobody reads anymore? The process invented in 1997 because that's what the technology allowed?

Maybe not. 😉

My latest Western Insights Media article explores a framework I've started using:

Preserve the ritual. Modernize the delivery.

Because the goal isn't to make a 100-year-old organization look young.

It's to make sure it has a reason to exist for the next 100.

Preserve the Ritual. Modernize the Delivery.
Business Development, Content Strategy, Event Management, Fractional CMO
Katie Schrock
A Century of Legacy, and the Work It Takes to ...

This article explores leadership, legacy, and community-building lessons drawn from the 100th anniversary convention of the Dude Ranchers Association. Milestone events like a centennial celebration are more than moments of reflection. They are opportunities to assess relevance, trust, and alignment within an organization.

Drawing on firsthand experience supporting this historic event, the piece examines what it truly takes to gather ranchers and operators who run 24/7 businesses rooted in land, livestock, hospitality, and people. Leaving a ranch to attend a convention requires meaningful programming, thoughtful curation, and a deep respect for members’ time and responsibilities.

The article also addresses one of the most complex challenges facing guest ranches and Western businesses today: succession planning. When a brand is deeply tied to its people, separating identity from operations becomes essential for long-term sustainability.

Through insights on leadership, strategy, and storytelling, this piece offers perspective for organizations navigating growth, transition, and the responsibility of carrying a legacy forward.

A Century of Legacy, and the Work It Takes to Carry It Forward
Business Development, Content Strategy, Fractional CMO, Event Management, Social Media
Katie Schrock
Why Companies Are Desperately Seeking ...

Companies aren’t just looking for marketers anymore — they’re looking for storytellers. As traditional media declines and audiences crave authenticity, storytelling has become a strategic business advantage, especially in Western, agricultural, and event-based industries where culture and community drive connection.

Why Companies Are Desperately Seeking Storytellers
Content Strategy, Social Media
Katie Schrock
Behind the Call: What Meta Taught Me About ...

Nothing will boost your creator confidence like a Meta rep opening a call with: “So… how did you crack the code?” In this behind-the-scenes recap, I break down what Meta shared about the Edits app, trending Reels, real-time analytics, captions and “safe zones,” and why their best practice mirrors my own Instagram Trials Theory: test first, learn fast, and only then scale what works—without burning out or begging for likes.

Behind the Call: What Meta Taught Me About "Trials," Edits, and Smarter Reels

Business Development

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Sometimes My Job Is To Make Marketing Boring

, , ,
Sometimes My Job Is To Make Marketing Boring

I have a mildly disappointing confession about being a marketing executive:

A surprising amount of my job is incredibly boring.

Spreadsheets.

Naming conventions.

Email segmentation.

Approval systems.

Analytics.

Budgets.

Workflows.

Content calendars.

And an alarming amount of time spent figuring out which file called FINAL_FINAL_v3 is, in fact, final.

But I've started believing this is one of the biggest differences between organizations that do marketing and organizations that manage marketing as a business function.

Creativity needs infrastructure.

Otherwise your creative people spend half their time solving emergencies the organization manufactured for them.

I wrote about something I'm calling marketing debt, why my Monday-morning analytics ritual matters, and the interesting point where the CMO's responsibilities start colliding with the COO's.

Because sometimes the highest-value thing a marketing leader can do isn't create another campaign.

It's build the system that makes every campaign afterward better.

, , ,

Preserve the Ritual. Modernize the Delivery.

, , ,
Preserve the Ritual. Modernize the Delivery.

There is a big difference between tradition and “that's how we've always done it.”

I've been thinking about that a lot lately through my work with rodeos, agricultural organizations, festivals and associations.

Some things absolutely deserve protecting.

The history. The people. The community. The annual rituals. The things that make someone say, “This is ours.”

But the clunky registration system? The communication method nobody reads anymore? The process invented in 1997 because that's what the technology allowed?

Maybe not. 😉

My latest Western Insights Media article explores a framework I've started using:

Preserve the ritual. Modernize the delivery.

Because the goal isn't to make a 100-year-old organization look young.

It's to make sure it has a reason to exist for the next 100.

, , ,

A Century of Legacy, and the Work It Takes to Carry It Forward

, , ,
A Century of Legacy, and the Work It Takes to Carry It Forward

This article explores leadership, legacy, and community-building lessons drawn from the 100th anniversary convention of the Dude Ranchers Association. Milestone events like a centennial celebration are more than moments of reflection. They are opportunities to assess relevance, trust, and alignment within an organization.

Drawing on firsthand experience supporting this historic event, the piece examines what it truly takes to gather ranchers and operators who run 24/7 businesses rooted in land, livestock, hospitality, and people. Leaving a ranch to attend a convention requires meaningful programming, thoughtful curation, and a deep respect for members’ time and responsibilities.

The article also addresses one of the most complex challenges facing guest ranches and Western businesses today: succession planning. When a brand is deeply tied to its people, separating identity from operations becomes essential for long-term sustainability.

Through insights on leadership, strategy, and storytelling, this piece offers perspective for organizations navigating growth, transition, and the responsibility of carrying a legacy forward.

, , , ,

Why Companies Are Desperately Seeking Storytellers

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Why Companies Are Desperately Seeking Storytellers

Companies aren’t just looking for marketers anymore — they’re looking for storytellers. As traditional media declines and audiences crave authenticity, storytelling has become a strategic business advantage, especially in Western, agricultural, and event-based industries where culture and community drive connection.

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The Secret to a Lasting Event Isn't Marketing - It's Belonging

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The Secret to a Lasting Event Isn't Marketing - It's Belonging

Discover how Western Insights Media helped the Oregon Jamboree create a lasting legacy through the Pacific Northwest Stompeders - a fan engagement campaign for the 30th Anniversary that turned into a five-state movement and a blueprint for building community through events.

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Stop Guessing, Trial Reels: The Instagram Growth Strategy That Actually Works

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Stop Guessing, Trial Reels: The Instagram Growth Strategy That Actually Works

Learn the 2025 Instagram Reels strategy that helped my personal Instagram reach over 2.5 million organic views in 28 days. Download the free Instagram Trial Reel Checklist to grow your western brand, your personal brand, your event or small business on social media.

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Empowering Small Teams with Big Tools: A Webinar Series for Marketers with Small Teams, Small Budgets and a Need for Efficiencies

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Empowering Small Teams with Big Tools: A Webinar Series for Marketers with Small Teams, Small Budgets and a Need for Efficiencies

Western Insights Media is proud to present a 4-part webinar series designed specifically for rodeo committees, ag-based nonprofits, guest ranches, festivals, and small rural organizations. This free, hands-on training helps small teams use AI-powered tools to simplify marketing, save time, and increase impact. From designing content with Canva Pro to streamlining messaging with ChatGPT, scheduling with Metricool, and launching emails with Flodesk, each 40-minute session focuses on affordable, accessible tools that work for Western-based organizations with limited staff and budgets. Perfect for those juggling multiple hats—this series will help you do more with less and feel confident about your marketing strategy.

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Building Genuine Connections in Content Creation: Insights for 2025

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Building Genuine Connections in Content Creation: Insights for 2025

Discover effective strategies for building genuine connections in content creation as we look ahead to 2025. Learn how to leverage influencer relationships, engage audiences, and tell your brand's story to maintain authenticity while growing your reach. These insights are designed to help brands and marketers create meaningful connections with niche markets and develop content campaigns that resonate.

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Influencers Unleashed - Join us at the Oregon Fairs Association

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Influencers Unleashed - Join us at the Oregon Fairs Association

Join us October 17-19, 2024, at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center for the Oregon Fairs Association's Annual Convention where the Western Insights Media team will present on Influencers Unleashed - the art of event amplification through strategic influencer partnerships. If you can't make the event, sign up to get a copy of the slides after the event and book a strategy meeting.

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5 Ways Being A College Athlete Helped Me In Business

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5 Ways Being A College Athlete Helped Me In Business

One of the things that I have loved watching lately is the uprise in women's college basketball in the media's eyes. As someone who wrote "Play in the WNBA" every single day of her journal through elementary school, seeing my friends, family, gym buddies, and colleagues as hyped about the game of basketball and the players I enjoy watching has been one of the best parts of 2024's March Madness.

As a former PAC10 (to date myself) and PAC12 (RIP to the Pac Conference), here are five ways that being a college (bench warming) athlete made me more successful in business.