Alex Martinez

Building Brands That Connect

Hi, I'm Alex.

I'm a creative and marketing leader building brands people connect with.

From hands-on design to directing creative organizations and marketing strategy, I’ve spent 15+ years helping businesses grow through brand, digital, and integrated campaigns. I’ve led rebrands for multi-billion-dollar companies, scaled e-commerce portfolios that drove 150% revenue growth, and built the teams and processes that made it all repeatable.

I’m also a musician and producer. That same love of craft and collaboration shapes how I lead.

The Work I'm Built For

Creative Leadership

Leading creative organizations is about more than directing work. It's about building an environment where talented people can take ownership and keep growing.

Brand & Storytelling

I've helped organizations find that throughline, shaping narratives and visual systems that hold together across campaigns, digital experiences, and customer touchpoints.

Digital & E-commerce

I've guided web, mobile, and e-commerce work with a focus on how people actually move through an experience and what keeps them coming back.

Integrated Marketing

I've partnered with marketing and sales teams to connect brand storytelling with real outcomes across digital, content, and media in a way that feels cohesive rather than cobbled together.

Creative Operations

I've built the workflows, feedback structures, and mentorship practices that help teams stay focused and produce quality work without burning out.

Strategy & Collaboration

I partner with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to translate business goals into creative direction everyone can build toward.

How I Lead

I believe the best creative work happens when strategy is clear, teams have ownership, and leadership stays close to the work without hovering. I build creative organizations with strong feedback structures, mentorship, and room for people to grow. Great work comes from great teams, not great mandates. My role is to connect the dots between what the business needs and what the creative team can deliver, then clear the path.

Case Studies

Evolving a Brand Across a Multi-Billion-Dollar Enterprise

A legacy distribution company needed its brand to match the scale and ambition of its business. I led the evolution of Essendant’s brand narrative, identity, and visual standards, building the creative systems that unified how the company showed up across every channel and audience.

Impact

Unified brand presence across B2B and B2C audiences

Read Case Study »

Scaling Brand and Experience Across 40+ E-Commerce Properties

CPO Commerce was growing fast, but 40+ storefronts each had their own look and feel. The shopping experience changed from one property to the next, and campaigns ran without a strategy connecting them. I led the brand identity, UX, and campaign creative that unified the portfolio into a cohesive operation.

Impact

150% revenue growth in under 5 years

Read Case Study »

Connecting Brand, Campaigns,
and Data to Drive Revenue

Essendant’s marketing channels ran in silos. A product launch could hit four channels and tell four different stories, and there was no data showing what drove results. I led the rebuild that unified brand storytelling and campaign performance into one integrated model, and built the KPI framework that connected creative decisions to business outcomes.

Impact

Integrated cross-channel model connecting brand storytelling to measurable growth

Read Case Study »

Other Creative Work

Brand strategy, identity design, packaging, and logo work for clients across industries and business sizes.

View Examples »

15+

Years Creative & Marketing Leadership

14+

Person Cross-Disciplinary Teams

150%

Revenue Growth, E-Commerce Portfolio in Under 5 Years

$1.5M+

Budgets Managed Across Teams, Vendors & Technology

In Their Words

"He recognizes creative exists to serve business goals and takes the time to ground himself in business objectives and strategy."
Senior Director, Marketing
Manager - Essendant
"He creates an environment where people are comfortable sharing ideas and perspectives, which leads to better conversations and stronger work."
Marketing Automation Manager
Direct Report - Essendant
"His understanding of customer experience, UX, UI, design, and strategy adds tremendous value to cross-functional projects."
Director, Marketing
Manager - Essendant
"He can lead high-level brand strategy projects, and dive into the detail of fine tuning weekly promotional emails. He remains calm, grounded and fun, no matter what the stress level."
COO
Senior Leader - CPO
"He drives successful outcomes built on comprehensive understanding and audience-focused solutions."
Senior Designer
Direct Report - Essendant

The Path Here

2025-2026
Director, Marketing

Essendant, Deerfield, IL (Remote)

2022-2025
Director, Creative Services

Essendant, Deerfield, IL (Remote)

2016-2022
Creative Director

Essendant, Deerfield, IL (Remote)

2010-2015
Designer > Art Director

CPO Commerce, Pasadena, CA

2007-2010
Design Manager

iCeL Systems, Van Nuys, CA