Bricks, SEO, and a Skeptical CIO
My first marketing role came with an unexpected twist: I was told I had edged out a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader for the position. What made it more amusing was that I was hired by a former NFL player. Not your average job interview story—but then again, this wasn’t going to be an average job.
The company was a national brick manufacturer with over 340 different styles of brick. At the time, they were sitting on 11 million unsold bricks, stockpiled on their brickyard. The U.S. housing market had just collapsed, and the demand for brick homes had all but disappeared. They brought me in with a clear but daunting mission: turn things around.
Step One: Discover What’s Working (Hint: Nothing Was Tracked)
When I arrived, I asked the simplest question any marketer should: “What’s working?”
The answer: “We’re not really sure.”
Like many companies during that period, they operated on the assumption that if sales were happening, marketing must be doing its job. But now sales had stalled—and there was no data to understand why.
At the time, the company was outsourcing 100% of their marketing and spending approximately $2.1 million annually on it. This included:
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Print ads in national newspapers and trade magazines (ranging from $1,000 to $30,000 per issue)
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Event sponsorships and industry trade shows
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Traditional brand campaigns—with zero tracking mechanisms
I immediately implemented tracking across every marketing channel. This included:
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Promo codes
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Unique URLs
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Dedicated phone numbers through telecom partners
Every piece of marketing material going forward included some method of attribution.
Step Two: Capitalizing on a Game-Changing Innovation
Around the same time, the company had launched a new venture—one that could convert non-brick homes into brick homes using a proprietary installation method. It was a bold idea and had enormous market potential.
They created a separate business unit to focus on this, and I was tasked with helping it gain traction. Here’s what I did:
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Performed technical SEO on their existing site while building a new A/B-tested site
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Conducted extensive keyword research
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Discovered an overlooked but high-volume search term: “brick siding”
At the time, their website was drawing only about 176 visits per month. Within 8 to 12 weeks of implementing SEO changes and targeting “brick siding,” traffic jumped to approximately 3,300 visits per month.
The Phone Wouldn’t Stop Ringing
I shared an office with the only employee dedicated to this new business. One day, he turned to me and asked, “What did you do? I can’t keep up. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing.”
Soon after, he hired two more staff members to manage the influx of leads and eventually outsourced a full crew to handle installations. One of their first major commercial projects was the Dundalk Civic and Community Center in Maryland—a project that wouldn’t have existed without this pivot in strategy.
Old-School Mindset vs. New-School Tactics
Throughout my time there, I introduced numerous digital strategies the company had never used before—SEO, A/B testing, attribution tracking, and geo-targeted content.
But perhaps the most telling moment was when I proposed optimizing for mobile users. The then-CIO responded with a line I’ll never forget:
“Let’s wait and see how this mobile thing plays out.”
In hindsight, that quote is almost humorous. Mobile would go on to become the cornerstone of digital engagement across every industry. But it was a reminder of how far behind traditional companies often were when it came to digital transformation—and how much opportunity there was for forward-thinking marketers to make an impact.
The End Result
Eventually, the company and its parent firm merged with another brick manufacturer. Today, that combined company is one of the top five brick producers in the United States.
Looking back, this role taught me the power of data, the importance of strategic agility during market downturns, and the massive impact a single overlooked keyword can have. More importantly, it proved that real innovation in marketing isn’t just about tactics—it’s about shifting mindsets, embracing change, and being willing to test what others overlook.
Takeaways for Traditional Businesses:
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Track everything – If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
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Don’t ignore SEO – Even legacy industries can win with the right keyword strategy.
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Test new ideas – A/B testing isn’t just for e-commerce. It’s critical for traditional businesses too.
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Stay ahead of trends – Waiting to “see how mobile plays out” could cost you growth you’ll never get back.
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Innovate even when demand is low – Sometimes the best time to pivot is when the market forces your hand.