Five Minutes with Dave Perkins, VP of Media
By Laura DiCaprio
Dave Perkins joined Wahl Media in 2017 as a media buyer and account lead for some of our biggest clients, including Faraci Lange Attorneys, Crouse Health, Community First Credit Union, AmeriCU Credit Union, and Kinney Drugs. But Dave’s contributions to Wahl Media extend far beyond his killer negotiating and account management skills. “Dave’s sense of humor and cool demeanor have a way of diffusing even the most stressful situations,” says coworker Laura DiCaprio. “It’s hard to have a bad day when Dave’s in the office!”
Dave with his family
Q: Your background is in commercial production and media sales – why the switch to the agency side?
A: After 11 years of being on the air at a radio station, producing commercials and even scheduling commercials as a traffic manager, I wanted to travel to the other side to see how the process of planning and marketing campaign really worked. I was hooked from day one. I was a marketing consultant for a few Syracuse area radio stations and I was helping companies put together strong marketing campaigns in an effort to drive traffic and grow sales. I continued that same journey when I moved into the Cable TV world, but I still wanted to see the big picture—video, audio, digital, outdoor–EVERYTHING.
Q: Since you’ve worked on both the media and agency side, what’s a major difference you’ve seen between the two?
A: When I came to Wahl Media I was now working side-by-side with decision makers in seeing all aspects of marketing campaigns and working with these clients and our partners to execute them. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing success from a campaign built from scratch.
Q: How have you grown since working at Wahl Media?
A: At Wahl Media, we use a team-oriented project-based approach with working with our clients. This was an approach I was not accustomed to, but I now see it as a must when working with our clients that have many different aspects of their business that we help market and promote. In addition, since coming to Wahl Media, I have learned how to more efficiently manage my time and communicate more effectively with my clients and team members.
Q: When asked to choose three words to describe you, your coworkers chose determined, organized and concise. Do you agree with these? And why/why not?
A: I’m determined to maximize every opportunity for our clients and to grow their business, as well as ours. As for organized, I have to be organized throughout my day and have a plan of attack – it’s how I’m successful. And concise—this is the OCD in me. I like to know exactly how a media plan is going to work down to the most minor detail. When it comes to money….right down to the penny. When it comes to timing…always be five minutes early.