Callum Merriman
Amotivated and passionate 27-year-old Product Manager & Creative Technologist, immersed in digital culture and future possibilities, who believes that great design and user experience can take an organisation very far.
I possess a desirable balance of creativity, technical understanding and team leading experience, enabling me to deliver great products and campaigns for clients, that engage users & drive sales. I excel in creating a concept, prioritising what is important and then turning this into deliverables.
A Snapshot Of Me
Present Employment
CrowdSurge - Product Manager
Joining the six-man startup in a broad web development, marketing & client services role, I have played a key part in its growth into a worldwide organisation, with close to 40 employees. Through this time I have discovered my passion for delivering outstanding products & digital campaigns, developing my communicative, creative & technical skills, and moving into a formal Product Manager role. The projects outlined below show just a snapshot of what I have achieved in my time at the company.
Spotify - Artist Ticketing App
I initiated the idea of a ticketing app that allowed artists to sell their tickets through Spotify. I was the complete owner of this product working singularly to take the product from conception to completion.
I worked closely with the Spotify platform team and regularly presented my progress at internal weekly meetings, taking on board suggested improvements & refinements to finish up with a product that I am immensely proud of. A Product Owner at Spotify described the app as “awesome - great work”.
Muse - European Tour Application
I was the lead on the solution for Muse's extensive 2012 European tour, working with a developer & junior team memeber. I was responsible for translating what the sales team had proposed to the client into a workable, deliverable product within a relatively short timeframe. I achieved this, working in tandem with our Client Services representative; through leading meetings with Muse's management team and iterating ever more refined versions of the product.
The product was built as a lightweight solution, load tested successfully at 70,000+ concurrent users. The product served fans across 18 European countries, providing support for five languages and eight currencies. Over 100,000 tickets were sold through the application with 20,000 fans added to the Muse members' database.
Facebook - Social Ticketing App
The Social Ticketing app was one of the first external products I was responsible for leading at CrowdSurge. I was tasked with adapting our ‘iframed’ website solution into a Facebook app that was integrated into the artist's page and built on the social functionality Facebook inherently provides.
The app beta launched in January 2011 with key smaller clients; Version 1 launched in May debuting a pre-sale for Kaiser Chief's comeback gigs, only available through the Facebook app. The product was the world's first integrated ticketing app, allowing purchases without leaving the Facebook page.
The app received key coverage from publications like Music Week and was highlighted in presentations to potential investors, demonstrating the innovation of the company. The app regularly posts monthly unique visitors of 250,000 and has generated over £600,000 in revenue since launch.
Converse Represent @ The 100 Club - Ticket Application
I lead a team to deliver an integrated online ticket application process, social RSVP mechanic & secure door entry for the Converse Represent run of shows at the 100 Club. Working closely with Cornerstone, the agency tasked with organising the events, I was the main point of contact for the client.
The product was integrated to both Converse's & Blur's websites, capturing over 60,000 applicants. The client had the upmost praise for my project management and ability to step up to the mark when faced with external issues.
Internal Projects
I have developed a number of initiatives to facilitate company education, communication & structure, including building and managing the company employee portal, documenting CrowdSurge's product offering and producing monthly product newsletters.
Previous Employment
Lilac PR - Digital Marketing Manager
I worked closely with the founder of this music focused Digital Marketing & PR start up, managing online strategy for clients such as Sony, Katy Perry and Crystal Fighters. Through utilising my digital skill-set, coupled with my capacity for quick learning, I was soon successfully managing album release schedules.
Key Points
- Building relationships with popular music blogs and social media sites to secure editorial exposure.
- Scheduling artist digital activity, including tweets, posts, premieres, streams, MySpace widgets remember?, Facebook, Google & banner ads.
- Managing targeted email lists and developing copy writing skills through the creation of press releases.
Warner Music Group - Marketing Intern
Placed in the UK International Marketing Department, whose responsibility lies in selling in and supporting UK artists in international regions. I soon surpassed the usual expectations of an intern, resulting in me receiving increasingly demanding tasks as the three months progressed.
Key Points
- Producing & presenting digital marketing reports for key upcoming releases. Looking at artist's online presence and recommending the most effective digital channels.
- Taking control of the department newsletter, which updated international territories on the current activity of UK artists, including a slick redesign.
- Coordinating press for The Subway's European tour; involving liaising with management, arranging interviews with local press and supplying filming contracts.
Highflyer Productions - Assistant Producer
I gained an exciting opportunity with Highflyer working on a startup live sports news channel on Sky. Producing live television in a high pressure environment taught me many invaluable skills, with the added bonus of working with some of my sporting & journalistic heroes. I worked especially well alongside my producer, with our team consistently producing the best output on the channel.
Key Points
- Planning the live show, creating a running order, researching discussion topics, creating on-screen graphics to enhance discussions, scheduling on-air talent.
- Ensuring presenters are following the structure of the live show, reacting quickly to any breaking news, queueing graphics to illustrate the current discussion.
- Creating promotional video & print material to broaden awareness in the channel, tailored to specific segments of the market.
MTV - Assistant
Initially employed as an intern, I progressed to an Assistant role in the International Programming Operations Department, immediately at the end of my internship. Due to my familiarity with many digital concepts, I was chosen to co-lead the transition of the department away from broadcast tape, to the digital delivery of broadcast material.
Key Points
- Basic editing of broadcast video in Final Cut, creating screeners & uploading of files, with meta-data, to a central media server.
- Fulfilling requests for broadcast material from MTV regions worldwide, organising the creation of localised copies and co-ordinating the shipping of these tapes.
Youthful Education
University of Nottingham
2:1 BSc (Joint Hons) in Computer Science and Business Management
Dissertation Created a online interface that intelligently sorted users' photographs & allowed them to share these images.
Loughborough Grammar School
A-Level
- A Maths
- A Physics
- A Computer Science
- A General Studies
- B Religious Studies (AS)
- -
GCSE
- A* Maths
- A English
- A French
- A Physics
- A Chemistry
- A Biology
- A Religious Studies
- A Geography
- B English Literature
Skills & Interests
Technical Skills
Interests
You would typically find me, down the front of a sweaty music hall, watching Leicester City struggle in an away end somewhere near London, sampling assorted cocktails at a street gin-festival, uncovering inspiration for my work at a design exhibition, sampling the latest pop-up (burger) eatery or simply enjoying a couple of pale ales with friends at various usual haunts. I was recently fortunate enough to attend both the Olympics & Paralympics in London, being both immensely impressed with the events & hugely inspired.
I am a Nike+ addict, regularly running close to 40km a week & participating in half marathons, always striving to improve my kilometre splits. Football, rugby, tennis, alongside the occasional ping-pong grudge match also feature in my activities. Further afield, I am lucky enough to have travelled around the globe prior to developing my career, with city breaks and skiing trips to Europe & North America now my trips of choice.