Chip Martens

History

I've been doing this since 2008, almost always on small teams with big targets. Here's where, and what came out of it.

mode40

Head of Brand Marketing Now

The only marketer at a company building the Singularity, a data platform for manufacturing, aerospace, and defence.

  • Brand and marketing, end to endPositioning, messaging, the website, sales decks, events, PR, and the CRM.
  • Industry positioningSales decks that sell the Singularity to each industry in its own terms.
  • XPND launchBrand system and launch announcement for ConvergX's platform, built on mode40's Singularity and launched at the ConvergX Global Congress in Calgary.
  • Regional positioningWrote the positioning for southeast Manitoba's economic development corporation.
  • AI marketing systemA set of AI agents that lets one marketer cover a department's worth of work.

Advisory

Brand and positioning advisor 2022 to now

Brand, positioning, and marketing for early‑stage companies, mostly in agriculture and building supply.

  • CleanTraceBoard advisor.
  • Seed roundPositioning, brand, and marketing behind an early‑stage livestock startup's seed round.
  • New brandIdentity, positioning, and marketing strategy for a building supply startup.
  • GrainTrackerApp design.
  • AutomationMarketing systems that let small teams run multi‑channel campaigns.

WhatBars.com

Founder, designer, and developer 2022

A handlebar comparison tool for cyclists that I designed, coded, and marketed on my own.

  • 1.85MTotal views.
  • 250K+Unique page views a year, with average sessions over two minutes.
  • 11,000+Social followers and 2,500+ email subscribers.
  • Global partnersCycling and outdoor brands as far away as Japan and Korea.

RocketRez

Creative Director, then Director of Brand Marketing 2019

Ticketing software for attractions, with a marketing team of five.

  • $35M Series BIn 2020 I led a full rebrand and a new website that positioned RocketRez as the leader in its industry. That brand helped close an $8.4M Series A, then carried the company into a $35M Series B.
  • $1M to $10M+Growth in recurring revenue while I was there.
  • 75%Rise in unaided brand recall in six months.
  • 2023 brand refreshA second round on the brand, followed by campaigns built around our distinctive brand assets. That's where the recall jump came from.
  • We've got your backThe biggest campaign I ran there, carried across everything from team shirts to bus graphics.
  • IAAPA Expo, every yearI ran our presence at the attractions industry's biggest trade show in Orlando. In 2021 that meant our biggest booth to date. In 2022 our TouchPoint magazine ran out on day one and we had to rush a reprint. In 2024 visitors got a custom cartoon and a putting challenge.
  • 182%More form submissions from high‑intent leads.
  • 6xCreative output from the same team, with no new hires.
  • Email, built from nothingIt became our third most effective acquisition channel, bringing in about 39% of all new non‑direct users. It drove 23K sessions, 64% more than paid search.
  • 156K new usersFrom a channel mix I built, including targeted LinkedIn and Meta campaigns aimed at well‑defined audiences.
  • Demo conversions upWithin a month of rebuilding the product feature pages.
  • New marketsCanada, Mexico, and the UK.
  • Agencies and enablementManaged agency partners and built a library of sales material.

E.G. Penner Building Centres

Director of Marketing 2014 to 2019

A family lumber and building supply company in southeast Manitoba.

  • 400%+Lift in average order value from community campaigns and partnership promotions.
  • $1MAnnual budget, plus $250K found in co‑op money and $150K+ a year in joint advertising opportunities.
  • Community partnershipsThe Steinbach Pistons, local charities, and businesses around town.
  • Quality positioningThe company stood on quality, which justified higher prices.
  • One brandKept consistent across stores and regional markets.

Loewen Drywall

Project Manager 2012 to 2014

Commercial projects, coordinating specialized materials for landmark builds.

  • Canadian Museum for Human RightsOne of the landmark projects.
  • 8.5%Productivity gain after moving projects onto a digital project management system.
  • Cross‑trade coordinationKept complex projects on schedule.

Golden West Broadcasting

Creative Designer 2008 to 2012

Where I started, at a broadcaster serving communities across Western Canada.

  • Hundreds of clientsAds and creative for local and national businesses.
  • Community news websitesRedesigned for the company's stations.
  • 21 community marketsMoved through the company's digital shift.