Mario Grosso

What do consumer-grade power banks, dip-dyed denim jeans, industrial-grade solid state drives, and chocolate fudge brownies have in common? They are all products that I’ve developed, managed, branded, and written about over the past 10 years. Diverse, I know. My passion for working with product has driven me down very different paths, creating a versatile experience that’s unique from anyone else.

For the past year, I’ve been copywriting and branding products for a Taiwanese computer hardware and accessories company. From consumer goods such as memory cards and audio equipment to industrial goods such as USB flash drives and DRAM modules, I’ve been their sole content creator for every piece of information that their customers see and read. This includes product stories and details on the website, eDMs for B2B sales channels, press releases for the media, content for social media posts, brochures and posters for trade shows, monthly e-newsletters, and catalogues – all of which have been created from a combination of my in-depth market research and intrinsic knowledge of how to sell a product effectively.

For the previous 8 years before that, I was developing and managing product for American fashion companies in New York. Working for name brands such as Calvin Klein, DKNY, and Talbots, my responsibilities largely included being the point of contact between the in-house designers and the overseas offices/factories. This involved requesting and tracking samples for presentations, developing components for garments (such as zippers, buttons, and aesthetic wash treatments), fine-tuning the quality and appearance of these components according to the designers’ vision for production, and negotiating costs. There was also a significant emphasis on data accuracy, as I was tasked with sending BOMs (bill of materials) to factories, which they used to place production orders ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of pieces.

Simultaneously while working in the fashion industry, from 2010 to 2017, I ran my own gourmet brownie business in New York. In my personal life, I am a total foodie. My recipes, which began as treats brought into the office, turned into a money-making business that spanned an online retail shop, a booth at outdoor food markets, and placement in local stores via wholesale orders. I ran the entire business by myself – recipe development, inventory control, baking and packaging all of the products, delivery and shipping, website creation and management, social media presence, logo design, and food photography.

Although my experience has traversed a variety of industries, my function has always been the same: to put out the best product possible. From running my own bakery business and learning what it takes to do so, to working for big name fashion brands and developing product for them, to writing for a tech company and making their product relatable to people on a global scale, I have gained the skill-set to present products, whether tangible or written, in such a matter that I call, “The 3 A’s.” These are: appropriately (for the right audience), aesthetically (of creative and high-quality), and accurately (no mistakes allowed).