Inspiring Conversations with Reid Carr of Red Door Interactive

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Reid Carr.

Reid, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I left high school in Phoenix, AZ, I knew I wanted to work in advertising. So, I went to the University of Oregon’s advertising program in the School of Journalism and Communications. That set the foundation for my career. My first job was at TBWA\Chiat\Day, working on the Nissan account.

I loved that experience because, beyond my work on Nissan, I was exposed to some of the best advertising work of the era: The Apple “Think Different” campaign, Taco Bell chihuahua (“Yo quiero Taco Bell”), ABC “Yellow” and more.

At that point, I acknowledged that I didn’t like living in LA, so we moved to San Diego. After a couple of years at an agency in San Diego, we saw how the marketing industry had changed and felt we could do things differently. My wife and I decided to strike out independently with colleagues to start Red Door Interactive.

Twenty-two years later, here we are.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been many challenges along the way. From the beginning, we had to learn the business side of our agency rather than “the work” side.

Then, handle growth and organize team structure with career growth in mind, not to mention the personal side of people management. Finally, deal with the ebb and flow of client wins/losses and economic cycles that affect how to staff the work properly.

All of it connects to the dynamism of business and agency life; that is a challenge that is best met with experience that we really didn’t have when we started.

As you know, we’re big fans of Red Door Interactive. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
We help national mid-size brands ($300M to $1.5B) maximize their marketing efforts through expertise and integration.

Midsize brands need agility and professionalism on par with bigger brands yet fend off smaller ones trying to steal market share. They need to maximize budgets by picking their spots to excel yet also cover their bases. They are expected to manage customers’ journeys through all funnel stages but don’t have the in-house expertise to handle it all. Their stakeholders vary internally and externally, and marketers must satisfy them all.

We’ve been around for over 22 years, working across a balanced portfolio of brands, helping them excel in this challenging environment for brands in the middle. Many of our clients are brands that live within holding companies or large conglomerates, while others are independent. Every one of the brands we work with is notable and interesting, with unique stories, aspirations, and challenges.

What does success mean to you?
As we help clients grow, we grow. Then, as we grow, we create opportunities for our people to grow their careers with us.

We love to see the impact of our work, so working with notable brands allows us to see our work in the wild and meaningful business results behind the scenes. Our relationships matter.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reddoor.biz
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reddoorinteractive
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reddoorinteractive
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/red-door-interactive
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/reddoor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/reddoorinteractive

Image Credits
Brian Doll Photography