About Pogona Creative
Pogona Creative is a family-owned digital marketing company based in Los Angeles, California. David May has more than two decades of video production experience, and more than one decade of marketing experience. He has helped universities, non-profit organizations, real estate agents, and others maximize their online presence to support their goals and objectives.
Digital marketing is different than causal use of Facebook or Instagram. Social media marketing, digital advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), and the creation of websites are critical to your business. They are interconnected, delicate, and require careful and intentional strategic planing.
Even if you are familiar with digital marketing, you are often too close to your company, a project, or an idea to think objectively. You need the vantage point of a trusted third party, and that's where we come in. Digital Marketing takes careful planning, organization, and (most of all) time. If you are a marketing expert who needs extra help, or if you have no marketing support and you need to get started, David is here to help. Contact David May now for a free assessment and introductory conversation.
David and Adrianna May, owners of Pogona Creative
About David May
David May is a storyteller. Starting early in life with filmmaking, public speaking, theatre, and music, David learned to communicate with people and audiences. As a marketer, he uses these same skills to advocate for companies and organizations, and share their stories. Marketing, filmmaking, public speaking, and music all rely on storytelling. David has created award-winning films and videos, websites, and marketing concepts leveraging the power of story.
David May's Credentials
Work and Experience: Digital Marketing
Rep. John Campbell's congressional award for leadership in business.
David has more than a decade of marketing and sales experience through his private consulting, and through his full-time employment with Chapman University, Milken Community Schools, and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. While his service has been primary in the non-profit world, he also has marketing experience in for-profit verticals such as real estate. View David May’s resume website here >
David started his professional life in Chapman University's admission office. There, he began experimenting with new ways to recruit students and engage our community. The strategies that he was developing were not yet named, but today we know them as inbound marketing, content, marketing, social media marketing, viral marketing, and other forms of modern marketing. David created Chapman Admission's first social media accounts, blog assets, and maintained the admission web pages. He also served as the project leader for the implementation of Chapman's CRM which, at the time, was Hobsons Connect. After implementation, he created direct mail, email automation, and dynamic web pages based on inquiry attributes. The goal of this activity was to supplement college fairs and high school visits with modern methods of student recruitment, and my experiments were successful. "New media recruitment" eventually became the topic if his Master's thesis in 2010.
When Chapman University created a central marketing department, David started a new role as the digital marketing lead. Working closely with the Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications, David built Chapman's digital marketing team from three to fifteen over the course of a few years. David led the team to more than 50 awards in areas of web design, content, functionality, and social media. David and his team also empowered and trained the Chapman community to participate in the institution's digital marketing efforts. The first of many major projects was a page-one rewrite of the University's website which required him to work collaboratively across departments including admission, student affairs, and Chapman's ten colleges.
At Milken Community Schools, David worked closely with the Director of Marketing on an enrollment marketing plan that increased inquiries by more than 10% in the first year. There, David supervised Milken's digital marketing and communication strategy including inbound and content marketing campaigns, email marketing and newsletters, website iteration, web page redesigns, and much more.
David currently serves on the management team at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank as the Director of Marketing and Communication. David leads the marketing, communications, and public relations activity for the Food Bank.
Work and Experience: Video Production
“Fetch” and “Itsy Bitsy,” two of David's short films, have screened at over 100 film festivals. Both have won many awards including "best of fest." He has also had international syndication through his experience on the FOX Reality show "On the Lot" where he placed 12th out of 12,000 applicants. David has also directed/produced Marketing videos for Universities such as Chapman University and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and organizations such as WACAC.
Education: Chapman University
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television, emphasis in Writing and Directing with a Minor in Communications
Master of Arts in Film Studies - thesis topic: New Media and College Recruitment
David May: Speaker and Presenter
David May Interviews
David May Speeches
David has given presentations at conferences for the following organizations:
Feeding America UNITE
Internet Marketing Association
Media Leaders
High Ed Web
High Ed Web West
NACAC
WACAC
Higher Ed Experts
(more)
Panel Presentations: Media Leaders
David May: Extended Bio
David grew up in Aurora Colorado and attended Overland High School. He was very involved in performing, filmmaking, cross country, snowboarding, ultimate frisbee, student government, choir, and leadership clubs. In his junior and senior year, David was one of eight students selected for Overland's "Advanced Acting" program, and he placed into speech and debate nationals three times. His junior year, he placed 12th place, and his senior he placed second in the USA. In 2008, he was invited back to Speech and Debate Nationals to judge the final round of "Humorous Interpretation of Literature."
In 2001, David moved from Colorado to California to pursue an education in Film and Television at Chapman University's top-ranking Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. David was also involved in his Fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, and served as president in 2004. He also joined the Chapman Ambassadors program, the Student Lead Office, and Chapman's admission office. David participated in the production of numerous student films, including Brett Simmon's film "Husk" which screened at Sundance in 2005.
David wrote and directed “Fetch” and “Itsy Bitsy” two award-winning student films that screened at over 100 film festivals internationally. In 2007, he was selected to participate in Steven Spielberg / Mark Burnett's "On The Lot" and placed 12th. Learn more on IMDB >
After graduating in 2005, he began work in Chapman's admission office where he read applications and served on the admission committee. In 2011, he joined the newly-created Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Chapman University where he was promoted to Director of Web and Interactive Marketing.
In 2012, David May was awarded Chapman University Advancement's "Employee of the Year" and in 2014 he was honored with a congressional award for "leadership in business" in acknowledgement of his work with Chapman University. In July of 2017, David was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Web and Digital Media. David currently serves on the management team at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank as the Director of Marketing and Communication. David leads the marketing, communications, and public relations activity for the Food Bank.