Meet Aaron Petticord
He grew up in Chattanooga. Watched the city become a magnet for positive change. Aaron received his bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University and his MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Early on, he found himself becoming a brand loyalist. His love of brands began when he was a kid. His mom and dad were also an early influence, as well as his education.
While at Appalachian State, he got interested in videography and wanted to attend film school. During the summers of his junior and senior years, he interned with an ad agency in Birmingham. He also developed a loyalty to certain brands when it came to his passion for outdoor sports. All this and his gig as Marketing Director at the Ronald McDonald House following graduation were the catalysts that led to a career in marketing and advertising.
His first agency job was in Chattanooga. He began as a project manager and eventually worked his way up to account executive. Aaron managed several well-known brands. Among them was Mayfield Dairy Farms, known for its wholesome milk and world-famous ice cream, as well as Chattanooga Tourism, US Express– a large and growing trucking company, and FiveStar Range, a respected manufacturer of professional style ranges for home kitchens.
Seven years later, he was recruited by another Chattanooga ad agency, as managing head of their account department. While he worked alongside the creative director to build and diversify the shop’s client base, the company suddenly closed its doors. Aaron and the creative director reached out to the clients they wanted to take with them and opened the doors to their own shop. It was a bold move, but they had single-handedly built and secured their entire client base. A couple of years later, the creative director was hired by Blue Cross Blue Shield’s marketing department, and Aaron decided to close their shop and join him.
Time passed, and Aaron was looking for a new challenge. He reached out to a former client who he’d worked with on a rebrand for his flooring company. He was starting a new company that featured marine flooring, and he owned an existing company that sold high-end wool carpet to flooring retailers. Aaron was hired as his director of marketing, managing both brands. He worked directly with boat brands, which he truly enjoyed. In addition, he also managed two completely different product lines, plus sales teams and multiple markets, which were located all over the country. Needless to say, it kept him quite busy.
What about outside the office? Aaron has a love of music. Rock, country, folk, or jazz are among his favorites. He plays a mean guitar as well. He and his dad, who’s a drummer, had a band together. Besides music, he’s into outdoor sports, including snowboarding, mountain biking, and wakeboarding. Aaron also makes time for his family. He and his wife Lauren have three daughters and two sons. Brian May and Aaron have been friends for many years. An opportunity had opened up at Maycreate. Brian reached out to him to see if he was interested. He was, and we’re very happy he joined the team.