buzztina, Trend Hunter

People often wonder if it is possible to build a successful career doing what you love. Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, is currently celebrating her tenth year of doing just that. Embracing her passion for fashion and fascination with pop culture, Tina began writing reviews on products and companies that target youth for The New Girl Times, a newspaper for young girls around the age of 16. Realizing the obvious disconnect between teens’ desires and companies’ misdirected outreach, Tina developed an inventive and creative strategy to forge this gap. She decided to submit her reviews and suggestions directly to the companies and was amazed by their overwhelmingly positive response. They were hooked on the precocious insight Tina was able to deliver and thus, the Buzz MG was born.

After earning her B.A. in Communications Arts and graduating with honors from Hood College in May 2002, Tina was accepted into a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business for marketing management. Along with Buzz Marketing Group’s worldwide network of 9,000+ teen consultants ("buzzSpotters"), Tina has created innovative marketing strategies, focus groups and youth market research for numerous beauty, entertainment, fashion, financial and lifestyle clients.

Tina has won Buzz MG work on research projects such as the “What’s Your Anti-Drug?” campaign, Miller’s “Not A Drop” campaign, Verizon Wireless’s FREEUP launch, and Fight For Children’s “Create. Promote. Invest.” campaign. Her staple clients include music industry labels (Sony, Jive and Midas), Candie’s shoes, Bear Stearns, and ESSENCE Communications.

Tina regularly speaks to various professional audiences across the country. She was chosen as the keynote speaker at the Miller OE 800 Making it Real Business Series, NARM Research Forum, Retail Merchandiser Store-Specific Merchandising & Marketing Conference, ESSENCE Magazine’s Women Shaping the World Leadership and Smart Beauty II Conference. Most recently, Tina has been asked to speak at an internal Nickelodeon conference addressing tween and teen trends for 2005. She has been quoted in high profile newspapers nationwide and appeared in O Magazine, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Essence 40 Under 40, NV, Entrepreneur, CosmoGIRL!, BRANDWEEK, Savoy, Le Nouvel Observateur, Ebony, Brass CU’s cover and Link magazines. Tina is also a member of The Viral and Buzz Marketing Association and is on the Board for the Business Women’s Network (owned by iVillage). Currently, Tina is active on the Christopher Reeve Foundation advisory board, and was inducted into the Friends of the Orphans Project FRIENDS advisory board this past winter. Tina is also attending the post-baccalaureate program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business for marketing management.