MARY RAPAPORT is the Vice President of Marketing for Universal Hospital Services, Inc.

Rapaport began her marketing career early when she started working for her father’s advertising agency while in high school. Since those early days, sitting around the dinner table, discussing marketing strategy, Rapaport has built a strong career developing compelling and effective business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategies for technology, education and engineering companies. She has recently moved into the healthcare industry and currently directs all strategic marketing, marketing research, product management, and marketing communications functions for Universal Hospital Services, the industry’s leading provider of equipment lifecycle services to hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Previously, Rapaport was the Global Marketing Director for Minco Products, Inc. where she implemented a marketing function that provided marketing communications, product management, marketing research and analytics for the company’s US, European and Asian headquarters. The case study presented today recounts the details of Minco’s re-branding strategy and initiative.

Prior to Minco, Rapaport also served as a Marketing Communications Specialist and eBusiness Marketing Manager for Emerson Process Management. Her 2001 promotional campaign “Great Expeditions” made the challenge of implementing power generation control systems so compelling (even to engineers!), it won her Business Marketing Association’s (BMA) National Award for Best Dimensional Campaign (2001). Driving the use of the internet for marketing, Rapaport’s mission was to support and advise18 Emerson Process Management divisions, consulting with them on the best way to leverage innovative eLearning, database and internet technology for marketing and promotional initiatives. In 2003 Rapaport established Emerson’s (and the country’s) first offshore B2B telemarketing program, managing a staff in Manila, Philippines.

Rapaport received her BA from Chatham College, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and an MBA in Marketing from Baker College of Graduate Studies, Flint, Michigan. She has been quoted and her work has been featured in key industry publications such as Nano Science and Technology Institute and Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry Magazine. The Minco branding story, titled “Marcomm Strategy Enables Precision Manufacturer to Nearly Double Sales in One Year”, was featured as a case study in Marketing Profs. Minco’s rebranding work also won a Midwest Direct Marketing Association ARC (Art – Response – Copy) Award .

As a member of the Direct Marketing Association’s International Speakers Bureau, a former part-time instructor for the Brainco: Minneapolis School of Advertising, Design, & Interactive Studies, and a guest lecturer for the Carlson School of Executive Education, Rapaport has delivered a number of lectures and presentations about B2B branding and marketing strategy.