Your Guide to Big Fish
A fisherman since he was six and a marketer since he was 17, Ranta is experienced in getting results through calm waters and stormy seas.
Combining 10 years of decorated service in the Navy as a Public Affairs professional along with another successful 14 years as an accomplished agency owner and employee, and eight years as a college professor, Ranta knows how to service explain the complex and make it understandable—whether it be a sonar system on a destroyer, a fuel cell on a bus or the latest trend in bass angling.
A graduate of the University of South Carolina (BA in Journalism), Temple University (MA in Journalism) and The Defense Information Officer's School (Post Graduate Certificate), Ranta knows how to combine theory with results. His expertise ranges from new technology to retail automotive to executive services to health care, hospitality executive services.
Some of Ranta’s past accomplishments include:
Vendor of the Year for Rubbermaid. In a combined contest for all vendors who serviced Rubbermaid in a given year, Ranta's company was selected as Rubbermaid's vendor of the year, in large part thanks to two campaigns that he helped to plan.
Marketing Innovation Award Winner for Cherry Coke. When Coca-Cola decided to rebrand it's Cherry Coke for a younger audience, Ranta was part of the team that integrated the concept of computer gaming with packaging and on-site public relations and media pitching. The headline in the Atlanta Journal said it all: "When it comes to the Internet and Marketing, Coca-Cola Gets It!" And not only was the Cherry Coke team recognized for it's great promotion externally but among all of the promotions and marketing the Coca-Cola company conducted all around the world that year, the Cherry Coke promotion captured Marketing Innovation of the year.
Silver Anvil Award Winner for the United States Navy. Devastated by waves of bad press spawned from the US Navy's Tailhook scandal, Ranta and a team of Naval Officers across the country combined forces to create a grass roots marketing campaign that restored the public's faith and confidence in the Navy and in particular in its personnel. Collecting hundreds of pages of clips of positive stories about the Navy from media all across the Southeast, Ranta added his success to that of his teammates in other parts of the US and the entire group was awarded a Silver Anvil Award for proactive public relations.
Record Setting Sales for Golden Corral. How do you take a small, neglected restaurant franchise in the bottom third of sales as compared to every other store and place it in the top ten of all restaurants nationwide? By forming strategic partnerships with local hotels and an enormous US Army training center not two miles away. Thanks to Ranta's aggressive work with the Golden Coral franchise of Columbia, the restaurant went from 200 and something to number nine in the country. Golden Corral also captured the title as the number two franchise in the country serving meals to retired and active duty service members for two consecutive years during Golden Corral's annual Veteran's Day commemorations.
National Champions in Academia. A graduate of the University of South Carolina and holding a Masters degree from Temple University as well as significant postgraduate experience from the Department of Defense and the Department of the Navy, Ranta also serves his community as a faculty member at the University of South Carolina. Teaching Public Relations and Integrated marketing under the School of Journalism and Mass Communications Ranta has had a successful record there as well. For the past five years Ranta led teams of students in national public relations competitions for various clients and captured seven titles including four firsts in the nation, one third in the nation and three honorable mentions. Clients he has successfully marketed include Ford Motor Credit, Kontiki Travel, Nutella Hazelnut Spread and Habitat for Humanity.
Member of the Month Business Development Club of the Midlands. Active in mentoring new businesses, the Business Development Club of the Midlands assists entrepreneurs and small businesses in growing their businesses. For his contributions to the education of many business owners Ranta is a two-time winner of the Member of the Month award for his Lexington Chapter.