Jon Gouger joined the Paulsen media team as the agency’s new Digital Marketing Ops Specialist earlier this month.

Working in digital media feels like a good fit for Jon, a self-described student of sabermetrics who enjoys playing Out of the Park Baseball — a simulation video game driven by data analytics — in his free time.

Jon believes there is much we can learn from analyzing how a paid media campaign performed across different platforms. “Even though they’re just numbers, they tell a story,” says Jon. The lessons learned should inform media spend, ad frequency, channels, audience selection and more.

The Omaha native attended South Dakota State University, where he was a member of the Jackrabbits Swimming and Diving team and graduated with a bachelor of science in advertising.

Jon feels enamored by the world of marketing. “You’re working together with different types of people and helping a business deliver a product that is making the world a better place,” he says. “It’s non-linear problem-solving. That’s what I love about it.”

He gained his first agency experience as a summer intern across town at Fresh Produce and is eager to return to an agency setting for his role at Paulsen.

“I like the people here,” he says. “It feels like you’re part of something that is bigger than yourself.”

“Jon brings a big-picture view of marketing and a well-rounded skill set to his role on the media team,” says Marcus Squier, Paulsen President & CEO. “That’s going to help us further support our clients in their digital marketing efforts.”

Jon still dabbles in swimming, jumping in the pool for an occasional competitive meet every now and then in Sioux Falls. He is also an avid roller blader during warmer months and enjoys collaborating with friends to produce amateur documentary-style videos about relatively obscure professional athletes.