The incident at airport security could have been Christina Dick’s most unforgettable social-media moment if only someone had caught it on video.
Traveling across the country on a work-related trip, the young Richmond marketing whiz was pulled aside by the TSA because she was lugging a curious looking wooden crate. The agent pried open the top and found himself staring down at the famous GEICO gecko, strapped in spread-eagle for flight. Dick and her expensive little figurine were cleared to board the plane — but a moment of social media gold was lost for the ages.
Dick’s career began as a community manager at The Martin Agency, which tapped her to do a promotional tour with the ubiquitous lizard. “That was a really fun campaign to work on,” she says.
She’s also promoted Cookie Monster cupcakes and other Cool Whip creations on Twitter for Martin client Kraft and analyzed sweetFrog customers’ social media habits for Big River Advertising in Richmond.
Dick has transitioned to adapting big-brand concepts for small Richmond businesses. She runs social media and blogging programs for Elements in Carytown, promoting makeup and skin-care brands such as Ren, Erno Laszlo, Joanna Vargas and John Russo. She recruits for Aquent, makes speeches about social content strategies and teaches advertising as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University. On weekends, she writes her beauty/fashion blog, Tiramisu for Breakfast. She’s also president of the Richmond Ad Club and sits on the associates board of Richmond CenterStage Foundation.
Her condo at Rocketts Landing is where she retreats for quiet dinners in front of the TV with her boyfriend and rescue cat, Kitty. The ambiance is warm and fuzzy, all-white décor with mercury glass and soft accessories.
Peaceful evenings at home, however, are rare. Dick’s Facebook account shows her at a different gathering with a different set of friends almost every night. An online article called her the “b” word — butterfly, the social variety. “It’s not offensive to me,” she says. For a young woman only five years out of college, she is remarkably focused, driven and savvy.
Dick’s life is a textbook example of practicing what you preach. “I love showing people how to use social media to help with their career growth,” she says. “You want to make yourself more noticeable and marketable and go to networking events.”
This article has been corrected since original publication.
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SWEET DREAMS: Dick used sheer net and cup hooks to create a soft romantic bed canopy.
RESCUE KITTY: A little gray tabby named Kitty occasionally stars in Dick’s Instagram and blog photos. She fostered the cat and eventually adopted her from the SPCA.
(Photo by Sarah Walor)
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MEMORY SAVER: The gallery wall is a simple way to cluster a group of photos or artwork without cluttering the modest living room space. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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ARIES RAM: A sculptural Nate Berkus for Target design was a must-have for Dick, an alum and adjunct professor at VCU — home of the Rams. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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MARBLE STATURE: Her dark countertops aren’t ideal photo backdrops, so Christina shoots beauty products on a heavy slab of marble. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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LOST ART: Handwritten notes in a moleskin journal cement ideas for work, school, her blog and freelance clients. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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PARTICIPATION TROPHIES: Dick has five cannonballs representing her years of membership in the Richmond Ad Club. She’s now the organization’s president. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
