About us
Passion & purpose
We’re Silicon Valley’s first and longest-lasting positioning agency. We’ve defined leading categories such as The Data Cloud (Snowflake), The Lakehouse (Databricks), Smart Data Capture (Scandit), DVR (TiVo) and more. Since 1998, we’ve positioned hundreds of companies and helped create a quarter-of-a-trillion dollars in delta market cap.
We love to challenge the status quo, find breakthroughs and watch our clients soar.
Our Point of View
Marketing
is the process of owning a hill.
Positioning
is determining which hill to own.
The Point That MattersSM
“ZOOM was not only instrumental in helping us uncover a key breakthrough in our messaging, but they got the exec team aligned and invested in our new direction.”
“I don’t think people understand how difficult it is to position a brand. ZOOM knows how to keep people engaged, making it fun and exciting.”
“I love the data-driven process. You know at the end, you’ll get to the best positioning for you. I would recommend ZOOM to any CMO out there.”
Our team
Ellie Victor
Co-CEO
Ellie and Nick founded ZOOM in 1996, inventing the data-driven approach to positioning. Ellie constantly pushes to make our ideas better. Her career began in public relations at Cunningham Communication, where she grew to Director responsible for their software and services clients. Ellie has served as a board member for EPATT and a judge for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year. She founded the Humane Planet Speaker Series to create a more sustainable, compassionate food system, and recently launched 6 Surprising Truths About Our Global Food System, a piece that reveals the hidden impact of industrial agriculture. Ellie is a contributor to the Forbes Agency Council, sharing her insights on positioning. She’s an enthusiastic tennis player, runner, yogi, reader and animal rights advocate.
She loves to exchange great book recommendations, check out hers here.
Nick Copping
Co-CEO
Nick and Ellie have successfully positioned hundreds of tech leaders and continue to be deeply involved in all client projects. As a physicist, Nick was instrumental in designing ZOOM's data-driven process, incorporating the scientific method into a traditionally creative-only process. His deep understanding of tech helps pinpoint innovations and translate them into business value. After graduating Caltech, Nick researched upper atmospheric physics at NASA’s JPL. He was CEO of two companies and an executive at HP and Microsoft. Nick’s a Senior Fellow at the Ponemon Institute, serves as director for Voise, The Stropes Foundation, and the National Cybersecurity Center, and as strategic advisor to many companies, including The Renew Group. He's also a PADI Course Director and former studio musician.
Lori Smith
Vice President
We call Lori our rock star. For more than 14 years, she has led ZOOM’s client engagements, bringing creativity, wit, and deep care to the work. She excels at turning complex ideas into breakthrough stories that stick, listening closely for the language that matters most and shaping it into positioning that sparks emotion, feels obvious in hindsight, and is hard to ignore in the market. Lori brings an uncommon blend of creativity and get-it-done efficiency, helping teams pivot with confidence, solve hard problems quickly, and maintain momentum. Her background includes brand refreshes and go-to-market campaigns for both startup and public companies, as well as consulting as “Agency of One,” ideating concepts and owning execution. Outside of ZOOM, Lori practices storytelling as a singer-songwriter.
Cassie Hale
Client Manager
A natural strategist and connector, Cassie thrives on turning ideas into real momentum. She brings experience across client success, marketing strategy, and business development, blending data, creativity, and strong people instincts to build lasting partnerships and drive growth. At ZOOM, she strengthens client relationships and helps guide strategies that keep teams aligned and energized. Away from the screen, she’s on a yoga mat, planning her next trip, or spending time with family. Rin, her loyal sidekick and unofficial office assistant, is always close by.
Sydnie Switzer
Account Coordinator
Sydnie sees herself as a storyteller, striving to create meaningful connections through each project. Drawing from data and experience, Sydnie applies her authenticity, creativity and eye for detail to help the ZOOM team uncover narratives that move the market and spark action. Sydnie also works her magic to elevate the ZOOM brand, in new, surprising ways. Assisting her on her keyboard are Suki and Roo, her fluffy cats. Off the keyboard, you’ll find her at the pickleball court or hanging with the fam.
Lisa Allen
Operations Manager
As Operations Manager at ZOOM, Lisa supports both clients and the ZOOM team by keeping the business running smoothly day to day. She oversees core operations including finance, HR, and payroll, and partners closely with clients to ensure a seamless experience. With more than 30 years of experience across insurance, financial services, and hospitality, Lisa brings a practical, service-driven perspective grounded in operational excellence and customer experience. Outside of work, Lisa enjoys her daily walks, gardening, and spending time with family.
Support Staff
Sheba
Head of Mindfulness
Sheba is Ellie’s rescue husky/shepherd mix, but we think she’s part coyote. Before a walk or creative breakthrough, Sheba howls with joy and gratitude. In her free time, Sheba’s an avid tennis fan who meditates courtside while Ellie plays tennis—her reward is endless belly rubs.
Suki
Chief Comfort Officer
Suki is responsible for welcoming visitors and making sure no one goes more than 10 minutes without feeling adored. She's especially keen on human connection, and is eager to share her cuddly energy with newcomers. Her specialties include lap acquisition, purring on command, and elite-level people skills.
Roo
VP of ZOOMies
Suki's sister, Roo, keeps the team sharp by appearing only when least expected and disappearing the second attention arrives. Equal parts aloof and electric, Roo specializes in high-speed laps, sudden bursts of productivity, and maintaining an air of mystery. If you look closely, you can occasionally spot her in the background of meetings.
Rin
Chief Barketing Officer
Rin serves as ZOOM’s Chief Barketing Officer. Originally trained as a service dog, he opted instead for a better arrangement: a full-time service human. His current responsibilities include morale, snack acquisition strategy, and enforcing outdoor breaks. When not supervising meetings from under a desk, he patrols the neighborhood and keeps the brand paws-itively on track.
Our passion for the planet
At ZOOM Marketing we like to tackle the world’s toughest positioning challenges. Our day job is spent differentiating tech industry leaders as category leaders. After hours, we think about how we can put our craft to work for the planet. We’ve inspired and co-sponsor The Humane Planet Speaker Series.
ZOOM joined forces with Palo Alto Humane Society and the Sweet Farm to create The Humane Planet Speaker Series: Thought Leaders for a Sustainable World. The series features inspirational speakers—entrepreneurs, scientists, politicians and thought leaders—who are exploring new ways to create a more sustainable and compassionate world with positive impacts on animals, plants and the planet.
In 2022, we featured two blockbuster speakers: Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) who announced the Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act last month, and award-winning animal advocate, Daina Bray.
Events are free to the public, held online or in Silicon Valley or New York. Watch past events, read recaps, get involved, or subscribe to hear about future events.