Craig Funk

Why this persona fits the audience

Runs Facebook and Instagram acquisition campaigns for an 18-person skincare company in the US, checking ad comment threads daily for spam, scam replies, and negative pile-ons. He coordinates moderation with one junior contractor and keeps a shared spreadsheet of hides, bans, and escalations across about a dozen live campaigns.

• Age: 34
• Location: Austin, TX, US
• Occupation: Performance marketer
• Income: $96,000/year
• Education: Bachelor's degree
• Company size: 18
• Years in role: 4

““If you’re not cleaning up the comments, you’re not really running the ads.””

Craig Funk, 34, has carved out a niche for himself as a performance marketer at a growing DTC skincare brand headquartered in Austin, Texas. Holding a Bachelor's degree, he found his calling in the fast-paced world of digital advertising, particularly in optimizing paid social campaigns. He's been with his current company for four years, steadily climbing to a position where he's responsible for a significant portion of their customer acquisition spend on Facebook and Instagram. His work is characterized by a high degree of conscientiousness; he meticulously tracks campaign performance, A/B tests creatives, and scrutinizes analytics dashboards. However, a substantial and often demanding part of his role involves daily, hands-on moderation of ad comments. He views this not as a chore, but as a critical function for maintaining customer trust and brand integrity. He coordinates this with a junior contractor, managing a shared spreadsheet that details every hide, ban, and escalation across a dozen live campaigns. This meticulous approach extends to his personal life; he lives by a budget, prioritizes efficiency in his routines, and meticulously plans his savings for future goals like homeownership. He’s pragmatic, driven by speed and efficiency in his professional life, but deeply values clean operations and genuine customer trust above all else. The constant need to balance aggressive acquisition targets with brand reputation management creates an ongoing, low-level hum of pressure, which he manages through structured routines and a focus on actionable data. He’s not one for grand gestures, preferring tangible results and steady progress, both in his career and his personal life.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Craig's weekday begins around 7 AM with a quick check of his phone for any urgent campaign alerts. After a functional breakfast and a brief scan of industry news, he heads to the office by 8:30 AM. The first few hours are dedicated to reviewing overnight campaign performance data and diving into the comment threads of his active Facebook and Instagram ads. He spends a solid hour, sometimes more, meticulously reviewing, hiding, and banning comments, coordinating with his junior contractor via Slack. The rest of his day involves campaign optimization, A/B testing creatives, analyzing performance reports, and attending brief team syncs. He usually leaves around 6 PM, often bringing work home to review later in the evening.

Lifestyle

Craig lives a structured life in a modern apartment complex in South Austin, prioritizing efficiency and comfort. His evenings often involve meal-prepping for the week, hitting the gym for a solid workout, or catching up on industry news over a simple dinner. He enjoys exploring local breweries on weekends and occasionally plans hiking trips in the Texas Hill Country. Financially, he’s responsible, saving consistently for future goals, but allows for occasional splurges on quality tech gadgets or concert tickets. His social life is steady, with a core group of friends he sees regularly, though he sometimes finds it hard to disconnect from work.

Work life

Craig's days are a constant juggle of optimizing Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns for his skincare company. The core of his work involves monitoring performance metrics, tweaking audiences and creatives, and, crucially, managing the comment sections. He spends a significant chunk of time daily reviewing ad comments, flagging anything that could damage the brand's image – spam, outright scams, or nasty customer complaints that might spiral. He collaborates closely with a junior contractor who handles initial comment filtering, with Craig making the final decisions on hides, bans, and escalations, meticulously documenting everything in a shared spreadsheet for about a dozen active campaigns. The pressure to maintain ad performance while also safeguarding customer trust is immense.

Relationships

Craig maintains close ties with his parents in his hometown, calling them weekly. His friendships are built on shared interests like tech and outdoor activities, and he relies on his close circle for advice and camaraderie. Professionally, he has a good working relationship with his direct manager and the small marketing team, valuing their direct feedback. His junior contractor is a key collaborator for the comment moderation workflow.

How they decide

Craig approaches decisions methodically, leaning heavily on data and past performance. He’ll research options, compare potential outcomes, and often seek consensus or validation from a trusted colleague or his manager before committing. He’s not impulsive and prefers a structured approach, ensuring all angles are considered, especially when financial implications or potential risks are involved.

How they sound

Speaks clearly and at a moderate pace, generally avoiding slang unless in a very casual setting with close friends. His tone is typically professional and measured, especially at work, but can become more enthusiastic when discussing marketing analytics or new campaign strategies. He tends to be direct and avoids overly effusive language. You won't hear him complaining excessively, but he'll pragmatically state challenges.