Dear readers, just as a note, while “senior” is in my title (and a bit in my knees and ankles), I’m far from the “get off my lawn” stage of my career; although, there has been so much change in retail over the years that I feel a bit senior, too.
My name is Dan Ochwat, and I have been writing about consumer goods retail for two decades, back when shopper marketing was beginning and ecommerce was just an afterthought. There certainly weren’t social commerce opportunities or TikTok livestream shopping events.
I’m thrilled to join Ketner Group
The good news, no matter who I’m writing for, I really enjoy writing about the retail space, and I’m excited to bring my experiences to Ketner Group as a senior content specialist, writing about retail technology and the incredible pace of change that Ketner’s clients are driving in retail. It’s exciting to get a front-row seat at the engines fueling advancements in grocery and retail.
Prior to Ketner, I worked on the content side for agencies, delivering articles, whitepapers, and content for retail tech companies, but the bulk of my career has been in journalism.
I began my trade career at a magazine called P-O-P Times, which focused solely on the world of point-of-purchase displays inside brick-and-mortar stores. But, as retail began to adapt to shoppers using mobile phones and online shopping, I helped rebrand the publication to Shopper Marketing Magazine. I was the lead editor of the publication for nine years, part of the Path to Purchase Institute. That magazine changed again to take on the Path to Purchase name and for several more years I was a lead writer for the publication, even crafting a monthly column on social, mobile and location-based technologies impacting the CPG space.
Additionally, I have served as the executive editor of Store Brands magazine and have worked as a freelance writer for many other retail publications as well as publications in the health, architecture, and entertainment fields.
I’m a movie buff at heart
Beyond content and journalism, I enjoy creative writing, too, having earned an MFA in Writing for the Screen + Stage from Northwestern University. I have written plays, television pilots, and more than a dozen feature screenplays and counting. I’ve optioned a couple of screenplays that never made it to the big or small screen and have made some short films for fun. The collaboration required to make a film with friends in a few days truly keeps me inspired!
When not writing, I’m watching movies, going to concerts at Chicago’s independent venues, and playing “senior” basketball. I live in the Lincoln Square neighborhood with my wife, tween son, and the ruler of the house, Finn, our blind polka-dotted rescue mutt (DNA test forthcoming).
Austin
