This Week’s Exec Shifts: Schuh, New York Life, DraftKings Appoint CMOs; Live Nation Adds Head Marketer

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This week, Schuh, New York Life Insurance and J.Jill hire new chief marketing officers while Live Nation names its head of integrated marketing.

Check out our careers section for executive job openings and to post your own staffing needs.

Chief Marketer Joins New York Life

Michelle Bottomley has been appointed to the role of chief marketing officer at New York Life. In this role, she will be responsible for the insurance company’s brand, driving outcomes for its core business. Bottomley most recently served as Staples’ chief marketing officer, and was chief marketing and sales officer at Mercer before that. In a statement, New York Life executive vice president Matt Grove said, “The leadership and expertise Michelle brings to the CMO role put us in a great position to develop the connected experiences that today’s clients expect.”

Live Nation Names Integrated Marketing Head

Amy Marks has joined Live Nation Entertainment as its first executive vice president and head of integrated marketing at the company’s media and sponsorship division. In this position, Marks will lead research, analytics, strategy, creative, experiential events and industry marketing for the department. She most recently served as global head of marketing for Bloomberg Media.

DraftKings Hires CMO

As part of its ongoing expansion efforts, DraftKings revealed that it has hired Tom Goedde to serve as its chief marketing officer. Before joining the company, Goedde was most recently the chief marketing officer for the rival fantasy sports platform iPro, and his appointment comes alongside several other new hires at DraftKings.

Shoe Retailer Appoints CMO

Australian retailer Schuh has named Alice Cleary as its new chief marketing officer. She previously held the position of global marketing director for the Australian cosmetics brand Nude by Nature, and served in multiple marketing roles in the fashion industry before that.

Apparel Brand Adds Marketing Chief

Massachusetts-based retailer J.Jill announced the appointment of Brian Beitler as its chief marketing and brand development officer. Before joining the company, Beitler served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Lane Bryant and Catherine’s, both divisions at the Ascena Retail Group and David’s Bridal.

Tire Company Appoints Head Of Americas Marketing

Continental Commercial Specialty Tires has promoted Pavel Prouza as its head of sales and marketing for the Americas. Prouza has been with Continental since 2007, and in his new role, he will oversee the company’s material handling, earthmoving and agriculture tire business in North America, Central America and South America.

Unilever Exec Joins Ben & Jerry’s

Self-described progressive ice cream maker and aspiring social justice company Ben & Jerry’s announced that it has hired Matthew McCarthy as its new CEO. McCarthy served as a marketing executive at the ice cream maker’s parent company Unilever for 21 years before joining Ben & Jerry’s on July 1. He is already aiming to “double its social impact” while remaining focused on producing ice cream, earning a profit and giving back to the community.

Indie Games Studio Picks Marketing VP

DebySue Wolfcale has joined ArtCraft Entertainment as its new vice president of marketing. In this role, she will be responsible for the company’s global brand and product marketing initiatives, starting with the upcoming title Crowfall. Wolfcale previously served as the brand director BioWare/Electronic Arts where she led its live service marketing. Before that, she was the senior director for online marketing at BioWare and the director of global brand marketing at Sony Online Entertainment.

Robot Cache Hires CMO

Blockchain-based video game platform Robot Cache has named Laura Naviaux Sturr as its chief marketing officer. Most recently, Sturr served as the chief publishing officer at Daybreak Games (formerly Sony Online Entertainment).

Virgin Mobile Marketer Switches To RBS

Lisa Coulson has departed from her position as head of marketing at Virgin Media Mobile to be the head of marketing and digital at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). She served for almost two years at Virgin Mobile.

Paramount Hires EVP

Paramount Pictures announced the appointment of Michelle Hagen as executive vice president of worldwide promotions. She is tasked with overseeing the media company’s global partnerships. Prior to joining Paramount, Hagan served as a senior vice president at NBCUniversal, where she worked on global franchises that include Pitch Perfect and Jurassic World.

Public Transit App Names CMO

Yovav “Jay” Meydad announced via LinkedIn that he is now serving as the chief marketing officer for the Isreal-based public transit app developer Moovit App Global Ltd. Meydad has been with the company since 2013 and served as vice president of products and marketing prior to his promotion.

BT And EE Combine Marketing Roles

As part of a restructuring effort, UK-based telecommunications companies BT and EE have decided to strengthen their relationship by having one person oversee the marketing strategy for both brands. Pete Oliver has been promoted to the role of managing director of marketing for its consumer division.

AB InBev Promotes Marketer

Anheuser-Busch InBev announced that Paula Lindenberg, the current vice president of marketing for Ambev—the company’s Brazilian business—is being promoted to North Europe president. In this new role, she will be in charge of operations in the UK and Ireland. Lindenberg served at InBev for over 17 years.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, August 17. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Job Vacancies 

VP, Digital Marketing Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. Union, NJ
VP, International Marketing Carl’s Jr. Franklin, TN
Chief Marketing Officer Facebook Menlo Park, CA
VP, Growth & Marketing  Warner Music Group New York, NY
VP, Marketing, US Pandora Burbank, CA
VP, Marketing (Oakley) Luxottica Group New York, NY

Make sure to check back for updates on our Careers page.

Wikipedia, Ziploc Join Branded Fashion Trend

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Ziploc and Wikipedia have joined the growing list of seemingly random brands entering the fashion space, tapping into consumers’ demand for rare and quirky collectibles.

Posing With Plastic

Storage brand Ziploc is reaching Japanese consumers in a “fresh” new way. Beams Couture has partnered with the brand to offer a limited edition of see-through attire made from repurposed food storage bags.

A pop-up activation at the Beams Shinjuku outpost will showcase branded items that include hats, bags, aprons, umbrellas and fanny packs. Each of the branded apparel items features Ziploc’s signature blue and magenta seals that either secure pockets or line the seams. The pop-up will run from August 15 to September 11 and online beginning August 20.

Owned by the S. C. Johnson Family, Ziploc is tapping into the growing $16.7 billion Japanese fashion industry with this unusual promotion while appealing to female consumers through a popular local brand. Beams frequently collaborates on limited-edition collections, such as a baseball-themed collection with Champion.

A promo video for the Ziploc collection was released on Beams’ official YouTube video on Monday, highlighting each item in a humorous shopping network style. The activation recognizes its quirky appeal, targeting young women and collectors with a fear of missing out (FOMO).

Fashion For Information Freedom

Wikipedia is another unlikely company to join the branded fashion movement this week. The public information website has partnered with Advisory Board Crystals (ABC) to sell branded long-sleeve shirts that say “Internet Master.” ABC describes the shirt as combining “information related” elements of familiar visual language from the internet and its own brand.

Priced at $85, the shirts sold out in a matter of days. Proceeds from the sales went to Wikimedia, the non-profit organization behind Wikipedia. The partnership certainly benefits Wikipedia, but also ABC as a cause marketing campaign.

“Free information is a privilege,” ABC says on the Wikipedia shirt product page. “One of the ideals of the ABC Studio is that there are many ways to save the world.”

Fashion has become a popular way for non-endemic brands to engage consumers, especially in the food industry. McDonald’s recently launched an entire website devoted to branded merchandise that ranges everywhere from socks to Bluetooth speakers.

KFC hasn’t been shy about its fashion efforts, either, offering a wide range of apparel and home decorations in an effort to entertain millennials. Cheetos walked the runway in its cheesy styles, Taco Bell teamed up with Forever 21 and Mountain Dew partnered with youth culture fashion brand VFiles to celebrate the history of camouflage.

Consumers Reward Brands’ Social Media Transparency, Report Finds

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Sprout Social released a report that states transparency is the key and social media can be leveraged to establish deeper connections while inspiring stronger loyalty from consumers. The analytics company surveyed 1,000 consumers in the US about their expectations of brand transparency and the role social media plays in communication.

“Transparency” is a vaguely defined term but most respondents associate it words like “open,” “clear” and “honest.” Meanwhile, the lack of transparency is characterized by phrases such as “withholding information,” “ignoring customer questions” and “ignoring employee questions.”

According to the findings, 86 percent of consumers said that brand transparency is “very important,” with almost the same percentage saying that openness would inspire them to stay with a company or give it a second chance after a bad experience. Almost three-quarters of consumers would pay more for products from a brand that guarantees total transparency, while almost half said they’d recommend the company to friends and family. The report also found that over half of consumers feel that companies are morally obligated to be transparent.

Forming lasting connections requires continuous dedication and improvement based on what audiences want to hear. Therefore, brands shouldn’t regard transparency as strictly a marketing tactic or a shift in communication strategy. Instead, every level of an organization should adjust how it engages with consumers to determine how the brand wants to be defined.

Sprout states: “As social has increased opportunities for people and brands to readily connect, it has also driven heightened expectations on which the majority of businesses are falling short.”

These calls for greater transparency are driven largely by millennials who believe that interaction through social media is key to establishing authentic relationships. In fact, they demand more openness from brands than they do politicians, friends and family, and prefer social media over traditional forms of communications such as ads and media interviews.

The report adds that consumers expect ongoing two-way communication on social media as a bare minimum, with these platforms being the first places they turn to be entertained, educated and to “have their needs met without having to ask.”

Acts that demonstrate transparency include admitting to mistakes, providing honest answers to customer questions and being upfront about pricing. Over half of consumers want to be informed about product and service changes, the company’s values and its business practices over social media. Also, the overwhelming majority said that video was the most transparent form of communication.

Ebay Partners With Community Businesses For Retail Revival Program

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Earlier this year, eBay launched a 12-month pilot program called Retail Revival, where it is helping small businesses across the US sell goods by offering training and marketing support free of charge. Its first partner is the struggling city of Akron, Ohio, whose local businesses were hit hard by an economic downturn.

That combination of physical small business charm and global digital reach is being demonstrated in New York City, as eBay is hosting temporary takeovers of two The New Stand locations. The pop-up store will replace the newsstand’s usual goods with Akron brands.

“[Retail Revival] dramatizes the economic impact that we can have on communities and for people,” Chris Librie, head of global impact and giving at eBay, told AList. “Ecommerce is becoming ever more popular, but in some cases, it’s becoming ever more anonymous. I think what’s great about Retail Revival is that it enables our platform to be distinguished by what’s different, quirky and unique with the spin that those Akron sellers put on their merchandise.”

The pop-up store adds to eBay’s online promotion of Akron-made brands, which includes driving traffic to a dedicated Akron Retail Revival page using “Editor’s Picks” and “Featured Sellers” promotions on the homepage. The platform reaches over 175 million customers worldwide, and it is further supporting Akron businesses at events such as the eBay Open and on its social media channels.

“Without that kind of marketing, I don’t think that they would not have reached the states and countries that they have,” said Librie, explaining that the most successful sellers are the ones that offer unique products while having its “Akron pride” come through. He describes the Retail Revival initiative as a collaborative process that benefits both parties.

Librie added that eBay is a purpose-driven company, wanting to create economic opportunity for people. The Retail Revival initiative is a way for the company to “put its money where its mouth is” by entering communities to make a difference, which is why it is not charging businesses a fee for its services.

The lines between online and offline shopping are continuing to blur, creating more challenges for physical stores, especially small and medium-sized businesses. Ebay referred to a UBS study that found that 2017 had a record number of store closures, stating that the commerce platform could empower merchants of all sizes to adapt to the evolving retail industry.

The company’s CEO Devin Wenig spoke about the changes and the future of integrated retail in January, saying, “We’re not competing for ecommerce anymore, there’s no such thing. It’s commerce. That is $17 trillion of global spending, and nobody wakes up saying, ‘I want to buy a mobile phone in a store.’”

Ecommerce is expected to eventually comprise half of global sales, but despite the growth, online shopping lacks the physicality of brick-and-mortar, which is where the pop-up store comes into play.

The activation is unique to New York City for now, but other cities might receive a taste of Akron or Lansing, Michigan—which joined the initiative in early August—sometime in the future.

3M Wraps Up St. Paul Headquarters For ‘Wonder Campaign’

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The 3M Company added a major feature to its St. Paul, Minnesota headquarters with a massive wrap around that covers 30 percent of two sides of the building. The 12-story installation reads, “Curiosity is just the beginning,” and can be seen from the adjacent highway. It is designed to be a visual representation of the company’s Wonder Campaign, which “seeks to inspire people to examine the world around them and see that curiosity can lead to great discoveries.”

Almost 500 pieces of 3M graphic film were placed together like a mosaic on each side of the building, an act meant to reinforce the brand’s position as a science and technology company. The perforated film placed on the windows allow 60 percent of light to shine through and for people to see out while still reflecting color to outside viewers.

The Wonder Campaign is centered around “what if’s” like: What if phones were people-proof?; Can darkness reveal the light?; What if homes helped around the house? Technologies including self-driving smart buses, energy efficient smart homes are already in development at the company, and the brand hopes the new installation may drive more people to become curious about what 3M products they might see in their daily lives someday.

3M partnered with the Vomela Companies to print and install the design that now covers much of their headquarters. Paul Peterson, operations director for The Vomela Companies said in a statement, “We have partnered with 3M for 70 years and this project is an excellent example of design creativity and best-in-class application of 3M Science.”

Foot Locker, ASICS Launch Collection With ‘Shoppable’ Animated Series

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Foot Locker and ASICS announced a partnership to launch its “Welcome to the Dojo” apparel and footwear collection, which taps into the sportswear brand’s Japanese roots. The brand tells the “story” behind the collection through a campaign featuring a digital anime series, engaging viewers through content and giving them a chance to purchase the pack directly.

The five-episode anime-inspired series of short videos—collectively titled The Sun and The Snake—will premiere on Foot Locker’s YouTube and Instagram channels on August 21, three days ahead of “Welcome to the Dojo” pack launch. Each video will also be “shoppable,” meaning that viewers can purchase the apparel or footwear directly from the platforms in addition to Foot Locker, Footaction and Champs Sports stores.

The digital anime series follows the story of two competing dojos—martial arts training centers—and an aspiring samurai hero who has his ASICS shoes stolen while he is busy training. The “Sneaker Samurai” who embarks on a journey to recover his shoes is voiced by fashion model and entrepreneur Luka Sabbat, with additional supporting characters played by rappers Princess Nokia and YFN Lucci.

In a statement, Foot Locker general manager and chief merchandising officer Andrew Gray said, “At Foot Locker, we’re dedicated to driving culture, individuality and sport style. By launching this exclusive collection and original series with ASICS, we’re offering an immersive experience for customers across our family of brands, who can experience ‘Welcome to the Dojo’ through creative, engaging content and unique shopping touchpoints.”

In addition to the exclusive deal with ASICS, Foot Locker is also partnering with other lifestyle brands to create unique shopping experiences. In August, it hosted a “Rewind to the 90s” pop-up shop featuring New Balance products, which gave Los Angeles shoppers a chance to jump back to the pre-internet era.

Amazon Tests Video Ads In Mobile Search, Displays Strength As Ad Seller

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Amazon has begun testing video in mobile search results, in clear competition with the two biggest advertisers in the world, Google and Facebook.

Amazon Echo, Sonos and Neutrogena are already in the beta test and incorporating their campaigns. The ecommerce giant is taking full advantage of shifting buying habits by promoting mobile ads with video, while enticing advertisers with the chance to stand out among millions of products on display. Standing out with video in Amazon searches won’t be available to just anyone, however—the product is offered as a premium service for businesses with budgets of at least $35,000.

Amazon’s new video in search ads are currently supported in two types of campaigns—product detail pages and custom landing pages. For now, the video ads cannot be embedded outside of Amazon and are available only on iOS devices.

Each video is limited to 90 seconds or less and will be displayed in an endless loop. Amazon requires all video in search ads to include audio, although they will automatically play on mute until a consumer turns the sound on. A “sponsored” label will appear for the first three seconds before fading away.

According to Alexa (the website, not the voice assistant), Amazon is the number 10 most-popular website globally and number four in the US. Nearly a quarter of its traffic (22 percent) is acquired through search results, so Amazon needs to engage consumers once they arrive.

The company may soon compete with visual search, as well. In July, a hidden feature called “Eagle” was discovered in Snapchat’s Android code. According to the code, a feature called Visual Search directs users to “Press and hold to identify an object, song, barcode, and more! This works by sending data to Amazon, Shazam, and other partners.” Once an object or barcode has been scanned, users will be able to see all the results on Amazon.

Analysts are confident in Amazon’s strength as an ad seller. In a note to investors Monday, Piper Jaffray predicted that advertising will surpass Amazon’s cloud computing business.

“By 2021, we believe it is likely that advertising operating income will exceed AWS [Amazon Web Services],” analyst Michael Olson wrote Monday. Olson expects advertising income to reach $16 billion in 2021 compared to AWS at $15 billion.

By the same year, mobile could make up 72.9 percent of ecommerce sales and total $3.5 trillion, according to forecasts by eMarketer.

Explore The Future Of Digital Marketing Technologies With Europe’s Biggest Brands

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Hosting a raft of Europe’s biggest brands and over 600 attendees to discuss the most cutting-edge in marketing technology, Digital Marketing World Forum Conference & Expo (#DMWF) makes Amsterdam its home once again from September 19 to 20.

PepsiCo, Philips, Trivago, ING, Telefonica, Gucci, Sky, Volkswagen are just a handful of the high-profile roster gracing the stage at the Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre this year.

Over the course of two days, pass-holders gain access to two event streams, where a stellar line up of over 50 confirmed speakers will share actionable, insider tips through a series of engaging keynote presentations and panel sessions.

Content & Social Media Marketing

Focusing on Content & Social Media Marketing, this stream sees speakers from Forbes, VICE, Farfetch and more tackle a concurrent theme; how to create engaging marketing content in the age of distracted, mobile-centric consumers.

Stay on this track for insight into social media trends set to shake up your strategy for the remainder of 2018: why you should be saying yes to ‘smart content’; how VR (virtual reality) is transforming the marketing and communications industry; and how your brand can tap into the power of influencer marketing.

Data, Disruptive Tech & UX

Tackling Data, Disruptive Tech & UX on the second stream, E-ON hosts a masterclass on digital transformation, an SEO masterclass comes courtesy of Trivago, while attendees will learn how great UX (user experience) directly impacts ROI (return on investment) in a panel featuring KEMOSABE, Travix International and Converse.

Delegates can also learn how to lock down their data and analytics strategy for 2018 and beyond: debate whether ‘clicks’ are really the best measure of success; find out how AI is going to revolutionize the way you interact with your customers; and how to get the best out of marketing automation.

“DWMF Europe features some of the most high-profile brands and disruptive marketers the industry has to offer right now. A painstakingly-crafted agenda means there is truly something for everyone, at whatever level, to take back to the office, and that’s to not to mention the immense networking opportunities on offer with over 600 attendees and over 40 exhibitors expected,” said Maddy Slack, head of strategic partnerships at DWMF.

Get Involved

Away from the stage 40+ exhibitors including Platinum sponsors Optimizely, Shutterstock and Crimson Hexagon, are set to crowd the floors of the central Amsterdam venue offering unbridled networking potential for the entrepreneurial—opportunities to sponsor #DWMF are now limited.

#DMWFExpo offers a unique opportunity to be part of the industry-leading digital marketing technology event. Watch our video from last year’s #DWMF in Amsterdam for a taste of what to expect or register your pass here. Enjoy 20 percent off conference passes with discount code ALIST20EUROPE until September 12.

Find out more about #DMWF Conference & Expo Europe 2018 by clicking here.

About #DMWF Conference & Expo Europe 2018:
#DMWF will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to understand and address your future challenges across digital marketing and social media. Presented in a series of inspirational keynotes and panel discussions delivered by the industry’s most disruptive thought-leaders, #DMWF features sessions covering: digital strategy, brand recognition, ecommerce, influencer marketing, content marketing, data, analytics, personalization, automation, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and mobile marketing across two conference tracks.

Written by Mark Jones, Editor, TechForge

‘The Nun’ Ad Removal Reveals Cracks In YouTube’s Review Process

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YouTube removed a jump scare ad for The Nun after users complained and it was determined to violate “shocking content” advertising policies. The takedown perpetuates an ongoing history of ad problems for YouTube as it struggles to prevent offensive content.

One would expect the advertising for a horror film to be frightening, but Warner Bros. took it a step further with unsuspecting viewers. A short ad appeared with a black screen, over which a fake computer icon appeared to turn down the user’s volume. Suddenly, a loud bang was played and the demonic nun from the film appeared with a scream.

Many users did not appreciate the jump scare and after a number of complaints, YouTube pulled it from its site. According to YouTube’s ad guidelines, “promotions that are likely to shock or scare” are prohibited, but shocking factors can be judged by whether they appear realistic. This could explain why the ad was approved in the first place, although YouTube did not immediately respond for comment.

In the case of The Nun, Warner Bros.’ unholy character may not be real, but the frustration users felt was very real indeed.

As part of Alphabet, Inc.—the world’s largest seller of advertising—YouTube is under a lot of pressure to appease advertisers, but the jump scare ad shows a frightening truth about how consumer interest can be overlooked. In fact, the ad wasn’t removed until a tweet warning users about it reached well over 145,000 likes. YouTube responded to the tweet confirming that the ad was removed.

Last year, an ad for the game Mobile Strike was banned from YouTube after it was deemed sexist. The spot featured three plus-sized women in bikinis playing the game against one another. While praised for its use of diverse women, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) accused the ad of objectifying women through attire, performance and camera angles.

It’s impossible to keep everyone happy all the time, but YouTube seems to have a harder time than most—at least when it comes to advertisers. YouTube terminated over 270 accounts and removed 150,000 videos in the span of a week last November after brands like Adidas and Hewlett-Packard found their ads were displayed next to sexually explicit comments under videos of children.

Prior to these incidents, much of YouTube’s moderation efforts were automated. In December, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki announced plans to hire 10,000 employees to moderate and review policy-violating content on the site.

Thoughts? Continue the conversation at @alistdaily.

Volkswagen’s ‘Electrify America’ Launches Unbranded Electric Car Campaign

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Volkswagen launched its Electrify America division this week with a mission to promote the growth of electric cars. The company was formed as part of the emissions scandal settlement where the carmaker agreed to invest $2 billion over 10 years to educate consumers about electric vehicles (EVs) and promote their use while building its infrastructure across The United States. But the catch is, the initiative isn’t allowed to promote or directly benefit its parent brand.

Electrify America kicked off with the “JetStones” radio, TV and digital ad campaign using theme songs from The Flintstones and The Jetsons Hanna-Barbera cartoons to compare how gas-engine cars are from the Stone Age and the electric cars are the future. The unbranded video features vehicles from several automakers without naming anyone specifically and shows how performance from electric cars compare to their gas-fueled counterparts. In fact, the specific car used in the debut ad happens to be a Chevy Bolt.

The ad was created as part of a $45 million public awareness initiative and is the first step in the “Plug Into the Present” integrated campaign. A press release states that the video spot is just the start of how the initiative will demonstrate electric car features in an effort to grow their public appeal. This approach will ultimately benefit all electric car manufacturers, including VW rivals such as GM and Ford.

Despite the Jetsons theme, the company’s goal is to establish that electric cars are the present, with high accessibility, not a product from the far-off future. Electrify America is also promoting the growth of the electric fast-charging network which has stations in major cities and other high-traffic areas. Volkswagen is prohibited from adopting any kind of charging standard that keeps other EV brands from using them.