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June 11, 2009
Hats Off!
Welcome to our inaugural Sales Executive of the Year awards issue where we present the best of the best in our judges’ eyes. Be sure to check www.cablefax.com for highlights from our June 11 event. And kudos to our Hall of Famers, our Sweet Sixteen group of top brand and agency execs, and our 2009 Sales Executives of the Year.
Affiliate Salesperson of the Year
VP and Above, Large Networks
Winners
Henry Ahn - EVP, TV Networks Distribution, NBCU
One of the most beloved execs in the business, the 14-year NBCU veteran had another fine campaign in 2008, thanks largely to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Henry played a key role in the distribution of a buffet of content to affiliates, providing some 3600 hours of Olympics coverage via VOD, HD and broadband. Responsible for distribution of NBCU’s 16 cable nets, Ahn also inked multi-year deals last year with partners including Charter, Cox, Mediacom and Cablevision. The foundation of these deals is Henry’s well-deserved reputation for integrity that he’s built over the years.
Mary Murano - EVP, TV Networks Distribution, NBCU
You don’t have to tell Mary Murano that all politics is local... and so is TV sales. Murano has spent more than 20 years in affiliate sales and marketing, forming relationships with cable affiliates of all sizes. That’s why she’s the perfect person to lead NBCU’s regional sales group. In 2008, she helped distribute the 2008 Olympics, the most-viewed event in American TV history. She was pivotal in completing numerous renewal deals and secured distribution for emerging nets, HD properties and On Demand offerings.
Honorable Mentions
Lori Conkling - EVP, Distribution, Lifetime Networks — Conkling increased Lifetime Movie Network’s U.S. sub base by 9mln in her first year, making it the fastest-growing, Nielsen-rated channel in 2008.
Jennifer Dangar - SVP, Domestic Distribution, Discovery Communications — Never one to refuse a challenge, Dangar recently took over affiliate marketing for all of Discovery’s domestic networks, in addition to her considerable distribution responsibilities with the country’s largest cable affiliates.
Rebecca Glashow - SVP, Digital Media Distribution, Discovery Communications — At 33, Glashow is smack in the middle of Discovery’s growth engine, creating and executing deals to expand its digital footprint through VOD, interactive TV, broadband and mobile platforms.
Mark Quinn - SVP, National Accounts, Affiliate Sales, Scripps Networks — A 20-year Scripps vet, Quinn helped launch HGTV and now oversees carriage for it as well as Food, DIY, Fine Living and Great American Country. He’ll be crucial as Food and HGTV are up for key renewals this year.
Garrett P. Smith - Division VP, Comcast Networks — Smith deftly manages the affiliate sales team for Comcast Networks’ 29-state Eastern Division, including the 24 linear, non-linear, HD and regional sports nets in the stable.
Affiliate Salesperson of the Year Mid-Size Networks
Winner
Randy Brown - SVP, Affiliate Sales & Marketing
Outdoor Channel
Don’t let Brown’s soft-spoken demeanor or youthful good looks fool you. He has been a major and highly successful player in the cable sports sector for more than 2 decades. After 14 years at ESPN, he helped launch The Tennis Channel, before joining The Outdoor Channel. His and the Channel’s 2008 included subscriber growth of 2.4mln HHs, up 661% over 2007. Much of that growth was due to a migration from digital sports tiers to more popular digital basic placement. Brown’s team also secured major renewals with Comcast, Charter and DirecTV.
Honorable Mentions
Michelle Rice - EVP, Affiliate Sales & Marketing, TV One — One of the driving forces behind TV One’s growth since its inception in 2004, Rice was named a NAMIC Emerging Leader in May 2008.
Keno Thomas - SVP, Affiliate Sales, Starz Entertainment — Thomas oversees key telco accounts and guided Starz to extension of its Verizon relationship.
Affiliate Salesperson of the Year
Emerging Networks
Winner
Betsy Brightman
VP, Affiliate Relations and Distribution,
Retirement Living TV
Many laughed when they heard about a network seeking cable carriage while catering to the 50+ demo. They stopped laughing when RLTV began filling its senior ranks with cable veterans like Brightman, who made the case that the older demo is one of the few in this country that’s growing and has money to spend. Speaking of spending, Brightman repaid RLTV’s confidence in her earlier this year by signing a carriage deal with Comcast. That was only a prelude to carriage deals with Atlantic Broadband, Sunflower and Bend, not to mention Verizon.
Wyatt Harris - Manager, Affiliate Sales, CBS College Sports — Few are better qualified to rep CBS College Sports than the personable Harris, who played basketball at Georgetown and majored in sports management, both of which helped him close deals with Cox and Charter.
Mark Kang - SVP, Affiliate Relations, The Sportsman Channel — One of the youngest (and he’d insist hippest) SVPs in cable, Kang’s enthusiasm and tutelage under Bob Rose at Court TV helped his team hunt down a bevy of carriage agreements for the all hunting/all fishing network.
Nancy Pingitore - VP, Distribution, The Tennis Channel — One of the nicest people we deal with, Pingitore is based in Atlanta, but she’s a ubiquitous presence on the cable circuit, attending events large and small as she touts Tennis Channel’s appeal.
Salesperson of the Year
VP and Above, National Ad Sales
Winner
Roy Seinfeld - VP, Advertising Sales, Big Ten Network
Sports includes a heavy dose of statistics. Similarly, sports television is a numbers-heavy business. And as they say in the sports world, Roy Seinfeld and his team have put up some impressive numbers. In Big Ten’s second year of existence, Roy and his team grew ad revenue 100%. Online advertising growth jumped 200% and its television inventory sold out for conference football games. And advertisers love having their names associated with Big Ten’s programming, like “Nissan Friday Night Tailgate Show” and “Buffalo Wild Wings Halftime Show.”
Honorable Mentions
Gig Barton, VP, Advertising Sales, Retirement Living TV — The former Court TV evp crafted a winning formula to sell RLTV. Once he chose financial, pharmaceutical, insurance and travel as key ad targets, he touted the 50+ net to blue chip advertisers and as a result signed United Healthcare, Pfizer, Prudential and others.
Carol Hinnant - SVP, Business Development, AMI Division, Rentrak — An On Demand expert, Hinnant recently helped Rentrak sign 20 content provider agreements and further expanded audience measurement deals with Fox, MGM, Viacom and Warner Bros.
Susan Malfa - SVP, Oxygen and Bravo Ad Sales — Malfa was a key in touting Bravo’s “audience affluencer” message as a value proposition. The drive resulted in a 30% jump in revenue and several new advertisers.
Kevin McAuliffe - VP, Branded Entertainment, NBCU Cable Networks — McAuliffe is well suited to develop strategic content partnerships and brand integration deals based on his years of experience in both the agency and entertainment sides of the business.
Salesperson of the Year
VP and Above, Local Ad Sales
Winner
Fran Mallace
VP and GM, Cox Media
Certainly Fran Mallace’s sales record during her 17 years with Cox in the Phoenix area is exemplary. She’s known as a sales visionary and has racked up 8 awards from the Cable Advertising Bureau, not to mention CAB’s President’s Award and raves from local businesses. She also stepped up recently to help lead Cox Media markets in Las Vegas and Orange County. Yet what makes Fran special is her philosophy that when you give back to the community, you get back far more. Accordingly, she’s been a Cox Charities board member since ’99 and active with the United Way. On top of all this, she’s a wife, mother and returned to school 2 years ago to get an MBA.
Honorable Mention
Ted White - Regional VP of Sales, Montana, Bresnan — White, a 10-year Bresnan employee known for his ability to inspire co-workers, leads a team that recently secured a huge 7-year deal to set up a statewide data transport network worth $40mln. Ted’s team also has signed most of the major hospitals and school districts in the state.
Salesperson of the Year
Below VP Level
Winner
Rebecca Lamperski
Tri-State Senior Director of Sales, Comcast Spotlight
Sometimes a simple idea pays huge dividends. That’s the case with an idea Lamperski hatched last year to enhance the training and motivation of Comcast Spotlight’s sales staff. Knowing her salespeople spend a lot of time on the road, she created a CD they could listen to while driving. Each month a new set of subjects is presented, ranging from learning about new products to hearing about other ad sales executives’ best practices. Lamperski’s modest idea now is standard practice with the entire division and its 300+ sales team members.
Honorable Mention
Adam Ray - Sr Director of Sales, Shared Services Team, Charter — In addition to introducing initiatives to up sales productivity, Ray played a big role in leveraging the East Division Audit program across the Charter enterprise that led to the acquisition of some 20,000 new customers.
Affiliate Sales Team of the Year
Large and Mid-Size Networks
Co-Winners
Discovery Communications and Outdoor Channel
And we have a tie… Discovery’s affiliate sales team, headed by Sales Hall of Famer Bill Goodwyn, is simply top notch. According to Beta Research, Discovery has been cable ops’ top pick for 7 years running! This despite the challenge of marketing a slew of new HD nets in the middle of an acute capacity crunch. The Discovery team has shined, adding millions of subs to its rolls. Outdoor Channel, on the other hand, sports a lean, 7-member team of hard-working affiliate sales gurus led ably by industry veteran Randy Brown. In 2008 alone, Outdoor increased its subscriber rolls by 2.4mln (a whopping 661% increase over 2007), largely by convincing operators to reposition the net from digital sports tiers to digital basic packages. And morale remains high, with zero affiliate sales employee turnover in 2008. Kudos to both of these champs!
Honorable Mentions
Lifetime – With a laser-like focus on maintaining its status as the top net for women, the Lifetime affiliate sales team succeeds daily despite tough competition. And soon they’ll face off against Oprah. This team is up to the challenge.
Rainbow Media — This excellent team of affiliate sales professionals ably juggles a menagerie of nets ranging from WE tv to AMC to IFC. And it just added Sundance Channel to the mix.
Affiliate Sales Team of the Year
Emerging Networks
Winner
The Sportsman Channel
When it comes to the Sportsman Channel’s affiliate sales team, we’re unabashed fans. But that’s not why these folks are taking the prize. Rather, it’s their positive attitude, hard work and near obsessive advocacy of the cause that impressed our judges. This scrappy network may not have ubiquitous carriage or endless resources, but affiliate sales svp Mark Kang and his team have won rave reviews from numerous MSOs and industry organizations (many of whom took time to enthusiastically nominate Sportsman in this category). Kang’s team carries a laminated card in their wallets laying out “the 10 basic principles for securing subs,” and this focus has paid off: Sportsman has gained more than 13mln subs in the last year alone. Whether presenting hard numbers in a conference room or entertaining clients at the hottest club in town, these guys know how to get their points across. Kang even named his first-born son “Hunter” and tatooed the name on his ribcage (Mark’s, that is). Now, that’s what we call brand dedication.
Honorable Mentions
CBS College Sports Network – One of the hardest working affiliate sales teams in cable, Bob Rose and his crew continue to make big strides despite massive sports competition. Don’t bet against them.
Gospel Music Channel – This team has nearly doubled distribution in the last year. And few other nets plan as many events and promotional opps.
Retirement Living TV – This Baltimore-based crew ironically has one of the youngest affiliate sales teams in cable (and the youngest GM in cable to boot in Patrick Baldwin). And man, do they hustle.
Sales Team of the Year
Local Ad Sales
Winner
Comcast Spotlight
The underdog it is not, but Comcast continues to offer local advertisers some of the best options to reach potential customers. Furthermore, Comcast focuses on keeping its staff abreast of every new trend and potential new revenue stream, evidenced by a recent company-wide training program to teach its 1900 sales execs to sell Comcast’s online products. Comcast has also branched out, striking deals with Mixpo to bring rich media to online ads and Monster.com for VOD job listings. And it garnered unprecedented, double-digit shares for political ads in most markets during the 2008 Presidential campaign. Comcast Spotlight has been so aggressive that even rival Echostar tapped it to sell ads into its regional sports feeds in 10 major markets. On local ad sales, Comcast Spotlight is the gold standard.
Honorable Mentions
Cablevision Advertising Sales — In the biggest ad market in the U.S., Cablevision’s local ad sales team excels despite new telco competition and a tough economy.
Cox Media — Cox is one of the most aggressive MSOs in commercial services and works just as hard to reach those same businesses through local ad sales.
Sunflower Broadband — As national ads declined, Sunflower increased local direct sales by 7%, regional direct by 19% and regional agency by 28%. ’Nuff said.
Time Warner Cable Media Sales — One of the best teams in cable, with broad reach and an emphasis on ad targeting, Time Warner Cable continues to excel.
Sales Team of the Year
National Ad Sales
Winner
Hallmark Channel
When pres/CEO Henry Schleiff resigned in May, the board looked no further than its own evp, advertising sales to replace him. It makes sense: New pres/CEO Bill Abbott has led one of the best ad-sales teams in cable for quite some time now. The team’s customizable client solutions include holiday cross-platform opps (multiplatform promos, including at nearly 4000 Hallmark Gold Crown stores), “Great Story” vignettes (30-sec clips combining footage from an original Hallmark movie with brand messages) and “promercials” (a Hallmark promo spot combined with an advertiser’s commercial), just to name a few. Hallmark’s team was also the first to strike an upfront deal in 2008.
Honorable Mention
Scripps Networks — This team, lead by evp Steve Gigliotti, has consistently outpaced collective cable industry ad sales growth and was up 8% in 2008.
Brand Integration Team of the Year
Winner
Food Network
Any network centered on culinary pleasures screams for brand integration, but that doesn’t mean it’s assured of doing so successfully. Food Network does. Its recent “The Ultimate Recipe Showdown” promo for TGI Friday’s, for example, proves that choosing organic and tasteful (sorry) integrations takes considerable skill and creativity. When Food tasked net star Guy Fieri to give on-air contestants the chance to get a recipe featured on TGI Friday’s menu, it got a significant ad boost, reduced production costs, and marketing support from a national brand. TGI Friday’s also signed Fieri as spokesman for the Showdown initiative.
Honorable Mentions
ESPN — Sports is fertile ground for brand integration, and no one executes better on this playing field than the ESPN-branded family of nets.
NBCU — NBCU leverages its powerful cable brands to help advertisers integrate products. NBCU’s content family is on the cutting edge.
Starz — Starz’s relaunch of its brand—emphasizing new original content—deserves recognition even if it doesn’t fit the traditional definition of brand integration.
TNT — Not only did TNT work Dove Hair Care seamlessly into the drama “Trust Me,” but it also added multiplatform promos and sweepstakes around the product.
Most Creative Sales Pitch
Winner
ESPN 2008 Upfront
For its 2008 upfront presentation, ESPN took its main show on the road, literally. Instead of PowerPoints, speeches and clips, ESPN imported sets, lighting and talent from its main studios in Bristol, CT, to produce a special version of its anchor series “SportsCenter” for an audience of media buyers and advertising executives. With SportsCenter anchors Steve Levy and Scott Van Pelt behind the desk, a number of ESPN execs touted the network. There were even a few sports figures appearing on stage, including NY Giants lineman Osi Umenyiora, who pretended to be a gopher, shuttling scripts to the anchors.
Honorable Mentions
Discovery Communications 2008 Upfront — Getting dozens of on-air personalities to belt out Discovery theme song “I Love the World” ain’t easy. Now that’s how to throw a party.
Sunflower Broadband – This local sales team of 7 used creative upselling to help best its 2008 target by 6% and end up 10% over the previous year’s sales.
Rookie of the Year
Winner
Tommy Bullough
Account Exec, Affiliate Sales, Retirement Living TV
Bullough has been in the RLTV trenches during a dizzying period of growth, inking 3 NCTC deals without even a master deal in place, overseeing launches with 3 major systems and repping RLTV at state, regional and national conferences. His enthusiasm is infectious. Go, Tommy!
Honorable Mention
Zachary Reeves - Retail Sales Exec, Charter Ft Worth, TX — Reeves’ innovative work with big-box retailers drives RGU sales and solidifies local relationships. We’re sure of one thing: Reeves has a great future.
Sales Hall of Fame
As we plod through what can only be described as an unprecedented challenge to the U.S. and global economy, TV advertising has taken a hit. And within the cable business, affiliate sales teams have faced budget cutbacks, restricted travel and other necessary measures to respond to external economic factors. But despite these challenges, which will probably linger for quite some time, the people listed below represent beacons of hope. These are the sales professionals who know how to persevere and even benefit in a tough environment. And they are the leaders whose skill and dedication will help cable regain its footing when the economy finally turns around. We salute these sales veterans for their creativity, tenacity and integrity as they find new ways to bring in revenue and ensure that cable remains a vibrant and thriving industry for many years to come. Bravo!
Joe Abruzzese
President, Advertising Sales
Discovery Communications
Joe Abruzzese isn't just the best dressed executive in cable; he's also one of the best sales professionals in any industry. In fact, Abruzzese leads the #1-rated cable ad sales team, according to Beta Research's survey of distributors. And he continues to innovate with ad packages across the Discovery family despite several channel rebrandings. Perhaps Abruzzese's best trait is his positive attitude, which shines even amid tough times. "A bounce back in the economy... will trigger more spending from smart marketers to gain more market share and more recognition for the value of their brands," he says, noting that "cable will lead the way" in innovation.
Janice Arouh
EVP, Network Distribution and Service
Hallmark Channel
Janice Arouh is many things: one of the most decorated executives in the business, one of cable's most pleasant people, a deft negotiator and a terrific wife and mother. Most of all, though, she's a winner, having forged a bevy of renewals with the likes of Comcast, Cablevision and Time Warner Cable. But if you think negotiating with cable MSOs is her only achievement, come out to the Independent Show each summer, where Arouh is one of the programming officials most sought after by medium and small operators.
Bridget Baker
President, TV Networks Distribution
NBC Universal
Bridget Baker has come a long way since her days growing up in Alaska. After four years as a staffer on Capitol Hill, she hit the private sector and hasn't looked back, ascending quickly to the top of NBCU's cable distribution heap. Interestingly, she also heads NBC's team of retrans negotiators. Whether overseeing distribution of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games or inking multi-year, omnibus deals with the likes of DirecTV, Charter, Cox, Mediacom or AT&T, Baker never seems to slow down. She's well liked and well known, driving a hard bargain—with a smile. Try to say "no" to her. Just try.
Sean R.H. Bratches
EVP, sales and marketing
ESPN
Talk about a no-brainer. Does anyone do sales and marketing better than ESPN? The world leader in sports literally wrote the playbook on affiliate sales and integrated campaigns. So it was a "gimme" for our judges to name ESPN's sales and marketing chief, cable legend Sean Bratches, to our sales Hall of Fame, another honor for his distinguished resume. On par with his business acumen, which is considerable, is Sean's integrity, energy, intelligence and devotion to family. That's why he's constantly in demand to speak at cable events and was recently named CTAM chairman.
Dave Cassaro
President
Comcast Network Advertising Sales
Cassaro's diverse responsibilities include ad sales for E!, Style, G4, AZN, OLN and PBS KIDS Sprout. And if that wasn't daunting enough, he also oversees national VOD sales efforts. His long and successful history in the cable biz (he started as a SVP at E! in 1990 and boosted ad sales 10-fold during his tenure) more than earns him entry into our inaugural Sales Hall of Fame. His solid reputation as a dealmaker and consummate professional earns him the respect of both his cable peers and the multitude of brands that buy space on his nets.
Sandra Simpson Chiles
SVP & GM
HBO Affiliate Sales
Sandra Simpson Chiles is a double threat, at least. Not only does she oversee all of HBO's affiliate sales and marketing efforts with Cox, Charter and Suddenlink, she's been active in NAMIC and a host of civic activities outside cable, like Jack & Jill of America and Women Looking Ahead, a group that empowers women to be leaders. No wonder she was named one of Atlanta's "female powerhouses" in 2007.
Billy Farina
SVP, Advertising Sales
Cox Communications
There was no way we could have a sales Hall of Fame and not include Farina, arguably the iconic MSO salesman. And it's not just Farina's visibility on the circuit, his personality and work with Cable Positive. It's his 25 years of experience—he once ran ad sales for Cox's U.K. operation and was G.M. at Cox New England—and his progressive outlook on advertising. Going forward, cable sales forces "will offer a more holistic view," aggregating diverse inventory so clients can "see the bigger picture" for their campaigns, he tells us.
Mark Garner
SVP, Distribution, Marketing
and Business Development, AETN
Garner is quietly developing a reputation as one of cable's best thinkers—and doers—on interactive television. He and his team push for innovative ways to present content, like History's new series "Expedition Africa," whose extras include a slew of VOD content—much of it exclusive to cable partners—and online material to enhance viewers' experiences. "Interactivity is the future of this business," Garner says, rightly. More than that, "our cable partners want us to provide value and compelling content on multiple platforms as a differentiator," he says.
Joan Gillman
EVP and President, Media Sales
Time Warner Cable
It's no secret that Time Warner Cable is among MSOs on the cutting edge of innovation when it comes to ad sales. And Gillman has been a key component of that strategy, heading up Time Warner's test of "promotions on demand" capability in Los Angeles where viewers can use their remotes to get additional info or even grab coupons from advertisers. In fact, her interactive advertising background has been a major asset as the industry moves in that direction. And her experience is matched only by the respect she garners industrywide.
Bill Goodwyn
President, Domestic Distribution and Enterprises
Discovery Communications
As one of the most recognizable faces in cable, Goodwyn never misses an opportunity to network and sing Discovery's praises to affiliates (and even those of us in the press). Whether explaining recent rebrands or delivering new value to operators, Goodwyn shines. Meanwhile, he says multiplatform remains in focus as Discovery works to deliver content on "all platforms, create additional monetization opportunities and continue to protect and provide value to the existing business model." No wonder cable ops surveyed by Beta Research named his team as the best in cable for 7 years straight. Discovery better hold onto this guy. Tight.
David Kline
President and COO
Rainbow Advertising Sales Corp
Talk about a huge portfolio. David Kline's responsibilities as head of RASCO stretch from sales for Rainbow's nets like AMC and WE tv to sales for regional operations like News 12. He also oversees Cablevision Advanced Platform Sales and Cablevision's Local Ad Sales, and is Cablevision's point man on The NY Interconnect and a few other things we don't have room to mention. The man doesn't merely deserve Hall of Fame honors—he should get a medal. On his immediate radar screen: interactivity, which he says "has moved well beyond just Web-based applications" and is poised for "meaningful growth" on TV platforms.
Walter Oden
VP, National Accounts and Field Operations,
Content Distribution & Partner Marketing Group MTV Networks/BET Networks
Yes, Oden's a relative youngster in our first Hall of Fame class, but "the kid" brings considerable experience. An active member of NAMIC and CTAM, Oden made his bones during the course of more than 2 decades in cable's trenches, traveling tirelessly to sell his networks. His current portfolio includes the 23-plus MTVN networks for which he oversees distribution, field ops and new product strategies with Time Warner Cable systems across the country. With a title as long as his heavy list of responsibilities, Oden is one of cable's best and brightest.
Charlie Thurston
President, Comcast Spotlight
With more than 24 years under his belt in cable, Thurston oversees 3500 employees in the local, regional and national ad sales operations for the industry's largest MSO. It would be a daunting task for most, but Thurston makes it look easy. Perhaps it's his background running Los Angeles digital interconnect AdLink or his diverse service on multiple boards including NCC, Vehix.com and the Ad Council. Or maybe it's his tireless work for SkiTAM. We're not sure, but whatever keeps Thurston so balanced and focused is working. And in a big way.
How Sweet It Is...
What better year to inaugurate the first inductees into our exclusive "Sweet Sixteen" list of top brand and agency execs supporting cable? The TV ad market is challenged, and yet cable continues to knock it out of the park with innovative advertising partnerships, multiplatform marketing initiatives, brand integration and more. And these 16 professionals are among those working diligently with the cable industry to make it all happen. Long story short: These are the people you need to know.
Terry Clark
Chief Marketing Officer, UnitedHealthcare
If you're peddling beer or iPods, reaching consumers is a bit easier than when you're selling... health insurance. But Terry Clark makes it work in a big way, always focusing on the brand and devising creative ways to get consumers involved. Case in point: His idea to create short vignettes on Medicare for RLTV, educating viewers while extending UnitedHealthcare's brand. We also hear raves for Clark's ability to handle complex projects, smartly delegating and ensuring that tasks get done to clients' ultimate satisfaction. Oh, and he's got a keen sense of humor. Always a must.
Shari Cohen
President/Co-Executive Director, national broadcast
Mindshare North America
Cohen's career has zigzagged between planning, implementation and sales, and from agency to network to corporation and back. Once an account exec at CNBC, she now shares responsibility for more than $3bln worth of TV ads annually for clients including American Express, Bristol-Myers and Kodak. In one recent campaign, Cohen helped steer for Unilever's Pond's brand with USA's "The Starter Wife." It featured Pond's as the exclusive presenting sponsor and included on-camera, online, mobile, in-store, print and outdoor promotions aimed at women 40 and older. In addition Pond's products were extensively interwoven into the series.
Kathy Doyle
SVP/Director of local broadcast
Universal McCann
With 16 years at Universal McCann, Doyle has proven her loyalty. And with clients that have ranged from GM to Sony to P&G to McDonalds, she has gained the trust of heavy hitters across the advertising universe. She has championed innovative partnerships, including GM's multiplatform campaign with NBC for the 2002 Winter Games. That gig even prompted a GM exec to recommend her as a torch runner in the opening ceremonies in Salt Lake City (She jokes that these sort of things happen when clients are happy). Doyle is especially excited about cable's moves toward more addressiblity.
Peggy Green
Vice Chmn, Zenith Media
A no-nonsense dealmaker, Green remains fiercely loyal to Zenith Media and in Jan segued into the role of vice chair, stepping out of day-to-day duties to oversee all of the agency's video investments for clients including Toyota and Verizon. She says that while the "comfort zone" of linear TV should remain strong despite the economy, cable is in a uniquely strong position because it can fall back on the dual revenue stream model. Green also gives back. She has championed female-targeted marketing and sales program Women@NBCU and has shown a deep dedication to mentoring. This is one Green movement everyone can get behind.
Valerie Kravitz
Director, Sports and Entertainment Mktg
The Coca-Cola C
Coca-Cola just seems to be everywhere. Whether its ubiquity relates to the signage and concessions at a major sporting event or just adorns the cups held by the judges on "American Idol," the cultural impact of Coke remains as strong now as ever. A big part of that is thanks to Valerie Kravitz. Case in point: The brand has been a NCAA Corporate Champion since Sept 2002, including an innovative deal with CBS College Sports and the Powerade Intramural program. Kravitz and Coca Cola North America created a multiplatform campaign involving more than 10,000 participating athletes on 54 different campuses after only 2 years.
Tia Lang
Global Media Director, Burger King
Lang oversees national media planning and buying across all platforms and demographic segments. Whether coordinating on-air and interactive media integrations on VH-1's "Free Radio" or Spike's "The Ultimate Fighter 9", she works to extend Burger King's global brand into new markets. On the sports front, she worked closely with CBS College Sports on its "Max Preps Friday Night Showcase" in which BK owned 8 weekly, primetime high school football games. The deal included on-site signage, local activation, and branded sideline reporters. Meanwhile, Lang says measurement will continue to drive debate over the next year. "The uncertain economy will further emphasize the necessity of providing measurable return on investment, however defined, to the advertiser," she says.
Nancy Larkin
SVP/Director Local Television, Horizon Media
Larkin spends much of her time analyzing ratings, and she has been a true champion of cable. She tells us that cable's prospects will continue to strengthen based on its success with original programming. And what are the two most salient changes in TV ad buying? Larkin says it's cable's ability to draw audiences from broadcast and to offer better measurement tools. Meanwhile, she hasn't been afraid to test new models, including an interactive cable advertising partnership with Time Warner Cable in New York. Sign us up to the Nancy Larkin fan club.
Scott Lee
SVP/Group Client Director, MediaVest
A 20-year veteran in the media buying game, Lee now heads the national and local investment for none other than consumer-brand powerhouse Procter & Gamble. Not bad. Lee has sheparded accounts including General Motors and SC Johnson in his career but notes that the current economic environment is rife with uncertainty. So while it's hard to predict how the year will turn out, Lee cites "more definitive evidence that the broadcast model is fading fast" and that "the sustainability of the cable model" continues to prove itself. His expertise and experience in advertising should come in handy as he and his wife put their pitching skills to work on their new 6-month-old son Luke. Eat your veggies!
Kris Magel
EVP, Director of National Broadcast, Initiative
It's easy to see why Kris Magel makes our Sweet 16 list. Besides running Initiative's National Broadcast department, where he oversees television negotiations and related activities with brands like The Home Depot, Hyundai and Coors, the 15-year media vet has a history of brand integration. At Zenith Media, he developed "Born to Achieve," which partnered Maybelline with MTV in a campaign that merged promotional and philanthropic work. At Initiative, he's known for being a fair but tough negotiator and for his work with Microsoft's NAVIC unit. Because of his intelligence and articulateness, Kris is a favorite of the advertising trade press when a useful quote is needed.
Rob Master
Director of North American Media, Unilever
Known as one of advertising's great strategists, Rob Master seems to be constantly thinking. Of course, that's a plus, since Master must juggle a diverse group of brands, from quintessentially American products like Hellman's Mayonnaise and Slim-Fast to Bertolli, the proud olive oil brand. And that's just on the food side. Don't forget Pond's or Dove or men's body wash Axe—soaps with very different outlooks on keeping one clean—and that old standby, Vaseline. Master handles these and many more. Television? Digital? Print? Viral? Master works in any platform that helps sell product. Of course it's Master's job to determine the perfect mix.
Tracy McMullen
Senior Partner, Assoc Business Dir, National Bcst, Maxus
McMullen has been in advertising since 1993, when she began at Ogilvy & Mather as an assistant buyer on Hershey and Mattel. Just 3 years later, she was a supervisor on Mattel. By 2000, she was an Associate Director at MindShare and later was given the task of organizing the Unilever business from start-up. It was during this time that she helped launch Axe deodorant and introduced consumers to Dove's campaign for "Real Beauty." She now oversees brands like T. Rowe Price and Welch's. When not working she is an avid traveler, plays tennis (well) and golf (not so well, she jokes) and loves yoga.
Christine Olson
VP/Cable Activation Director, Starcom USA
Olson arguably is the dean of cable investments across the national media market, placing cable clients' messages in the right place at the right time for maximum effectiveness. She has also moved with the fast-changing market, executing strategies replete with VOD, web and other digital platforms. As if all that weren't enough, she has also been an innovator on accountability. In 2005, she helped execute a landmark deal with Court TV in which Starcom negotiated an unprecedented form of engagement measurement. This helped advance the industry shift from an exposure model to an engagement model. The Chicago-based exec relaxes by golfing, biking, dining out and cocktailing with friends.
Mitchell Oscar
EVP, Televisual Applications, MPG
Oscar's busy schedule as EVP at MPG, president of media consultancy HocusPocus, author and speaker suggests that if he can wrest the copyright from DreamWorks, his biography should be titled "Catch Me If You Can." At MPG, peripatetic Mitch, known for inserting humorous cartoons in PowerPoint presentations, focuses on new video across digital platforms. His mission is analyzing how interactive media should be integrated into the ad models of MPG's clients. Prior to MPG, Oscar was EVP at Carat Digital and SVP at Universal McCann. His quarterly interactive advertising roundtables are a must-attend. Mitch's client list at HocusFocus has included ESPN, Discovery, Comcast, TiVo, Cox and others.
Steve Sturm
Group Vice President of Americas,
Toyota Motor North America
Sturm heads Strategic Research and Planning and Corporate Communications for Toyota, the world's largest automaker, which employs some 40K people in North America and has an ad budget of $1.4bln. Sturm's role includes oversight of corporate strategy and planning, strategic research across the Americas and image research. He also has responsibility for corporate advertising and marketing communications, as well as media and investor relations. While the auto sector has been hurting, the worst might be over. May was Toyota's best month this year, and it has added back some 65K units of vehicle production here to meet stronger demand.
Ted Ward
VP, Marketing, Geico
It's tough being upstaged by a reptile, but Ted Ward doesn't mind so long as the creature in question is the Geico Gecko, and it helps move product. Ward, the loveable lizard's co-creator, "birthed" the reptile over drinks with an agency friend after consumers at a focus group kept calling the company geeko and gecko, Ward told The Washington Post. While the Gecko didn't start as Ward's personal favorite, the little fella's been quite the salesman, er, sales-animal. The 9-year-old Gecko has had a webbed hand in accelerating Geico's massive growth; the company has added more than 2 million policies since 2002. Dare we say other insurers are green with envy?
Craig Woerz
Co-Founder/Managing Partner, Media Storm
For more than a decade Craig Woerz has taken a non-traditional approach to traditional media, judiciously mixing iTV and mobile spends with well-tested traditional media for his clients. His work with Cablevision on a branded VOD channel was an industry first and boasted record views. A musician who toured on weekends with his band, Woerz founded Media Storm after years at AOL Time Warner. Today, it represents more entertainment brands under one roof than any other agency. Clients include Food Network, The Weather Channel, FX Networks and WE tv. Media Storm was named 106 on "Inc's" 500 list of most successful U.S. companies, with a 3-year growth rate of 870%.
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