Palace Resorts Uses Eye Tracking To Recommend Vacations

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Palace Resorts is using eye tracking to recommend Latin American vacation destinations.

“Never Lift A Finger” accesses a user’s webcam or smartphone camera as they take an online quiz. The site then gauges interest through eye movements and gaze duration to recommend a Palace Resort vacation package.

Alternatively, users can choose to manually select videos or tilt their phones to make decisions through the mobile site.

Eye tracking offers marketers a way to measure genuine interest based on where a user looks and for how long. This allows them to then customize outreach methods accordingly. For example, a recent eye-tracking study found that video ads embedded in premium content were found to drive purchase intent 27 percent higher than skippable pre-roll ads or video ads found on social feeds.

For this campaign, users are shown a pair of videos that feature different elements of Palace Resorts, such as family-friendly dining or adults-only relaxation. An on-screen beacon shows users where they are looking on the screen. Once they have looked at the same video for a few seconds, the software confirms the selection and moves on to the next pair of parallel videos.

After five videos have been selected, the microsite recommends one of Palace Resorts’ 10 locations, along with more information and a booking portal.

“Never Lift A Finger” was created by Expedia Group Media Solutions, the advertising arm of Expedia. The company has created a number of interactive travel experiences over the years, including a 360-degree ad for San Antonio Texas and a facial recognition campaign for Hawaii called “Discover Your Aloha,” which they released in 2016. The latter used facial recognition to gauge a viewer’s reaction to a video featuring different vacation ideas from swimming to hiking or just relaxing. As with “Never Lift A Finger,” the microsite would then recommend vacation packages based on what the user interacted with the most.

The company’s current eye-tracking campaign is running across Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotwire and Travelocity in the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the UK.

 

Jeep Debuts 360 Video Experience With World Surf League

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Jeep and the World Surfing League (WSL) have partnered to release a 360-degree video choose-your-own-adventure experience.

“Jeep Sessions: A Surfing Journey in 360” literally places users in the passenger seat with pro surfer Jordy Smith in his 2018 Jeep Wrangler or Malia Manual in her Jeep Renegade as they drive around Oahu, Hawaii.

Consumers can view the experiences on YouTube or by downloading the official app for iOS, Android or Oculus Gear. Developed by Rapid VR, the app version of “A Surfing Journey in 360” offers choices and interactive elements that users can activate by focusing on certain objects.

https://youtu.be/JO26vmxTvxI

The 360-degree activation continues Jeep’s ongoing partnership with WSL that highlights both vehicles and pro surfers to the public. For those attending in person, the VR experience will be available at WSL events throughout the year.

Rapid VR has experience filming 360-degree videos of surfing, having developed “Get Barreled In Tahiti” with Samsung in 2015.

For brands, 360-degree video has become a popular way to showcase products and ideas without the need for expensive VR rigs. Allowing users to make choices throughout the experience encourages repeat viewing to see all the outcomes.

A few major activations have popped up: last year, an Expedia created a 360-degree experience for San Antonio, TX that allowed users to choose locations to explore on a virtual vacation. And in 2016, Liberty Mutual Insurance launched a campaign on Facebook that offered choices after a user’s virtual car broke down in the woods.

Google recently found that 360-degree video ads outperformed standard videos in terms of click-through rates and engagement. A 360 ad for Columbia Sportswear drove 41 percent more earned actions than the standard ad and drove more engagement with Columbia’s YouTube channel.

North Face Launches Female-Focused ‘Move Mountains’ Initiative

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The North Face has launched its “Move Mountains” initiative—the brand’s first global campaign devoted to women and young girls.

Move Mountains includes a series of videos that highlight females who are leading in their respective fields. The spots, which will air online and across social channels, feature rock climbers Ashima Shiraishi and Margo Hayes, endurance runner Fernanda Maciel, mountain climber Hilaree Nelson and aerospace engineer Tiera Fletcher.

The North Face will take over the National Geographic Instagram account this week to highlight female explorers, and Fletcher’s work to send rockets to Mars represents a different side to that idea.

Tom Herbst, global vice president of marketing for The North Face,  told AlistDaily that given the current cultural context, it was a good time for a campaign devoted to women explorers. “Part of this campaign is to tell their stories and open opportunity for all women to set lofty goals and meet them and challenge themselves,” said Herbst. “It’s not always just [about] physical element of exploration, but also the mental emotional and cultural aspect as well.”

The North Face has partnered with Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to create a new set of curriculum that includes 12 new outdoor adventure badges ranging from mountaineering to trail running. While The North Face has partnered with GSUSA in the past, this is a “much larger” program.

“We feel like we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to introduce as many people as possible to a life lived outdoors and a life of exploration,” said Herbst.

Two new stores will open this year, each catered to the female demographic. The North Face location in Edina, MN will focus on running and training apparel, while a store in San Francisco will feature all women’s product lines from outdoor to urban products.

The brand will also ship its first-ever women-focused catalog to around 70,000 consumers.

The North Face is also looking inward, Herbst explained, focusing on employee development through a partnership with Paradigm for Parity Coalition.

“As we stepped back and looked at our brand, we know we’ve been doing a lot of the right things over the years in terms of supporting women in our organization but we feel like we could do even more,” said Herbst.

Nature is the great equalizer, he explained, and The North Face wants to reflect that philosophy in its brand message.

“We feel like there’s an opportunity to be much more inclusive within the outdoor industry. The outdoors treats everyone the same regardless of your background or what you look like.”

Super 8 Debuts Concept Car Inspired By Newly-Designed Rooms

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Super 8 continues its “Road Trip” marketing theme with a concept car designed to match the hotel’s new guestroom decor.

At the New York International Auto Show on Friday, Super 8 debuted a concept car called ROADM8. Created from a 2017 Jeep Wrangler, ROADM8 is painted red and yellow to match the Super 8 signage and features a number of designs that match the hotel chain’s newly-remodeled rooms.

Under the hood, for example, is a black and white mountain landscape photo of South Dakota—a nod to wall-sized photography prints that double as headboards in the chain’s hotel rooms. The seats have been upholstered to match the bedspreads and the coffee maker has been installed in the console, along with a mini-fridge.

Super 8 invested more than $100 million in renovations in its North American locations last year. This year marks the hotel chain’s 45th anniversary and the brand wants to spread awareness around its recent facelift.

“While some might be surprised to see us at the New York International Auto Show, for us, we think it’s the ideal spot to show off the new look and feel of Super 8,” Mike Mueller, Super 8 brand senior vice president said in the official press release.

Creating a hotel concept car ties nicely into Super 8’s ongoing “Road Trip” campaign. Last year, the brand released a series of video ads that made light of road trips gone wrong with the tagline, “At least tonight can be Super.”

The activation is being received well on Instagram, without visible negative feedback; ROADM8 posts prompted several comments about wanting to own the car. A 360-degree tour of the car is also available on Super 8’s Facebook page, where it has also received positive feedback.

Deloitte predicts that the hotel industry will experience strong five-to-six percent growth in 2018, reaching a record-breaking $170 billion in gross bookings.

“Throughout the year, hoteliers will be looking for an opportunity in strategic places, including a revisit of the midscale experience, traveler-facing tech, health and wellness and loyalty,” said Deloitte.

AListDaily’s 10 Under 10

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You’ve seen Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list every year. We at AListDaily think that’s not a challenging enough age bar—who hasn’t rewritten the rules of brand engagement by age 30?

Rather than highlight the passé achievements of the last generation, we choose to look forward at the bold, fresh-faced innovators of generations to come—just in time for our annual April 1 innovators report. With no further ado, we present: the AListDaily 10 Under 10.

Timmy Thompson, 8

Cofounder, Timmy’s Lemonade Stand 25 Cents For A Cup Delicious!!!

With the help of angel investors Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, Timmy Thompson launched an innovative startup that quickly became the leading lemonade stand on Ocean Breeze Avenue in Toledo, OH. Through savvy marketing efforts like “Operation Throw Water Balloons At Angela’s Lemonade Stand” and “Guilt Mom’s Coworkers Into Buying A Cup Apiece,” Timmy Thompson’s business easily beat out its competition in a crowded marketplace.

Abigail Smith, 5

Entrepreneur

Always bold, Abigail Smith broke into the cutthroat automobile marketing scene with an innovative, personalized approach to direct-to-consumer sales, putting Mom’s 2013 Toyota Camry up for sale on eBay. Though questions remain as to her platform’s scalability, a recent influx of $500 cash will allow for additional research into avenues for growth.

Jennifer Hudley, 9

Creative Director, Oak Lawn Episcopal Church Bake Sale Committee

Jennifer Hudley spearheaded poster design for her church’s bake sale, taking advantage of a bold, innovative impressionistic design. We don’t have the data to determine the direct influence of Hudley’s omnichannel marketing efforts on the bake sale’s revenue, but the Oak Lawn Episcopal Church reached its sales goals and that can’t be a coincidence, right?

Gregory Beck, 7

Chief Technology Officer, Beck family

Showed his dad how to sign up for Twitter, allowing the Beck family to achieve unprecedented organic reach to over 330 million online consumers.

Hannah Polau, 4

Founder, We’ll Put It Right Up On The Fridge Studios

Hannah Polau developed a bold, fresh, innovative new style of finger painting that will undoubtedly change the face of print advertising three months from now.

John Fibaracci, 6

Volunteer Brand Ambassador, LEGO

Developed an ultra-immersive pop-up experiential activation to promote Lego’s new product line to his family, by scattering loose Lego pieces around the house for Dad to step on by accident.

Emily Song, 7

Freelance Digital Evangelist

Founded a digital startup that uses the blockchain and augmented reality to disrupt out-of-home billboards. Received the first prize for perfect attendence at Little Angels Preschool two years running.

Jeremy Bentham, 6

Student

Jeremy Bentham clicks on every banner ad he sees. Forrester attributes the continued survival of online media publications to Mr. Bentham’s tireless work.

Bethany Gutierrez, 9

Chief Marketing Officer, AListDaily

Bethany Gutierrez brainstormed, conceived, designed, produced and wrote AListDaily’s April Fools Day joke.

Annabel Johnson, 2

Prodigy

Annabel Johnson’s first recorded word was “programmatic.”

Taco Bell Considers ‘Web of Fries’ Sequel After Success Of First Trailer

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Taco Bell’s “Web of Fries” movie trailer sold a whole lot of nacho fries, so Taco Bell is considering what any movie studio would do—order a sequel.

Launched in January, Taco Bell’s trailer for a non-existent movie called “Web of Fries” told the story of a man who stumbles on a conspiracy by “Big Burger” to squelch any competition. The protagonist, played by Josh Duhamel (Love, Simon), finds himself obsessed about uncovering the truth about why Taco Bell doesn’t offer fries and finds himself being threatened by “the burger people” who don’t want the world to know.

“A lot of people are selling fries,” Tracee Larocca, Taco Bell’s senior vice president of advertising and brand engagement told Variety. “We had to find a way that felt really different and get people’s attention.”

The trailer resulted in 53 million orders of nacho fries within the first five weeks of its campaign. In the first weeks following the trailer, one in three orders included Nacho Fries. Now, Larocca said, the quick service restaurant is considering a sequel.

This is good news for fans of the trailer, which ended in a life-threatening cliffhanger.

https://youtu.be/D-uAbrQC08Y

Taco Bell has adopted a tongue-in-cheek marketing approach for years, from using a talking chihuahua as a spokesperson to offering wedding ceremonies in its Las Vegas restaurant.

Short films can be an effective way of telling a brand’s story in a short amount of time. In 2016, Chipotle released a Pixar-like animated film called “Love” that told the story of two young entrepreneurs brought together with fresh ingredients.

Pepsi’s “Uncle Drew” series of ads, starring NBA Kyrie Irving in disguise, has evolved from a short film into a full-length movie hitting theaters this summer.

“Web of Lies” looks like a real film. Time will tell if a “Web of Fries” Part 2 can match the campaign’s initial success and if would ever spawn a full-length adaptation.

Brands Engage Easter Consumers With Virtual Egg Hunts

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Brands are on the hunt for consumer engagement this Easter holiday with the use of virtual egg hunts.

On Thursday, Cadbury hosted a one-hour Facebook event that invited Australian users to explore a 360-degree virtual landscape and comment when they found a hidden egg. The first to locate each egg was rewarded with real-world chocolate treats.

According to The Drum, the event drew 220,000 visitors, posting a total of 70,000 comments.

The Great Snapchat Egg Hunt debuted March 22 and runs through April 1 in the US and Canada. The AR scavenger hunt uses GPS to indicate when virtual eggs are near. Tapping on nearby eggs prompts the 3D World Lens to take over, placing the eggs in “real life.” Collecting eggs earns the users points, which can be compared to friends on the Snap Map leaderboard. Rare gold eggs are worth 5 points, and regular eggs are worth one.

Users who don’t want to display their location can still play in Ghost Mode, and their score will only be visible to them.

Throughout the month of March, Niantic has hosted the Pokemon GO Easter Eggstravaganza, offering users more chances to hatch certain Pokemon. The collectible creatures hatch from eggs, making the event a natural tie-in to Easter celebrations.

In Pokemon GO, users can collect eggs that hatch after traveling either 2 km, 5 km or 10 km. Certain Pokemon, such as Wynaut or Ralts are normally available only in eggs that require a longer distance but are available in 2 km eggs until April 2.

Niantic’s breakout AR mobile game rose one spot to number nine for digital mobile game revenues in February.

US consumers will spend $18.2 billion on Easter celebrations this year, according to National Retail Foundation estimates. Roughly 81 percent of Americans plan on celebrating this year, spending an average of $150 per person.

Amazon Voted Most-Liked Brand In Recent US Survey

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Amazon was voted the “most liked” brand by consumers in a recent survey by Morning Consult and Public Affairs Council.

A survey of US consumers conducted between March 13-15 found that among 15 brands, Amazon was by far the most liked with a net score of 44 percent. This is twice as high as the next most liked brand—Google—which earned a net score of 21 percent.

Rounding out the top five most liked brands are General Mills (10 percent), Sony (five percent) and UPS (four percent).

Tech giants like Amazon and Google have been under government and public scrutiny over brand safety, alleged censorship and data privacy concerns, but the survey shows consumers remain loyal overall.

Amazon shares dropped two percent on Thursday following a Twitter post by President Trump criticizing the company. The company may be relieved to know that, at least with these survey respondents, they are still in the public’s good graces.

Tom’s of Maine received a net score of zero, as two percent of respondents named it their most and least liked brand. Sadly for Goldman Sachs, not one respondent named it their favorite brand on the list.

Trump Hotels, meanwhile, was voted the least liked brand by 30 percent of respondents and the most liked by only one percent.

Digging deeper for political bias, the survey also looked at voter affiliation. Even among those who voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 US Presidential election, only four percent listed Trump Hotels as their most liked brand, while six percent named it their least favorite.

Unsurprisingly, no respondents that voted for Hillary Clinton listed Trump Hotels as their favorite, with 52 percent listing it as their least liked brand.

Tobacco brand Philip Morris is only disliked slightly less than Trump Hotels, with a net score of -15 (one percent “most liked,” 16 percent “least liked.”). Despite Americans moving away from cigarettes and tighter regulations, the US tobacco industry relies on a smaller group of loyal customers, it seems, as revenue is soaring.

Porsche Adopts Haptic Feedback Ads For Vehicle Customization

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Porsche is using mid-air haptic feedback to highlight features and allow customization of its new 2019 Cayenne Turbo.

Consumers may soon be able to customize a vehicle with the wave of a hand thanks to a partnership with ZeroLight. A demo of the technology is on display at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas on Thursday and features haptic feedback without the need for gloves or devices.

According to an official press release, special UltraHD advertisement displays feature videos and images of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Moving one’s hand in front of the display will trigger haptic cues delivered “directly to their bare hands” through ultrasonic technology.

The interactive display allows users to customize the car with a myriad of options from color to dashboard features. During the demo, a user can scan a QR code that creates a dedicated microsite featuring their personalized vehicle, which can be personalized even more online.

The goal of this ad format, ZeroLight explained, is to encourage “active involvement in the experience, driving brand affinity whilst connecting public advertising to a wider retail ecosystem.”

Porsche is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year—a milestone reached by adapting to trends and emerging technology throughout the decades. On Wednesday, Porsche released a marketing campaign dubbed #SportscarTogether, inviting fans to share their favorite moments with the brand.

UK start-up ZeroLight is disrupting the car-buying process during a time when consumers spend more time online researching and less time in the dealerships. Other partnerships include a VR concept for Audi and a VR showroom for Pagani.

According to Bloomberg, US dealers spend $2.75 billion annually on interest just to keep new vehicles on their lots. Allowing consumers to customize and visualize options without the physical car present saves showroom space and money that can be used for marketing and customer experience solutions.

Equifax Names Mark Begor New CEO

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Highlights

Equifax has named former General Electric executive Mark Begor as its new CEO. The hire is designed to lead the credit-reporting company’s marketing rehabilitation after it faced a cyber attack that exposed data of more than 148 million customers.

“[Mark] is a highly accomplished executive with a long track record of successful leadership across a variety of global industries relevant to our business,” said Mark L. Feidler, chairman of the board of Equifax. “His proven leadership ability, operational expertise, growth focus, financial acumen, strategic vision and customer orientation make him the right person to lead Equifax into the future.”

Begor is 35-year GE veteran, which included a stint as president and CEO from 2014 to 2016 as he oversaw the company’s $8 billion business.

“I am excited to take the helm of Equifax at such a pivotal moment in the company’s history,” added Begor. “The team has made meaningful progress in the last several months to address a number of well-publicized issues while continuing to focus on delivering differentiated new products and advanced analytics to support our customers. I will prioritize continuing our team’s efforts to communicate transparently and restore confidence with consumers, customers, shareholders and policymakers. And most critically, we will continue to invest in and strengthen our IT and data security.”

Mondelēz International is reinventing its international marketing strategy with a series of moves.

Martin Renaud has been named global CMO, where he will oversee teams responsible for brand strategy and agency relationships, marketing capability as well as media and digital. The former Danone executive will also be responsible for the portfolio of marketing “power brands” like Oreo and Trident.

“Martin is a world-class marketer with extensive commercial, strategy and digital experience and a strong record of driving growth,” said Tim Cofer, chief growth officer for Mondelēz. “We’re thrilled to have him join us at this critical moment in our journey. His experience will be a tremendous asset as we reinvent our marketing in a rapidly changing global consumer landscape.”

In coinciding news from the Mondelēz, former ABInBev executive Debora Koyama assumes the role of regional CMO for Europe; Jason Levine was promoted to the role of regional CMO for North America; Maria Mujica was promoted to regional CMO for Latin America; and Mie-Leng Wong joins the company as regional CMO for Asia, Middle East and Africa.

“Investing in a new regional CMO model will not only bring deep expertise to our marketing practice, but also increase connection and collaboration between our global CMO, our P&L leaders and the global team,” added Cofer. “This new structure will change the trajectory of our marketing function, empowering our fearless commercial talent to drive growth and allowing us to move at the speed of our consumer.”

Juliette Morris has been named as the first ever CMO for TuneIn. The former NBCUniversal executive and 20-year marketing veteran will be tasked with overseeing audience development and grow brand awareness.

“Having worked with some of the most pre-eminent entertainment brands, Juliette’s proven success driving tangible results through brand, partner and performance marketing makes her an invaluable addition to TuneIn as we focus our efforts on content, platform and audience growth,” said TuneIn CEO John Donham.

NBCUniversal has dismissed Scot Chastain, the company’s executive vice president of marketing and development, after conducting a review into alleged misconduct.

“A thorough internal review was conducted,” a company spokesperson said to Deadline. “Scot Chastain is no longer with the company.”

Chastain oversaw the company’s affiliate marketing group, which provided strategy and materials to the company’s 240 subsidiary TV stations. He had been at NBCUniversal for over 20 years.

Just Born Quality Confections, manufacturers of the Peeps marshmallow candy, have appointed Energizer Bunny as the company’s celebrity creative director, a newly created position.

“Energizer Bunny is pleased to raise his mallet and step in,” said Lori Shambro, Energizer’s vice president of global marketing.”With his boundless energy and eye for innovation, this new role was a perfect way to help a fellow Bunny during their busiest season and add an exclusive, energized accessory to the product line.”

Mr. Bunny brings over 29 years of branding experience to the confectionary company. He will continue his current role as brand ambassador for Energizer, juggling the new responsibilities of his temporary position.

BuzzFeed Media BRands has brought on Melinda Lee as its chief content officer, a newly created position.

“I’m thrilled Melinda is joining us and I’m excited to see her apply her deep experience building out brand portfolios to help us quickly grow our media brands group by emphasizing brands that serve audiences, instead of the other way around,” BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti said. “The growth and monetization of BuzzFeed Media Brands is an integral part of our strategy to diversify BuzzFeed’s business to a multi-revenue model.”

Lee most recently worked at Meredith Corporation, where she held the title of senior vice president and general manager.

Peter Hutton has joined Facebook as its director of global live spots partnerships and programming, a newly created role, where he will collaborate with rights holders to expand Facebook’s portfolio of live-streaming sports rights.

“Peter is uniquely qualified to lead our live sports partnerships…he knows the global sports rights landscape, owns strong relationships, and has a track record of delivering results on multiple continents,” said Dan Reed, Facebook’s head of global sports partnerships. “Plus, he’s worked on behalf of both broadcasters and rights holders.”

Hutton most recently was CEO of Eurosport, a position he held for three years.

Dominique Delport has signed on with Vice Media as its global chief revenue officer and president of international operations.

“Dom Delport is a true legend in the industry,” said Vice cofounder Shane Smith in a statement. “He’s a brand whisperer that understands the crucial intersection of content and platform. The fact that he is coming to VICE to round out our Dream Team (and I’m talking the Jordan, Magic, Bird era dream team), shows our commitment to making VICE the media company of the future.”

Delport joins Vice from Havas Group and Vivendi, where he held the dual role of global managing director.

Justin Richmond has joined athletic-wear retailer Lululemon as its chief strategy and digital officer, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Previously, Richmond served as senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Zulily, a Seattle-based ecommerce firm. He departed the company in March of last year, quietly beginning work at Lululemon in January of 2018.

Fullscreen has hired Mary Murcko as its senior vice president of partnerships and revenue, a newly created role, where she will responsible for driving income across the company’s branded-content network.

“Mary’s strong background in digital media and marketing planning will be a huge asset to Fullscreen as we accelerate our mission to help brands create authentic relationships with consumers,” said Pete Stein, Fullscreen’s general manager, to Variety.

Before Fullscreen, Murcko worked at What to Expect as senior vice president and head of brand partnerships and sales. Prior to that, she was chief revenue officer and publisher for Condé Nast’s Self.

Anna Bakst has signed on with luxury lifestyle brand collective Tapestry, Inc, as CEO and brand president of Kate Spade. She is replacing Craig Leavitt, who left it when Kate Spade was acquired in 2017.

“The appointment of Anna Bakst marks another key step in the evolution of the Kate Spade brand,” said Victor Luis, CEO of Tapestry, Inc. “She brings a rare combination of business acumen, directly related fashion experience and strong leadership skills to the company.”

Bakst joins the company from Michael Kors, where she held the title of group president of accessories and footwear until this January.

The Rest Of The C-Suite

(Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, March 30. Have a new hire tip? Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com)

Gary Briggs, Facebook’s vice president and CMO, has been appointed to the board of directors for Etsy, a global marketplace creative goods.

“Gary’s extensive marketing expertise will support management’s work driving creative thinking and execution across our organization, including helping to provide our 1.9 million creative entrepreneurs with new, innovative ways to start and grow their businesses,” said Etsy CEO Josh Silverman.

Briggs is now one of eight board members for the brand.

Christian Baesler has been named to the newly created role of president for Complex Networks.

Baesler will oversee the Verizon and Heart-owned company’s day-to-day operations and will be asked to grow its portfolio of brands, including Complex, First We Feast, Rated Red, Sole Collector and Pigeons & Planes.

“Christian is an exceptional executive with deep knowledge of the digital landscape and an impressive track record for guiding businesses to achieve their fullest potential,” said CEO Rich Antoniello.

Before joining the Verizon and Hearst-owned youth-culture digital media company, Baesler spent nearly a decade overseeing the UK and US businesses for Bauer Media Group.

Netflix has appointed Ambassador Susan E. Rice to its board of directors.

“We are delighted to welcome Ambassador Rice to the Netflix board,” said Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings. “For decades, she has tackled difficult, complex global issues with intelligence, integrity and insight and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and wisdom.”

Rice joins the streaming company’s board after directing the US National Security Council staff and chairing the National Security Principals committee from 2013 to 2017.

AEG Global Partnerships has hired Matt Lawler as director of digital, where he will oversee the company’s efforts to expand its sports partnerships in the online space.

“Matt offers a wealth of experience and enthusiasm that benefits brand partners as we expand the digital business capabilities and build out new revenue streams across the worldwide portfolio,” said Nick Baker, chief operating officer of AEG Global Partnerships.

Lawler most recently served as vice president and group director of social for Canvas Worldwide, a media agency.

Bob Raposo has joined Sony Electronics as the head of its film theater business, where he will focus on selling the company’s new line of digital projectors.

Raposo most recently held the position of vice president of sales for D-Box Technologies.

Kristin Stark of Amblin Partners has been promoted to senior vice president of marketing and communications, wherein she will manage the entirety of the studio’s marketing efforts.

“Amblin is fortunate to have such a deft communicator and marketer in Kristin, who understands the demands of an ever-changing business,” said Susan Fleischman, Amblin’s executive vice president of corporate communications. “We’re delighted to recognize her many contributions with this promotion and even happier that she is part of our leadership team.”

Before her promotion, Stark held the title of senior vice president of publicity.

Video marketing platform Innovid has appointed Tim Braz as its senior vice president of sales.

“Tim’s laser-focus on customer satisfaction and success couldn’t be a better fit for Innovid’s mission and company culture,” said Beth-Ann Eason, president of Innovid. “Data-driven video has become increasingly important for our current and prospective customers, and Tim’s consultative experience with brands will enable us to help them achieve more effective video marketing.”

Before joining Innovid, Braz served as senior vice president of North American sales for Ignition One, a digital marketing platform.

Investment Metrics has hired Mark Bell as its first-ever chief marketing officer.

“Mark brings a wealth of expertise and market knowledge to Investment Metrics,” said Sanjoy Chatterjee, Investment Metrics CEO. “This, paired with an impressive background of growing fintech companies will help us as we embark on an exciting phase of product and global market expansion.”

Bell most recently served as vice president of global marketing at Real Capital Analytics.

Dunkin’ Donuts has appointed Keith Lusby vice president of media, a role in which he will lead the company’s efforts at media planning, buying and placement.

“Keith is an accomplished marketer with extensive experience leading successful consumer-centric media plans for iconic brands,” said Tony Weisman, Dunkin’ Donuts CMO. “Under his direction, we look forward to developing exciting ways to promote the Dunkin’ Donuts brand across a broad spectrum of channels, from television to new opportunities in digital and emerging media.”

Lusby joins the company from MullenLowe Mediahub, where he led the media agency’s placement campaigns for brands such as Chipotle, JetBlue and Staples.

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar has announced tapping Steve Levigne for the role of vice president of insights and analytics.

“Steve is a highly-regarded veteran of the restaurant industry and understands our challenges from a culinary, service, value and brand differentiation perspective. Importantly, franchisee partnership is part of his DNA, and he’ll be a terrific culture fit for the Applebee’s team,” said John Cywinski, Applebee’s president.

Levigne joins the company after spending 23 years at McDonald’s, where he rose to the level of vice president of strategy and insights for the quick-service restaurant’s 14,000 US locations.

Robert A. Niblock, CEO of Lowe’s Companies, has announced his plans to retire after a quarter-century at the hardware stores.

“After a 25-year career at Lowe’s, including 13 years as chairman and CEO, I am confident that it is the right time to transition the company to its next generation of leadership,” Niblock said in a statement. “I look forward to assisting the board with its search, and I am committed to supporting a seamless transition for all of our stakeholders.”

The board of directors has begun a search for Niblock’s successor, and Niblock will continue in his current position until a suitable candidate can be found, presumably one who will be a chip off the old Niblock.

Susan J. Riley, chair of ComScore’s board, is stepping down from her position, adding another position, in addition to that of the CEO, that the company will seek to fill by the end of the year.

“On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank Sue for leading ComScore through a very challenging period and, in particular, her tremendous work in overseeing the successful completion of the financial restatement process,” said Jacques Kerrest, chair of ComScore’s nominating and governance committee.  “Sue has also been instrumental in driving fundamental changes throughout the organization, and her contributions have put ComScore firmly on the right track.”

Virgin Atlantic is expanding its in-house creative department, following the Janurary appointment of Michael Stephens as head of brand and creative at the airline.

“Digital doesn’t stand alone as a department anymore and needs to be woven into everything,” Stephens told to Marketing Week. “These roles will mean we can be reactive with social content and not rely on an agency. We’re being requested more and more for animation and motion graphics and we know that photography and film are more important than ever.”

Whole Foods has slashed its marketing department, terminating all marketing employees below the rank of “associate” in a bid to cut costs, Business Insider reports. It is currently unknown how many people will be affected by this mass layoff.

Job Vacancies 

Events Producer AList Pasadena, CA
Associate Director of Marketing Services Mondelēz International East Hanover, NJ
Sr. Director & VP of Marketing & Communications  adMarketplace New York, NY
Marketing Director, Cheetos Brand Equity PepsiCo Plano, TX
Head of Marketing Amazon Seattle, WA
Paid Marketing Manager Omaze Los Angeles, CA

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