Sales Lead: Shutterstock recently announced that it will soon acquire GIPHY for $53m. Shutterstock will commercialize GIPHY's GIF library with its capabilities in content and metadata monetization, studio production, generative AI, and creative automation. The deal is reportedly expected to close in June 2023. The company will likely: Keep ramping up spend Seek new agency partners Target demographic:  ​​​​​​​Millennials with a male skew Additional s...

Sales Lead: The Chicago Blackhawks selected Jerry Ferguson as its marketing VP in April 2023. Ferguson was previously the growth and innovation VP at Sid Lee. The organization will likely: Shift strategy This will likely involve bolstering marketing initiatives. Target demographic:  Male sports enthusiasts in Chicago Additional recent leadership shifts: This hire comes not long after the Blackhawks appointed creative director Mich...

Sales Lead: Tom Ford (TF) is in search of a new top marketer since its CMO, Charlotte Blechman, will depart on May 31, 2023. Blechman joined the company in January 2017 but has worked with the designer for 17 years at YSL, Gucci, and his namesake brand. She has handled TF's global advertising, customer relationship management, visual display, marketing communications, marketing initiatives, philanthropic efforts, brand partnerships, and events. TF will announce a successor later; fo...

Sales Lead: Shipley Do-Nuts selected Flynn Dekker as its new CEO, effective May 2023. Dekker joined from Bonchon Franchise, where he served in the same role Before working at Bonchon, he was the CMO at Wingstop. He succeeds Clifton Rutledge, Shipley's former CEO who has now returned to the company's board of directors. The company will likely: Implement strategy shifts Pursue sponsorship opportunities similar to a recent one These sponsorship opportun...

Sales Lead: In one of its biggest campaigns ever, Lime promotes a clean break from cars, encouraging more eco-friendly transportation alternatives. The campaign rolled out ahead of expected summer climbs in Lime's key markets. Made in-house, "Make a Clean Break" launched in nearly 4x as many markets as prior campaigns. It rolled out globally but also includes localized activities in cities such as LA, Denver, Milan, Dusseldorf, Minneapolis, DC, Seattle, and Atlanta. For exampl...

Sales Lead: Since appointing CMO Leslie Berland in January 2023, Peloton has shifted its strategy significantly. In a comeback effort centered around becoming a more accessible fitness company, Peloton just rolled out a rebrand and campaign. The rebrand includes the campaign, which features real customers, along with a new brand identity and color scheme, more free app workouts, new product color options, and a new app experience customization feature. The new campaign rolled out ac...

Sales lead: These DM shifts will affect the company's marketing strategy & agency roster.  Vroom's CMO, Rachel Mahoney, left the company in May 2023. Mahoney joined Vroom in 2018 and is now the CMO of Shutterstock.  Vroom promoted Casey Akerblom to marketing VP in April 2023. He joined the company as senior director of growth marketing in 2022.  Akerblom appears to be the company's top marketer at this time.  Target demographic: Millennials with a mal...

Sales lead: Keep an eye on this company because this hire will likely lead to spend & agency roster shifts.  Shutterstock hired Rachel Mahoney as CMO, effective May 2023. Mahoney most recently served as Vroom's CMO. As CMO, she will manage customer engagement, long-term vision, and brand. Target demographic: Businesses The company will likely: Continue increasing spend Try new marketing channels Make changes to its agency roster Broadcast insights (TV ad creat...

Sales lead: This hire will likely lead to spend shifts & agency appointments.  CarHop Auto Sales and Finance hired Beth Sanders as CMO, effective April 2023. Sanders joins from Westerra Credit Union, where she served as marketing strategy & analytics VP. She is now responsible for all of CarHop's marketing operations.  Target demographic: Gen-Xers & millennials  The company will likely: Ramp digital spend back up Diversify digital ad placement Seek agency assistanc...

Media Sales Lead: Popcornopolis just added two new flavors, Jalapeno Lime and White Cheddar, to its Nearly Naked line. The new products are available online and at Sam's Clubs nationwide. It will expand into other retailers such as Kroger, Rite Aid, and Walgreens later this year. The Nearly Naked line is non-GMO, from 35-50 calories per cup, and gluten-free. Popcornopolis also introduced new packaging alongside the launch.  Key Lead Takeaways: Porcornopolis will likely ramp up ad spend or ...