Sales Lead: Austin FC (AFC) is now in search of a new top marketer due to the recent departure of James Ruth. Ruth parted ways with the organization in May 2023. He joined AFC in March 2020 as its marketing SVP and was promoted to CMO in January 2023. Ruth is now in the same role at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The league will likely: Need additional marketing assistance in his absence Shift strategy Continue increasing digital spend Seek new agency partners T...

Sales Lead: James Ruth became the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' CMO in May 2023. Ruth joined from Austin FC, where he served in the same role. The Buccaneers don't seem to have had a CMO since parting ways with Brian Killingsworth in 2016. The organization will likely: Shift its strategy Bolster advertising initiatives Keep increasing spend Conduct agency reviews Target demographic:  Male football fans, especially those in and around FL. Additional ...

Media Sales Lead: Tesla Motors just shifted gears with a new video that's its first real major attempt at advertising. In the past, Tesla has avoided traditional advertising campaigns, but its metaphorical hand has been forced by its increasing competition in the EV space. The campaign may also end up including channels such as Google Ads, YouTube, and more traditional outlets such as TV. The video, "Drive to Believe," shows how Tesla's American EV can make drivers and passengers feel safe, s...

Sales Lead: Aplos, a non-alcoholic spirits brand that launched in 2020, just landed a Series A funding round. Led by McCarthy Capital, the funding round raised $5.5m. The funding will reportedly go toward distribution expansion in restaurants, bars, and retailers. The company will likely: Continue ramping up spend Seek new agency partners Target demographic:  Gen-Z and millennials Aplos's drinks appeal to better-for-you (BFY) consumers as well as consumer...

Sales Lead: Effective May 2023, Veeps named Eileen Mercolino as its first-ever CMO. Mercolino joined from Spin, where she served in the same role. She now leads Veeps's overall marketing stewardship. The company will likely: Implement strategy shift Make forays into additional digital channels Continue increasing digital spend Conduct agency reviews Target demographic:  Millennial music enthusiasts Additional recent leadership shifts: ...

Sales lead: The CMO hire & new funding signal the company will increase ad spend & may seek agency assistance. ID.me named Marcus Hearne CMO, effective April 2023. Hearne most recently served as chief commercial officer of Varicent. In the same month, ID.me secured $132m in a Series D funding round. This brings the company's total evaluation to about $240m.  Target demographic: Wide range of individuals The company will likely: Significantly inc...

Sales lead: Contact the new CMO for more details about his future plans.  LoanDepot elevated Alec Hanson to CMO in May 2023. Hanson joined the company in 2019 as division manager & SVP. He is now responsible for brand, digital, lead generation, campaigns, and building brand awareness.  Target demographic: Male Gen-Xers & millennials seeking loans The company will likely: Return to 2021 spending levels Experiment with new ad channels Outsource some marketing duties ...

Sales lead: Contact this company's DMs if you can help it promote its new on-air look.  CNN is celebrating its 43rd anniversary with a brand campaign and a new on-air look. The new look includes an updated on-air graphics package that it believes is more modern. Details regarding the campaign are sparse, so reach out to see if you can offer ad space. We predicted a campaign when we told you about CNN's new chief creative officer in February.  Target demographic: Millennials &...

Sales lead: Reach out to this company's DMs if you can help it reach a younger audience.  Xerox kicked off its biggest brand campaign in over five years in May 2023.  The company paused ad spend during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it is ramping spend back up now that many workers are returning to the office.  The "We Make Work, Work" campaign is part of Xerox's ongoing experiment with new ad channels to reach Gen-Z & millennial workers.  Xerox is ramping up streaming video, digital,...

Sales Lead: Dave & Buster's (D&B) recently launched a summer campaign for adults. The company has retired its former tagline, "Ding, Ding, Ding!" in favor of a new one, "You Know You Want To." This initiative includes the launch of "The Dave & Buster's Method," a program that helps adult unlearn their misconceptions about adulthood while reprioritizing fun and happiness. The new campaign rolled out across TV, CTV, YouTube, Twitch, Roku, Meta, TikTok, and Search. Additional campaig...