Industry Moves: CBS Hires Bennett For Brand Integration; NBCU Hires Bass For Strategic Initiatives
This story was written by David Kaplan.
CBS (NYSE: CBS) Television Distribution has brought in branding vet Greg Bennett to create an in-house ad unit to work with advertisers on creating product placement opportunities for TV and online programming, according to THR. Bennett takes on the newly-created title of SVP for branded integration and online at CTD. He joins from O! Branded Entertainment And Marketing, a Santa Monica-based consultancy that Bennett founded about five years ago. AdAge mentions that Bennett started another integrated ad consultancy, Luna Bacardi Group, which was sold in 1999.
Meanwhile, NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) has hired former "Early Show" exec producer Michael Bass as SVP of strategic initiatives, and will work on strategy for the company including content, international and digital growth. He will report directly to NBCU CEO Jeff Zucker. Among the events he'll be working on will be upfront strategy, cross-platform programming for the 2009 Super Bowl and local news coverage, reports THR. He rejoined NBCU earlier this year and played a key role in developing NBCU's early upfront sales plans for this season.
By David Kaplan