paidContent - EMI Staffs Up With Eight Digital Marketing Execs From Tesco, Google, BSkyB
This story was written by Robert Andrews.
Four months after he took over EMI’s digital marketing, former Second Life tech exec Cory Ondrejka is rebooting the label’s online strategy with a string of digital marketing hires.
That move in March bade farewell to former GoogleCIO Douglas Merrill, who joined as digital strategy SVP in April ‘08, and moved EMI’s digital activities in to the marketing department, with Ondrejka promoted from being Merrill’s digital strategy SVP to EVP of digital marketing. So why no specific digital unit anymore? Ondrejka, who has been fixed on getting consumer data from day one, says in the release: “Digital is everyones job at EMI ... We are driving experiments, and developing new ways to monetize the music our artists create, building new capabilities and getting and sharing insights about what kinds of music products and services todays consumers are looking for.
Though it under Guy Hands, of EMI’s PE owner Terra Firma, that Merrill and Ondrejka were hired, it was after Elio Leoni-Sceti’s appointment as EMI Music chief proper that the reorg into marketing came about.
The new hires are…
—Syd Schwartz, global digital marketing SVP (widening his remit from north America only); based in New York, reports to Ondrejka.
—David Boyle, consumer insight and validation VP (former Tesco forecasting head, will use new tools to research fans, across EMI’s three units); based in London, reports to Ondrejka.
—Eric Case, marketing platforms VP (a former Googler who helped develop Blogger.com, will work on digital “platforms”); reports to Ondrejka.
—Charlotte Robertson, consumer reach VP (last headed BSkyB’s online business unit marketing, will work on ways to building reach and relationships with fans); reports to Schwartz.
In addition, Obdrejka is appointing regional digital marketing heads on the artist side…
—UK & Ireland VP, London: Dan Duncombe (promoted from artist campaign head), has a 12-strong digital marketing team; reports to Europe marketing EVP Bart Cools, working with Schwartz.
—Continental Europe SVP, Cologne: Achim Fettig (moves up from tech roles at EMI Germany); reports to Cools, working with Schwartz and Duncombe.
—North America VP: Bob Heinemann (a veteran of EMI labels and of SonicNet and Reel.com), has a 12-strong digital marketing team; reports to north America marketing EVP Howard Handler.
—Catalog unit - Geoff Smith; reports to commercial marketing SVPs Steve Pritchard and Pete Duckworth.
By Robert Andrews