TBS & TNT Marketing Shifts to Always-On, Content-Centric Model with Expanded Leadership
Jeff Gregor Promoted to Chief Catalyst Officer;
Michael Engleman Hired as Executive Vice President,
Entertainment Marketing and Brand Innovation
The TBS and TNT marketing team is undergoing a major strategic evolution under Kevin Reilly, president of TBS and TNT, chief content officer, Turner Entertainment. The networks' marketing efforts will shift to a new content model consisting of a constant flow of creative across all platforms with a focus on maintaining relationships between consumers and the brands, as well as with advertising partners. This change will also add new competencies in targeting consumer engagement and social relevance, on top of traditional marketing functions.
As part of this evolution, Jeff Gregor is being elevated to chief catalyst officer for TBS & TNT, while Michael Engleman is set to join the company in early 2016 to serve in the new position of executive vice president of entertainment marketing and brand innovation for the networks. Gregor, who is based in Atlanta, reports to Reilly, while Engleman will be based in Los Angeles, reporting to Gregor and working closely with Reilly and the new content team in Los Angeles.
"We are reinventing two market-leading brands, TBS and TNT, which calls for a forward-reaching, re-imagining of our marketing organization," said Reilly. "I have worked closely with Jeff since I joined the company, and he is one of the rare leaders who can draw on his deep brand marketing experience while reaching for new ideas and emergent methodologies. Michael will be the perfect complement to Jeff in our leadership suite - a stellar media professional with a successful track record in finding new, culturally relevant paths to the consumer."
Jeff Gregor, Chief Catalyst Officer, TBS & TNT
Jeff Gregor, who most recently served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer of TBS and TNT, will expand his marketing purview in a newly created role as chief catalyst officer. In this role he will continue his duties as chief marketing officer while accelerating organizational change, supporting sales to monetize brand content and innovation, driving key strategic initiatives and operational efficiencies, and providing support to executives across all functional areas that interact with the marketing organization.
Gregor and his team have been lauded for their innovative and creative initiatives, such as the award-winning launch campaign and Emmy(R)-winning companion app for TBS's late-night series CONAN. The team broke new ground with the launch of live streaming apps for the networks, making TBS and TNT the first entertainment networks in the industry to offer a digitally streamed simulcast of their on-air lineups.
For TNT, Gregor has led the marketing initiatives behind some of television's most popular dramas, including Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes and The Last Ship, which ranked among basic cable Top 10 scripted series this past summer; the epic sci-fi adventure Falling Skies, from executive producer Steven Spielberg; and the top-rated fantasy adventure The Librarians. For TBS, Gregor has overseen the marketing for the award-winning launch and Emmy(R)-winning companion app for TBS's late-night series CONAN. He has also led the campaigns for such original TBS comedies as American Dad! and Cougar Town, as well as the network's chart-topping telecasts of The Big Bang Theory.
Gregor previously oversaw marketing for Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and served as the network's general manager. Under his leadership, TCM launched the groundbreaking Watch TCM digital platform, earned its second Peabody Award and celebrated its 20th year as a leading authority in classic film.
Prior to being named chief marketing officer, Gregor served as senior vice president of sports marketing and programming for TNT and TBS, developing campaigns for the NBA, Major League Baseball and NASCAR. He joined TNT and TBS in 2000 after serving as director of sports asset management for The Coca-Cola Co., where he led marketing management and system utilization of key sponsorships with NASCAR, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and Major League Baseball. He also worked with Wunderman Cato Johnson, a Young & Rubicam marketing services agency, overseeing the Miller Brewing account group, and he held marketing sales positions with the Cleveland Indians and the Philadelphia Phillies. A native of East Chicago, Ind., Gregor holds a bachelor of arts in economics from Albion College in Michigan.
Michael Engleman, Executive Vice President of Entertainment Marketing & Brand Innovation
As executive vice president of entertainment marketing and brand innovation, Michael Engleman will oversee all branding and marketing initiatives in support of TBS and TNT, as well as the creation of a new content marketing group designed to maximize opportunities presented by a fast-changing media landscape. Using an always-on approach, he will be responsible for developing innovative marketing solutions for both networks, growing consumer relationships through audience development, digital and social content creation, real-time marketing and cross-plat form consumer experiences. He will also work hand in hand with the networks' development, programming, ad sales, research and publicity teams to define, articulate and execute key entertainment business strategies and initiatives.
Engleman comes to TBS & TNT after serving as executive vice president, marketing, digital and global brand strategy for Syfy and Chiller. In that role, he aligned all marketing and digital activities for the two properties, including brand, consumer, web, social and sales marketing initiatives aimed at optimizing advertising revenue and partnerships. Engleman has also developed landmark campaigns for a number of hit Syfy series including the groundbreaking transmedia launch of Defiance, the acclaimed current series 12 Monkeys and Face Off, and the social media sensation Sharknado 1 to 3.
Engleman joined Syfy in March 2008 as vice president and creative director and was the key architect of Syfy's 2009 rebrand, a new global brand identity that helped fuel Syfy's international expansion into 87 countries. His creative direction established the network's highly successful positioning, multi-platform look and feel, and award winning brand films.
Before joining Syfy, Engleman served as vice president and creative director for Country Music Television (CMT), directly managing four separate creative and strategic divisions and establishing a new channel brand position that led to record ratings growth. In addition to a variety of award-winning promotional and marketing campaigns, Engleman extended the CMT brand into a variety of successful off-channel business, including gaming, theatrical films, publishing and apparel.
About TBS & TNT
TBS is basic cable's #1 network with young adults. Available across multiple platforms in 95 million homes, TBS features such original comedies as American Dad! and the upcoming Angie Tribeca, The Detour, Wrecked and Search Party, along with unscripted originals like Funny Or Die Presents America's Next Weatherman, Meet the Smiths and the upcoming Separation Anxiety and America's Greatest Makers (working title). In late night TBS is home to CONAN, starring Conan O'Brien, and the upcoming Full Frontal wi th Samantha Bee. The TBS lineup also includes the popular contemporary comedies The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy; blockbuster movies; and live coverage of Major League Baseball's regular and post-season play; the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship; and the brand new eSports gaming league.
TNT is one of basic cable's top-rated networks. Seen across multiple platforms in 94 million households, TNT is home to such original drama series as Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, The Last Ship, The Librarians, Agent X, Murder in the First, Legends, Public Morals and the upcoming The Alienist. TNT also features the unscripted investigation series Cold Justice and Cold Justice: Sex Crimes. In addition, TNT is the cable home to popular dramas like Castle, Bones, Supernatural and Grimm; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards(R), the Live Nation Music Awards and the iHeartRadio Music Awards; and championship sports coverage, including the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
TBS and TNT are part of Turner, a Time Warner company that creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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