For generations, the prevailing view in advertising held that a world outside the major metro hubs of New York, Chicago and later Los Angeles didn’t exist–or at least didn’t matter. But as the industry settles firmly into its digital age, a new generation is flocking to smaller cities like Austin, Texas, Omaha, Neb., and Knoxville,… https://www.adweek.com/agencies/bright-lights-small-city-why-talent-is-leaving-the-industrys-metro-hubs/

It may seem obvious to sell to human beings rather than “consumers.” But marketers often ignore this basic tenet, one that Doner chief consumer connections officer Marcus Collins holds above all else. “When we walk into the office as a marketer, we take our human hat off and put on the marketer hat, strategist, creative,”… https://www.adweek.com/agencies/doners-marcus-collins-says-marketing-is-simple-when-you-apply-a-human-touch/

The Twin Cities agency scene mourned the passing of a giant earlier this month when creative director Rolland “Ron” Anderson, a titan of an earlier era in advertising, died at the age of 82. Anderson spent roughly five decades in the ad industry and helped shape agencies both within and beyond his Minnesota home base,… https://www.adweek.com/agencies/ron-anderson-creative-director-behind-pork-the-other-white-meat-dies-at-82/

Antonio Lucio, global chief marketing and communications officer at tech giant HP Inc., is leaving for the same role at Facebook, the company confirmed today. Lucio will report to Facebook chief product officer Chris Cox and start on September 4. “[Antonio] has an extraordinary reputation in the industry as a leader, a marketer, an operator,… https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/facebook-hires-hps-antonio-lucio-as-its-new-global-chief-marketing-officer/

Pete Blackshaw is leaving Nestl? after nearly 8 years as one of the CPG company’s top marketing executives. Today, Cincinnati-based Cintrifuse announced that Blackshaw will become its new CEO. According to the company’s statement, Blackshaw will help make the group “the No. 1 startup and entrepreneurial hub in the Midwest.” Cintrifuse is a 6-year old… https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/nestles-global-head-of-digital-and-social-media-leaves-for-cincinnati-startup-group/

Accenture Interactive, the digital wing of the larger international consulting group, looks to expand its presence in the Nordic region by hiring a new chief creative officer. According to the attendant statement, Accenture aims to more actively seek out new business in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. Adam Kerj joins the company after serving as… https://www.adweek.com/agencies/accentures-newest-cco-says-the-consultancy-will-be-as-creative-as-other-agencies/

Experiential marketing agency George P. Johnson (GPJ) announced the hiring of Marcos Ribeiro as vice president, global executive creative director for the IBM account, as he can provide expertise on the tech company he previously spent a decade overseeing at Ogilvy. The Project Worldwide-owned agency has worked with IBM for 20 years. Ribeiro was a… https://www.adweek.com/agencies/agency-george-p-johnson-taps-onetime-ibm-lead-at-ogilvy-to-handle-his-former-client/

For Andrew McKechnie, the journey from joining global agency FCB as a copywriter in January 2001 to becoming svp and CCO of Verizon in February 2017 was a steady climb. “I worked up the ranks in a fairly traditional manner: building my creative portfolio, doing good work, winning awards, winning accounts, winning large global accounts,”… https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-an-agency-vet-ended-up-starting-verizons-in-house-agency-need-to-workshop-this/

Havas North America is a little different, and the privately owned network doesn’t do things quite like all the other ad agencies you know. At least that’s what co-chairman and chief creative officer Jason Peterson says–and he makes no apologies for his own at-times-controversial style. In recent days, a video distributed internally to the network’s… https://www.adweek.com/agencies/havas-cco-explains-their-odd-internal-video-starring-juice-bars-and-poop-emojis/

Mark Penn’s Stagwell Group, a portfolio of self-described digital-centric marketing and research companies, announced today the completion of a $260 million capital raise from investment funds managed by global private equity firm AlpInvest Partners. “The marketing landscape is in the midst of a dramatic transformation, and we are excited to have AlpInvest support our mission… https://www.adweek.com/agencies/mark-penns-stagwell-group-secures-260-million-from-private-equity-firm/