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J.D. Power Taps Strategist for ‘Digital Transformation’

J.D. Power and Associates in Costa Mesa hired Bernardo Rodriguez as chief digital officer, a new position. Rodriguez will be in charge of “advancing J.D. Power’s digital transformation,” which includes new-product development, branding, marketing and mergers and acquisitions. He will report to Chief Executive Finbarr O’Neill.

“Bernardo is an accomplished business leader with proven experience to accelerate transformation of businesses through the development of data and analytics, strategic products and capabilities that drive growth opportunities,” O’Neill said in a statement. “Bernardo has the ideal background to integrate various data sources into a holistic view of the consumer.”

Rodriguez was most recently managing director of strategy at Huge Inc., a New York-based digital agency, where he worked with “Fortune 100 companies on the design and execution of product and brand strategies, enterprise transformation and innovation,” including “digital transformation and experience strategy for a $12 billion Canadian telecom company, product strategy for a $30 billion global financial institution, and a small-business segment digital strategy for a $120 billion U.S. telecom company.”

J.D. Power, founded in 1968 and famous for its Power Circle Ratings, conducts independent consumer surveys of product and service quality and customer satisfaction in industries such as automotive, financial services, healthcare, insurance, energy and telecommunications. The company also works on behalf of corporate clients to analyze consumer preference data to help drive and define brand strategies.

Advantage Acquisition

Advantage Solutions Inc., an Irvine-based provider of sales, marketing, merchandising and digital technology services for packaged goods manufacturers and retailers, acquired Brand Connections in New York from investment firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson on undisclosed terms.

Brand Connections focuses on promotions, retail marketing, and shopper marketing services. It has about 430 employees at its headquarters and offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Montclair, N.J., Miami, Minneapolis and Orlando. Its “targeted media, product placement and experiential marketing products connect national advertisers with hundreds of millions of consumers in environments such as airlines, hotels, resorts, outdoor sports recreation centers and colleges and universities,” according to VSS.

“Brand Connections’ success in the beauty category coupled with a national venue network that includes thousands of lifestyle sampling destinations and an established direct to consumer ‘box’ sampling business model brings us vital category, market, and service adjacencies,” said Jill Griffin, president of Advantage Marketing Partners. “These services are incredibly complementary to our current Retail, Shopper, Consumer, and Brand Experience businesses and will help us grow in new categories and channels.”

Advantage posted a net income of $31.2 million last year on $2.1 billion in revenue. It has about 45,000 employees working out of 120 offices in the U.S. and Canada. The firm serves about 2,000 manufacturers for products at more than 200,000 retail locations. It filed for an initial public offering in May.

It’s owned by Los Angeles-based private equity firm Leonard Green Partners LP and CVC Capital Partners in Luxembourg.

Alexa for Niro

Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa is helping Kia Motors America Inc. in Irvine introduce new hybrid crossover Niro. Consumers who own Alexa will be able to ask it for product information and check local dealer inventory.

“Kia is committed to simplifying the car buying process and this provides a one stop source for Niro information and engages consumers through the digital channels they use the most,” Director of Marketing Kimberley Gardiner said in a statement. “The future is now with user-friendly interfaces such as Amazon Alexa, and Kia is focused on giving our customers convenience and flexibility in the mobile way today’s shoppers are looking for.”

The automaker has also partnered with Amazon Media Group to advertise the service. Its head of U.S. sales and marketing, Jeremi Gorman, defined the Alexa collaboration as “a great example of a brand working backwards from customers to address their needs in ways they’ve not yet imagined themselves.”

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