Beam Suntory Hires Another Coke Marketer

Rebecca Messina, global chief marketing officer for Beam Suntory, has plucked a former Coca-Cola colleague to serve as the liquor marketer's VP-integrated marketing communications. David Campbell, an 11-year Coke veteran, will take on the newly created position, overseeing content creation, connections planning (i.e. media), digital and Beam Suntory's in-house creative agency. Ms. Messina assumed the CMO role earlier this year after a 22-year career at Coca-Cola, including most recently serving as Coke's senior VP-marketing and innovation for venturing and emerging brands. Mr. Campbell most recently served as the marketing director of the venturing and emerging brands unit, which includes newer, up-and-coming brands. He also spent time in Coke's global marketing department and was involved in efforts including marketing for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Ms. Messina stated that Mr. Campbell will "play an integral role in our marketing and innovation journey focused on brand building in a data-driven, digitally enabled world." His start date is Dec. 5. A Coca-Cola spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chicago-area based Beam Suntory was formed in 2014 when Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan acquired Beam Inc. The marketer's brands include Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Pinnacle Vodka, Sauza Tequila and the Skinnygirl line of cocktails, vodkas and wines. Mr. Campbell's hire is the latest in a series of changes Ms. Messina is making at Beam. In September she put the flagship Jim Beam bourbon brand into a global creative agency review that is still ongoing. In August, Beam named Preacher of Austin, Texas, as the new creative agency-of-record for bourbon brands Knob Creek and Basil Hayden's.

Beam Suntory Hires Another Coke Marketer

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