MLB hires ex-Marriott marketer as CMO

MLB has hired former Marriott International global chief marketing officer Karin Timpone to serve as its first CMO in five years. Timpone—who left Marriott last year after a seven-year stint—will oversee global marketing efforts for the pro baseball league and ‘‘collaborate with executives across all revenue, product, and operations units as well as the 30 MLB clubs,” MLB said in a statement. MLB has gone without a CMO since Jacqueline Parkes resigned from the role in the spring of 2016. Marketing had been overseen by senior VP of marketing Barbara McHugh, who will remain in that role and report to Timpone. At Marriott, Timpone oversaw the creation of the Bonvoy loyalty program. MLB also credits her with introducing “state-of-the-art global social media command centers” for the travel chain. She previously held marketing-related jobs at Walt Disney Co., Yahoo and Universal Studios. At MLB she will report to Chief Operations and Strategy Officer Chris Marinak. “As Major League Baseball continues to invest in its marketing resources, Karin brings outstanding experience and accomplishments with a track record as a digital pioneer and marketing leader of major global brands,” he said in a statement. “Karin’s background at the cross-section of entertainment, media, digital, and marketing is a perfect fit to help deepen the connection MLB has with its fans while growing our fan base both domestically and internationally.” Timpone joins MLB as it basks in the glow of last week’s Field of Dreams game on Fox, which was considered a major success. The White Sox-Yankees game, played at the Iowa cornfield site where the 1989 movie was filmed, drew 5.9 million viewers, ranking it as the most-watched regular-season MLB game on any network since 2005, according to Fox. The league is expected to repeat the game next year, pitting the Reds against the Cubs, according to media reports. In its press release announcing Timpone’s hire, MLB cited her experience in “helping global brands connect with new audiences, deepen customer loyalty and innovate with next-generation technology, such as blockchain.” The league in recent years has sought younger fans by using channels such as Twitch and YouTube to air original content that includes behind-the-scenes glimpses into the off-field lives of players.

MLB hires ex-Marriott marketer as CMO

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