Contact Information: Media Contact: Rosalia Scampoli 212-537-5177, Ext 7
RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ--(Marketwire - September 14, 2009) - Cheil
USA Inc., the North American Regional Headquarters of Cheil Worldwide,
today announced the appointment of Ian Baer as Chief Strategy Officer. In
that position, Baer will provide thought leadership to all Cheil USA
clients in integrated brand strategy, consumer insights, account planning
and analytics. He will report to Michael Kim, President of Cheil USA.
Before coming to Cheil USA, Baer was president of Big Fuel Communications,
the New York-based marketing company, leading the development of its
proprietary Content to Commerce Model and helping clients like
Colgate-Palmolive, Yahoo and Fisher-Price succeed in the new media
landscape. In addition to his leadership role at Big Fuel Communications,
Baer has also held senior leadership positions at iCrossing, TBWA, Deutsch,
Rapp Collins and JWT.
Michael Kim said, "Ian will be a valuable member of our Leadership Group as
we continue to implement our growth strategy in North America. Ian's
extensive experience in all areas of marketing complemented by his
expertise in new media will add another level to our clients' marketing
strategies."
In more than 20 years of experience in integrated brand marketing,
advertising, digital, direct, promotions, search and social media, Baer has
worked with major clients as varied as Kraft, Sprint, HBO, Johnson &
Johnson, General Electric, Bayer, UPS and the United States Navy. As a
recognized industry voice in integrated marketing, Baer serves on the board
of directors for the John Caples International Awards, honoring the best in
direct and interactive marketing around the world, as well as the iDirect
Leadership Committee of the Direct Marketing Association. He is also a
frequent speaker on brand building and new media for post-graduate studies
at Columbia University and New York University.
"Cheil has a really unique opportunity to fuse its passion for ideas with
both traditional and new media strategies to form something incredibly
powerful," Ian Baer said. "Brands need an agency that so deeply
understands today's consumers and knows how to navigate the digital swirl
in which they live their lives. I was thrilled to join the team."
Jennifer Friedberg, General Manager of Cheil USA, said, "It's been a strong
year for Cheil USA as we continue to attract accomplished industry players
like Ian and build out our critical mass and competencies. North America
is an important market in Cheil Worldwide's expansion strategy, and you can
expect to continue to see bold moves as we implement our growth strategy
here."
About Cheil USA
Established in 1992, Cheil USA Inc., is
the North American Regional Headquarters of Cheil Worldwide -- the 16th
largest advertising agency in the world and headquartered in Seoul, South
Korea. Based in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, Cheil USA has locations in
Dallas, Texas; Toronto, Canada; and Mexico City, Mexico. Through Passion
for Ideas and Idea Engineering, Cheil Worldwide is a full-service
communications agency specializing in advertising, interactive, promotions,
media, and event marketing.
