NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Sep 11, 2014) - iCrossing , a global digital marketing agency, promoted two executives to lead its client service and media practices. Current Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dave Johnson will take on the role of Chief Client Officer (CCO), where he will manage the agency's growing client roster, which includes Charles Schwab, PetSmart and the recently announced Belk account. Christine Bensen , svp, media, will lead iCrossing's media practice, which encompasses search marketing, digital video and display, media planning and buying, analytics and paid social media.
As CCO, Johnson is charged with overseeing the agency's client service and business development teams, supporting client satisfaction and driving growth across the portfolio. An agency veteran with over 20 years of client experience, Johnson will provide executive-level counsel to brands and leadership to iCrossing's account teams. He will also continue to support international operations as COO.
"Dave has a proven track record working with clients and has been a key contributor to iCrossing's success," said Brian Powley , global president of iCrossing. "As our client roster and relationships expand, it is critical that we have someone with Dave's intelligence, character and dedication to excellence to lead our client teams."
As senior vice president of media, Bensen will direct the agency's media practice, which delivers a full-service digital media offering for clients such as DIRECTV, Pep Boys and Charles Schwab. Bensen, who replaces Jonathan Adams in the role, previously managed iCrossing's national display team, ad operations, and the Digital Media Strategy (DMS) and Digital Media Insights (DMI) groups, which drive success for brands through the integration of data and insights into all forms of digital media.
"Christine has the right combination of industry savvy, experience, and leadership to guide our media practice in an increasingly complex media environment," said Powley. "She places a premium on both analytical and creative thinking and maintains laser focus on delivering ROI for our clients."
Recently, iCrossing bolstered its media offering through the introduction of iCrossing SearchAi , the first agency solution that drives audience-based search targeting through Google Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA). Through the use of Hearst audience data, SearchAi creates a more complete picture of who is searching for a given keyword -- including elements such as age, gender, life stage, purchase intent, and interests -- allowing advertisers to more effectively target specific audiences.
"At iCrossing we're always looking for innovative ways to bring our clients closer to their customers. With the introduction of tools like SearchAi -- an offering no other digital agency provides -- we are continuing to build on our media and technology roots to bring first-to-market solutions to our clients," said Powely.
Johnson, who is based in Chicago and will continue to report to Powley, has worked at iCrossing since 2007 as COO and before that served as North American president at Agency.com. Previously, Johnson founded the interactive agency Digital Vision Communications, which he sold to Agency.com.
Prior to iCrossing, Bensen was executive vice president, media director at Moxie where she worked with brands such as Verizon Wireless, L'Oreal USA and Fox Theatrical and Home Entertainment. She is based in iCrossing's San Francisco office and will report directly to Powley.
About iCrossing iCrossing, recently named a "Leader" in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for global digital marketing agencies, builds connected brands for some of the world's most recognized companies including Beam Suntory, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company and LG Electronics. The agency combines its expertise in media, creative and analytics to create moments that build close relationships between brands and their customers in real time. iCrossing, a unit of Hearst Corporation, is headquartered in New York and has 900 employees in 17 offices globally. For more information, visit www.icrossing.com or its social spaces .
More information: Katie Lamkin Email Contact (312) 277-4487 @ktlamkin
