GM, in more marketing shifts, names new ad boss for Cadillac, report says
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Craig Bierley took an unusual path within GM to get to a senior marketing post. |
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NEW YORK -- General Motors has appointed a new director of advertising for the Cadillac brand, GM said today.
Craig Bierley will succeed Molly Peck, who is becoming director of Chevy advertising. Peck replaces Kevin Mayer, who left GM to become vice president of U.S. marketing at Volkswagen last summer.
Bierley, a Michigan native and more than 20-year veteran of GM, has taken an unusual path within the company to get to a senior marketing post. He started out as a financial analyst, but jumped onto the brand side. About a decade ago he was a brand manager and product director for GMC, when the Yukon, Sierra and Acadia were introduced to the public.
Then, while working on Pontiac, he was a marketing director who oversaw the launch of the Vibe and Solstice Coupe, among other things.
Immediately prior to being tapped to lead Cadillac marketing, Bierley served as director for Buick GMC advertising and sales promotion, where he handled strategies that included broadcast, print, digital and experiential channels.
"He has helped the company grow and evolve, successfully completing many product launches, sales and marketing positions in the GMC, Pontiac and Buick sales and marketing organizations," GM said in a statement.
The change in the marketing ranks comes while Alan Batey, vice president of U.S. sales, service and marketing, continues serving in the interim global chief marketing officer position following the ouster last summer of former global CMO Joel Ewanick.
A few months later, Ewanick turned up as an adviser to the CEO at Fisker Automotive, the financially troubled maker of plug-in hybrid Karma sports cars. There is no update yet about whether Batey will continue on as the permanent replacement or if the company is getting close to appointing an outsider to the post.
Meanwhile, Batey has made some big changes that reversed decisions that his predecessor had made.
First he moved all Silverado duties out of the Commonwealth ad agency structure that Ewanick initiated, shifting them to Leo Burnett. Then, earlier this month, he scrapped "Chevy Runs Deep," the tagline that Ewanick ushered in with agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
Mike Colias contributed to this report.
For the complete story from Advertising Age, an affiliate of Automotive News, click here.
You can reach Rupal Parekh at rparekh@adage.com.
