By Rick Griffin
Independent mortgage lender Guild Mortgage Co. has hired its first-ever chief marketing officer. Wendy Wong, with more than 25 years of experience in brand and digital marketing, has been named chief marketing officer and senior vice president.
Guild said Wong’s hiring means marketing and branding leadership has become a higher priority as the company expands various lines of business, including retail, correspondent, consumer direct and servicing.
“Wendy will play a central role in Guild’s social media outreach, new website design and implementation, improving organizational efficiency and transforming Guild’s digital presence,” said Mary Ann McGarry, Guild president and CEO. “She leads digital marketing, brand narrative, storytelling and sales enablement through marketing technology, which will be vital to supporting our strategic growth plans for 2017 and beyond.”
Prior to Guild, Wong was senior vice president of marketing at The Ken Blanchard Companies, a global leadership development brand. Previously, she was director of digital marketing at Fair Isaac Corporation (now FICO), and led company strategy and brand reinvention at HNC Software and Dun & Bradstreet. She is a board member for Berrett-Koehler Publishing Group, based in Oakland.
Wong has won several awards, including Platinum and Gold Marcom Awards in video and documentary in 2015, Summit International’s Leader Award in 2013, American Business’s Stevie Award in 2013 and Best in Biz’s Silver Award for “2012 Event of the Year.” She has a bachelor’s degree in literature and international studies in 1986 from Cornell University and her MBA in strategic marketing in 1992 from University of California Berkeley’s Walter A. Haas School of Business.
“I enjoy every aspect of marketing management, from setting strategy and providing creative direction, to measuring results,” says Wong. “I like to leverage brand to drive a sense of common purpose across the entire organization.”
91X Announces ‘Wrex The Halls’ December Concerts
Radio station 91X (XETRA 91.1-FM) has announced its annual “Wrex The Halls” holiday concerts will be held Saturday night, Dec. 10, and Sunday night, Dec. 11, at Valley View Casino Center, formerly the San Diego Sports Arena.
Performing on Saturday will be Beck, Band of Horses, Local Natives, Glass Animals, and Bishop Briggs. Performing on Sunday will be local punk legends Blink-182 and Pierce the Veil, plus Jimmy Eat World, Kaleo and an opening spot for a local band to be determined following a competition hosted by the station. Tickets to both concerts are now on sale at www.91x.com
“At 91X we’re proud to be the leader when it comes to new music discovery and supporting local. This year’s edition of Wrex The Halls certainly reinforces that,” said Garett Michaels, director of rock, SDLocal, an advertising sales company affiliated with 91X. “We’re honored to present two diverse nights that show the musical breadth and heritage of 91X.”
Station officials said 91X’s holiday concerts, which began in 1993, have been known by various names, including “Acoustic X-mas,” which became “Caustic X-mas” in 1994. Other names over the years have included “Frosty the Show, Man” and “Nightmare Before X-Mas” before “Wrex The Halls” began in 2008. Names of some performing bands in the early years also were memorable, including “Porno for Pyros” in 1993, “Dinosaur Junior” in 1994 and “Meat Puppets” and “Rocket from the Crypt” in 1995.
91X is owned by Local Media San Diego LLC, a San Diego-based broadcasting company backed by private equity firm Thoma Bravo LLC.
KCD PR Acquires Wall & Broadway
KCD PR, a San Diego public relations and marketing agency, has announced its acquisition of Wall & Broadway, a boutique consultancy specializing in technology clients with an emphasis in the financial technology sector. As part of the acquisition, Philippa Ushio, founder of Wall & Broadway, will join KCD PR as a managing director. Ushio has experience with advising companies and governments in the U.S., U.K. Australia and Middle East on communication issues relating fundraising, restructuring, IPOs, M&A and crisis.
“Our acquisition of Wall & Broadway with Philippa Ushio at the helm brings not only complimentary financial services experience, but also deep Silicon Valley credentials across technology and fintech,” said Kevin Dinino, president and founder, KCD PR.
“The diverse team at KCD PR is comprised of talented, passionate, smart and strategic thinkers with experience from a broad range of industries. I look forward to joining the KCD PR management team and helping grow the business, working closely with our team and valued clients as we continue this exciting trajectory,” said Ushio.
KCD’s technology and financial services clients include Brain Corp., Cyber Center of Excellence, 1st Global Research & Consulting and TwinRock Partners.
Studio 2055 Becomes Comet Creative
Studio 2055, a marketing company in Carlsbad, has changed its name to Comet Creative to coincide the firm’s 30th anniversary. The company’s previous name was a direct reference to the firm’s street address. Nanette Newbry, founder, principal and creative director, said Comet Creative better reflects the firm’s vibrant personality and dynamic image it has nurtured over the last 30 years.
“Comets are beautiful, massive and visible from Earth,” said Newbry. “It is a perfect metaphor for the work that Comet Creative is focused on in defining a company’s brand, like the core of a comet, and extending the influence of that brand, like the tail of a comet.”
Founded in 1986 as a graphic design studio by Nanette Newbry, the firm has expanded to a full-service design and marketing firm with six employees, offering clients branding, design, digital and marketing solutions. Clients have included Gemological Institute of America, Twentieth Century Fox, Four Seasons, TaylorMade, Reno Contracting, Hope-Amundson, Museum of Encaustic Art, Z BioScience and ACI Last Mile Network.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
