One-Line Bio
Entrepreneur in emerging media
Biography
Neal F. Fondren neal.fondren@intermarkgroup.com
3042 Brook Highland Drive
Birmingham, Alabama 35242
(205) 980-0601 [H] ● (205) 910-4456 [M]
Senior-Level Operations and Product Development Leader
Interactive Entrepreneur ● Marketing Strategist ● Start-up Strategist ● Advertising Agency Experience ● E-Commerce Strategist ● Customer Relationship Management ● Budgeting ● Forecasting ● Promotions ● Licensing ● Media
◊ Founded two interactive media divisions for media companies, building sales for interactive advertising to industry-leading levels in brief periods; hands-on marketing approach and sales leadership. Led the creation of e-commerce sites for known brands such as Peanuts, The Dilbert Zone, Home and Garden Television, and TV Food Network.
◊ Led interactive advertising agency, Blockdot, Inc. over a two-year period. Teams created award-winning projects for consumer brands such as Mars Candy, Nokia, and American Airlines. Also sold and completed projects for movies, such as Evan Almighty and Accepted. Grew revenues from less than 1$ million to over $8 million in annual revenues over a two-year period.
◊ Managed all programming contracts, marketing, and promotion for a cable television operator with 1 million customers. Managed budgets for promotion, negotiated placement and carriage for programs such as HBO, ESPN, and MTV. Created programming groups of services and branded the groups to provide identity for local cable companies beyond nationally recognized brands.
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
Intermark Group, Inc., Birmingham, Alabama 2007-Present
Top-100 full-service advertising and marketing agency.
Director, New Media
Primarily responsible for interactive strategy for clients, marketing products and services via the Web and other interactive and digital media.
• Serve as a resource for interactive media; best practices.
• Lead interactive media team in the placement of interactive media, including all forms of display advertising and search engine marketing.
• Serve as a point of intersection and integration between traditional media forms and new media for clients across a broad range of varying products and services.
• Assist clients in the development and execution of interactive strategy.
Media General, Inc., (MEG), Richmond, VA 2001-June 2007
Media Company serving primarily the Southeast with newspapers, broadcast television, and interactive media. $1 billion in annual revenues.
President, Interactive Media Division 2001-June 2007
Founded the interactive media division, hired small staff initially. Created vision, strategy, and led the growth of the division over a 6-year period.
• Formulated sales strategies around classified advertising, including upsell opportunities for inbound calls and outbound telesales related to recruitment advertising.
• Led sales group of 60, many IT functions, development, editorial, and creative services departments.
• Introduced sales strategies for mobile technology, and web display advertising. Introduced one of the first video advertising models on the Web.
• Performed due diligence and closed the acquisition of Blockdot, Inc., a small interactive advertising agency. Led the agency for a 2-year period, increasing sales to over $8 million over the period. Increased sales pipeline from less than $500 K to over $3 million.
• Served on the steering committee for a group of newspaper companies that consummated a long-term, multi-layered arrangement with Yahoo!, Inc.
• Managed investment in NTN/Buzztime, an interactive entertainment company. Licensed games to NTN, as well as serving on the board of directors.
Neal F. Fondren Page 2
The E.W. Scripps Company, (SSP), Cincinnati, OH 1989-2000
Media Company with operating units that include cable television networks, licensing, newspapers, and broadcast television stations.
Vice President, Interactive Media, 1996-2000
Began the interactive division as an R&D project; pioneered concepts for interactive media.
• Led the creation of a web presence for all cable, newspaper, and broadcast sites.
• Pioneered e-commerce early initiatives by selling licensed consumer products for Peanuts and Dilbert properties.
• In conjunction with the cable network, initiated entry for HGTV Dream Home Giveaway web initiative.
• Created branded websites, such as www.tcpalm.com to draw new audiences to the Web.
Vice President, Scripps Howard Cable Company, 1994-1996
Managed all marketing, programming, and contract negotiations with broadcast affiliates in over 75 markets. Budgeted and forecasted revenues.
• Member of a 3-person team that consummated a $1.6 billion merger of Scripps’ cable assets with Comcast Cable Corp.
• Created programming groups with unique brands to leverage a local brand ahead of nationally recognized brands; established a local brand that could be valued and marketed.
• Recognized as one of the top multi-system cable operators for revenue growth and operating margin.
• Performed due diligence and acquired 10 cable television systems.
