Given that 40% of the US population is composed of racial and ethnic minorities, brands need to reflect those demographics with campaigns that are uniquely communicated for them. Marketing pros share what it takes to reach diverse audiences and make authentic connections with staying power.
Presented with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and St. Francis College’s Center for Career Exploration and Communication Arts department
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
The Center's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Jackie Gagne, SVP, Multicultural Marketing, Warner Bros. Discovery
Jackie Gagne is senior vice president Multicultural Marketing at Warner Bros. Discovery. An innovative marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in media and entertainment, Jackie was instrumental in establishing the multicultural marketing strategy for HBO and HBO Max. She has led campaigns for shows like Insecure, A Black Lady Sketch Show and Lovecraft Country. Prior to working at HBO, Jackie served as the Director of Direct and Digital Marketing at Six Flags.
Debbie King, SVP, Sales Strategy, Paramount Advertising
Debbie King is Senior Vice President of Sales Strategy for Paramount Advertising. In this role, she leads the go-to-market strategy for the Advertising team, ensuring that the strategy and materials are fully and naturally representative of the diverse audiences that Paramount reaches. Debbie also oversees the team’s inclusive marketing initiatives. She was integral in the development of Paramount’s Multicultural Marketing Capability, an offering that enables advertising and marketing partners to deliver on their multicultural marketing goals.
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Prior to joining Paramount, Debbie spent over 11 years at the NFL in Brand Marketing, working cross-functionally with senior management to set short- and long-term brand strategy. In this role, she collaborated with sponsors, licensees and teams to ensure consistency in how the brand was communicated across all platforms. During her tenure, Debbie managed branding, logo and uniform development, oversaw decor for events like the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl and managed the postseason logo and conference trophy rebrands. Debbie graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Economics and received an MBA in Marketing and Sport Management from Seton Hall University.
Joe Rockhill, SVP, Portfolio Strategy and Solutions, FOX
Joe Rockhill serves as Senior Vice President of Portfolio Strategy & Solutions for Fox Corporation, leading the Ad Sales Portfolio Marketing team in support of overall revenue generation across the company’s four verticals of Sports, Entertainment, News and Streaming, by elevating and activating messaging to key media decision makers. He also heads the Education pillar for the FOX Ad Sales Diversity and Inclusion Council, driving a greater understanding and acceptance across the organization.
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Since Mr. Rockhill joined FOX in 2015, he has held various executive, team-building roles, having served as Vice President for Ad Sales Strategy on the FOX Sports Brand Partnerships team; Vice President of Portfolio Solutions & Client Management; and Vice President of Integrated Marketing, leading a team responsible for Ad Sales marketing strategy, ideation and execution for entertainment properties, including the award-winning Pepsi + Empire partnership.
Prior to FOX, Mr. Rockhill worked at Civic Entertainment Group and Culture Shop, where his team received a Silver Ex Award for Best Activation of an Entertainment Sponsorship. He started his career as one of the first ten IPG InterAct Associates, a prestigious fellowship program, which led to roles at Foote Cone & Belding and McCann Erickson, where he was selected as American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Most Promising Minority Student Rising Star and developed the multicultural pharma arm HumanCare Salud, dedicated to serving minority populations. Mr. Rockhill received his Bachelor of Science, Television-Radio degree with a concentration in advertising and public relations from Ithaca College, where he was named AAF’s Most Promising Minority Student.
Moderator: Alexandra Merceron, EVP, Rubenstein; Lecturer, Columbia University
Alexandra Merceron is a communications professional and educator with more than 20 years of experience. She specializes in helping organizations meaningfully engage diverse audiences, across channels and platforms. Currently, she’s an Executive Vice President at RUBENSTEIN, a strategic communications and reputation management firm, where she leads research, messaging, DEI, culture, and training initiatives for the firm. Before joining RUBENSTEIN, she worked for, and as a consultant to, numerous organizations, including the FDA, Sugar Hill Children’s Museum, The Intersector Project, IBM, Harvard Business Review, The Boston Globe and New York Times, and Billboard Magazine, among others. Alex is also an award-winning professor, with 13 years of experience training and mentoring the next generation of communications professionals. Since 2017, she has been a Lecturer at Columbia University, and previously taught at Georgetown University, Boston University, Queens University of Charlotte, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Connecticut.