The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced the hiring of new employees in the Marketing and New Media Divisions. In Marketing, Anne H. Shoulders has been appointed Director of Brand Management and Research. In New Media, Lauren Pasquale has been appointed Director of Content and Product Development, and Katie O’Brien has been appointed Associate Director of Content Development. Both Shoulders and Pasquale will report to John Pierce, USOC Managing Director, Brand Management & Research.
Shoulders comes to the USOC after spending the last 13 years at The Coca-Cola Company in a variety of marketing and innovation roles. Most recently, she was Senior Brand Activation Manager/Integrated Marketing for Coca-Cola North America where she led strategic and creative development for multi-brand national programs, including the Olympic Games, NCAA and NASCAR as well as national marketing for brand launches and key retail selling periods. For the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Shoulders was responsible for the ‘Connect with the World over a Coke’ integrated marketing plan which centered around limited edition Coke cans from around the world.
At the USOC, Shoulders will be responsible for the day-to-day development, management and growth of the Team USA brand. She will work with the sales, marketing and communications departments to raise the profile of existing USOC programs as well as to identify and design innovative marketing platforms for sponsor activation. Shoulders will also be responsible for managing the USOC’s creative and consumer research relationships, including the day-to-day management of its creative agency, mcgarrybowen.
"Providing important creative activation strategies and consumer research to current and future corporate partners has become increasingly important in today’s business environment," said USOC Chief Marketing Officer Rick Burton. "Anne’s outstanding experience in developing integrated marketing programs for Coca-Cola North America will greatly benefit USOC corporate partners and NGBs.”
Prior to Coca-Cola, Shoulders worked as an Account Supervisor at McCann-Erickson both in Atlanta, Ga., and in Athens, Greece, managing advertising efforts for Coca-Cola USA, Coca-Cola Hellas, Motorola and CARE.
Pasquale joins the USOC as Director of Content and Product Development. She will manage operations and content plans for the USOC’s digital media initiatives and web site (www.teamusa.org), including websites for the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) participating in the USOC’s new website initiative and U.S. Paralympics. This includes the production of site enhancements, original content and the development of partnerships with third-party content providers. She will also assist with the development of the USOC’s ongoing digital media strategies.
Formerly of USA Hockey, Pasquale spent seven years directing the organization’s Internet Communications Department. She led a two-year initiative to rebuild the Internet Network of 1,500 websites, including all online integrated functions. She directed USA Hockey’s editorial coverage for the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Winter Games, along with numerous World and National Championships. Under her leadership, the site in 2001 saw a 600 percent increase in traffic over the previous site in just seven months.
“Lauren brings a wealth of experience to this new position,” Pierce said. “Her understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing National Governing Bodies and her enthusiasm for storytelling will benefit fans of Olympic and Paralympic sport. As the new web site continues to grow and evolve, Lauren will be an essential player in the USOC’s new media initiatives.”
Prior to her time with USA Hockey, Pasquale worked in numerous roles for the National Football League, most recently as Manager, Programming & Development, New Media and Publishing. She currently works as a Gameday Media Relations Staff Member for the Denver Broncos.
O’Brien begins a new role with the USOC after serving the last two and a half years in the Event Services Department, most recently as Associate Director. In this role, she developed and managed events for internal and external clients. She handled sponsor requests, inquiries and event activation, and executed international training programs in preparation for the Olympic Games.
As Associate Director of Content Development, O’Brien will source and manage freelance content developers for www.teamusa.org, along with providing content development assistance to National Governing Bodies, U.S. Paralympics and internal USOC constituents. She will assist with the development of web-related activation opportunities for USOC corporate partners, along with the development of original and archive video assets.
”Fans of Olympic sports remain largely under-served,” Pierce said. “Katie’s enthusiasm and excitement about the Olympic Movement, along with her unparalleled work ethic, make her an important addition to the New Media team.”
Prior to joining the USOC, O’Brien was an Integrated Marketing Associate at New Balance Athletic Shoe, preceded by an Account Supervisor for Monster.com, Citizens Bank and other clients at Arnold Worldwide.
(Source: USOC)
