Doner Hires Marcus Collins as SVP, Executive Director of Social Engagement
Today, full-service advertising agency Doner
announced it has hired Marcus Collins as SVP, Executive Director of Social
Engagement. In this new role, Collins
will lead the agency’s social practice and provide thought leadership as Doner
looks to further expand its social offering. He will report to Liz Boone, EVP,
Chief Marketing Officer, Doner.
As SVP, Executive Director of Social Engagement, Collins will lead and further develop the social practice across Doner’s growing client roster and across its offices in Detroit, Cleveland, London and Los Angeles. In addition, he will establish the agency’s social philosophy by combining culturally curious thinking with academic insights into the cognitive drivers that excite consumer behavior.
Most recently, Collins served as Executive Director of Social Engagement at Translation, LLC in New York City. During his time at Translation, he developed and led the social engagement practice for the agency including the vision, growth and management of the department at the helm of all social strategy, ideation content development, community management and measurement/analytics. His strategies and creative contributions led to the success of Bud Light Platinum, the launch of the Brooklyn Nets with its #HelloBrooklyn campaign, and State Farm’s “Cliff Paul” campaign, to name a few. Prior to joining Translation, Collins ran the Microsoft, GORE-TEX® and Colgate Palmolive accounts for Big Fuel Communications.
Collins has always found himself at the convergence of media and culture, and this is where he is most comfortable. From his time spent at Apple, where he led iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives and college marketing efforts, to running digital strategy for Beyoncé and co-founding Muse Recordings, he combines consumer behavior with people-driven experiences that put the consumer front and center.
“Marcus is a true thought leader, whose work has redefined the way we think about social engagement, by combining astute cultural thinking with rigorous academic insights,” said David DeMuth, co-CEO/President, Doner. “His ability to deliver social thought leadership and ideation in ways that move people to take action will further elevate our clients’ brands while helping them to achieve return on marketing investment. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Marcus to Doner and back to his hometown of Detroit, where he’ll no doubt add a spark to the city’s creative renaissance.”
Beyond his professional endeavors, Marcus is an extremely passionate educator and an AACSB certified clinical instructor. He teaches Innovations in Marketing and Social Engagement as an adjunct professor at New York University’s department of Media, Culture and Communications in the Steinhardt School. Internationally, Collins teaches social marketing at the Luxembourg School of Business as a professor of marketing, executive education. He also leads social engagement sessions for executive leaders and digital practitioners at Hyper Island, Generals Assembly (NYC) and Miami Ad School (Brooklyn, NY). In addition, he is a frequent contributor and methodology designer for the Dallas-based Marcus Graham Project and is also a regular speaker at industry events including Social Media Week and SXSW.
“If
you’re not in the business of people, then frankly, you’re not in business,”
said Collins. “Doner’s entire business philosophy thrives on creating ideas
that move people to action. I am thrilled to apply my understanding of the
psychological motivators that drive what we do, say, and share in an effort to
create contagious marketing programs for the agency’s clients and to push the
agency’s social media practice to new heights and new ways of thinking.”
