News Briefs
THE BALTIMORE AREA CONVENTION AND VISITORS ASSOCIATION: is touring three mid-Atlantic markets to tout Baltimore as a tourism destination. The tour extends Baltimore’s Get In on It tourism campaign with a Snowball Mobile ice cream truck that gives away “snowballs”—that’s what the locals call sweetened crushed-ice treats known in other cities as Sno-Cones or Hawaiian Shaved Ice. The tour will reach 10,000 consumers in Philadelphia; Washington; and Bethany Beach, DE. Fandango Productions, Baltimore, handles.
XM SATELLITE RADIO: has realigned its marketing operations with the creation of a dedicated marketing group for its automotive footprint, and has made senior-level marketing appointments. Under the new structure, My-Chau Nguyen, formerly of Sprint Nextel Communications, will join XM as senior VP-marketing, planning and research. My-Chau will oversee XM’s strategic marketing efforts with responsibility for packaging, pricing, retention and marketing research. Her appointment is effective in September. Sean Connolly, formerly of Intel Corp., will become VP-brand management and media, effective in August. Connolly will oversee brand marketing and media for XM. Both will report to a CMO, who will be appointed in the coming months to oversee all sales and marketing for the company, including media, branding and retention programs.
CRACKER BARREL: parent company CBRL Group announced the resignation of Christopher a. Tomasso, VP-marketing, as part of a reorganization at the company that follows the retirement of Cyril J. Taylor from the offices of president and chief operating officer. Based in Lebanon, TN, the company operates 543 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant and gift shops in 41 states, and 166 Logan’s Roadhouse restaurants in 20 states.
