Starcom Hires New Creative Executive

Media buyer Starcom USA has hired Jonathan Hoffman, an ad agency creative executive, to focus on generating new ideas.

Hoffman was named chief experience officer at Starcom. Hoffman has been consulting with Starcom for six months. Previously, he served as president/chief creative officer at Campbell Mithun. Before that he'd been the vice chairman/executive creative director at Leo Burnett, which like Starcom is a unit of Publicis.

"The world encompasses an infinite number of channels, so tomorrow's agency must embrace new types of talent to stay ahead. That's why welcoming Jonathan to Starcom is a landmark for the evolution of our talent, culture and our product," LIsa Donohue, Starcom USA CEO, said in a statement.  "Jonathan is truly unique in how he functionally unites all elements of media and creativity under the umbrella of a powerful idea. He represents a new solution for new challenges."

"We've known for years that the winners in this business will be those who can combine the left and right-brained to compete," said Hoffman. "The message is absolutely inseparable from media, and in this job I feel I have the unique opportunity to build advantages for our clients based on that notion. I'm focused on unleashing the power of smart ideas across any and all aspects of human experience, and I'm charged with helping everyone else at this smart, creative company do the same."

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.