Plans to Invest in New MarCom Positions and Budgets in Coming Months
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Dec. 5, 2022—After 145 years in the publishing industry, David C Cook has set out to take the business to new heights. The company has internally reorganized and rebuilt a new matrix marketing organization, hiring a stream of heavy hitters to advance the strategy and the vision of the brand.
To lead and energize the process, David C Cook engaged marketing consultant Stuart Foster of Chief Outsiders. “David C Cook is on a mission for growth. This new marketing organization will position the ministry to accelerate its business and increase global impact I am excited to see where this takes us,” said Foster, who is serving as David C Cook’s interim Chief Marketing Officer.
Since the launch of this process in September, David C Cook has hired Christopher Baggett (VP of Marketing Strategy), Jason Jones (VP of Visual Communication), Rob Annese (Senior Director of Digital Marketing) and Jonathan Schneck (Director of Digital Strategy and Growth at Integrity Music). Together, these new hires bring decades of experience in marketing and brand development. In all, David C Cook plans to add 17 new MarCom positions to the new marketing team to help build its capabilities of insights, strategy, communication, digital marketing and creative.
In his new role, Baggett will oversee marketing strategy for the entire David C Cook portfolio. Baggett has extensive experience in leadership, analytics, digital marketing, creative direction and design. He has served in various contexts, developing strategies and operating systems to increase employee engagement and organizational performance. With Baggett bringing his knowledge into this role, the company can expect to see a drastic advancement of branding and reach through data analysis and strategy.
Jones is being promoted to the newly created role of VP of Visual Communications after excelling in his role as Senior Director of Visual Communications at Integrity Music. Since stepping into the role in 2015, Jones has cultivated an innovative team of creatives to support the marketing efforts of an international roster of artists. He brings 17 years of industry experience in leading cross-disciplinary teams.
Annese comes to David C Cook with expertise in executive 21st-century digital marketing capabilities across a variety of industries. He has deep digital chops in the areas of data and analytics, performance marketing, web technology and performance, and customer relationship management (CRM). Annese has built extensive digital marketing capabilities and teams with proven success. His highly collaborative role will focus on innovation and implantation in the context of long-term and digital strategies for the ministry.
Schneck, Director of Digital Strategy and Growth at Integrity Music, joins the team with an extensive background in digital marketing in the Christian music industry. Schneck brings extensive experience in performance marketing, web technology and CRM experience to Integrity Music. His role will focus on developing the online strategy and driving growth of Integrity Music’s digital presence.
By hiring top-tier executives to step into these critical roles, David C Cook is poised to leverage a customer-centric approach to its content business that uses data and insights and turns them into effective strategies that efficiently drive growth and scale.
About David C Cook
David C Cook is a global nonprofit ministry equipping individuals and church leaders with vital learning and worship resources. David C Cook’s desire is for individuals and faith groups to experience the transforming power of the gospel through music and media that fit the culture, language and spiritual needs of their communities. David C Cook was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1875 by David Caleb Cook, a businessman who began publishing pamphlets on lessons and songs that equipped local churches for ministry to children displaced by the Great Chicago Fire. Over the years, David C Cook has grown from a Sunday school curriculum publisher to one of the world’s largest providers of dynamic and relevant media, as well as music designed to equip the global church and individuals with creative, Christian content.
Media Note: For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Katherine Epp at 678.360.9894.
