Richard Lewis (M) 818 903-5481

5429 Newcastle Ave. #307 u Encino, CA 91316 u (O) 818 973-2754

Summary

Senior Marketing/Public Relations Executive

Marketing...Advertising...Brand...Management...Public Relations

Extensive senior level public relations experience with Fortune 500 companies and an entrepreneurial Public Relations enterprise. Areas of Special Competence...

 

·         Corporate Imagery

·         Licensing

·         Merchandising

·         Wireless

·         Internet

·         Public Relations Strategic Planning

·         International Public Relations

·         Sales

·         Business Development

Coordinated public relations programs with well-known names such as:

 

·         MCA/Universal

·         ABC

·         Hilton Hotels

·         HSN Direct

·         Ford Motor

·         Baywatch

·         Family Feud

·         World Wrestling Entertainment

·         Peter Max

·         Tony Robbins

·         Steve Wozniak

·         Nolan Bushnell

Career Experience

 

DQ ENTERTAINMENT-HYDERABAD, INDIA

20004 PRESENT

DQ Entertainment is the largest animation studio in India. The company employs nearly 2000 people between their headquarters in Hyderabad and their satellite offices in Manila, Paris and Burbank. The company is engaged in business with all of the major producers of children’s animated content worldwide.

 

VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

 

Responsible for managing the corporate affairs of the company in North America

Successfully concluded co-production deals with Discovery Kids, Nick Toons, Car Angels

Successfully concluded work-for-hire deals with Sony, Disney, Bardel Entertainment

Concluded agreement to produce thirteen episodes of “Tutenstein” for PorchLight Entertainment

Responsible for work-for-hire agreement with NBC/Universal for “Curious George Series”

Set up out source arrangement with Curious Pictures for “Barbie” DVD.

In one year’s time brought the North American billings from $1,500,000 annually to $5,000,000.

Established office in Burbank

Managed the company’s trade show presence at MIP, MIPCOM, NATPE

Created and implemented a marketing plan designed to increase company’s presence in North American market

 

 

 

 

DIC ENTERTAINMENT-BURBANK, CA

2000-03

DIC Entertainment is the largest independent television animation company in the industry. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company until 2000. The company has recently expanded into the consumer products arena with the purchase of Mommy & Me. The DIC library contains nearly three thousand animated episodes.

 

VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

 

Manage in house public relations staff

Responsible for company's corporate image

Supervise public relations and marketing campaigns

Work with outside agencies

Create and implement strategic communications plans

Create and manage budgets

Supervise company's trade show presence

Head crisis management team

Brand manage the library

Work with financial relation and investment banking firms

Launched company's buyout campaign

Responsible for implementing company's repositioning as top independent

Successfully managed public relations initiatives that resulted in premium exposure in industry trades and financial publications such as the Wall Street Journal

 

 

RLA PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING -BURBANK, CA

1998-2000

RLA is a public relations, marketing and corporate-communications company.

Since its inception in the spring of 1997 it has specialized in representing convergence technology companies. The firm’s other area of specialization is the representation of corporate entertainment entities. Some of the clients the company has worked with in the online arena include; Brilliant Digital Entertainment, helloNetwork, MTV I, Nickelodeon Online, City Interactive, Streammedia, Tune In Networks, American Movie Classics Online, posternet.com, booktech.com, !hey Inc., icontact.com, mysportsguru.com, comedynet.com, American Interactive Media and Greenleaf Technologies. In the area of corporate entertainment representation Richard Lewis Associates clients have included; DIC Entertainment, The World Wrestling Federation, Modern Entertainment, Total Entertainment Media, HSN Direct, Porchlight Entertainment, Liberty International, The DeAngeles Group, Kaleidoscope Entertainment Group, The Film Factory and The World Animation Celebration.

OWNER/OPERATOR

Manage staff, service clients, prospect for new business, run day-to-day operations. Accomplishments included:

Creating a successful consulting company

Putting together a team of senior professionals to service clients

Placing stories about start-up companies in the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.

Positioning Brilliant Digital Entertainment as a competitor and alternative to Flash

Securing a front page of the Circuits section of the NY Times for icontact.com followed up by a Red Herring story which resulted in securing a new round of financing.

Securing a personality profile in the New York Times about Andy Heyward CEO of DIC that caught the attention of Bain Securities, DIC’s eventual partner in their buy out from Disney.

Created and implemented numerous strategic plans for clients

Within first year of operation exceeded $350,000 in billings in second year grew company to $450,000 and in the third year to over $600,000.

 

 

 

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT - Stamford, CT 1996 - 1998

WWE is comprised of television production, domestic and international television distribution and pay-per-view entities. It is the parent company of the World Wrestling Federation, WWF Magazine, Raw Magazine, Titan licensing and merchandising, Travel Strategies and Titan New Media.

Senior Vice President - Marketing & Public Relations

Manage marketing, public relations, new media, community services and advertising departments, worldwide. Accomplishments included:

·         Established in-house public relations and marketing departments and created the marketing plan for the company.

·         Created trade show strategy that resulted in $300,000 savings at the same time company had greatest presence in their history at NATPE.

·         Created strategic plan for community services department that resulted in company establishing an alliance with Habitat for Humanity.

·         Successfully launched company’s first show in late night syndication, which created the strategy for launching company’s shows in the international market place.

·         Directed public relations campaign to establish company as mainstream entertainment entity.

·         Direct responsibility for “America On Line” site which is averaging over 180,000 hits per month.

·         Team member involved with creation of web-site for Internet.

 

HANNA-BARBERA CARTOONS, INC. - Hollywood, CA 1994 - 1996

Vice President - Public Relations

Managed the public relations department, responsible for production, licensing, merchandising, international sales, multi-media ventures and retail operations. Accomplishments included:

·         Created and directed three Emmy campaigns resulting in three nominations.

·         Developed creative advertising campaigns for trade publications.

·         Responsible for leading cross-functional teams on Jonny Quest launch.

·         Launched Dexter’s Laboratory on three Turner Networks.

·         Managed million dollar budgets consistently under budget.

·         Successfully managed Hanna-Barbera brand resulting in thousands of media impressions.

·         Managed numerous character initiatives including The Flintstones and Jetsons.

 

DIC ENTERTAINMENT - Burbank, CA 1992 - 1994

Vice President - Public Relations/Promotions

Recruited by the subsidiary of Capital/ABC Video Enterprises, a leading producer of children’s programming. Managed the studio’s publicity, corporate image, advertising, marketing and promotional needs.

·         Created and directed two Emmy campaigns resulting in two nominations.

·         Successfully conducted public relations blackout campaign while company was in acquisition mode.

·         Led campaign whereby DIC became first proponent of Children’s Television Act.

·         Created collateral materials.

·         Co-created DIC programming code for children’s TV production companies and secured endorsement of NEA.

 

LBS COMMUNICATIONS - Beverly Hills, CA 1990 - 1992

Director- Marketing/Public Relations

LBS was a leading distributor of first-run and off network syndicated properties such as Baywatch, Family Feud, Twenty-One Jump Street, Memories Then & Now and numerous cartoons. Managed corporate publicity, station relations, advertising and promotion. Accomplishments included:

·         Developed media strategy to maintain positive image during company’s one-year re-organization.

·         Launched Baywatch in first-run syndication.

·         Directed public relations’ campaign for Elvis Files resulting in highest rating for syndicated special that year.

 

Mahoney/Wasserman- Brentwood, CA 1988 - 1990

Account Supervisor corporate & corporate entertainment

Mahoney/Wasserman is now part of Burson Marstellar. I began with them right after college as a junior publicist and rose to become a department head. This public relations firm represented such clients as:

 

·         Taft Entertainment

·         Hanna-Barbera

·         Universal Cartoon Studios

·         MCA/Universal Bus. Dev.

·         Fries Home Video

·         Abbey Rents

·         Peter Max

·         Tony Robbins

·         Compu-Save

·         Park Place Productions

·         J2 Communications

·         Best Film and Video, etc.

 

·         Directed and coordinated marketing and public relations programs for Hanna-Barbera’s Greatest Adventures Stories from the Bible. The first animated made for Home Video sell-through series.

·         Created and implemented public relations strategy for MCA/Universal Business Development’s licensing launch of Rocky and Bullwinkle.

·         Created and implemented public relations’ strategy for MCA/Universal Business Development’s 60th anniversary campaigns for Frankenstein and Dracula.

·         Secured front-page story in Investor’s Daily resulting in $5MM private placement for Compu-Save.

 

Education

University of Arizona

Rockland Community College

Graduate Management Action Program