iMedia Communications has named Executive Editor Brad Berens as its Editor in Chief & Chief Content Officer, a newly-created position that reports to iMedia General Manager Kurt Indvik.
 
In this role, Berens will be responsible for providing the vision and direct leadership in the development of all content for iMedia properties in the U.S. This includes iMedia's Brand, Agency and Breakthrough Summits, as well as the vertical market Summits in the automotive and entertainment channels, as well as content for iMediaConnection.com and its related newsletters.
 
Indvik said, "In his two-plus years with iMedia, Brad has developed into a respected authoritative voice in the interactive marketing industry, has built and directed a great editorial team that has transformed our media products, and has, increasingly, been sought out as a presenter at industry events and corporate meetings. We want to leverage his knowledge, contacts and experience in an even more expanded and pronounced way across both the media and conference properties to push content to an even higher level."
 
Of Berens's new position, iMedia CEO Rick Parkhill said, "At the iMedia Brand Summit this September, Tim Murphy, Sr. Director of Digital Marketing for Anheuser-Busch participated on a panel that discussed what it's going to take for management teams to believe in digital marketing's scalability and results. When asked what he had found most successful in getting top management to pay attention to digital strategies and results, Tim cited a presentation that Brad gave at an internal A-B Marketing Conference in St. Louis as one of the most effective and inspiring moments that captured the attention of top management."
 
Parkhill continued, "In the time that Brad Berens has been the Executive Editor at iMedia, we have seen subscription and site traffic to iMediaConnection.com more than double. His professionalism and keen sense of quality online content has made iMedia an important resource for the interactive media and advertising business. But to shackle Brad to an Editor's desk is not fullly leveraging his skills as a public speaker and spokesperson for iMedia and the industry at-large. Elevating Brad to Editor in Chief & Chief Content Officer will extend his role further into the industry, where he can further guide iMedia's content and be an important ambassador for the business."
 
"I'm thrilled about the new position, the new challenge and very gratified for the vote of confidence in the work I've done since getting here in the fall of 2004," Berens said. "It's an exciting time to be anywhere near interactive marketing and media, and iMedia puts me in the center of this stimulating and ever-changing conversation."
 
"The hunt is now on for a new Exec Editor," Berens added. "Based in our L.A. office, this new editor will serve as a counterpart on my team to Masha Geller, our Summit Content Director."