Frank Kunkle has joined SMPTE as its new director of marketing. He is guiding development and implementation of a robust marketing strategy, including campaigns, events, digital marketing, and public relations, while supporting SMPTE’s ongoing implementation of its three-year strategic plan. Kunkle most recently served as marketing manager at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). At ANSI, he developed and executed marketing plans with a focus on growing the institute’s subscription-based product for access to standards, stimulating membership, developing lead acquisition tactics, managing the brand of the institute’s standards platform, driving market analysis, mining data to inform future marketing campaigns, coordinating trade show representation with colleagues, and overseeing advertising opportunities and media placement. Earlier, as marketing strategy manager at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), Kunkle designed and managed marketing, social, and digital media campaigns for 50 products; unified the marketing strategy across all of SIAM’s program areas; and leveraged data and metrics across these platforms to drive and evolve marketing tactics. He also managed product and web development for custom systems designed to facilitate SIAM’s M3 Challenge (delivered to 50,000+ students online to date), led improvements of data management systems, served on the staff committee responsible for an overhaul of siam.org, and curated content and media across m3challenge.siam.org with an emphasis on encouraging young people to pursue careers in mathematics and science. Kunkle earned dual bachelor’s degrees in strategic communication (public relations concentration) and psychology from Temple University and subsequently began his career working in public relations, press relations, and event planning with several Philadelphia-based agencies. In his new position with SMPTE, Kunkle is based at the Society’s White Plains, NY offices and reports directly to SMPTE executive director Barbara Lange….
Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens
"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.
The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.
And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).
This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.
"'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."
As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More