Chimney Vigor Group–a global studio specializing in communications, production, entertainment and MarTech that serves as an advertising and social media agency, production and tech company all rolled into one–has hired Laura Romeu as chief growth officer for its new health and wellness vertical. She will operate out of the shop’s NY office. In her new role, Romeu will lead the business development and strategic partnerships for category brands and companies focusing on Chimney’s end-to-end content strategy, production, distribution, and analytical services. With over 20 years of marketing experience, both on the client and the agency side, Romeu has worked across global pharmaceutical companies, medical and scientific communications agencies, technology-driven big data companies, and tech-enabled patient support service providers. She has knowledge in strategic marketing, communications, brand management and planning, product launch, customer engagement, business development/diversification, account management/development, and market research. Romeu started her career at Merck & Co. as a sales representative and later moved into roles as marketing and product manager and manager of government relations programs. During her nearly 10-year tenure at Merck, she spent three years in Spain, working with cardiovascular brands, focused on launches and line extensions, before moving back to the U.S. It was then that she realized she was interested in market research, customer insights and the communication and messaging for brands, which led her to her next position at Saatchi and Saatchi Wellness. Since then, Romeu has held executive positions at Cline Davis and Mann, Digitas Health Lifebrands, IMS Health, and ConnectiveRx. She has also started her own consultancy–Brand Strategy Consulting–and worked as an independent marketing strategist for different agencies….
Blake Lively Is Sued By Crisis Specialist In Latest “It Ends With Us” Litigation
A Texas crisis communications specialist has sued Blake Lively for defamation after the actor pulled him into her legal fight with co-star and director Justin Baldoni over their film, "It Ends With Us."
Jed Wallace and his company, Street Relations, filed the $7 million lawsuit in federal court in Texas on Tuesday. It says he had nothing to do with any campaign to harm Lively's reputation as she alleged in a court filing.
Wallace is not among the defendants in Lively's federal lawsuit against Baldoni, his production company and publicists, in which she alleges sexual and other harassment during the production and a campaign to smear her after it. The crisis specialist is named in the court papers and the New York Times story published on the day the series of legal battles began in December when Lively filed a complaint.
Lively's lawyers said in a statement that Wallace's lawsuit "is not just a publicity stunt."
"It is transparent retaliation in response to allegations contained within a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint that Ms. Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department," the statement said. "While this lawsuit will be dismissed, we are pleased that Mr. Wallace has finally emerged from the shadows, and that he too will be held accountable in federal court."
In a filing last week in Hays County, Texas, that seeks a deposition from Wallace, Lively alleges he was used by publicists working with Baldoni to weaponize "a digital army around the country, including in New York and Los Angeles, to create, seed, manipulate, and advance disparaging content that appeared to be authentic on social media platforms and internet chat forums."
Wallace's lawsuit says neither he nor his company "had anything to do... Read More