The task of lining up advertisers to support new seasons of “The Walking Dead” now falls to Kim Kelleher.
Kelleher, a magazine ad-sales veteran who has held top jobs at Conde Nast and the former Time Inc., was named Tuesday as AMC Networks’ new president of advertising sales and partnerships. She replaced Scott Collins, who left unexpectedly in August. She reports to AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan and will have oversight of the company’s TV and digital ad sales.
Kelleher was most recently the chief brand officer at Conde Nast, publisher of The New Yorker, GQ and other magazines. She has also logged stints in senior sales roles at Time and Sports Illustrated.
“Our advertising partners recognize the unique value of our content and ability to connect their brands and messages to highly engaged viewers and fan,” said Sapan, in a prepared statement.” Kim is the ideal person to build on our success in this critical area of our business, to attend to our current strong relationships and identify new partnerships and opportunities.”
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She joins a TV company that has developed a reputation for creating unique opportunities for sponsors despite a narrower portfolio of networks than its rivals. AMC Networks has allowed advertisers to create bespoke commercials for “The Walking Dead” that play off the dystopian themes of the horror drama, and has found ways to ” align marketers with last-minute sneak previews shown at the end of programs like “Breaking Bad” or “Better Call Saul.” AMC Networks has also taken recent steps to help advertisers use data patterns to identify some of their most likely customers among the audience for its programs.
Kelleher’s ascension to the new role is the latest revolving-door move in the world of TV ad-sales. In an era when marketers are spreading dollars around all kinds of new-tech video opportunities, including streaming and mobile video, much of the industry has begun to consolidate, resulting in familiar people leaving their post, and new ones taking over. Last month, AT&T’s WarnerMedia parted ways with longtime ad sales chief Donna Speciale. Media buyers believe the company’s new owner wants to install an executive in the role who is more familiar with AT&T leadership. New top ad-sales executives have also been placed at the new Fox Corporation after it sold the bulk of its studio and cable businesses to Walt Disney.