Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Timeline
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THOMAS FRANKE

Brooklyn,NY

Summary

Experienced media executive with 15+ years of transforming brands and driving revenue across digital, experiential, and print platforms. As Publisher of Brooklyn Magazine, led its rebranding into a multi-platform cultural authority, creating impactful branded content, producing celebrated events, and expanding its renowned movie series. Gained global insights at Cannes Lions, contributing to one of the industry's leading creative platforms, and honed expertise in programmatic advertising and multi-channel campaigns during six years at Metro Media. Known for blending creative vision with strategic business acumen to deliver client success and long-term impact.

Overview

16
16
years of professional experience

Work History

PUBLISHER & CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Brooklyn Magazine
New York, NY
12.2020 - 11.2024
  • Co-owner and visionary behind the successful rebranding and relaunch of Brooklyn Magazine, transformed a dormant media entity into a thriving, multi-platform brand
  • Created a dynamic suite of media products, including print, digital, and experiential offerings, driving engagement and commercial success
  • Led the creation and expansion of a highly successful movie screening series in partnership with Paramount+ and Showtime, achieving 300% growth over four years and culminating in an attendance of nearly 30,000 people in the most recent year
  • Successfully transformed initial six-figure deals into multi-year, seven-figure contracts, securing long-term growth and increased brand exposure
  • Conceived and executed the Brooklyn Magazine Festival, featuring a 20-show music series, a two-day music festival that drew 8,000 attendees, and a conference with 30 fireside chats
  • The festival attracted 15,000 attendees in total
  • Led a comprehensive branded content campaign with Grubhub, producing over 30 pieces of multimedia content disseminated across multiple platforms and brought in 400k in revenue in our first year
  • Directed a cross-functional team of 10 experts in ad operations, finance, branded content, and creative services
  • Successfully led Brooklyn Magazine's acquisition by BSE Global, a global holding company and owner of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Cannes Lions
New York, NY
04.2019 - 05.2020
  • Led the Advisory team in collaboration with the Global Head of Creative Excellence, developing tailored programs for major global brands like Mondelez, Mars, Frito-Lay, Nissan, and Campari to maximize their engagement with Cannes Lions beyond the festival
  • These bespoke initiatives ranged in value from $250k to $2 million
  • Developed and executed bespoke learning and development programs tailored to key brand objectives, enhancing the festival experience for companies such as General Mills and Campari
  • Collaborated with content teams and external industry consultants to design customized programs, including 'Cannes Curated,' an exclusive on-site initiative featuring curated sessions with main stage speakers, jury members, and Cannes Lions leadership
  • These programs secured deal values ranging from $100k to $1 million
  • Additionally, leveraged data from the archive platform to build benchmarking reports for brand marketing teams, ensuring strategic alignment with their annual learning and development goals

VP SALES

Social Media Week
New York, NY
11.2018 - 04.2019
  • Developed and executed a sponsorship growth strategy for Social Media Week, resulting in a 30% increase in sponsorship revenue
  • Led sponsorship sales for agencies, publishers, brands, and ad tech companies across NYC, LA, and London, successfully driving engagement and expanding revenue across these key markets by identifying alignment between sponsor objectives and event offerings
  • Created and launched a new revenue stream, the 'Brand Leaders Experience,' an exclusive event offering that attracted top industry leaders, contributing 15% sponsor growth

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Northside Media
New York, NY
06.2017 - 11.2018
  • Pitched and secured sponsorship deals for owned and operated events, driving brand partnerships with major companies and delivering successful marketing programs
  • Integrated branded experiences into the Northside Festival, including both the 7-day Innovation and 3-day Music portions, contributing to a 20% increase in overall festival sponsorship revenue
  • At the festival produced and managed a variety of targeted programs such as meetups, thought leadership panels, happy hours, music showcases, and more
  • Developed comprehensive sponsorship packages for brands like Kobalt Music, WeWork, Code and Theory, McCann, and The Economist, resulting in expanded partnerships and an increase in sponsorship growth by 30% year-over-year
  • Sold and executed large-scale sponsorship programs for brands like Essentia Water and Altos Tequila through a 3-city culinary event series called Taste Talks
  • Assembled impactful brand activations for major sponsors like Con Edison and Showtime at the 8-night Summer Screen movie series, driving a 15% increase in sponsorship revenue
  • Led the development and closure of integrated marketing programs across print and digital platforms for Brooklyn Magazine, achieving consistent revenue growth and exceeding targets by over 25%

MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Metro Media
New York, NY
04.2011 - 06.2017
  • Sold innovative cross-platform digital solutions using an in-house DSP, leading to a 300% increase in revenue over 3 years
  • Developed and optimized targeted digital campaigns, significantly increasing impressions and click-through rates while reducing cost-per-acquisition by 25%
  • Trained and managed a team of account executives, achieving fluency in programmatic advertising and consistently delivering campaigns that exceeded KPIs, resulting in a 20% improvement in overall campaign efficiency
  • Drove direct advertising sales for metro.us, including high-impact placements such as branded content, site takeovers, and custom ad units, which increased revenue by 30%
  • Built and maintained strong client relationships, upselling print advertisers by 15% year-over-year while ensuring long-term loyalty through personalized service and value-driven solutions

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

The Hill
Washington D.C
01.2009 - 04.2011
  • Sold print and online recruitment advertising to a diverse portfolio of clients, driving consistent growth and expanding market share across both platforms
  • Managed the jobs section for both the website and print products, leading to a record revenue increase in recruitment advertising by optimizing sales strategies and client engagement
  • Achieved record-high revenue levels for recruitment products by identifying new business opportunities and maximizing existing client partnerships, contributing to a 25% increase in overall product revenue
  • Collaborated closely with print and digital production teams, ensuring the highest quality standards for all recruitment ads and maintaining strong client satisfaction through seamless execution

Education

BA - English

Washington College
Chestertown, MD

Timeline

PUBLISHER & CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Brooklyn Magazine
12.2020 - 11.2024

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Cannes Lions
04.2019 - 05.2020

VP SALES

Social Media Week
11.2018 - 04.2019

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Northside Media
06.2017 - 11.2018

MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Metro Media
04.2011 - 06.2017

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

The Hill
01.2009 - 04.2011

BA - English

Washington College
THOMAS FRANKE