The automotive advertising category is somewhat at a crossroad. On the one hand, manufacturers and dealers are enjoying renewed health. On the other, they now have more options for spending their advertising budget.
TVB wants to make sure television continues to get its fair share.
To that end, it has created a new position in its National Business Development division: Executive Advisor, Automotive.
And it has hired Steve Sturm to fill it.
Sturm will bring to 30 years of relevant experience to his new role.
“TVB is committed to enhancing our members’ local sales efforts with services that leverage the unrivaled reach and engagement of broadcast television. In this newly created role at TVB, Steve will be instrumental in helping grow our core business development capabilities in the important automotive category by establishing relationships with key industry constituents and by developing new, innovative communications strategies that best leverage broadcasters’ marketing solutions platforms to support the needs and sales objectives of automotive businesses,” said Steve Lanzano, CEO of TVB.
Steve Sturm commented, “The majority of my career has been focused on developing and executing marketing strategies on behalf of leading automotive brands, and local broadcast television has proven to be the most effective advertising platform among any other medium when it comes to moving local dealership inventory or bringing new car models to market. I look forward to leveraging my automotive experience and marketing expertise to support the selling efforts of TVB’s membership while building upon the foundation of television’s role as the leading influence on consumers’ purchase decisions.”
Sturm most recently handled automotive for AOL, and spent 29 years with Toyota, rising to the position Group VP Corporate Communications, Strategic Planning and Research for Toyota Motor North America.
