Gannett names Emma Gilding Vice President of Brand Research and Strategy

MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) today named Emma Gilding vice president of Brand Research and Strategy. Gilding formerly was president and principle strategist of in:site, a strategic and planning advisory group for Omnicom Group Inc. She will be based in New York and report to Maryam Banikarim, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Gannett.

Gilding will be responsible for delivering forward-looking consumer, brand and market insights that will help drive the growth of Gannett's businesses. She will also work closely with Gannett's advertising partners to provide key knowledge to help solve their challenges and meet their objectives. 

"Emma has a deep understanding of consumer behavior and market trends. We are thrilled to bring her onboard," said Banikarim. "Her expertise and thought leadership will be instrumental in further evolving our businesses and helping our advertisers reach their goals."

"This is an exciting time to join Gannett. There's a fundamental shift in the relationship between consumers and media today, and Gannett is leading the way in transforming how it serves the needs of consumers," said Gilding. "I look forward to being a part of these efforts and working with a team of top-notch research professionals."

In addition to being president and principle strategist of in:site, Gilding formerly served as strategist for Omnicom Group's Diversified Agency Services and was a founding partner of Omnicom Group's G23, which focused on communications to women. Prior to joining Omnicom Group, Gilding was senior partner/executive director, Discovery, within Ogilvy & Mather; and president of Behavioral & Cultural Insights Ltd. (BCI).

In 2001, Gilding was named one of the top 100 business innovators by TIME Magazine and Crain's Magazine included her in the "40 Under 40 Executives to Watch."

She has been a visiting professor at Yale University, Brown University, Columbia University and New York University since 2001. In 2005, she designed and taught a four-week credited course on consumer insights at the Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter. In 2008, she designed and taught the credited course "Anthropology for Creative Services" at West Virginia University.

Gilding's education includes 1^st Class BA (Hons) from Brunel University, London; and a CSSD Master of Arts (British Council Scholarship Award).

About Gannett
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is an international media and marketing solutions company that informs and engages more than 100 million people every month through its powerful network of broadcast, digital, mobile and publishing properties. Our portfolio of trusted brands offers marketers unmatched local-to-national reach and customizable, innovative marketing solutions across any platform. Gannett is committed to connecting people – and the companies who want to reach them – with their interests and communities. For more information, visit www.gannett.com.

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SOURCE Gannett Co., Inc.